chapter nine,

the bright lights around her hurting her head. She could hear the clinking of china against metal. Where was she? Her vision was blurry. She could feel soft material beneath her, a sheet covering her.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," she heard someone say.

"Yes, do hurry. I'm anxious to get out of this body. And if you get hung up, call me. You know how impatient I get." It sounded like Alaric. Marian gasped, events from the Decade Dance resurfacing in her mind. Niklaus was in her history teacher's body, and he'd taken her after he'd ... Bonnie!

"Where is he going?" She swung her legs off the bed, gently stepping across the carpet and onto the cold floor. In the kitchen area, she found Elena talking to him. Or maybe it was Katherine—Elena wouldn't act as confident. She quickly hid against a wall as Alaric's head snapped towards her, her heart racing.

"To retrieve me so I can get out of this bad hair-do." He chuckled.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Klaus?"

"Well, the full moon is almost upon us." He placed the moonstone on the table and stepped towards Marian. "Ah, Sleeping Beauty has awoken." She gulped.

"What do you want?" It was a stupid question, but it was all she could muster the courage to ask. The man before her—the soul, not the body—frightened her to no end. He had the power to take everything from her. He already had. Her best friend was dead, he had kidnapped her, and her father was daggered for the rest of eternity.

"I've killed the witch," he said. Marian frowned in despair. "I have the moon stone, and the doppelgänger is waiting in the wings. Oh, I am ready to break this curse," he said with a grin.

"And why would you do that here? There's so many people that would try to stop you," Katherine reasoned.

"Because I have to."

"It's the birthplace of the doppelgänger," Marian whispered. Katherine looked from her back to Klaus.

"I didn't realize that was a requirement," she said, astonished.

"Well, how could you? You betrayed me and fled England before I could give you the details, Katerina. But I did find your birthplace and I slaughtered your family. So, I guess we're cool. Let's just hope that Elena isn't as stupid as you were." He gave her a cruel smirk.

"She won't run," said Katherine. "She'll die before she lets anyone that she loves get hurt."

"And that's exactly what I'm counting on."

"You monster," Marian muttered under her breath. She hated Niklaus Mikaelson for what he'd done to her; what he'd done to her friends.

He ignored her, instead compelling Katherine. "You can't leave until I tell you to." He turned to his niece. "And if you try to escape, consider Carrie Whitman dead. Or should I kill the Gilbert boy instead?" His smirk disappeared when she only looked down, avoiding his gaze. "No threatening comeback?" he challenged.

"My best friend is dead," she muttered. "Excuse me for not having the energy to fight you right now." No matter how much Bonnie's relationship with Jeremy had hurt her, Marian Whitman loved Bonnie Bennett with all of her heart. She was the sister she'd never had, and she was heartbroken now that she was gone.

...

"Why are you here?" Marian asked, sitting down on the couch. Klaus had left ten minutes ago, leaving the two alone in the apartment. She hadn't seen Katherine since she had helped her escape her uncle five hundred years. She was disappointed she couldn't do the same for Elena.

"Maybe I just wanted to say hello to the girl who saved my life," she replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

There was a knock at the door. Both girls looked at each other warily.

"Alaric? Are you home? It's Andie ... Star. Jenna's friend." Marian frowned. The news reporter? She didn't know that Jenna was friends with her.

Katherine tried to grab the doorknob but failed, Klaus' compulsion stopping her from touching it. She stepped away from the door as the handle jiggled, Andie walking into the apartment.

"Thank God," Katherine sighed, seeing Damon behind the reporter.

"Wow! You were right. She looks exactly like Elena," Andie remarked, looking at Katherine with astonishment.

"Yep," Damon quipped. He looked at the vampire. "Thought you might be dead."

"Unfortunately not," she mumbled. His gaze turned to rest on Marian.

"You okay?" he asked. The girl shook her head slowly. No, she wasn't. How could she be? "I told your mom you're with Bonnie again."

"What are you doing here?" Katherine interrupted.

"We are here to rescue you," Andie said.

"No, sweetie. We're here to see if they," he pointed at Katherine and Marian, "deserve to be rescued."

"Right," Andie nodded.

"My two favourite girls; the one I loved and one I thought I loved." Marian growled, thinking back to when Katherine had ruined her happiness in 1864. "I figured you still might be kicking," he said to Katherine. "Alaric–Klaus was blending way too easily. Figured he probably had some coaching," he continued, revealing a small phial in his hand.

Katherine's eyes went wide with greed. "Is that ...?"

"Vervain?" he finished. "Your salvation."

"It's not going to undo anything," she said, her eyes hungrily fixed on it.

"There's always a loophole," Damon quipped. "Did he tell you to stay in this apartment until he said it was okay to leave?" Katherine tried to answer but couldn't. "You can't say," he observed. "Did he tell you to do absolutely everything he says until the end of time?"

"No."

"There's your loophole," he cheered sarcastically. "Drink this and it'll prevent any further compulsion." She tried to take it but couldn't move past the invisible barrier in the doorway.

"Give it to me," Katherine demanded.

Damon smirked. "Answer one question first. You double-crossed us with Isobel, why?" Marian frowned, not knowing who this Isobel was. She'd been mostly kept in the dark about the supernatural affairs of the town, not wanting to be caught up in the drama. She'd longed for a normal life for over half a millenium.

"I didn't think you could stand a chance against Klaus, so I was looking out for myself," she answered.

"And where did that get you?" he asked her. "Here." Damon tossed her the phial. "Be careful with that. If he finds out you have that, you're never getting out of here," he warned as she drank it. "You owe me. And I will collect." He then looked at Marian, his cheery mood turning serious. "I thought I told you to stay put," he said, annoyed.

"I couldn't let Bonnie die," she whispered sadly. "Guess I was too late."

"And now you've been kidnapped by your psychopathic maniac uncle," he quipped. "I don't even know if I can trust you anymore."

Marian looked down. "Ouch. He took it worse than I did," Katherine commented.

Damon looked up at her with bewilderment. "You knew?" he asked.

"Of course I knew. She helped me escape him," she said.

Damon huffed angrily. "We'll talk about this when we get home," he said firmly, beckoning her forward. Marian shook her head, stepping backwards. "I don't have all day."

"He'll kill my mom," she told him. "I can't lose her too."

"I'd rather you live than her. I'm sure she'd rather that too. Let's go." Marian didn't move. His faint smirk flattened into a thin line. "Marian," he warned.

"My mom doesn't deserve to die," she said firmly.

Damon groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Fine. Stay here, I don't care."

...

Marian laughed heartily as Katherine danced shamelessly around the apartment to the loud music she'd put on, seeming to have spritely after being given her lifeline of vervain. The two had searched the apartment for something to do while Klaus was gone. Katherine had at first suggested watching TV, but Marian had pointed out that daytime TV was beyond unwatchable. Instead, Katherine had put music on and raided Alaric's alcohol cupboard.

Suddenly, she rushed back to the couch and sat, frozen as Klaus entered the apartment. "You mind turning that down?" he asked.

"Why so grumpy?" Katherine retorted as she used the remote to turn the music down.

"Well, this body has outlived its usefulness." Marian swore silently, afraid of what he meant.

"Do you want a drink?" Katherine offered.

"No, Katerina, I don't want a drink."

"Come on," she pushed. "It might loosen you up." She held a bottle out to him, allowing him to take it. However, instead of drinking it, he threw it against the wall.

He moved closer to her, looking at her directly in the eyes. "What I want is for you to sit down and shut up." She sat down as Maddox arrived.

"Maddox, what took you so long?" Klaus grumbled.

"You've got a lot of luggage," the warlock responded. Two men entered behind him with boxes, a woman behind them.

"Greta," he greeted. "Finally." Marian drowned; Bonnie had told her that her friend Luka's sister had been taken by Klaus. Her name was Greta too.

"Hello, love. Nice body. You ready to get out of it?" Both girls watched with curiosity and horror as more men with luggage arrived, two with a large wooden crate. They set it down and left, Maddox and Greta moving to kneel before it.

Marian held her breath as they began to chant, putting Klaus' soul back into his body. Alaric, who had been laid on the ground, slowly lifted his head with a confused look.

"Elena?" he asked, looking at Katherine. It was Alaric. Marian felt terrible for him; he'd been housing the enemy without knowing it. Suddenly, his body collapsed to the floor. Beside him, Maddox stood, opening the large box.

Marian reached for Katherine's hand as her uncle waltzed out of it, her heart beating erratically.

He grinned. "Now that's more like it."

part i:

tvd s2, e19, ""

wc: