The burdens of family

17

Alexis woke up to see Elena. She sat up and stretched.
"Okay I'm pretty sure I didn't drink this much. What's going on?" She asked her.
"I'm sorry, Alexis."
"It's Lex. Only Ark calls me Alexis to annoy me or when he's mad." She chuckled before something dawned on her. "Shit. Ark. He and Xavier are gonna kill me. Wait. What happened? Where are we?"
"We were kidnapped. By vampires. They were taking me, and they took you because you were around. I'm sorry."
"You're apologising for being kidnapped?" Alexis asked.
"No, for dragging you with me."
"First off. It's not your fault you were born a doppelgänger. And my being kidnapped is not your fault. None of all this is." Alexis stood and Elena followed. They walked into a room where a woman sat.
"Why are we here?" Elena asked.
"You keep asking me these questions like I'm gonna answer them."
"Why won't you?" Alexis asked.
"That's another one." The woman shrugged.
"You got us, okay? It's not like we can go anywhere. The least you can do is tell me what you want with me."
"I personally want nothing; I'm just a delivery service."
"Delivery to who? Elijah?" This got Alexis's attention.
"Two points to the eavesdropper."
"Wait, Elijah? You're taking her for Elijah?"
"You know of him?" Rose sounded surprised.
"Of course I do. I know my vampire history."
"Who is he? Is he a vampire?" Elena asked.
"He's one of the vampires, the originals."
"What do you mean the originals?
"Again with the questions. Haven't the Salvatores been teaching you your vampire history?"
"They don't even know theirs." Alexis said.
"So you know Stefan and Damon?"
"I know of them. A hundred years back, a friend of mine tried to set me up with Stefan. She said he was one of the good ones." She shrugged. "I'm more of a sucker for the bad boys though but I digress."
"Who are the originals?"
"Elena..." Alexis said, in a warning tone.
"Trevor and I have been running for 500 years. We're tired, we want it over. We're using you to negotiate ourselves out of an old mess."
"But why me?"
"Because you're a Petrova Doppelgänger. You're the key to breaking the curse."
"The curse? The sun and the moon curse?"
"Oh, you do know your history."
"What do you mean I'm the key? The moonstone is what breaks the curse."
"No, Elena, the moonstone is what binds the curse. The sacrifice is what breaks it." Rose explained.
"The sacrifice?"
"The blood of the doppelgänger. You're the doppelgänger. Which means, in order to break the curse you're the one who has to die." This stunned Elena into silence. Rose turned her gaze onto Alexis. "You seem to know a lot about our world."
"Yeah, well I grew up amongst supernaturals."
"What's your name?" Rose asked.
"None of your business."
"How do you know about the originals. Did A-" Alexis shoved her hand over Elena's mouth.
"In the nicest way possible, shut up!"
"Oh no. Do tell." Alexis sent a pleading look to Elena, who nodded.
"Never mind." Elena quietened.
"So," Rose looked at her curiously. "What do you know about the originals?"
"Everything there is to know about them."
"How they were turned?"
"Yeah."
"Lie. Nobody knows how they came to exist." Rose accused.
"I do. I know all about them. So much more than you know. Guess I just had a better teacher." Alexis smirked.
"So cocky when I could easily end you. You aren't part of the exchange."
"I dare you to try."
"Okay, okay." Elena moved closer to Alexis. "You're both badasses."
"Is Jeremy seeing anyone?" Alexis asked Elena suddenly.
"Jeremy?" She looked startled. "Why? I mean. He's Jeremy."
"Yeah, and he's cute."
"He's single." Elena confirmed.
"Awesome."
"If you leave here alive." Rose chimed.
"I will. My brother is coming for me."
"If your brother is a Xavier, I texted him from your phone and said you were staying at Elena's overnight."
"So they'll be here in a few minutes. Great."
"Tell me more." Elena said, out of nowhere. "About the sun and moon curse, I mean."
"Captivity has made her pushy, eh? What do you want to know doppelicious?" A man teased, as he walked in.
"Who are you?" Alexis asked.
"That's Trevor."
"Wait a second. Rose-Marie and Trevor? Don't, like, the originals want your heads or something?" Rose glared at Alexis darkly.
"How have you heard of us?"
"Like I said- I had a better teacher than you. Man, this is priceless."
"Who were you running from?" Elena asked.
"The originals."
"Yeah, she said that. What does that mean?
"The first family, the old world. Rose and I pissed them off."
"Mm-hmm." Rose stopped her.
"Correction, I pissed them off, Rose had my back and for over half a millennium, they wanted us dead."
"What did you do?" Elena frowned.
"He made the same mistake countless others did: he trusted Katerina Petrova."
"Katherine."
"The one and only, the first Petrova Doppelgänger."
"I helped her escape her fate and now I've, sorry, we've been marked ever since."
"Which is why we're not gonna make the same mistake again." Rose said in determination. Elena moved in her seat and a piece of paper crinkled under her. She read it and smiled. Alexis figured it was a message from Bonnie, and wondered how long Arkyn would take.
"He's here. No. This was a mistake, Rose." Trevor said, nervously.
"No, I told you I would get us out of this. You have to trust me."
"No! He wants me dead!"
"He wants her more." Rose assured.
"I can't do this. You give her to him, he'll have mercy on you but I need to get out of here."
"Hey! What are we?" Rose stopped him.
"We're family, forever." There was a knock on the door.
"You're scared." Elena remarked.
"Stay here with her and don't make a sound." Rose ignored her.
"Fuck." Alexis swore.