Family Above All

6. Ripper Virus

No pairing

*Please note that there are alternations in the plot from Seasons 3/4 in this universe. For example, Vicki was never turned by Damon or killed by Stefan. She is alive.

**Also, this story is NOT connected with other stories. Thanks for reading and commenting.

Mystic Falls, Virginia

March 23, 2012

Night

Klaus tried to retire for bed, but something was nagging at him. He had checked on Rebekah and found her sleeping peacefully.

The Original Hybrid then checked his cell phone and tried to call Damon, but it went straight to voicemail. He didn't leave a message as it was only around 11pm. He figured the boys deserved to have some fun.

Sage had taken Finn to her apartment in town to get a few things. The house felt too quiet suddenly. Klaus looked in on the children in his bedroom. Elijah was sleeping in a nearby chair by their bed. Klaus quietly shut the door and felt at a loss as to what to do with himself for a moment.

He remembered that bourbon from earlier and thought he deserved a night cap. As Klaus descended the stairs, his sharp vampire eyes spied the cardboard box Elijah had mentioned earlier. He descended and picked it up from the table. The label read "To Klaus Mikaelson, from your friends, A."

The "A" was shaped into an elaborate symbol that he'd never seen before. He lifted it and it wasn't too heavy, about ten pounds.

Forgetting about the drink, Klaus took the mysterious box into his own study. It grated against him that he had given up his art studio to give Elijah his own office, but he knew his brother. He needed his own space. Klaus figured he had plenty of room in his quarters to make a studio, he just needed the time to do so. It was just that the north facing light in that room was perfect, yet Klaus knew he had to make some sacrifices for his family. Family above all.

Klaus grabbed a silver letter opener and slit open the box. He saw the hair and knew what it was before seeing it.

It was his Greta's head, wrapped in one of her silk scarves.

Klaus bit off a scream with his fist and backed away from the box in horror and sorrow.

Undisclosed Location

Whitmore College

Kol woke up first. The vampires had shot him and Damon with some kind of vervain sedative bullet. He strained and found himself strapped to a hospital gurney.

"Blasted hell," Kol whispered. There was some ambient lighting from wall shelving and some dim overhead lights. His eyes searched for Damon. He found him in the next gurney.

"Damon! Mate, wake up," Kol hissed, as he struggled against the straps. The vervain in the leather sizzled as it ate into his wrists like acid.

Damon stirred and groaned.

"Oh, Stefan, it's too fucking early," Damon mumbled in a slur.

"Damon, it's me, Kol. Wake the hell up! We've been kidnapped," Kol ordered. He didn't think he could compel someone with his eyes closed, but at this point, he was willing to try anything.

A bulky guard with a buzz cut sauntered over from the shadows.

"Shut up!" the guard yelled, kicking the gurney wheels and causing it to shift closer to Damon.

"Do ya know who I am, mate?" Kol asked in a conversational tone.

The guard looked closer at Kol and snickered, "A dead man?"