I'll Be Your Last

The Lock Out

Elena’s pretty dark eyes were wide on the screen of my laptop. I’d Skyped her as soon as Clarice had finished doing the favor I’d asked her for.

“Wow,” she said, having listened to my story of what had happened earlier today, the confrontation with Marcel and Davina. “So, Clarice is really… good?”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “She’s great and so are the girls.”

“Are they going to be okay?” Elena asked, looking concerned about the kids. “And what about the other witch? Davina?”

“Clarice said with some sleep they’ll be okay in a day or so. She doesn’t seem affecting at all. Remember how Bonnie used to pass out and have nose bleeds and stuff? Clarice never even slows down. It’s scary what she can do. And her girls are supposed to be stronger than her.”

Elena shook her head. “They are related to the originals. That’s what scares me.”

“I know right.” I had to laugh at that. “Still, Kol is really great with them. He really seems to care about them, especially the kids.”

“Kol?” Her expression was one of total disbelief. “Since when does he care about anything?”

I understood why Elena felt that way. Kol, up until the point where Clarice had brought him back, had seemed dangerous and volatile, just like Klaus had seemed to me until I knew him better.

“He cares about them,” I told her. “Really. And he can be funny. When he’s not annoying me to death.”

Elena chuckled at that.

“Davina?” I went on telling my tale. “She’s younger than us. Younger than we were. You know. She’s young. Elijah, Klaus and Clarice have decided to keep her here. I don’t know if she’s nice yet. She’s still unconscious. But here’s hoping.”

“So there was no sign of Tyler?” Elena asked after hesitating a moment.

“None,” I said, feeling bummed about that situation. I’d explained to my friend how he’d come to claim Hayley and the things he’d said. I told her about the hybrids that he’d created. I even mentioned Elijah’s plan for when he found her. “I really wish it hadn’t come to this, Elena. But what he’s doing…”

“Care, don’t you dare feel guilty about this,” Elena told me. “Things between you and Tyler were always… He was always off doing something else. Then the Hayley thing hit. I’m so sorry it all happened that way. It was like it was never meant to be.”

“I know.” She was right. “But maybe if I’d done something different, he wouldn’t have gone in this direction, you know? I mean—“

“Care, Tyler’s actions aren’t your fault. You have to accept that. In the end, we’re all responsible for our own decisions. You can keep reminding yourself that Klaus killed Tyler’s mother. You can remind yourself of all the things Klaus has done. That had nothing to do with you. Tyler is doing terrible things but that doesn’t have anything to do with you either. And we’ve all lost people because of the supernatural… stuff… that invaded our lives. I have. You have. And all of us have done things we’re not proud of. Don’t beat yourself up.”

Elena had lost more than any of us. And the fact that she wasn’t disowning me for giving Klaus a chance made me love her a little more. If that was even possible.

“Do you think Bonnie will ever speak to me again?” I asked pitifully.

Bonnie had lost so much too. She absolutely despised Klaus and not without reason. She had been completely unable to understand why I fell for him and part of me understood. The other part, the part that wanted a friend to be happy for me, felt a little stung by her reaction.