Tiberius Salvatore: The eldest brother

28

"Son of a bitch." Rio groaned as he sat up. He looked to his side to see Charlie on the ground her neck in an unnatural position. She sat up, almost exactly. He looked up to see Anya on the ground huddled together. "Sorry Anya."
"Are you okay?" She asked.
"I'm good. Lottie?"
"Ugh. Snapped my neck too."
"I gathered," he said and moved over to her. He helped her up and pulled her close. "I'm going to Mystic Falls. I want you two to stay here."
"Ty-"
"No, before you protest, I need you here. Away from Klaus and his whole drama. And I'm definitely not taking Anya with me." He turned to Anya. "There is absolutely no way I'm risking your safety. Mystic falls is most likely going to turn into a battlefield."
"Let me come. I'm older than you and more experienced." Lottie said.
"There's no telling what Klaus would do."
"He wouldn't kill me. He's been our friend for over a century."
"And he almost killed my brother."
"I'll can always put a protection spell on myself." Anya offered.
"What if you get killed twice? Aren't those things like a one-time thing?" He asked. He turned to his wife. "Please Lottie. Please keep yourself and your daughter safe. I need you both far away from the Mystic Falls battleground."
"That's not fair."
"I have to go. It's my brothers. I can't let you put yourself in harms way."
"Ty please-" Charlie tried but he cut her off.
"What if something were to happen to you? You need to be there for Anya."
"I need you there too, Ty."
"We both do." Anya cut in.
"So I'll come back safe and sound. There's a low chance Klaus will kill me permanently. I need to save my brothers."
"Rio please." Anya begged. "What if you got caught in the crossfire?"
"What if I take you and you both do?"
"I am a grown adult. I'm older than you. I'm coming."
"I'm coming too. I will load myself with protections. I will carry vervain and wolfsbane. I'll carry a stake with me and I have my powers. And if I'm up against someone I can't beat, I'll buy some time for myself to get away. We'll be fine."
"Fine. But if it gets too bad, you're both leaving."
"Whatever you say, uncle Rio." He gave Anya a look. "Yeah that didn't feel right for me, either."

The journey took what seemed like an eternity.
"Are we there yet?" Anya asked.
"Yes." Rio finally sighed. It only took about a million "are we there yet"s. "Lottie do me a favour and call Stefan for me."
"Sure." She fumbled around with the phone.
"What happened to you?" He asked. "You're usually graceful."
"Funny." She made a face at him. Anya sat in the middle backseat and, like any teenager, seemed to be in a stroppy mood.
"Anya, what on earth's gotten into you?" He asked.
"Mum says I can't use my magic until we get home."
"What is it that teenagers like these days?"
"iPods?" Lottie asked.
"Does anyone even have an iPod? I need a phone. And a laptop." Anya rolled her eyes. "You guys are so old."
"Now you sound spoilt. Your only sixteen."
"No. I'm sixteen. Girls my age have like phones, laptops, tablets, another phone, apple watches... the list goes on."
"Hey Stefan. Where are you? We're in Mystic Falls." She paused. "Alright. We'll meet you there."
"Where are they?" Rio asked.
"The high school."
"Alright. I'm dropping you both off at the boarding house."
"But-"
"No Lottie. You guys stay home. I have no idea what kind of mood Klaus is in. Just please listen to me for once."
"Alright." She sighed. "But we're going to need your credit card."
"Sure." He sighed.

Rio got to the school, but must have apparently been too late. Klaus held Stefan up against the wall. "Turn it off!" He heard Klaus yell.
"What did you do?" Elena said. Rio's eyes widened as he realised just what was happening.
"No!" He yelled and charged at Klaus. Klaus was surprised but he managed to dodge at the last second.
"Rio."
"What is wrong with you?" He pounced on a Klaus who wasn't so lucky this time. He threw punch after punch aimed at Klaus's face.
"Alright, enough." Klaus shouted back, after the 5th swing and held Rio against the wall, stopping him from landing any more blows on Klaus.
"Wheat happened? He didn't fall to the floor and act like your little bitch?"
"Stop Rio. Your brothers wouldn't like it if you got yourself killed." Elena spoke up.
"I wouldn't kill him." Klaus told her.
"Funny, you said the same thing about Damon."
"He's alive, isn't he?"
"No thanks to you."
"All of your nonsense is because of her. Your brother was my friend. You are my friend. I'm sure I could have tolerated Damon even, if he wasn't all about killing me to save Elena. So how is it that all of you turned on me for her. A doppelgänger." Klaus pointed a finger at Elena, anger in his voice.
"You know, if you didn't compel Stefan's memories away, he might have continued being your friend. Or even if you came back for him in the past century. And trying to kill my brother is what got you on my bad side. And of course compelling away my other brother's humanity didn't help. It's not Elena's fault she exists. Stefan and Damon fight for her because they see some light in her. Something good they deem worthy of risking their lives. Something they don't want to stand back and let you ruin. You are like a brother to me Klaus. We were together for a long while. I spent more time with you than my actual brothers but they are my brothers nonetheless. I remember the first time they took a step. The first time they walked. I remember looking after them when my parents couldn't. I remember the first time Damon and I stood together against anyone who tried to bully Stefan. I used to change Stefan's diapers and wash Damon's butt. I was there for their entire childhood. No matter how long you spend apart the bond of family is always there." Rio was still held up to the wall by one of Klaus's arms and he was gasping. Klaus let him go. "You see, Elena didn't turn us against you. You did that yourself. You poison everyone around you, but no matter how far you went I always knew there was something about you that could be redeemed. And maybe that still stands, but by standing beside you as your friend, I would be endangering my family. From now on I'm not on a side or whatever but if you do go after my brothers I will be there and I will do whatever I can to stop you."