A life in the shadows

10

"Why have you come here, Stefan?" The witch, Emily, possessing Bonnie asked.
"I need your help. I need to know if there's a spell that can heal a werewolf bite."
"No. Nature ensures a balance to everything."
"Is that true...or are you just saying no because it's Damon?" Stefan asked.
"Perhaps it is his time to die."
"No. That's not balance. That's punishment."
"I will not give you what you want." She said, firmly.
"So you're saying that there's an answer to give? Please, if you know something, just tell me. Help me save my brother." Stefan pleaded.
"Emily, please." Matteo joined in.
"We are aware of you, Matteo. The work you've done, the witches you've helped, some of them our own descendants. But this is one thing we can't help you with."
"He's my brother. One way or another, he'll get that cure, Emily." Matteo said, his eyes flashing. There was a double meaning behind his words, one he was sure Emily would understand.
"That has nothing to do with us." She stood straight. "Matteo, we witches are forever grateful to you, but this is one thing we cannot do. Your brother's life would mean the loss of many more." Matteo's phone started to ring as he shook his head.
"I will save my brother. I had only hoped you'd understand my duty to my family enough to help me out. I remember you, Emily. You were a friend to me for years." Matteo shook his head. She'd helped him meet with Katherine over the years they'd been together. His phone rang and he looked down to see that it was Siobhan. He picked up.
"Kaia came through," She replied, quickly. "Klaus. He's the answer to the cure."
"Are you sure?" Matteo asked
"Positive. Breaking his curse had something to do with it."
"Thank you-" He was cut off by Bonnie screaming and falling to the ground in pain. She dropped a pen and a piece of paper that must have been in her hand. "Head over, I'll meet you there."
"Bonnie!" Stefan moved over to her.
"They don't want us here. They think I'm abusing their power." She paused, panting slightly. "They know something. There's an answer. They just don't want to tell me. I heard them say a name."
"What?" Stefan asked.
"Klaus." Matteo answered for her.
"How did you know?"
"Siobhan found the same answer you did." Matteo shrugged. "That was just her."
"Right. Matteo, the only reason I found out was because some of the witches wanted to help you. They were too loud to be silenced. Here." She handed him the paper. "Emily wanted to give you this. I don't know what it is. I can't read it." Matteo took the paper out of her hand and smiled slightly as he recognised the language.
"Thank you." He said, not sure if he was talking to Bonnie, Emily, or the witches that helped him. Perhaps it was all three.

"Hello, Katherine." Stefan greeted as he walked into Alaric's apartment, Matteo right behind him.
"Two days, I've been waiting. I'm supposed to be free of Klaus' compulsion by now. He's supposed to be dead!" She said. "And if that wasn't bad enough, I've been stuck here with her, for the past ten minutes."
"Siobhan." Matteo smiled at his girlfriend, walking past Katheine and to her. She wrapped her arms around him, as though making a claim and Matteo chuckled slightly, before hugging her back. "Thank you."
"Of course. Did you go crazy yet?" She asked, referring to the hallucinations that came with the werewolf venom.
"Not yet." He smiled.
"Crazy?" Stefan asked.
"Damon wasn't the only one to get bitten." Siobhan let Stefan know.
"Siobhan." Matteo muttered into her hair.
"You too?" Stefan rushed to his brother, pulling up his sleeves.
"Sorry, brother."
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"One of your brothers is already dying. I didn't think you needed another death to mourn. Besides, I'm feeling fine for now." He shrugged. Siobhan put a hand against him.
"Not for long." She said. "You're burning up. The hallucinations'll be starting in an hour. If we're lucky."
"Katherine, do you have any idea where Klaus might be?" Stefan asked. She pushed him against the wall putting a finger to her lips.
"Klaus, you're back. Look who decided to come for a visit." She let go of Stefan.
"You just keep popping up, don't you?" He said looking at Stefan, then to Matteo and Siobhan. "Matteo, and his bitch."
"Do not talk about her like that." Matteo glared.
"You always did get so defensive over her."
"We need your help." Stefan said. "For both of my brothers."
"Well, whatever it is, it's gonna have to wait a tick. You see, I have an obligation to my brother that requires my immediate attention." Klaus interrupted.
"You understand how important family is, or you wouldn't be here. My brother gave me his word that he would reunite me with my own." Elijah tried to explain.
"And so I shall." Klaus said before daggering Elijah.
"No!" Matteo said trying to go over and help him, but Siobhan held him back, whispering into his ear. He calmed down and Siobhan let go.
"Now, what am I gonna do with you?" Klaus asked, before rushing over and pushing Stefan against a wall, shoving a stake through him. This time Siobhan couldn't hold him back. "The slightest movement and he's dead, Matteo. Think carefully of what you're about to do. Feel that, Stefan? It's scraping against your heart."
"He's just trying to help his brothers." Katherine spoke up.
"The witches said you had a cure. Make me a deal. Just give me the cure, and I'll do whatever you want." Stefan gasped.
"Klaus, let go of my brother or I swear nothing will hold me back from kicking your ass."
"Tough words for a man who avoids conflict."
"He's my brother." Matteo said simply. Klaus thought for a second before letting go of Stefan. He put the stake on the counter and poured himself a glass of blood.
"Trouble is, Stefan, I don't know if you'd be any good to me the way you are now. You are just shy of useless."
"Siobhan." Matteo said. He sounded different, no sense of urgency in him. "Pretty name."
"Matteo." She called. Was she his hallucination? The first thing to come to mind.
"Pretty name for a pretty girl." he said.
"Matteo!" Siobhan shook him. "Oh great, his hallucinations must have started."

Matteo was slipping in and out of consciousness and Siobhan led him to the couch, before searching the kitchen for a cold compress.
"You should know I'm damaged." Matteo slurred, still half asleep, remembering a conversation he'd had with Siobhan fourteen decades ago.
"Aren't we all?" his hallucination of Siobhan replied. He was remembering the first time they'd been intimate together. Hallucination Siobhan pushed him back onto a bed, unbuttoning his shirt.
"Matteo?" A soft voice wormed its way into Matteo's head. He slowly opened his eyes to see Siobhan dabbing at his face with a cloth.
"Siobhan." He said, "hey. What's going on?"
"Your hallucinations started so you're on the couch." She explained.
"I- no, Damon." He said. "I'm fine."
"I don't agree," Klaus came up to him, and cut his wrist, placing it by his mouth. But Matteo refused, keeping his mouth closed. Klaus sighed. "Drink, it'll heal you."
"What about Damon?"
"Well, now. That depends on your brother." Matteo, against Siobhan's advice, stood over to Stefan. Klaus followed them.
"I'm not like that anymore." Stefan protested.
"Well, that's too bad. You would have made a hell of a wingman." Klaus said moving over to the sink and pouring the blood out,
"Wait. Klaus." Matteo said. "Leave Stefan out of this. What is it you want?"
"I'm sorry, Matteo, but you cannot help me with this."
"Fine." Stefan said as Matteo gripped his shoulder to stay upright. "But Matteo first. While we're here."
"Now that's more like it. I want you to join me for a drink." He passed Stefan a blood bag and poured his own blood into a cup and offered it to Matteo.
"No." Matteo groaned. "I'm not drinking anything until Damon's okay."
"Stubborn ass. We'll save Damon, but drink some blood, Matteo. "
"Not until Damon is okay."
"I will force feed you, Matteo." Siobhan stood in front of him glaring at Klaus's words. "Great, it's the little-"
"I dare you to finish that, Klaus." He stood straighter in Siobhan's defence.
"Just drink the damn blood, Matteo."
"Not until Damon's okay." Klaus threw Stefan another blood bag and picked Matteo up and sped him to the couch placing him on it gently. He bit into his wrist and tried to shove it on Matteo's face.
"You won't die, Matteo. Drink." Matteo mumbled still not opening his mouth. Siobhan shoved Klaus off Matteo. "I'm trying to save him, why are you against that?"
"I'm respecting his wishes. Matteo would never drink your blood before Damon was cured." Stefan started drinking another bag as Klaus gave up on Matteo
"You're very cooperative. It's almost as if you're enjoying it." He said.
"No more. Not until you give me the cure."
"Not until we make a deal. It's your choice, Stefan. You can either remain here living your life in Mystic Falls, or you can embrace what you truly are, leave town with me, and save your brother's life."
"No." Matteo spoke up.
"It's not up to you Matteo. It's up to Stefan." Klaus offered Stefan yet another blood bag who snatched it and started drinking. "That's the spirit."
"Klaus, leave Stefan!" He said.
"There's one more condition." Klaus said.
"What?"
"Matteo stays in Mystic Falls."
"Why?" Stefan questioned:
"I won't leave Stefan with you."
"It's okay, Matteo," He said. "You should stay here, make sure Damon doesn't do anything stupid."
"No, Stefan I can't."
"Hey, your charge is here." Siobhan whispered into his ear. "Even if you wanted to, you can't leave."
"It's the only way you'll save your brother."
"By dooming my other one?"
"He won't be doomed. He'll be with me. Living it up." Klaus smirked. "It'll be like Chicago."
"No it won't, and you know it." He said, sternly.
"Matteo, we've already established your brother will come with me. And as long as you stay out of my way, I will get the cure to your brother."
"I'll be okay." Stefan told his brother. "I will be fine. Just save Damon, it's his life. We'll see each other again."
"I-"
"It's okay. His life versus my freedom for a few decades or centuries."
"Fine." He said reluctantly.
"And drink my blood." Klaus said.
"Don't push it." Matteo glared.
"Sweetheart.." Klaus called over to Katherine. He looked into her eyes and compelled her. "Take this over to Damon and come right back."
"You want me to leave?" She smirked.
"No!" Stefan said.
"Yes, and if I were you..." He was cut off by her speeding away. "-I'd hurry."
"She'll never take it to him." Stefan muttered, as Klaus sat looking pleased with himself. "She'll never take it to him. And Matteo won't drink your blood."
"Yes, He will." Klaus stood, walking over to the man half asleep. Siobhan stood in front of him.
"Don't."
"He's going to die."
"He won't take the cure. Not as long as he doesn't know if Damon did." She said, brushing Matteo's curls off his forehead. "Matty." She whispered trying to wake him up. "Matty."
"Does Damon have the cure?"
"I don't know yet." She answered, honestly. "Stay here with Stefan and Klaus, I'll find out."
"Thank you." He said, before the fever took a hold of him again.
"Stefan, please respect his wishes." She told him. "I'll be back to see if Damon's okay."