A Tree Called Life

Chapter 8

"Rebekah, darling, could you come downstairs and stop your temper tantrum? It is extremely unbecoming for a woman of your age." Klaus called up the stairs as he, Caroline, Elijah, and Katherine walked in the door.

"Oh, are my absentee brothers finally back from their little day trip?" Rebekah appeared at the top of the stairs. "I just got the wolf to go to sleep. Could you please not shout?"

"She can't put herself to bed? She's pregnant, not an invalid." Katherine snickered.

"I am well aware, trust me. But apparently her ankles were bloated and she needed a glass—or seven—of water. So I had to fetch them. And then she needed her computer. And then she was hungry." Rebekah was clearly not amused as she came to stand at the bottom of the staircase with everyone else.

"When I was pregnant I had to go fetch my own damn water. And that sometimes required a hike in the woods." Katherine muttered, though everyone heard her comment very clearly, and agreed.

"Yet another reason to get her out of this house as swiftly as possible!" Klaus said, shooting a look at his brother.

"I'm going to start checking for places later. There is the manner of getting the witches to approve, however, and we do not want to compromise the security of your child, no matter the misdeeds of the mother." Elijah explained as the group made their way into a room that Caroline and Katherine had not seen yet.

It was a big room, with maps on two of the walls, and a large table in the center. The maps had different colored pins on them, and various other decorations were placed around the room. Another table with a fancy-looking computer system was set up in along one wall, and bookshelves were on the last wall of the room.

Noticing their wondering glances, Rebekah enlightened the other females as to what the room actually was. "This is our strategic headquarters, informally known as the war room. We plan everything in here; there's one in each of our many homes across the world."

"You guys actually have a need for something like this?" Caroline asked in awe.

"We spent almost a thousand years running from a man who knew exactly how our minds work. Whether we had split up or were together, a place to stay five steps ahead of Mikael was essential. So yes, we actually do have a need for it." Rebekah answered frankly. "I've tracked my father in a room similar to this one more times than I can count. We've planned wars, determined the sizes of rival armies, and finalized the details of subterfuge missions a hundred times over." She laughed at Caroline's expression. "What, did you think that just because we're the Original vampires that life was a party?"

"To be honest, kind of, yes. Stefan had always made it seem like that, and he was our closest authority on you all." Caroline shrugged.

"Stefan caught us at a very good time in life. The twenties were glorious." Rebekah smiled, remembering an age where she could dance until she dropped, and the blood flowed free.

"Gloria's was a lovely little joint back in the day, wasn't it?" Katherine smirked as all eyes in the room snapped to her. She was leaning against a bookshelf, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

"How would you know about Gloria's?" Klaus asked, turning from the maps he had been examining on the walls.

"I may or may not have spent the duration of the 1920's within a good twenty yards from you. I got a bit bold, actually, but since I had spent the previous decade making sure Damon was getting along well with vampirism, it was Stefan's turn to be watched over. I disapproved of his company of course, but what could I do?" A very self-satisfied look took root on Katherine's face as she took in the reactions of her companions.