500 Years of Solitude

Driving past the Welcome to Mystic Falls plaque, driving over Wickery Bridge, it feels like Lola has came full circle in this exact moment. Despite this being her home town, it felt strange to Lola that she was back here. Taking a deep breath, Lola leans against the head rest of the passenger seat, staring out towards Mystic Falls, growing more and more nervous as they drive closer to the boarding house.

Noticing Lola's worry, Klaus glances over to her and places his hand against her thigh, "It's not too late to turn back."

Lola jumps out of her thoughts, turning to face Klaus in the drivers seat, she smiles, "If I don't go to them, they'll come to us." She places her hand on top of Klaus', "I can't keep avoiding them." 

Klaus smirks slightly, taking in the large coat Lola is wearing, "Are you planning on doing some dramatic reveal?"

"No." Lola rolls her eyes, fixing the coat slightly as she shrugs, "Rebekah keeps buying me clothes and she was making me feel guilty I've not worn this yet." Lola turns to look out the rear window to see Rebekah driving behind them in her red car, "Not that I don't love Rebekah spending time with us, but why is she coming back with us?"

"There are still a few things left in the mansion." Klaus scoffs, "Rebekah didn't trust that I'd bring them home."

"Did she really expect us to buy that?" Lola's face twists with disgust, "It's obvious she's using this as an excuse to see Matt."

"Why does my sister do anything?" Klaus shifts slightly in his seat as he pulls into the Salvatore grounds, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Lola exhales a heavy, shaky breath as she stares towards the boarding house, "There's no turning back now." She grimaced towards him, "Probably not a good idea you come in with me."

Meanwhile in the boarding house, Stefan paces around waiting for his sister to arrive. Every sound he hears, he looks through the window in the front door hoping it's Lola. His eyes brighten as he then hears a car pull into the grounds, smiling when he sees it's Lola, "Damon! She's here."

Damon chuckles to himself as he walks towards the front door, rubbing his hands together, "It's about time. It was getting boring drinking on my own."

Stefan shrugs, looking over to Damon unamused, "Or you could, I don't know...uh, maybe not drink."

Damon frowns, as though Stefan's jest was an insult, "What's the fun in that?"

Damon opens the front door fully as Lola steps up towards it, the sudden opening of the door catches her by surprise. Her smile beams as she sees her two brothers, who's smiles are even wider.

Damon rushes up to Lola, "Little sister!"

Damon picks Lola up, spinning her around which makes her squeal, "Damon! Damon, put me down." Damon chuckles as he lowers Lola, she hits him against his chest, "Never do that again."

"You look good." Damon breathes out as he pulls away from Lola, "Really good."

Lola's brows furrow as she steps away from Damon, "And you stink of bourbon. How much have you had to drink?"

Damon shrugs, glancing up at the ceiling as he walks further into the house, "I stopped counting around my twentieth."

Lola watches as Damon walks towards the drinks cabinet before looking to Stefan standing beside her, his eyes are warm and bright. Lola's smile beams once more, eyes already becoming glossy, "Hey, Stef."

"Hey." Stefan pulls Lola in a warm embrace, he sighs deeply as though it's relief, "I've missed you."

Lola closes her eyes trying to fight back tears, tightening the embrace, "I've missed you so much."

"I've got it all planned out, Lo." Damon's chirpy voice booms as he rummages through the cabinet, "Made sure there was plenty of your favourite bourbon." Lola clears her throat as she starts to undo her coat, Stefan stands behind her, helping her as Damon continues, "Plus, I have a great drinking game in mind and I know you'd want to be a part of it."

Stefan eyes widen, brows furrowed as he pulls Lola's coat away from her, revealing her bump, "Uh, Damon..."

Damon slams his hand against the cabinet as he groans, "Stefan, I swear to god if you continue having that stupid ass halo on your head, I'm kicking you out the house. We've got a lot to catch up on, Lo." Damon finds the bourbon he has in mind, holding it up, "Which will start with a drink."

Lola's voice starts to tremble, her eyes full of panic glancing between a shocked looking Stefan who's confused stare hasn't left her bump and an oblivious Damon, "Well, D, the thing is..."

"Don't you start being all self righteous as well, Lo. You've been gone months and I've been needing a drinking buddy for months." Damon chuckles slightly as he closes the cabinet, holding the bottle of bourbon, "Plus, I've got your favourite right here."

Damon's smile soon wipes off his face as he turns around to see an awkward looking Lola, he glances between her panicked stare and her hands against her stomach. He scoffs slightly, looking at the bourbon in his hand before laughing, "Maybe I should stop drinking. Because right now it looks like you're pregnant." Damon smiles, waiting for Lola to join in on the joke but his face turns serious, realising she isn't joining in. Damon narrows his eyes towards his sister, stepping closer, "...you're pregnant!?"

Lola grimaces towards Damon as she shrugs, "Surprise."

"Yeah, no shit." He breathes out, "That's all you're gonna say? Surprise?"

Lola's nostrils flare as she starts to become annoyed, closing the gap between her and Damon, "Maybe if you let me speak and you stopped harping on about bourbon every twenty seconds, then I'd be able to."

"Maybe we should just take a breath, okay?" Stefan steps between them both, gesturing towards the sofa before pointing at Damon, giving him a stern glare, "And you lay off the bourbon."

Damon refusing to sit, begins to pace around the room, hands on his hips. He looks over to Lola as she sits on the sofa before he gestures around the room, "Is this the part where a group of idiots jump out and say we've been pranked?"

Lola rolls her eyes as she sits back, "Damon, will you please just calm down!"

"This is unbelievable!" Damon breathes heavily, he stops pacing, "Are you really pregnant?"

Lola purses her lips, looking down at her bump, "Well, yes and no." Lola looks up to where Damon is standing, his posture slacks slightly from his harsh stance when she shrugs, "Except not no. So to sum it up yeah."

Damon stand still, only for a moment before shaking his head and begins to pace once more, "I don't believe this. Who's the father?"

Lola's shoulders sink, glaring up at him, "You're seriously asking that?"

"Klaus!?" Damon practically spits his name out before laughing, "You're having the hybrid's kid!? Now I know you're joking." Damon continues to laugh until he looks over to a shocked Stefan who sits beside Lola. Damon's jaw tightens as the laughter calms down, looking unamused towards Lola, "So, you're telling me that you've got some kind of demon spawn cooking up in there?"

"Damon, stop." Stefan snaps at his brother, Damon waves him off as he walks over to the cabinet and pours himself a bourbon. Stefan sighs, he shifts slightly on the sofa to face Lola more, his tone is more calm, "How is this even possible?"

Lola's tone becomes more high pitched as she shrugs, "Oh you know, sometimes when people are in love they...cuddle."

Her attention goes towards Damon who slams his hand against the table, with a glass of bourbon in his hand he storms towards Lola. But she quickly stands up, she motions her hand making the glass in Damon's hand to fly half way across the room, smashing against a wall, "Hey don't test me! I'm a pregnant witch who has raging hormones right now!"

"I cannot believe this!" Damon scolds, "How could you let this happen!?" Damon steps back as he frowns, noting Lola's face twisting as her eyes start to go glossy, "Are you crying?"

"No!" Lola snaps, shrugging her shoulders Lola slumps back onto the sofa beside Stefan, "...maybe. It's the hormones."

Damon's jaw tightens, he scolding expression not leaving, "Charlotte Amel-"

"Don't you dare!" Lola cuts him off with a stern voice, "Don't call me by my full name, I'm not a kid anymore who you can lecture because I took your stupid horse." She scoffs as she gestures over to Damon, "See this is why I've been avoiding coming back! Because I knew you'd overreact about this!"

Damon sighs, his strict older brother stature relaxing as he sits on the edge of the coffee table in front of his sister, he softly places his hand against her knee, "How did you expect me to react, Lo?"

"I don't know." Lola shrugs, looking down at her lap as she picks at her nails, "Not shouting at me would be a good start."

"Stefan." Damon looks towards his younger brother who's face is as white as snow, "You're being rather quiet about our sister's news."

Stefan clears his throat as he sits up slightly frowning, "I've been sort of spaced out ever since she took the coat off. So, is this why you left town?"

"Sort of." She glances between both brothers, their facial expressions indicating they need more than that, "It's a really long story, but in a nutshell: the witches in New Orleans lured us back there because they want us to destroy someone we thought was dead."

Damon and Stefan both wear the same confused stare as they glance to each other before Stefan  moves closer to Lola on the sofa, "Yeah, we're gonna need more context than that."

Lola takes a deep breath as she stands up and begins to explain everything to her brothers. From the first day she arrived in New Orleans, right up until when she left last night. She paces around the room as Stefan and Damon listen intently, both sitting on the sofa. They've managed to drink the full bottle of Lola's favourite bourbon as she explains.

"So, let me get this straight." Damon shifts to the edge of the sofa, "Some witches claimed they wanted Klaus to run some guy called Marcel out of town but really they just wanted to get their hands on another witch that this Marcel guy was hiding?" Lola stops pacing and nods, "And during all of that, they've tried to kill you. More than once. Because they think your baby is evil?"

Lola cringes slightly, "Pretty much."

Damon scoffs as he sinks further into the sofa, "Well, I can sorta see why they think the baby is gonna be evil if Klaus is the father. Anything else you'd care to share, sister?"

"I mean," Lola drawls out as she laughs dryly, "There was also this thing with Tyler Lockwood..."

Stefan's face turns cold, coming to his feet, "What?"

Damon matches the same expression as he also comes to a stand, "Did he hurt you?"

Lola bites the inside of her cheek, glancing away from the both as she finds the right words. She sighs looking back towards them, "Remember the wolf, Hayley? He grabbed us both, forcefully took my baby's blood to then inject Hayley with it and turn her into a hybrid."

Stefan shakes his head as he sits back down, "That's not even possible."

"Yeah, it is. The blood of my child can create hybrids." Lola watches as they both frown making her roll her eyes, "Before either of you even think it, no! This was not Klaus' plan! I've had enough from Elijah and Rebekah believing Tyler's vicious lies. But, because it worked...Tyler's plan was to kill me and my baby."

Anger fills both brother's eyes, Stefan's jaw tightens as he comes to a stand once more, "Where is he now?"

"Beats me." Lola shrugs, "He ran off like the little coward he is."

"Klaus didn't kill him for that!?" Damon's voice rises, "The douchebag is losing his touch. Next time I see that piece of shit, I'm gonna kill him!"

"There is one more thing." Lola starts to laugh in a nervous way, she waves them both off, shaking her head, "It's not even that important, if anything it doesn't even matter."

Damon tilts his head slightly, not looking amused like Lola, "Don't make me say it."

"Hayley is sorta related to us." Lola blurts out, making her get perplexed stares from them both, "Remember when we overheard mother and father arguing after father came back from a really long trip? He was in New Orleans and he had an affair with a wolf. Then when he found out she was a wolf, he bailed and came straight back to us. Fast track over a hundred years later and Hayley is part of that wolf bloodline."

Damon rolls his eyes, grabbing the now empty bottle of bourbon, "Cheers, Giuseppe!" He holds the bottle up, "Proving yet again what a crap father you were, may you never rest in peace."

"How long have you known this about Hayley?"

"Not long after father came back from that trip." Lola informs, "I overheard them arguing about it."

Both brothers, who have their back turned to the front door, whip around when they hear the door swing open to show a confused looking Jeremy, glaring towards Damon, "Dude, what the hell?"

Matt steps into the house after Jeremy, "One minute you're passed out in the Grill and the next you're gone."

Damon rolls his eyes, "I thought I was going to have a better drinking buddy than you dumbasses."

Both of them move away showing Lola standing there, her eyes tease with amusement as she smirks towards them, "Matty blue eyes! Fun summer?" Matt glances around everyone else looking awkward until Lola speaks up again, "Hey, little Gilbert."

Jeremy's brows knit together as he looks over to her, "Lola, you're..."

"Pregnant." Lola finishes his sentence as she takes a seat on the sofa, "Old news, wait for the movie."

Damon points over to both Jeremy and Matt, "You two, with me."

Stefan stays standing as he watches Damon guide the two others into the library. Stefan sighs as he sits beside Lola, "How are you really doing, Lo?"

Lola nods, flashing a fake smile, "I'm fine."

"Come on, Lo." Stefan drawls out, a hint of mischief in his tone, "Do you really think you can lie to the person who is constantly lying that they're fine?"

Lola smile turns genuine, remembering herself saying the exact same thing to Stefan a few months ago. She clears her throat as she turns on the sofa, taking hold of Stefan's hand, "I care more about how you're doing. How are you after everything?"

"I'm getting there." Stefan nods, he laughs slightly, "You probably won't believe me but it was Katherine who helped me."

Lola leans back as she frowns at him, "Katherine helped you?"

"She wants to speak to you." Stefan breaks away from Lola, standing up from the sofa and begins to walk out before he stops, turning to face Lola again, "You coming?"

"Yeah, I'll follow you up." Lola smiles over to him as she stays sitting on the sofa, "I just need a sec."

—✤—

Lola exhales deeply as she rests her head against the back of the sofa, looking around the house that isn't her main home any more yet still feels like home. Taking in the familiar scent of the home she smiles to herself, not realising how much she's missed this place until she's back here. Lola decides with herself to get a water before she heads upstairs to see Katherine, feeling like she may need it if an argument will blow up.

The front door opens as Lola walks back from the kitchen, she smiles as she can hear Caroline's voice, "Maybe she's gonna apologise."

Elena scoffs as her and Bonnie follow Caroline into the house, "Yeah, right."

Caroline's eyes widen as she spots Lola from afar, "Lola! You're here!"

"I'm here!" Lola gasps slightly when Caroline rushes over to her and pulls Lola into a bone crushing hug, "Oh, Caroline, easy."

"Sorry!" Caroline laughs slightly as she continues to hold Lola in an embrace, "That's weird, your stomach just kicked me. Wait." Caroline pulls away from Lola, taking hold of Lola's hands when she gasps, "What the..."

Elena looks over shocked when Caroline moves out the way showing Lola's bump, "Oh my god..."

"Oh my god." Caroline breathes out, staring down at shock before her shocked stare catches Lola's calm one, "Oh my god! You're pregnant?"

Lola smiles awkwardly as she shrugs, "Bet you didn't think this would happen, huh?"

"But, how?" Caroline breathes out, still in shock, "How is this possible?"

"I've spent the last hour or so explaining all of this to Stefan and Damon." Lola laughs slightly, "Please don't make me say it all again."

Bonnie steps closer to Lola, pulling her in a hug, "Congratulations."

"Thanks, Bonnie." Lola pulls away, smiling towards Bonnie, "It's good to see you're back." Lola's smile broadens as she looks over Bonnie's shoulder to see an awkward looking Elena, "Elena! Hey!"

"Hey, Lola." Elena smiles until Lola pulls her in an awkward hug, "Oh."

Lola pulls away looking just as awkward as Elena does, "Yeah." Lola clears her throat as she points towards the library, "Uh, Damon is in there with Matt and your brother. Some drinking game about Katherine."

The three of them follow Elena who storms into the library, looking over to Jeremy unimpressed, "Seriously?"

"Elena..." Matt clears his throat, straightening up in his seat, "We're were just...uh..."

"I know what you're doing." Elena points towards Jeremy, giving him a knowing look, "You're cut off."

Lola sits between Damon and Matt, not even paying attention to the awkward tension that has suddenly formed in the room, especially between Damon and Elena.

Elena sighs, taking the shot glass out of Damon's hand, "If anyone is drinking to Katherine's last days, it's going to be me." Elena takes the shot, "She impersonated me...repeatedly." She leans down, grabbing another shot from the tray and immediately taking it, "Made Aunt Jenna stab herself in the stomach and she cut off Uncle John's fingers."

Jeremy frowns slightly as he shrugs, "He might have deserved that."

Bonnie holds a shot glass up as she sits on the armrest of the chair Jeremy is sat on, "My Grams died trying to close a tomb she wasn't in."

Caroline nods, "Tyler's werewolf curse got triggered because of her."

"New rule!" Damon shouts out, "We do not speak that back stabbing asshole's name in this house, understood?"

"What?" Caroline frowns towards him, "Why?"

"Oh, I don't know." Damon drawls out, he looks to his side where Lola is refusing to make eye contact with anyone, instead staring at the water bottle in her hands. Damon glares towards Caroline, "Maybe because your boyfriend tried to kill my sister."

Everyone's eyes widen as they look towards Lola and Damon, all practically screaming out, "He what!?"

Lola bites the inside of her cheek before flashing an uncomfortable smile, "Long story." Lola clears her throat as she sits on the edge of the sofa, grabbing a shot and handing it to Damon, wearing a smug grin, "My turn, Katherine manipulated me into thinking we were friends but really she was just seducing my brothers which then made them act as though I didn't exist."

Damon's face turns blank, "Really?"

Lola smiles as she holds the shot glass further towards him, "Drink."

"Klaus followed her to Mystic Falls and because of that, we lost Jenna."

Damon nods at Elena's statement, "And Alaric."

Lola watches awkwardly as most of the group take a shot until Matt grabs the practically empty bottle, "We're going to need more booze."

Elena scoffs grabbing another shot, "She tried to kill me at least twice."

"She did kill me." Caroline deadpans, before pursing her lips and glancing away in thought, "...Although I'm weirdly better off."

Damon takes one of the last remaining shots, "Rumour has it, she burnt down the entire city of Atlanta once."

Lola laughs dryly, shaking her head, "I remember that rumour."

Jeremy raises a brow, "That might win."

"All right." Stefan scoffs as he walks into the room, "Knock it off or take it somewhere else. You guys are being insensitive."

"Come on, Stefan." Damon rolls his eyes, "Don't let the sight of a frail, human Elena-look-alike cloud your memories of the manipulative psycho that she is."

Damon holds out a full shot glass to Stefan, he hesitates for a moment before taking it, "In 1864, Katherine moved into my home, she compelled me to love her, seduced my brother, created a divide between us and Lola. Then she fed all three of us full of vampire blood and then started a war with the town that got us killed."

"Exactly." Damon smirks as he holds up his glass shot, Lola holds her bottle of water up as they cheers, "Bottoms up."

"But, centuries before that, she was just an innocent girl that was shunned by her family." Stefan continues causing Damon and Lola both to slowly turn to face him as their faces squirm in disgust, "So for five hundred years, she lied and manipulated and did whatever she had to do to survive. And she did. She's a survivor, right? So that's the girl I will drink to today." Stefan smiles around the group, holding up his shot, "Cheers."

Lola turns back round, sinking further into the sofa, "You're making it worse that I can't drink right now."

"Please." Damon scoffs as he turns away as well, "One night of hot sex with her and you're brainwashed?"

Lola immediately sits up straight on the sofa as both her and Elena shout in unison, "What?!

"Oh my..." Caroline's eyes widen as she looks over to Elena, "I forgot to tell you. You were kidnapped and hostaged and," Caroline looks towards Lola, unamused, "...you never answer your phone!"

"Bottle's empty...I should–"

"That's why you never send a busboy to do a man's job." Damon throws the bottle up in the air, swiftly catching it as he stands up. His smug grin soon wipes off when he turns to see someone else has joined the room, "Nadia...the devil's spawn. Caroline, did you remember to tell Elena that?"

Caroline cringes to herself, smacking herself against the forehead when Elena's face twists with repulsion, "I think my mind just exploded. Okay." Elena tightly shuts her eyes as she takes another shot.

Lola stays sitting forward, not fazed by this revelation after being told already by Stefan that Katherine has a long lost daughter. But then Lola sits up slightly, frowning as she remembers something, "Wait. Nadia?" Lola turns around on the sofa, staring over to the woman, "Your name is Nadia? As in the Nadia who piggybacked on Rebekah and Matt's adventure around Europe?"

Lola sits back as she bursts out laughing, the more confused stares she gets from everyone only makes her laugh harder. Already excited to see if Rebekah knows this girl is actually Katherine's daughter.

Caroline looks at Lola confused, "What's so funny?"

"Nothing." Lola breathes out as her laughter dies down. She gets even more confused stares from people, she clears her throat, "It's uh, it's really not that funny."

Elena gestures towards the door, "Katherine's upstairs."

"Actually, I'm here to see all of you." Nadia begins as she steps further into the room, "I found a way to save my mother and I need some help."

"Uh-uh. No way. Even my biased brother knows I will kick his ass from here to Kentucky if he helps Katherine Pierce live one more day on this Earth." Damon glares to everyone around the room, "No volunteers."

"I figured as much, which is why I found that old safe your brother spent the summer drowning in and buried it on this property with your friend Matt inside of it." Nadia smiles viciously, holding up Matt's ring, "Oh – without this."

"Huh." Lola breathes out, "I guess the apples from the Petrova tree don't fall far at all." She watches as Stefan and Elena hurry out of the room along with Nadia. Lola pulls on Damon's shirt, "Hey, do you have any popcorn? This has been the most entertaining thing for a few months." Lola still feeling amused from her revelation, takes her phone from her pocket and text Rebekah about some certain news about Matt she thinks Rebekah would love to hear.

—✤—

Damon walks into Stefan's bedroom to see Lola already sitting beside a sleeping Katherine. Lola has her legs up on Stefan's bed as she sits on the chair beside it, she has one eye closed, concentrating as she throws almonds at Katherine.

Damon scoffs, glancing between an asleep Katherine and Lola, "You're letting her sleep?"

"You made me lose count, asshole." Lola rolls her eyes, throwing an almond at Damon, "I was trying to see how many almonds I can get in her hair until she wakes up." Damon chuckles slightly, noticing the several almonds dotted around the bed. Lola shrugs as she grabs another, "Guess I'm starting again...one."

Damon takes hold of Lola's hand to stop her, "Wait." His eyes light with mischief as he grabs a pillow, "I got a better idea."

Damon slowly edges closer to the bed, holding up the pillow as though he is about to smother Katherine in her sleep. Until he is interrupted by Sheriff Forbes, "Put the pillow down, Damon."

Liz smiles, placing her hand against Lola's shoulder, "It's good to see you, Lola."

"You too."

Damon rolls his eyes as he steps away from Katherine, "Liz..."

"If you kill her, it's murder." Liz deadpans, "I'd have to bring you in, lock you up...there's all that paperwork..."

"Every awful thing I've ever done is linked to her." Damon glares at Katherine as his anger builds, "She taught me how to kill. I don't enjoy it. She ruined me and I can't take any of that back."

"Look at how much control she still has over you, Damon." Liz takes the pillow out of Damon's hands, laying it on a chair within the room, "Prove her wrong."

Lola watches from her seat as Damon and Liz both leave the room. Once they leave, Lola shrugs coming to a stand, "Okay, I'm bored now. Wake up." Lola rolls her eyes when Katherine isn't budging, "Katherine, wake up." Lola grabs Katherine's shoulders, shaking her, "Wakey, wakey, Kitty Kat!!!"

Katherine groans as she pushes Lola away from her, "Can't a dying girl have a moment of peace?"

"When I'm around? Never." Lola sits back down when Katherine looks around confused at the almonds dotted around, "Oh, almonds. Apparently they're good for you when you're pregnant. Were they a think back when you were pregnant?" Lola smirks as she bites into an almond, "I've met your daughter, she seems just as bitchy as you are."

"It will be interesting to see whether your child will be a mini you, or a mini Klaus." Katherine breathes out, she attempts to sit up slightly but isn't strong enough. Katherine sighs as she lays back down, "Shame I won't be around to see that."

Lola purses her lips as she nods, "Probably a good thing because if she's going to be a mini Klaus, which I'm betting she will be, no doubt she'll grow up with an urge to kill you just like Klaus."

Katherine's eyes brighten a little, smiling over to Lola, "A girl?"

Lola's lips form a tight smile as she nods, "I have a question for you. You're the reason why I ended back in New Orleans, a little trap you designed. Is it also thanks to you that my child has had a target on her back from the very beginning?" Lola leans back in the chair, once against resting her legs against the bed, "It took some time, but I managed to convince Klaus to let me come and see you on my own." Lola shrugs as she takes her phone out of her pocket, "But the thing is Kat, if it was because of you, I'll dial Klaus' number so fast it will make your head spin and you'll be begging for the grim reaper to take you before Klaus can get to you."

Katherine brows furrow, shaking her head, "What are you talking about? Why would I do that?"

"Because you hate Klaus." Lola deadpans as she shrugs, "Why should he have any ounce of happiness after what he's put you through, right?"

Katherine sighs as she sinks her head deeper into the pillow, "I'll admit, I created the trap, as you put it, to get you back to New Orleans but it was never my plan to cause harm towards you or your baby. I just wanted Klaus as far away as possible."

"You expect me to buy that?"

"Believe what you want, Lola. That's what you always do." Katherine sighs before taking a deep breath, her voice becoming more raspy, "But, we were friends once, you've trusted me in the past."

"Were we really friends, though?" Lola retorts, she sits up straight on the chair, "Weren't you just manipulating me into thinking we were friends because looking back that's sorta what it looks like."

"I never manipulated you, Lola." Katherine croaks, "I saved you. I saved you from the dull life you were living because you hated it. Can you remember the day of the first Founder's Ball? You spoke to me in confidence about your lack of excitement compared to everyone else in the town." A faint smile appears on Katherine's face, reminiscing of their memories, "You know, the way you spoke you reminded me of Klaus. I said to you that day that-"

"-I reminded you of someone." Lola finishes Katherine's sentence as she remembers the memory, she looks over to Katherine, slightly confused, "I reminded you of Klaus?"

"Especially when you said you wished you could silence your brothers momentarily." Katherine stays silent for a moment, she smiles towards Lola, "If this really is going to be my last day, I'd want us to be on semi-okay terms."

Lola's eyes shine with amusement as she stands up, "Is that your dying wish for me?"

"It is, but I do also have another." Katherine starts to cough slightly as Lola sits on the edge of the bed. Katherine breathes out when the coughing calms down, "Get these almonds out my hair."

Lola smirks as she complies, removing the almonds out of Katherine's hair, "You're really rocking the grey highlights, Kat. I guess you just wanted to be me so bad you became human too, huh?"

"If you say so." Katherine rolls her eyes, "At least it's working out better for one of us."

Damon scoffs as he walks into the room, "Please don't tell me she's got you feeling sorry for her, Lo."

Lola rolls her eyes as she stands up from the bed, throwing the handful of almonds towards him, "Shut up, Damon."

"What's wrong, Katherine?" Damon wears a fake pet lip, his tone fuelled with fake concern, "Worried this could all be an illusion?"

"Here are the sedatives from the hospital." Liz announces as she walks into the room, holding several syringes, "It should help with the pain."

"I don't want them." Katherine's voice becomes even more raspy, "They make me weak and when I'm weak, he can get inside my head."

Damon sits on the chair beside, with a smug expression. He places his index finger against his temple before pointing it towards Katherine, causing him to get a smack across the back of his head from Lola.

"Okay. Suit yourself." Liz shrugs as she places the syringes on the table beside Katherine, "They're right here if you want them."

"Still looking for Matt?" Liz questions Damon, "Any word from Elena?"

Damon cringes slightly, "We're not on a speaking basis."

"Didn't you hear, Sheriff?" Katherine's raspy tone turns more sarcastic, "He was so afraid to dirty her white dove feathers that he let her little wings fly free. And it was all my fault. Oops."

Katherine smiles over to Damon as Lola straightens up, looking down at Damon in shock, "You broke up? Why didn't you tell me?"

Damon glares over to Katherine, ignoring Lola. He grabs one of the syringes Liz laid out and aggressively jabs it into Katherine's arm. He turns and shrugs over to Liz, "That'll make her shut up for a while." He turns to face Lola, gesturing for her to leave the room, "We'll talk about it later."

—✤—

Lola and Stefan walk into Stefan's bedroom when Damon is laying on the floor, groaning as he wakes up from a neck snap, "Ouch."

Stefan frowns down at Damon on the floor, "What the hell happened to you?"

"In a shocking twist, Katherine's daughter is a psycopath. Whew." Damon breathes out as he stands up, dusting himself off before gesturing towards Katherine, "She's all yours. I've had fun messing with her mind all day."

Stefan sighs, turning to face Damon as he walks out of the room, "Damon..."

"I know, Stefan." Damon scoffs, "I know. It's been a rough couple of days. I needed an outlet, okay?"

Both Stefan and Lola watch as Damon leaves the room, Lola takes hold of Stefan's hand, giving him a reassured squeeze, "I'll talk to him."

Lola follows Damon outside, he sits on the steps at the back of the boarding house with a glass of bourbon in his hand as he stares out into the night's sky. Lola clears her throat as she sits beside Damon on the steps, "When were you going to tell me you broke up with Elena?"

Damon purses his lips as he shrugs, "I was thinking maybe in three to five business days and it would be over the phone."

"Damon, I hugged her! Hugged her!" Lola echoes, with more disgust in her tone, "And you guys broke up? What the hell happened?"

Damon sighs as he looks down at the glass in his hand, "I wasn't good for her, Lo."

Lola scoffs as she shakes her head, laughing dryly, "That's a bunch of bull."

"Lola..."

"Just the facts! I know I never seemed to agree with the two of you but you need each other, D. You both help each other in different ways." Lola slightly nudges Damon's shoulder with her own, "You'll both go through rough patches in your relationship, it's natural. If it's easy for couples straight away then there's something wrong."

"Is this the part where you gloat saying it wasn't like that for you and Klaus?" Damon retorts, "It was all plain sailing in your psychotic love boat."

"Are you kidding?" Lola starts to laugh, shaking her head, "It was far from that. It took pretty much five years for us to even both admit at the same time we had feelings for the other. There was hostility, heartbreak, you name it. But you know what?" Damon looks over to Lola, gesturing for her to continue when Lola shrugs, "I'd do it all again. I'd even do everything that happened in this town again. And there is no doubt in my mind that I'd gladly feel all the pain I've felt over that time if I had to because real, true love is worth it. No matter what." Lola smiles sadly at her brother, her words sinking in for him when she takes hold of his hand, "Do not lose her, D. You can't lose her."

"This is why I need you here with me, Lo." Damon smiles back at her, he tights his hand around her, "Underneath that stubborn attitude of yours, you always see the good in any situation. You always see the good in people and you never give up on those you love."

"Well, I hope never giving up on people isn't going to be my downfall."

"That's why you're going to be an amazing mother." Damon's tone is soft, his eyes are warm, unable to wipe his smile off his face, "You're always there for the people you love. Even when they don't deserve it."

Lola smiles, she leans onto Damon, "That's never gonna change, you know? No matter how much you piss me off, I'm never giving up on you, D." She playfully hits him against his shoulder, "If you have to have me nagging at you 24 hours a day to make sure you give yourself the happiness you deserve then I will. Just don't block my number again."

"I promise." Damon chuckles before pointing towards Lola, giving her a stern yet playful look, "As long as you don't block mine either."

"Deal."

"So, the baby." Damon breathes out, staring out in front of them both, "Do you feel okay about all of this?"

"There has been something holding me back from totally accepting it. I've been happy about it, in between fighting for both of our lives." Lola shrugs, looking over to Damon, "But, I think what I needed was to see the two of you and making sure I wasn't going to be fighting with you as well as the witches back home."

"Are you kidding?" Damon frowns, he wraps his arm around Lola, pulling her closer to him as he kisses her against her temple, "You're making me an uncle, Lo. I couldn't be happier."

Lola smiles as she leans closer into her brother, until Damon scoffs, "Finished your little love story with the devil upstairs have you, brother?" Lola frowns at him, hitting him against his chest as she pulls away from him.

Stefan sighs as he sighs on the other side of Lola, "You know, I was in a dark place, Damon."

"And Katherine pulled you out of it." Damon rolls his eyes, tone full of repulsion, "Irony abounds."

"You know, whatever's going on with you and Elena...you need to fix it." Stefan states, "She's the best thing that ever happened to you."

"You think I don't know that?" Damon scoffs, shrugging his shoulders. His shoulders sink as he sighs, "I can't live without her, but when you think about it, I'm no better than Katherine. Elena will be happier without me."

Both Lola and Stefan give their brother an are-you-serious glare making his shrug, "What? I'm being selfless. Don't give me that look."

Stefan shrugs, "I'm not giving you a look. Are you giving him a look?"

Lola purses her lips as she shakes her head, ""I'm not giving him a look." They both purse their lips, glancing at each other before looking away, shaking their heads.

"Katherine-fricking-Pierce has a selfless moment, I'm not allowed to?" Damon retorts, he looks at his siblings unamused, but they can't wipe away their smug grins, "Fine...fine...When I get Elena back, and the whole universe freaks out because the fated doppelgängers are torn apart, just remember you...you're the one who pep-talked me out of doing the right thing for the universe and all mankind."

"I will keep that in mind."

Stefan smiles over to Damon who looks away and nods, "You do that."

"Okay, time to go inside." Lola announces, both brothers stand up looking down at Lola who stays sitting, "Yeah, you guys are gonna have to help me up." Lola holds both her hands out, "It was easy enough to sit down here, not so easy to get back up."

Both brothers glance at each other before they each take hold of Lola's hands, pulling her up. Damon wraps his arm around Lola's shoulder as they all walk back inside, "Good thing we've both still got our vampire strength."

Lola stops walking, glaring at him, "Don't make me melt your brain, because I'll do it."

—✤—

All three Salvatore's walk back into the living room where everyone else is sitting having drinks. Stefan glances around the empty bottles, "Have we really gone through four bottles of bourbon today?"

"Yeah, I'm sorta disappointed in you guys." Lola teases as she stands beside Stefan, "I'd have thought it would have been double."

Damon nudges Lola's shoulder with his own, "The only reason it's not double that amount is because you can't drink."

"Oh my god..." Bonnie breathes out as she smiles over to Jeremy.

"Alaric!" Jeremy's eyes widen as he turns around, staring out into a empty space of the room.

Damon frowns, glancing around the room, "Ric's here?"

"Where the hell have you been?" Jeremy questions the empty space, "I thought you bailed on us to go find peace, or something."

Jeremy starts to laugh making Damon scoff, "He's talking about me, isn't he?"

Jeremy's lips smile tightly before nodding, "He says you're a dick."

Damon smiles, holding his glass out as he looks around the room, "Cheers, buddy."

Bonnie's smile vanishes as she looks over to another part of the room, "Katherine..."

"Ding dong!" Damon sings out, "Does that mean the witch is dead?"

Bonnie stares blankly out towards the empty space of the room before frowning and looking around. Lola looks over to her confused, "She's gone?"

Bonnie nods, looking a little unsure, "I think so."

Stefan's attention goes towards the front door when he hears a car pulling up, "The cars pulling up."

"That's my cue to leave." Lola breathes out, she smiles towards the group who stay sitting down as Stefan guides her back to the front door. She stops, laughing slightly as her eyes begin to sting with fresh tears, "I really hate goodbyes."

Stefan smiles as he pulls Lola in a warm hug, "Just don't be a stranger, okay?"

"Don't you be one either." Lola pulls away, not caring the tears have started to fall down her cheeks, "I'd really love it if you guys come to New Orleans at some point."

"You can count on it." Stefan sighs, he swipes his thumb across his sister's cheek, wiping the stay tears, "I'm gonna miss you, Lo."

"I'm gonna miss you way more." She laughs breathlessly, "Honestly, I have to say I was expecting your reaction to be more like Damon's."

"Oh, I was reacting like that on the inside, don't worry." Stefan teases, "You taking your time in telling us about this made me realise how happy you are about it. You needed to get your head round it all first, right?"

Lola nods, her cheeks start to ache from her smiling but she doesn't even care, "Yep."

"I'm happy for you, Lola. I really am." Stefan places his hands against Lola's shoulders, "I don't want to stand in the way of your happiness anymore."

"Thank you." Lola looks around confused, "Where's Damon?"

"I don't know, let me..."

"Stef," Lola takes hold of Stefan's hand, not letting him leave her side, "You need to make sure Damon is mocked at least once a day, got it? Please, look after yourself and don't do anything stupid." Her hands rest against Stefan's cheeks, "Don't be a hero despite your heroic hair."

"Lola..."

Lola interrupts Stefan when she pulls him in another hug, "Don't say anything else because if you do there's a high chance I won't want to leave. I love you so much, brother."

"I love you too."

Lola sighs, pulling away from the hug and starts to put her coat on, "Damon, get your ass down here or I'm leaving!"

"I'm here, I'm here." Damon rushes down the stairs, carrying a brown bag, "Before you go, I got this." He hands the bag out towards Lola who raises a brow at it, "Go ahead, open it. I thought even though you may be cooking up a demon spawn in there, the baby should have something from their Uncle Damon."

Lola opens up the bag to reveal a teddy bear. She smiles down at her as though she remembers it from somewhere, "It looks just like the one you had when we were kids."

"Well, I figured the bear has lived a crazy 170 odd years, why not add a few more to it's lifetime?" Damon shrugs, he pats the bears head in Lola's hold as he smiles over to her, "That way you can tell my niece or nephew all the amazing stories about their amazing, charming and handsome Uncle Damon."

"Niece." Both Damon and Stefan's eyes light up as Lola's announcement, Lola takes hold of Damon's hand, "Your niece and you can tell her all of your stories whenever you like." Damon pulls Lola in a warm embrace when she laughs slightly, "Just as long as you only tell the PG ones."

"There aren't that many PG ones." Damon pulls away, smiling sadly at her, "Look after yourself, Lo. You can count on the two of us to gatecrash your new life in New Orleans."

"Make sure you do. I love you, D."

Damon kisses Lola on her forehead, "I love you too."

Stefan opens the door for Lola, she smiles at them once more before walking out and towards the car where Klaus is already standing, with the door open for her. She holds the bear close to her chest as she walks over to him, her free hand resting against his cheek as she looks at him lovingly, "Hey."

"Lola!" Damon calls out as he remains standing in the doorway, Lola turns to face him as he continues to wear the same sad smile, "I'll see you real soon, okay?"

Lola nods, smiling back at them both before she climbs into the car. Klaus closes the door behind her, he looks over to both Stefan and Damon who nod over to him as though it was a mental message to make sure he continues to look after their sister. Klaus nods back at them as a promise that no matter what, he's always going to protect her.

—✤—

A/N: i REALLY hope i done this chapter justice!! i know you guys have been waiting for this one for so long so hopefully you all liked it!

i'm missing the three chaotic musketeers already omfg😭😭😭

it's going to be the start of the flashback chapters in the next chapter. there's definitely going to be more than one, just unsure if it will be two or three...

hope you still like the story!!

Holly x