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"You're my end and my beginning. Even when I lose I'm winning." 

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I NEVER  really respected the patience and tolerance mothers have for their babies until now. I have gone a full night without any sleep, partly because of the fact that this mystery hunter is some magical being with an invisible tattoo only Jeremy Gilbert can see, and partly because Theodore won't stop crying.

I get up several times in the middle of the night to the sound of Theo crying. The nurse warned me about this, saying that it was going to take time for him to get used to this new place and new people. Every time I get up and enter the office next to my room where his crib is set up, I cradle him in my arms until he falls asleep again. Of course he only falls asleep for about twenty minutes before he wakes up again and begins crying. It's an incessant and tedious cycle, but eventually I manage to put him to sleep allowing me some peace and quiet.

At least I thought I would get some peace and quiet. I wake yet once again from his cries, but this time the sun was shining brightly through my windows meaning I have finally made it through the first night of having Theodore in the house. I groan and clench my hair in my fists as Theo continues to cry, forcing me out of bed.

When I reach his room however, the crying stops as I turn the corner and find James holding little Theo, steadily in his strong arms. It's a cute sight really, so I stand back and watch the two, a small smile appearing on James's face as he coddles Theo in his arms. In a way Theo saved James from destroying himself of all the guilt built up inside of him, and in the end we saved Theo. So I guess you could say Theo and James saved each other, and watching them finally interact is enough to bring butterflies to my stomach and warmth to my heart.

Still smiling, I walk to the room and knock on the door, turning James's attention from Theo to me. "Sorry, I ah, heard him crying," I say, approaching the two.

James smiles and looks back down at Theo. "I did too. I thought I'd try and calm him down this time. Figured you could use some sleep," he says.

"Thank you," I smile. "Did you not hear him throughout the night?" I ask.

"No surprisingly. I only heard him this morning when I got up. Maybe we should've placed his crib beside Damon's room," James smirks.

I laugh. "He would love that," I say sarcastically. We stand there staring at Theo as he stares back up at us, searching our eyes. "Hey James," I ask.

"Mmm?" he says, still smiling down at Theo who has a hand grasped onto his finger.

"Do you think this was a bad idea? To bring him into our lives? To bring him into the chaotic and disastrous life we live?" I ask quietly.

James turns his head from Theo to me, a serous yet gentle look on his face as he thinks of what to say. "Maybe," he admits honestly. "But maybe this is what we need. A little normal to be the calm of the storm." 

I smile at his words, thankful that he understands seeing as my brothers don't seem to. Before we can say anything more my phone rings.

"What is it Damon?" I greet.

"Hi Blair, good morning to you too," he greets sarcastically. "You know how Klaus and Elijah said they captured the hunter?"

"Yes," I say.

"Yeah, well he's escaped and taken Matt, April Young and Jeremy hostage at the Grill," Damon blurts out.

James looks over at me, hearing what Damon said. "What?" I exclaim.

"No time to mope in surprise. Stefan and I are thinking of a plan to kill the bastard now, do you want in?" he asks me.

"Yes," I say immediately.

"Great, meet us in ten," Damon says before hanging up.

I go to get ready with James right behind me. "I'm coming," he says.

"So am I!" Joel shouts from downstairs, both James and I unaware that he had been listening to our conversation the whole time.

"You're a dirty eavesdropper, Joel," I shout down the staircase. I only hear him laugh which prompts James and I to roll our eyes.

"Want me to call Caroline to babysit?" James asks.

"Yup, please." 

∆  ∆  ∆

The plan is simple really, or at least it should be. It sounds a lot easier than it feels as James, Joel and I walk down in the old Lockwood Caves that run underneath the Grill. 

Damon and Stefan have thought of a plan to come at the hunter on all sides, overwhelming him and forcing him to release the hostages. It's pretty straight forwards, but a little too straight forwards if you ask me. Too many things can go wrong, too many things that can take place. This is a skilled hunter, specifically designed to kill vampires and I have no doubt that the whole place is filled with traps.

After hearing multiple explosions upstairs from the Grill, the three of us become increasingly worried for Stefan's safety, as we sprint through the caves. After turning a corner we come to an abrupt halt when we see Stefan holding the hunter hostage, Damon across from them. They appear to be in a full on argument.

"Oh good. You caught the bastard. Can we kill him now?" I snarl, baring my fangs at the hunter.

"No, because apparently Stefan has become Klaus's bitch again," Damon growls.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" I ask.

"Why don't you ask your twin?" Damon says, glaring at Stefan.

"Why don't you stop being a smart ass and answer the question?" James snaps.

"I can't let you kill him," Stefan says, still holding the hunter.

"The hell you can't!  Why not!" I exclaim, furious for answers.

"Because Klaus needs him alive, meaning Stefan here has to do his dirty work," Damon says. "Isn't that right Stefan?"

"Why does Klaus need him alive?" Joel asks impatiently.

"I can't say much. Klaus will kill anyone that knows, but it's something about his tattoo, his hunters mark," Stefan explains, just as he releases the hunter and instructs him to run.

The four of us watch while the hunter runs in the oppotiste direction, Stefan standing in our way of chasing after him. "You think I give a rat's ass about some stupid fancy tattoo?" I snap, right before I sprint after the hunter.

Stefan doesn't let me get very far however as he pushes me backwards into the rock wall of the cave. As I hit the floor, James and Joel interveine by pinning Stefan to the floor creating an opening. Damon appears above me and holds out a hand. "I'll take one way you take the other?" he asks.

"No Blair, you don't understand!" Stefan tries to say, but he's forced back down by James and Joel.

"Sounds good," I smirk, ignoring Stefan as I sprint one way while Damon goes the other. The thought that Stefan is working with Klaus and keeping secrets again angers me, and I find myself even more determined to kill this hunter if it makes Klaus angry.

After I'm a good distance away from Stefan I stop and listen, letting my ears be my eyes. I shove memories of the dark tomb away as the dark cave screams at me, pushing to reveal the memories of my past that I've tried so hard to forget. I take a deep breath before sprinting off in the direction of the hunter's footsteps, not stopping until I reach a clearing in the cave where the hunter stands, cornered.

"Whatcha gonna do now?" I tease, slowly approaching him.

The hunter looks frantically around, searching desperately for a way out only to turn back to me as realization hits him. "Fight," he snarls before throwing a wooden stake at me.

I catch it with ease before throwing it back at him, stabbing it in his stomach. He crumples to the ground in pain as I speed towars him, baring my fangs and feeding from his neck. I stand back and pull out the stake, raising it above his shoulder. "This is for shooting me," I growl before stabbing him in the shoulder.

He cries in pain and just when I'm about to snap his neck he says his final words. "See you in your dreams, Blair Salvatore," he smirks.

I glare at him right before snapping his neck. As he drops to the ground I see Damon standing in front of me, no doubt having seen the whole scenario unfold.

"Those were pathetic last words," Damon says jokingly, but I know he's only trying to make things easier for me. He knows how I hate killing, but this time if felt right. This time I killed someone Klaus wanted alive, and the fact I've angered him gives me a great rush of sick satisfaction.

∆  ∆  ∆

With the Grill trashed and a dead body in the caves we decide to head home. I can tell Stefan is mad at me, but that goes both ways seeing as I'm already pissed at him for keeping secrets from me especially if it's about Klaus. We spent months together being Klaus's little slaves and now that he's decided to team up with him again while knowing how much Klaus has destroyed our lives is angering to say the least. 

So to aggravate Klaus more I decide to call him while in the passenger seat of James's truck. It rings exactly two times before Klaus picks up.

"Hello love. Wasn't expecting a call from you anytime soon to be honest, but never the less it's always a pleasure," he greets.

"Not this time it's not. You know that hunter, the one you specifically wanted alive for whatever reason?" I ask, smiling to myself.

"Yes," Klaus growls lowly.

"Yeah, well today he had the unfortunate pleasure of finding out what happens when someone shoots Blair Salvatore," I sneer.

"Blair," he growls. "What did you do?"

"I killed him," I say proudly, enjoying the groans of anger on the other side of the line.

"You did what? Blair, you don't understand what you just did. There's more to killing a hunter- one of the five," Klaus explains, but I'm confused, too caught up in the pride.

"What the hell are you talking about, Klaus?" I snap, Joel and James's attention now on me.

"When you kill a hunter, you unleash the hunter's curse," Klaus explains worriedly. "Blair, I need you to come over right now," he instructs, but I'm too focused on a person standing in the middle of the road in front of us to answer as I hang up the phone.

As I look ahead I see the hunter who I killed an hour ago, standing in the middle of the road. "James look out!" I yell, turning to James who only looks at me with concern.

"Blair! Calm down! What are you talking about!" James panics as he brakes, all while trying to keep his eyes on the road.

Confused, I turn back to the road only to find the hunter is no longer there, like he wasn't even there in the first place. "I-he-. He was right there," I explain, feeling incredibly embarrassed especially since this is the first time James has driven since the accident. I fear I've made things worse.

"Blair? Are you okay?" James asks me.

"Yo, what did Klaus say about a hunter's curse?" Joel speaks up.

I don't answer as my attention is suddenly turned to the front of the parked truck, the hunter standing in front of it staring at me. "He's right there," I say, pointing to him.

James and Joel exchange worried glances before putting the truck back in drive. "Mate, we should probably get her over to the Mikaelsons," Joel says.

James doesn't hesitate before speeding down the road, all the while I watch through the side mirror as the hunter disappears from my view.

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[completed & edited: 08/30/2021]