『Chapter Thirty-Seven』
『white oak』

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   Bodie didn't know what the fuck to think about as a whole. As much he was happy over the fact the Snow's had all agreed to help him. it had been a slow process just as a whole, Will, Henry, and the Snow's had taken control over the planning. Bodie hadn't done anything to help when it came to the magic side of it all, knowing that he had little to no knowledge when it came to magic. All that Bodie had to focus on was everything else when it came to the Mikaelson's and the truth that he still needed to admit.

   Bodie had wondered whether or not he should see Rebekah or talk to her. Though, he knew best, he knew that he shouldn't go near either Klaus or Rebekah no matter how much he wanted to be by their side. Bodie knew that despite his need to be beside either of the Mikaelson's that it could mean his death when it came to it. As much as he knew that he wanted to talk to the Mikaelson's in some way to see if there was anything that he could fix, he knew better. Or he wanted to know better.

   Both Will and Henry were keeping him in as much as the loop as possible, though, the pair of them had told Bodie that he didn't need to worry, that he needed to focus on himself for a little bit before throwing him into speaking his truth. However, it was rather helpful to know that both Henry and Will had most of the magic side covered.

   Considering that they'd only started earlier this morning, it was rather nice to see the countless of grimoires scattered across the kitchen, living room, the floors, and such. Throughout his time with both Will and Henry, he'd forgotten just how many witches had trusted them their grimoires, as well as the countless dark objects that they'd either collected or stolen from certain people and places. Kevin, Mary, Leo, and Elliot had come round around eight this morning which led to their home being turned into a mess.

   Bodie tried to help them given that this was his idea—that Will convinced him to do—but both Henry and Will dismissed his help again. As much as Bodie wanted to help them with all of this, he knew that he didn't fully understand witch magic enough to know what to do but he still felt as if he should be helping them all in some way. At the end of the day, they were all here because Bodie asked for their protection.

   He knew that it was rather stupid and probably seemed weak that he was asking for their help, but Bodie knew that it was something that he needed. He just wanted to be protected, even if it was against the family that he'd loved for centuries. As much as he knew that he brought this onto himself, there was a part of him that wondered whether or not any of this was worth it, whether there was a chance that he could just ignore everything and hope that it goes away.

   Though, he knew better. He knew that Elijah and Rebekah would pester Bodie into telling them the truth. He knew that there was a chance that both Rebekah and Elijah might figure it out and demand an answer out of him with accusations. Although Bodie was hesitant to tell them, he knew that if they pressured him to admit anything, there was a chance that he would tell them without hesitation.

   Bodie shook his head, he knew that he was thinking too much into all of this, but he couldn't help it. Considering that he hadn't seen either Klaus, Rebekah, or any of the other Mikaelson's, it made him somewhat worried just as a whole, a part of him wondered whether or not it was safe for him to leave the house, though he knew that there was a chance that he was just being dramatic over nothing. He knew that if they were going to come for him, that there was a chance that they would have made it known.

   He just hoped that Will and the others managed to plan something out that might work. He needed something to work. As much as he was considering the white oak stake that he owns, he was worried just in case it got into the wrong hands, the last thing that he wanted was for someone like Klaus to get hold of it and use it on him. He'd decided that after meeting with the Snow's the previous night, he'd gotten hold of his white oak and decided to keep it on him at all times. Only Will knows that he's got it, the less amount of people that knows, the better.

   "Bodie." Leo said, making him jump.

   Bodie looked towards Leo, who was a few inches away from him. "Yes?"

   Leo somewhat looked down. "Henry told me of the plan you mentioned when you asked for our help."

   Bodie just stared. There was a part of Bodie that wished that Henry would learn how to shut the fuck up, given that he hadn't wanted Leo to know what he'd planned. "Did he? I didn't want you to know of that plan."

   "Henry would have told me no matter if you didn't want him to or not." Leo stated. Leo held his hands in front of him, picking at the skin around his nails. "But, I wanted to say that I'm grateful that you changed your plans. You should remember that I don't want to become a vampire, need I remind you that I'm not like Will and Henry. Magic is important to me."

   "I know." Bodie admitted. "I'm sorry that I considered anything of the sorts to turn you, but there's still a part of me that strongly believes that you were meant to be something stronger."

   Leo looked down slightly. "As much as I want to believe that, Bodie, I know that I'm stronger the way that I am. I'm more useful as a were-witch than one of you. Plus, we have one of you running around that I'm sure that you wouldn't need another werewolf-vampire running around."

   Bodie just stared at Leo, an odd feeling rising in him that he was unsure on. "I'll take that. But know that by siding with me, the Mikaelson's would also be after you. I want you to make sure that you find a way to protect yourself if things go wrong. If they manage to kill me before I manage to do something to them, I want you to run, turn and run as far away as possible if it means protecting yourself."

   Leo stared at him as if he'd said something funny. "Why are you saying this to me and not the rest of my family? We're all here risking ourselves for you."

   There was a part of Bodie that knew that he should've stayed silent, that there was a chance that what he said could have been taken the wrong way, but at the same time he didn't care. "Because I care about you more. There's something about you that I like but I also want to protect you. I know that I shouldn't have asked any of you to help me because it meant putting you in danger, but being this close to you, Leo, allows me to have more motivation to protect someone I care about."

   Leo looked as if Bodie had said something wrong. Leo seemed surprised at Bodie's words and there was a part of Bodie that wondered whether or not he should've spoken at all. Though, Bodie had to admit, the look on Leo's face done something to him that he knew that he didn't want to admit to himself, knowing that the minute he did, he'd have to deny everything in hopes to protect him more.

   "Oh." Leo said. "Right." He still seemed somewhat shocked. "I'm surprise that you have some form of interest. But why me? Why would you want to protect me?"

   "Because your different from most that I've met." Bodie admitted before he could stop himself. He wondered whether or not he should allow both Klaus and Rebekah to kill him, at least then it would allow him to be silent. "And I like you, Leo."

   Before Leo could respond, Elliot came into the room, looking as if he'd heard something that he didn't want to hear. There was a small part of Bodie that wondered if Elliot heard what Bodie had told Leo, but Bodie chose to ignore that, knowing that there was a chance that Elliot didn't given the light chatter between the Woodford's and elderly Snow's.

   "Leo," Elliot said, "granddad wants you to join us again. There's a spell that you might like, something that you can decipher."

   Leo stared at his younger brother as if he hated the earth that Elliot walked on. "Really? I'm sure that whatever it is, it can be something you can decipher."

   Elliot shook his head and crossed his arms. "No. Granddad wants you to do it." There was something about the way that Elliot stared at Leo that reminded him of the looks both he and Ingrid would share with one another, which also allowed Bodie to realise that there was a chance that Elliot doesn't want Leo and Bodie to talk.

   "You should go do what Kevin wants you to do." Bodie said. As much as he knew that he shouldn't get involved, he thought that he should just voice his opinion. "I need to sort a few things out anyway."

   Bodie knew that he was somewhat lying, but if it meant that there was some space between both him and Leo for now, then so be it. Leo looked up towards Bodie and gave him a look as if Leo wanted to talk to Bodie even more, though after a few seconds, Leo departed from the kitchen that Bodie was stood in.

   Elliot glared at Bodie then. "If you think about touching my brother in anyway or even hurt him, I will kill you myself. I don't care how long it would take, but I will make sure that your death will be long and painful."

   Bodie held up his hands in defence. "I'm not thinking about doing anything to Leo. I promise."

   Elliot narrowed his eyes. "I don't trust your promises. I'm only here because my brother agreed that we would all help. And that there's a chance that you might kill Klaus."

   Bodie just stared at Elliot. There was a small part of Bodie that didn't like that Elliot thought that he would kill Klaus, but what did he expect? He knew that he shouldn't lie to anyone anymore, but if there was a chance that he could lie to Elliot just so that he had someone else helping him, then what was the harm? But no, he didn't want to lie to anyone, he couldn't.

   "There might not be a chance that I kill Klaus." Bodie admitted. As much as he knew that he had the white oak stake on him, he wanted to use it as a last resort. He knew that there was a very small chance that he would have to defend himself which might be killing Klaus, but he didn't want to think about it.

   "Then maybe there should be." Elliot said before leaving Bodie alone with his thoughts once more.

   Bodie just found himself shaking his head. He didn't know what to believe as a whole. as much as he knew that there was a possibility that he could kill Klaus, he knew that if the time came to it, he would still be hesitant to do such a thing, knowing that it would hurt him more than anything.

   He sighed and found himself looking in the fridge for anything to snack on. He ended up grabbing one of the blood bags and decided that the best thing for him to do was stress drink. Bodie tried to think about what the best course of action was when it came to him telling the Mikaelson's what he did, though, no matter how much he thought about it, the more that he realised that he should just admit it at this point.

   Though, even if he knew that he should just admit it, he was afraid that it would make everything just that little bit worse than what it is. He just wanted to make sure that the way that he admits everything is something that would be easy. He shook his head, he knew that he was worried it about it as a whole, that he was overthinking about all of it, but at the same time he knew what he needed to do.

   He found himself wondering whether or not if any of this was worth it. As much as he knew that they all needed to know the kind of person he truly is and what he'd done to them, he knew that he was going to lose them and that it was something that he couldn't take as a whole. Bodie didn't want to lose the Mikaelson's as his friends, as his family, but knew that no matter what he was going to lose them anyway.

   He knew that he had Will and Henry but given that they were going to defend him, there was a chance that he was going to lose the pair of them because they got in the way. As much as he didn't want to believe that there's even a chance that Klaus or whichever one of the siblings would go after Will and Henry, he knew that he had to protect them at all costs, even if they were about to risk their lives just to protect them.

   Bodie realised that this isn't just about him, this was about his need to protect Will and Henry from the possibility of dying. Despite all their magic, both Henry and Will could die a lot easier than what Bodie could.

   He found himself straightening. "Henry! Come in here!" He called out. Was there a chance that there could be a spell that could change the pair of them in hopes to make them stronger? He knew that he was overthinking, but he was just worried and desperate.

   Henry took a moment to come walking into the room, though when he did come into the kitchen, he was holding onto a grimoire from one of Henry's descendants in the Gemini Coven. "What do you want?"

   "Is there something that you could do, like a spell to make you like indestructible?" Bodie asked. There was a small part of Bodie that wondered whether or not Esther had the immortality spell that she used on Bodie. He wondered if that was a possibility.

   "Depending on the spell and depending on whether or not both Will and I could pull the spell off." Henry stated, not looking up from the grimoire.

   "What if it was the same spell that was used on me?" Bodie asked. He knew that there was a chance that it was too much, given that he knew that the spell itself was rather complex. "To make the playing field more balanced."

   That seemed to catch Henry's attention, causing him to look up at Bodie. "I. . .I wouldn't even know where to begin with that. That spell itself is rather complicated, plus, I wouldn't even know if Will and I would keep our magic, even if we are what we are."

   "But would it be possible?" Bodie asked. He was desperate, all he wanted was to make sure that he didn't lose the two people that he cares about in this life. He knew that he was going to lose the Mikaelson's, but he didn't want to lose the people that he considered brothers in the battlefield.

   "I don't know if I'll be strong enough. I don't know the spell that Esther used, and even if I did, I would need some kind of event." Henry admitted. There was this look in Henry's eyes that made Bodie feel bad, like he'd somehow gotten Henry's hopes up despite not meaning to. "Is that what you're thinking? That we could become Originals, like you?"

   Bodie shrugged. "It's an option. And I'm desperate to make sure that you live. I need both you and Will to live."

   Henry shifted slightly, looking somewhat surprised. "I'll look into it, but I can't promise it at all, Bodie."

   Bodie nodded. "Okay. Thank you. If all else fails, make sure to know the spells that you might need to take down the Originals."

   Henry gave Bodie a simple nod before turning away and joined the others. Bodie slumped into his seat, as much as he knew that he was overthinking a lot of things, he still wondered whether or not he should search for Esther's grimoire, though knew that it meant searching Klaus which meant that he no longer wanted to.

   Bodie really didn't know what to do as a whole. As much as he thought his plan with Esther's spell could work, he knew that there was a chance that neither Will nor Henry could pull it off, but he wanted there to be some options that aren't whatever they're planning. He sighed to himself. As much as he knew that he should trust whatever they were bound to do, he felt as if he needed to do more in some way.

   He needed to do something and sitting here was driving him crazy in some way. It felt as if all he could do was panic over something that he couldn't control, despite the fact that he caused all of this. He knew that there was always a chance that he would eventually get them both hurt, but he didn't expect it to be like this.

   What did he expect? Sunshine and rainbows? No, he knew what was going to happen, he just chose to ignore everything. He knew that he should've told the Mikaelson's about what he did the morning of the full moon, but he didn't because he knew that it would be too much for all of them. He was weak for not telling them, weak that he had to keep it for so long.

   There was a small part of Bodie that wished that he could talk to his parents once more, to have them beside him and explain to him what he should do. He could use a Cassian joke right about now. He wanted the comfort of his parents' words, he wanted his sister who would bully him for all of his life choices. He just wanted his family, but he knew that they were too out of reach and that was something that he hated more than anything.

   As much as he knew that he had so many ideas, he felt like that there was too many ideas and not enough time to go through them all. There was too many ideas and not enough time and that was something that pissed him off. He needed something that stuck, something that could protect his brothers, but he couldn't think of anything good.

   He leaned his head against the table and heaved a sigh. He hated that he couldn't think of one thing that could work. He needed to do something right in order to protect himself and his brothers, and he knew that he couldn't. He was afraid of what would happen to both Will and Henry, he wasn't sure if they were strong enough to survive as a whole, especially against all of the Mikaelson's.

   Bodie hit his head against the table a few times. He wanted to clear his head more than anything and was finding it hard to do such a thing. A part of him wondered whether or not he should go for a walk and leave the Woodfords and the Snows to plan out everything, but at the same time he knew that he needed to be here with them just in case they needed anything from him—not that they would ask him for any advice on magic or anything.

   He got up from where he was sat, he knew that he needed to plan everything when it came to admitting his truth, but at the same time he found that he couldn't. He didn't want to tell them, knowing that he was going to lose them all, he didn't want that, but he knew that it was bound to happen, that no matter how much he debated it, it was going to happen.

   For a moment, Bodie wondered whether he was going insane. His mind was splitting, he knew that it was best to tell them, but he didn't want to because of his own selfish desires. He wondered whether any of this was worth it, whether him stressing over telling the truth was worth anything. He wished that he could talk to his parents, to get their opinion on all of it—he just wanted to know whether any of this was right, whether losing them because of it was for the right reasons.

   "Bodie!" Will called out. "Door!"

   Bodie shook his head and noticed that Will was right, there was someone knocking on the door. He sighed and opened it, standing there was a very distraught Elena who seemed to stare at Bodie with a sense of disgust or something of the sort. Bodie wondered what was going on, wondering if there was a chance that she was here because she wanted to talk to Henry or Will, or maybe she knew that Elliot and Leo was here. "The witches are in the front room if you need them, Elena."

   Elena shook her head slightly. "I don't need them. Bonnie's already helping me with what's going on with Alaric."

   Bodie stared blankly at Elena then realised that she meant the history teacher who was also a vampire hunter and Elena's now guardian. "Oh. Right." He had no idea what the fuck was going on with Alaric, in fact he didn't care. "Come in, Elena."

   Bodie shifted out the way and let her in. He was surprised that neither Stefan and Damon was here with her for protection, though it then made him wonder whether or not they knew where she was. Of course, Bodie was somewhat glad that he didn't have to worry about either of the Salvatore's given that he didn't have the mental capacity to cope with their nonsense for now.

   "Elena." Elliot came out and stared at Elena with slight confusion. "How comes you're here?"

   Elena looked somewhat surprised at Elliot. "I came here to talk to Bodie. Why are you here?"

   "The Snows are helping me plan something. Not for human ears to listen into." Bodie stated and then shooed her into the kitchen. "If you need to talk to me, go to the kitchen, I need to stress feed."

   Both Elena and Elliot shared a look with one another as Bodie walked back into the kitchen. He knew that the likelihood of him being able to do anything to distract himself would be basically useless. Now that Elena was here, he was sure that he was going to get asked to do something about Rebekah or Klaus, or whatever. He wondered whether or not he should actually talk to Elena, though knew that it would mean a lot if Bodie acted like a friend to Elena for the sake of Henry and his friendships.

   Bodie got out another blood bag and almost ripped it open. By this time, Elena had joined Bodie in the kitchen alone. There was a small part of Bodie that thought there was a chance that Elliot would follow but was somewhat glad that he didn't. The look on Elena's face was enough for him to know that whatever Elena was about to tell him was rather bad, and there was a part of Bodie that hated that he could easily tell what kind of thing that Elena was going to tell him.

   "What?" Bodie asked. "You've got this look on your face like you're going to accuse me of killing half the population of this town."

   "I was thinking over the story Rebekah told me about her family and you becoming vampires." Elena admitted. "Between Rebekah trying to kill me and all, I looked back at the drawings in the caves, and I noticed something." She got out a photo of the hybrid symbol over what looked like a boy's body. "I wondered whether it was something to do with Klaus but realised that it might be something to do with you."

   Bodie felt himself tense all over, he wondered whether or not she knew something that others hadn't. "Go on." He knew that there was a chance that he was overthinking or something, but he tried not to think too much into it.

   "Rebekah never mentioned that you were with them when they found out about their brother. . .Henrik?. . .being killed right?" Elena asked. "And I remember the way that you were when she told that."

   "Are you assuming that I might be the one that killed Henrik Mikaelson, Elena?" Bodie asked. "That I'm the reason as to why vampires were created by Esther?" He drained the blood bag dry, though kept it in his hands just so that he had something to play with to distract himself from what was going on around him. "It's a big accusation, Elena."

   "Don't you find it weird, Bodie?" Elena asked, leaning across the countertop. "That Klaus had to beg Esther to turn you? And that you just so happened to be a werewolf?" There was this look on Elena's face that made Bodie wish that he weren't here right now. He felt as if he was under some form of microscope, it made him want to rip her heart out.

   "Klaus begged Esther to turn me because he loved me, Elena." Bodie stated. "I'm sure that if you were in the same position, you would do the same for the one that you loved. You know if they weren't already vampires." He half shrugged then. "They didn't know I was a werewolf, Elena, none of them knew." Unless one counts that Esther might have figured it all out and yet still turned him which still didn't make sense to him.

   "Did you kill Henrik?" Elena pressed more.

   Bodie found himself glaring at Elena. He knew that Elena should have brought either Stefan or Damon for her own protection because he sure as hell wanted to kill Elena for bringing all of this up. He didn't need any of this right now. "Even if I did kill Henrik, Elena, I would have told them if I did."

   Elena narrowed her eyes as if she didn't believe anything that he just said. "But this—" she tapped the picture of the hybrid killing a boy. "—is part of the story. The hybrid kills a boy. There's only two hybrids and as much as Klaus is despicable, it wouldn't make sense if he did. The only thing that doesn't seem to fit, Bodie, is you. You don't seem to fit fully in any of this."

   Bodie clenched his jaw. "First, Elena, you made the mistake of coming into my home to accuse me of doing such a thing. Second, you accuse me of not making sense of fitting into this story about the Originals. Do you seriously think that this was the safest option for you?"

   Elena leaned up and crossed her arms. There was something about her confidence that was something odd, Bodie wondered whether or not this was actually Elena. "You and the rest of them haven't been talking for the past few days. Not since Esther tried to kill you. There's a reason for it, isn't there? I'm certain that it's to do with this."

   Bodie narrowed his eyes. "You know, Elena, you're surprisingly nosy for someone who knows the story already."

   "I'm just trying to figure somethings out." Elena told. "Now, answer my question."

   Bodie somewhat smirked then. There was definitely something about Elena's confidence that was odd, though Bodie didn't want to question anything knowing that if he did, there was a chance that Henry or one of the Snow's would decide to get involved. He was sure that Will and Henry were listening in. "You want to know the truth, Elena?"

   She nodded as if she was desperate to know the truth. "I do."

   "Henrik Mikaelson, the baby Mikaelson, died on a full moon because both he and Klaus had the bright idea to watch my pack turn." Bodie told. "I was out of control, I don't remember doing it until the morning came and my hands were covered in blood like I dipped my hand in a bucket of blood. I could taste it, Elena. The blood. And then the news came. Henrik was dead, killed by a werewolf." He knew that he shouldn't be telling Elena this, but at this point, he thought it practice on how he would say it to the people that would be fucked over by the news. "I didn't know what to do, Elena. There was so much blood on my body and from the boy that I saw like my little brother."

   Elena looked somewhat shocked as if she hadn't expected him to actually admit anything. "You actually killed their brother?"

   "Yes. I did." Bodie said. He was surprised that he wasn't crying, when he told it to both Henry and Will, he was a complete and utter emotional wreak of guilt. "I wasn't in control at all. The full moon was harder before becoming a hybrid, it always was. The pain was bad enough, but we all got used to it, though actually being the werewolf, it was like any and all human conscious left. I don't remember how it happened, Elena, but the next thing I knew was the fact that Henrik died because of me."

   He shook his head slightly. "I didn't talk to any of the Mikaelson's after it happened. I felt guilty over what happened, it was too much. My parents had to watch me all the time to make sure that I didn't do anything stupid or drastic. At Ansel's discretion, any wolfsbane was kept out of my reach out of fear of what I would do." He wanted to stop talking, to stop admitting his greatest sin in his life, but found that it was rather hard to do such a thing.

   "It took a week before I got a message from Klaus, asking to meet." Bodie told. "I didn't want to go, afraid that if I saw him, I would admit it all to him. Ingrid—my sister—had to drag me to mine and Klaus' meeting space and made me stay there until Klaus came." He shook his head lightly. "It hurt to see Nik so hurt over it, it was so clear to me that he felt so guilty over it, I wanted to tell them, Elena, I wanted to tell all of them about what I done. But I couldn't. I couldn't tell them, not because of some promise that I made to Ansel, but because I was too much of a coward to do such a thing."

   He then shifted and looked back at Elena. "Is that what you wanted to know, Elena? That I killed Henrik and that I'm too much of a coward to admit it to them? Even now as they expect me to admit something else?"

   Elena looked somewhat stunned as a whole. "But how? How for so many years have you managed to keep it a secret?"

   "Because they'll kill me Elena." Bodie said. "They will slaughter me where I stand. I killed their brother, a part of their family, and I've kept it from them for so long." He shifted slightly. "With Mikael alive, I couldn't tell them, Elena, especially before becoming vampires, Mikael was a Viking who would have killed me. I was afraid for my life, and I still am because despite everything, if any of them gets a hold of white oak, I'll be dead five times over. Who knows, Esther might bring me back just to kill me once more."

   He knew that he was rambling, but he couldn't help it. in some way, it felt oddly nice to get it off his chest even if it was the person that he didn't want to tell it to. He watched at Elena seemed to try and decipher everything that Bodie just said to her, and although there was a part of Bodie that wished that he didn't tell Elena anything, he'd felt. . .happier.

   It was strange for him, really. As much as he knew that admitting this to Elena was probably the worst decision that he could make, he knew that it shouldn't matter much. He'd admitted his truth to someone that wasn't either Will or Henry and in some weird way it brought him peace. He wondered whether or not he should work to compel Elena to make her forget in hopes that it wouldn't get out, but he knew that it would be too suspicious.

   "You killed their brother?" Elena asked, shocked.

   Bodie slowly nodded. "Yeah."

   "And they don't know?" Elena asked.

   He sighed slightly. "No. They don't know yet. And they can't know until I feel comfortable telling them." He rose an eyebrow. "Is that why you came here, Elena? To know my secret?"

   Elena stared at Bodie and seemed to somewhat hesitant to respond. For a moment, Bodie wondered whether or not it was smart for him to actually tell her anything, but he realised that there was a chance that she might relay the information onto someone else and that was something that he couldn't deal with.

   "If not," Bodie continued, "then, you can answer the question of how did you figure it out?"

   "None of it made sense." Elena admitted. "The fact that Esther turned a werewolf from Klaus' actual father's pack because Klaus begged her to."

   Bodie leaned towards Elena and somewhat smirked. "Your forgetting, Elena, that Klaus and I were in a committed relationship, he knew that he wanted me to be by his side even if it meant changing me." In all honesty, he didn't know, he was surprised when Rebekah told him that Klaus asked for him to be turned. "Elena, I don't know why Esther actually turned me, I thought that there was a chance that she turned me because of spite or some form of revenge. I'm not sure if she knew what I was, but I'm sure that she guessed over the time that she watched me grow up."

   "So what? Esther was going around turning you for spite although she turned Klaus and his siblings to protect them from your people?" Elena asked.

   "Elena." Bodie almost hissed. "I don't have the time to think over what Esther's entire plan with me was, or why she chose to cave into Klaus' demand to turn me. And to be honest, Elena, I don't have the time to sit here and talk to you about any of this."

   "Is that why the Snows are here?" Elena asked. "To help you put an end to the Mikaelson's when they realise what you've done."

   Bodie was close to snapping at Elena, though he was somewhat thankful that Henry decided to come into the room. "Elena," Henry cut in, "I think it's best you leave. It was a bad idea that you came here alone and questioned a hybrid about his past."

   Elena looked as if she were about to argue though Henry gave her a stern look which almost reminded Bodie of Henry's actual age. Elena gave in rather quick and left not long afterwards. There was a small part of Bodie that wondered whether or not it was actually Elena, though, he knew that it was stupid, knowing that only Elena knew the story out of both of them.

   He shook his head and leaned his head against the table. He knew that there was a chance that he was worrying about anything and everything, but there was a small part of him that wondered how long he would have to deal with anything anymore. He wondered whether or not any of this was a good idea anymore.

   "You wanted to kill her, didn't you?" Henry asked. It made Bodie jump slightly given that he wasn't aware that Henry came back into the room.

   "She was pissing me off." Bodie admitted.

   "Go for a walk, Bodie." Henry told. "You need to get out of this house. We have everything covered here, you don't need to worry too much anymore about any of this."

   "Are you sure?" Bodie asked. There was a small part of him that didn't want to leave them alone, knowing that there was a chance that they might need him.

   Henry nodded. "Yes." He reached into his jacket pocket. "And take this." He pulled out the stake that Bodie collected a while ago. "Just in case one of them tries anything with you."

   Bodie took it. A small part of him wondered how the stake got away from him given that he thought that he had it by his side at all times. Maybe he was just losing his mind. "Thanks. Though I doubt that any of them would pull anything now. I hope that they don't."

   He knew that it was too much to hope but he liked the idea that there was a chance that none of them would do anything to him. As much as he wanted to believe that he needed to protect himself—which he knew that he needed to be—he thought that there was a chance that they'd forgive him for all of it. He knew that it was stupid, but he just wanted to live in ignorance for a little while longer.

   Bodie took Henry's advice and decided to take a walk. It was mid-afternoon and Bodie wondered whether he should make an attempt to talk to Klaus or any of the Mikaelson's, but he knew that it was for the best that he had space between them all. For now, at least. Though, he knew that if and when he told them about Henrik, it could be a good hundreds of years before they decide to talk to him once more or even consider forgiveness.

   He wasn't sure how long it took him to grow bored of walking around but at one point, he found himself gravitating towards Klaus' home. He knew that he shouldn't be here, but there was a part of Bodie that still wanted to be beside Klaus and the rest of his siblings despite the fact that he knew that they would be pissed at him still.

   He shook his head, knowing that he was being stupid as a whole, deciding to head back into town. As he did, he realised that dusk was setting in, the sky changing from the familiar blue to various pinks, slowly turning day to night. It made Bodie wonder how much time had actually passed since he left, he tried not to think too much about it.

   All that did fill his mind was the fact that he wondered how well his plans would be in order to defend himself when the time comes. He knew that it should just be a fight against himself and the Mikaelson's, but he knew that Will and Henry would get caught in the crossfire. He knew that no matter what, someone that he cares about is bound to get hurt and that was something that he mated more than anything. All that he wanted was to make sure that the ones that he cares about are safe.

   Bodie found himself halfway into town, when he noticed that Rebekah blocked his path, glaring at him. "Bekah." He swallowed. There was a small part of him that wondered as to why Rebekah decided to talk to him, maybe she figured it all out, maybe she pieced it together.

   "I don't have time for chit-chat." Rebekah said. She then looked over her shoulder and Sage—Finn's old partner—joined Rebekah's side. "Fancy burning a bridge that could kill us?"

   Bodie stared at her with a confused look. "What?" He didn't know what Rebekah was talking about. There was a bridge that could kill them? As much as he wanted to know what Rebekah meant, it was like a small switch clicked in his mind and he realised. "A bridge with white oak?"

   Rebekah looked as if she was several seconds away from killing Bodie. "Well done, genius."

   "Why do you need my help?" Bodie asked, tilting his chin up. "I'm surprised that you would even talk to me, Bekah. I'm sure that you would love to burn a bridge by yourself."

   Rebekah came to Bodie's side. "Because both you and I will benefit more if no one else has another white oak stake, Bodie."

   There was a small part of Bodie that felt a sense of panic fill him, he wondered whether or not Rebekah was aware of what he carried on him. Even if she did, he wondered if she was demand that he burns it. He knew that he shouldn't agree to anything with Rebekah, but there was still this small and admittedly stupid part of him that wanted to believe that there was even a chance of normality.

   "Fine." Bodie said, reluctantly. He then gave Sage a small nod. "Good to see you, Sage."

   "I would say likewise, but your still a dick." Sage stated.

   Normally, Bodie would retaliate, but he felt like he deserved it in some way. He honestly couldn't remember what he'd done to Sage the last time that he saw her in order to be called a dick. Though, at this point, he didn't care why someone thought of him in that way, it didn't matter.

   Bodie sighed and shook his head. "To burning bridges." There was a small part of him that felt the panic within him taking hold of him, wondering if there was a chance that Rebekah knew about the stake that he carried, though he shook that thought off, knowing that there was no way that she could know.

   The three of them made their way towards Wickery Bridge, Bodie didn't question as to how the figured it out, not that he wanted to know, but at one point, Bodie text both Will and Henry that Wickery Bridge was built with white oak. He'd text them that the pair of them needed to get to that bridge as soon as possible and as quick as they could before they burnt it.

   He knew that it was stupid, that there was still a chance that either Sage or Rebekah would notice either of them, but Bodie was doing this in hopes to protect himself that little bit more. He knew that the stake that he had wasn't enough if he needed to use it to defend himself. Bodie knew that there was a chance that he was being deceitful, knowing that there was a chance that both Rebekah and Sage might catch him, but he didn't care.

   Bodie needed to protect himself when he decides to tell the truth. He needed ways that he could protect himself just in case any of them come for him. Bodie didn't want it to come to a fight between any of them, but he knew that it would, he tried to convince himself that what he was doing was for a way for him to protect himself at all costs.

   He listened into the conversation between both Sage and Rebekah, though found that he didn't have the energy to actually focus on the words being spoken. He knew that there was a chance that Rebekah still hated him in some way and the fact that Rebekah asked him to come burn down a bridge was something that made him rather worried for his own safety. There was a small part of him that wondered whether or not Rebekah planned to use part of it to kill him.

   Of course, he knew that he shouldn't be overthinking as a whole but found that it was rather difficult, knowing that Rebekah was about to get her hands on part of the very tree that can kill them all—including Bodie. Bodie knew that he shouldn't think that Rebekah wouldn't go as low as to kill him. . .no, he was wrong, she would, he knew that she would because of what he did.

   Bodie shook his head slightly, knowing that the longer that he overthought all of this, the harder it was going to be to actually do anything. The last thing that he wanted to do was struggle with what he needed to do.

   The trio was in front of the construction of Wickery Bridge—or the reconstruction—and Bodie found himself wondering whether or not Henry and Will managed to get here beforehand. He decided not to worry about at all, he knew that it was rather short notice, and he didn't want to stress them out too much given how much they were doing for him.

   "Time to burn it." Rebekah said. "Have you got a lighter, Bodie?"

   Bodie hummed and then nodded. "Yeah." He went into his pocket and fished out a lighter. He wasn't sure why he carried a lighter, but it had become a habit that he picked up once he came back America.

   "You have more use with objects than the truth, Erikson." Rebekah commented and snatched the lighter from his hand.

   Bodie glared at her, he knew that he had no right to have a reaction to her statement, but at this point, he realised that he didn't care as much. He ended up shaking his head slightly and decided to help Rebekah collect any and all wood. He'd tried not to think too much into anything, worried just in case it showed on his face, though he knew that no matter what there was a chance that Rebekah might be able to tell.

   He wasn't sure on how long it took both Rebekah and Bodie to shove the wood together and burn it, but they continued to add to it. The fire grew and there was a small part of Bodie that found himself thinking about when they burned the actual White Oak tree when they first became this. He wondered if there was a chance that he could go back to that time, knowing that it was more peaceful. Maybe if there was ever a chance to go back in time, he'd actually admit everything a lot earlier.

   Bodie found himself in a small daze, though the one thing that snapped him out of his thoughts was the sound of a car coming towards the bridge. He turned to look at the car that came towards them as did Rebekah. The car skidded to a stop and Damon got out the car with a groan, slamming his door.

   "Your grand plans always seem to get ruined, don't they?" Rebekah asked. "Sorry to disappoint you again."

   Rebekah turned and dragged Bodie with her. There was a small part of him that felt as if he was going to get scolded in some way for anything that he's done wrong. He knew that he shouldn't be worrying about anything but at the same time, he felt as if he should in some way.

   Bode wanted to say something to Rebekah, something that might mean something but at the same time he knew that there was a chance that he couldn't bring himself to say something that might mean something. He knew that no matter what, there was nothing that he could say that might water Rebekah's rage towards him or any future rage that she might hold against him.

   "Rebekah—"

   "—Don't." Rebekah cut him off.

   "Bekah." Bodie said, almost as if he were afraid that if he spoke that Rebekah might hurt him. "Why did you bother telling me about the bridge?"

   Rebekah gave Bodie a look as if it were something that she didn't want to talk about. There was a small part of him that didn't want to push her for an answer, which he didn't. He decided to keep silent, knowing that it was for the best. He shook his head slightly, knowing that there was a chance that if he continued to push Rebekah, there was a chance that she would do something or say something to argue against him.

   He shook his head slightly. There was a small part of him that wondered whether or not he should mention something about the stake but knew that it might make everything much worse than what it is. Plus, he knew that there was a chance that Rebekah might take it from him and use it against him—that was something that he couldn't have.

   Bodie felt as if there was something stabbing his heart. As much as he knew that he shouldn't hide anything from Rebekah, he felt as if it was for the best. It hurt, knowing that there were times that Rebekah reminded him of Ingrid, and the pain slowly hit him more than anything. He knew that he had to tell her the truth soon otherwise it might not fix their relationship if he choses to keep his secret any longer.

   "Bex," Bodie said. "I do plan to tell you everything, soon, okay? I'm sorry that it's taking me this long."

   Rebekah gave him a look. "Don't spoil my happiness right now Bodie."

   "Then why aren't you talking to me?" Bodie asked. He knew that it was stupid to bring it up, but everything still felt rather awkward. "In fact, why talk to me in the beginning to get me to join you?"

   "To see if there was a chance that you would confess more." Rebekah stated. "You've been hiding away for the past few days, Bodie, your planning something with your witches."

   Bodie shifted slightly. "Maybe I am planning something, but it's not anything that you need to worry yourself over."

   Rebekah just shook her head slightly. "I asked you to come here in hopes that you might admit to what happened on a full moon."

   Bodie shook his head. "You'll all know once I'm ready, Rebekah." With that, Bodie turned his back and ran off back home. He knew that he shouldn't have left Rebekah, but he couldn't deal with that conversation right now.

   He wasn't sure how much time it took for him to get back home, but when he walked through the front door, he noticed that the former mess of the grimoires had been cleaned. Though there was a small part of him that wondered whether or not both of the Woodford's were here, he tried not to think too much about any of it.

   Bodie shook his head and decided to go up to his room. He wanted to sleep after all of this, his brain had already gone overboard with emotions that he needed a bit of a break. He sighed, slinging the door of his room open, the one thing that he didn't expect was to see Leo sitting on his bed, Leo who looked up at Bodie as he entered.

   "Leo." Bodie somewhat greeted with surprise. "Why are you still here?"

   Leo rose to his feet. "Bodie. I. . .ugh, I wasn't sure when you were coming back here."

   Bodie just shook his head slightly. "Sorry about that." He then gave him an odd look. "Leo don't make me repeat my question. Why are you still here?"

   "Because. . . I wanted to see how you were." Leo said. "You seemed to be distracted and out of it?"

   Bodie looked at him in some surprise. "Oh. Right. You don't have to worry about me, just focus on what your needed for."

   Leo nodded. "Right." There seemed to be a small look of disappointment on Leo's face as if he expected more. "Well, I should go." He rose to his feet, collecting his bag before going to leave.

   Bodie caught his arm, a part of him knew that he was going to make a mistake, but Bodie needed a distraction. Leo looked at Bodie with some form of confusion. "Stay. You waited this long, might as well stay."

   Leo's features changed from confusion changed to surprised. "What?"

   At this point, Bodie didn't care anymore about anything. He wanted a distraction. He cupped Leo's face. "You waited this long, Leo, why not do what you clearly want to do? You do want to do this, right?"

   Leo nodded. And for the first time in what felt like months, Bodie felt as if he was caving into something that he wasn't sure on still. Bodie found himself leaning into Leo and kissed him. He knew that he shouldn't do this, that his heart still aligned with Klaus, but he knew that his relationship with Klaus was more than over before they had a chance to continue it.

   He found himself removing Leo's bag from his shoulder and pushing Leo against his bed. He'd felt the way that Leo wrapped his arms around Bodie's body. He didn't care anymore about any restraint that he held, he felt as if he needed this, that he needed this distraction.

   Bodie lifted Leo's shirt, taking it off. He knew that there was a chance that he might be taking it too far out of Leo's comfort. "You want this?"

   Leo nodded. "Please." He was panting just a little. Bodie smiled slightly and kissed along Leo's neck and down his chest. He heard the way that Leo reacted to what Bodie was doing, and Bodie realised that he was going to enjoy this more than he thought that he would.