『Chapter Fifty』
『a path of bloodshed and harsh words』

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   As much as Bodie wished for peace to some degree, he knew that it was the one thing that he wasn't going to get. Henry got back rather late with a pissed look on his face though he seemed more confused with himself as a whole, that in itself caused some disturbance in itself. On top of that, but Bodie's own behaviour was the one thing that seemed to wobble and add to this disturbance within their home. The only one that seemed at least a bit normal was Will and yet even he seemed a bit off and Bodie wasn't entirely sure as to why.

   The three tried to avoid one another as best as they could, though Bodie noticed the way that both Will and Henry spoke to one another in low whispering voices while giving Bodie the side-eye as if he'd done something wrong. Bodie knew best than mention anything of the sort, knowing that the last thing that he needed to do was to talk about it given that it would end in an argument. The last thing that Bodie needed at the moment was an argument between himself and the Woodfords, so he ignored whatever they were talking about, knowing that it was for the best.

   Bodie found himself not knowing what to do with himself, knowing that if he went out, he was at risk of having a run in with Klaus, and he knew that Klaus was just waiting until they were alone to beat the living shit out of him again. Not only that but Bodie felt really agitated, knowing that Klaus was back in town and that he hadn't come for Bodie at all, it was like Klaus was waiting for the right moment to strike him where it hurt. He had a feeling as if this were all part of Klaus' fucked plan, but he didn't want to think too much into it.

   Given that he knew that the one thing that he had to worry about was what was going on with the Woodfords, trying to understand this constant feeling of his, and basically anything else that's going on with his life. He never thought that his life would give him such a big headache and he hated it more than anything. He somewhat wished that there were a chance that all of this would stop, though he knew that this was the current state of her life which he didn't have full control over anymore.

   Bodie just shook his head slightly, wanting nothing more than to clear his head. He knew that there was this Winter themed thing going on in town which he helped finance and gave money towards, but other than that he lacked an ability to care. He found himself just trying to read, his collection of books over the centuries was something that'd grown, meaning the books that he were on his reading list was enough to fill two libraries.

   Though, when he'd gotten at least half-way through his book, Will came in with a look as if he were about to accuse Bodie for something that he didn't do. He'd barely gotten out of the house, knowing that the last thing that he wanted to do was go outside and interact with people. That on top of the fact that he was still somewhat expecting Klaus to just appear and ruin his life as much as he could.

   Bodie just stared at Will as if he were waiting for Will to say anything. After a moment, he just sighed. "Well? What's the issue?"

   "Henry mentioned off-handedly that some of the hybrid's fear that you've told Klaus about them and their lack of a sire bond between them." Will said. There was some form of accusatory in his voice as if there was a chance that he believed all of it.

   Bodie rolled his eyes and shut the book that he held in his hands. "Will, we both know that Klaus wouldn't want to listen to anything that comes out of my mouth."

   "But if it came to his hybrids?" Will pressed. "He basically told you about the Five and the Cure when you were uncertain of certain details."

   "That's because he had no choice because I wouldn't leave." Bodie argued. He leaned forward. "What benefit would it have on me to tell Klaus about the sire bond being broken between him and his hybrids?"

   "To get on his good side." Will stated.

   Bodie really didn't want to be involved in this idiocy of a conversation, knowing that Klaus would expect so much more than any of this. "In case you forgot, Will, I killed Henrik and kept it a secret for a thousand years. In fact, I kept it a secret that Klaus was a bastard while Mikael was abusing him, knowing that all Klaus wanted was a father that didn't abuse him physically. I lied to Klaus and the Mikaelson's for over a thousand years about everything, and you want to believe that there's a chance that I would tell Klaus—who, by the way, would be more than willing to lock me in a box and set it on fire before he listens to a word that I say—about his fucking hybrids and the sire bond being broken? You do realise how fucking stupid you sound?"

   Will huffed slightly. "Then why have an interest in what Hayley and Tyler were doing? Why decide to watch over as Kim broke the sire bond? Why such an interest in any of this? I mean everything that you told me about your fucking feeling sounds so fucking off."

   Bodie found himself standing up, knowing that the last thing that he wanted was to be accused of something when he's truly been doing nothing. "Maybe because I miss having a pack, dipshit. Maybe because I miss having the one thing that brings some form of normality in my life. Not that I would expect you to understand anything that I mean, you've always had the privilege of being close to your humanity, and yet the second that I chose to do that, it's suddenly an issue."

   "It's only and issue because we all know your connection to Klaus." Will tried to defend himself.

   Bodie set his jaw. "Give him the white oak stake and see how far that connection goes. Klaus doesn't care how much history him and I have, he'll do anything to get back at me for everything that I've done. I have no ties and no reason to tell Klaus anything, knowing that there's no point in anything."

   Will went to open his mouth then, but Bodie found himself lifting his finger up which silenced Will. "If I hear another word of either you or Henry accusing me of anything of the sort, I will show you the exact reason why you should fear me instead. Understand?" When Will said nothing, Bodie felt the way that his eyes changed. "Do you understand?"

   Bodie noticed the way that Will seemed to back off then as if this weren't what he wanted to argue about as a whole. "I understand."

   Bodie leaned forward just a few inches, his voice low as he spoke. "Do you, Willaim? Do you truly understand?"

   "I do." Will insisted and nodded his head as if to prove something.

   "Good." Bodie straightened his back. "Now, unless you have anything of concern and of use to tell me, you can leave and close my door on your way out."

   For a moment, Bodie waited for Will to leave, but Will didn't. "The one thing that I don't understand, Bodie, is that you haven't left. It's concerning for both Henry and I, knowing that any time you and Klaus got into a bit of an argument you would leave."

   Bodie found himself getting more agitated. "Because Mystic Falls was my home for twenty-two years before I ran away with Klaus and the rest of the Mikaelson's. This is my home and the last thing that I would do is leave." Bodie found himself straightening up. "I will not stand here and allow you to disrespect me any further. I've already warned you, I made you into a vampire, gave you this life, now fuck off before I take the gift of immortality away from you."

   Will just him a harsh look and then he smiled in a very sarcastic way. "Am I meant to thank you for turning me into this?" Bodie went to say something in retort. "No but thank you for enlightening me that even after several hundred years, humans are still fucking stupid." He then regarded Bodie with a look of almost disgust. "And that originals are all stuck up pieces of shit that I should've abandoned after being turned."

   Bodie just stared at Will with a hard look, not saying anything. Will, on the other hand, turned and walked out, slamming the door shut behind him. Bodie just found himself staring at his now closed door wondering if there was a chance that this was the thing that both Will and Henry were whispering about earlier, but Bodie didn't want to think much about it, knowing that it wouldn't do him any good if he thought about the fact that the people he thought as his brothers didn't trust him.

   As much as he knew that there was a chance that they had some form of right to be concerned, Bodie didn't appreciate the fact that the pair of them would accuse him of such a thing. The one thing that Bodie would do would be telling Klaus about the fact that none of his hybrids were no longer loyal to him. And yet, there was a part of Bodie that wondered whether or not this was why Leo lied to him about breaking his sire bond, whether or not they all wondered whether or not Bodie told Klaus.

   Bodie knew that this wasn't the thing that he needed to worry about, but the more that he did think about it, the more that he realised that those that he trusted and those that he loved didn't return the love and trust back to him. It made him wonder whether or not this was his curse. For so long, Bodie thought himself somewhat lucky that he wasn't cursed like Klaus was, but now that he was sitting here dealing with the fact that he's lost the love of the family he cared for more than anything, and that his brothers don't trust him, it made Bodie wonder whether or not in Esther's last act on this earth that she managed to curse him.

   He knew that it sounded stupid, that there was a chance that he was just thinking too much into all of it but knowing that he's realised that all of the relationships and bonds that he's got with people have blown up in his face just made him wonder about everything. Of course, Bodie knew that there was bigger things for him to worry about but if his relationships were all failing him in some way because of a lack of trust, it just made him wonder.

   It was times like this that he wished that he could talk to his parents about all of this, knowing that there was a chance tha they'd give him the advice that he would need. That and the fact that he knew that they'd be more honest with him about his behaviour more than anything else. He felt as if he wanted the support of family, the version of family that trusted him more than anything, and actually called him out on certain things that were odd.

   All of it made Bodie feel as if he was slowly losing his mind about basically anything and everything, knowing he was going to second guess himself more than anything. Not only that but he wondered where Henry and the rest of the hybrids got it from that there was a risk of Bodie telling Klaus about any of it, Henry knew that both him and Klaus were barely on speaking terms as a whole. The entire thing just didn't make sense, though Bodie wanted to understand that there was a chance that the hybrids that didn't know anything about the state of Bodie and Klaus' current state, so he understood that they might jump to that conclusion.

   He tried to think as to why both Henry and Will decided to believe that there was even a chance that Bodie would do such a thing, knowing that it would possibly end in some form of a blood bath. He shook his head, knowing that the more that he thought about any of this, it would give him more of a headache more than anything else. The last thing that Bodie expected at all was for either Will or Henry to even say anything of the sort to him, though he knew that they were concerned when it came to him and Klaus, it just didn't sit right that they thought that he'd do such a thing knowing everything.

   Bodie just shook his head, he knew that he needed to sort out his own head and sitting in his room reading wasn't going to be the thing that does it. The longer that he sat in his room, the more that he was going to overthink about all of this more than anything else. He knew that Will was still in the house and the last thing that Bodie wanted to do was to run into him once more, he couldn't deal with an argument between the two of them once more. So, he snuck out of the window.

   As much as Bodie convinced himself that he wasn't going to go to the winter charity thing, he decided that it was probably the only place that would be best to waste his time with. Either that or he could spend the rest of his day at the Grill, drowning himself in alcohol and food, and maybe if he were feeling like it, he was going to drain a couple of people of their blood, knowing that it was to be rather busy, meaning more food for him.

   He wasn't sure how long it took him to get to the town square via foot, knowing that he'd been too involved in his own mind to pay attention to the world around him. Though, he knew that he needed to stay focused just in case Klaus decided to turn up and beat his ass—not that he was expecting it. As much as he knew that Klaus was probably waiting for the right moment to attack, it still didn't stop the small fear that took over that at any moment, he could appear.

   The more that he thought about Klaus, the more that he realised that there was a reason that he needed to stay away from him, that whatever he ever felt for Klaus was something that he needed to move past. He hated that there was no chance for him to regain the love that he once held from Klaus, but his own stupid actions was the cause of all of this. He shook his head slightly, as much as he wanted to spiral into his self-hatred, he knew that he needed a clear head.

   He wanted to see Leo, though he knew that there was a chance that Leo was angry at him for basically taking his magic away from him, there was just a part of Bodie—a selfish part of him—that wanted to see Leo in order to distract himself from his own damaging thoughts. Though, as much as there was a part of him that wanted the comfort of Leo, Bodie knew better.

   It seemed as if the people that he would go to for some form of comfort all hated him in some way. Henry hated him because he was afraid that Bodie would tell Klaus about everything, and Will felt the need to defend his brother. Klaus hated him because their entire relationship was built upon lies. Leo hated him for turning him into a vampire-hybrid. Of course, the Mikaelson's hated him for similar reasons that Klaus did. It made him realise just how little friends he did actually have, that his circle was small as fuck, and he managed to piss everyone off in a simple swoop.

   He found himself in the Mystic Grill, the first thing that he'd noticed was a painting of a snowflake and in an instant, Bodie felt a sense of pain fill him to some degree. He knew who done it, he recognised the pain strokes and the style of art, he recognised everything that could be recognised, and if he leaned closer, he was sure that he could smell the lingering cologne that Klaus wears. His heart clenched, knowing that no matter what he was never going to escape Klaus, as if this was a reminder that no matter what, Klaus will always make an effort to be remembered. And that was something that he hated more than anything.

   All that Bodie wanted at this point was to forget the fact that he loved Klaus and that Klaus had any meaning to him. He was sure that Klaus was doing the same for him, in fact, Bodie was sure that it was something that Klaus done regularly. Bodie shook his head, the last thing that he wanted was for Klaus to consume his mind to the point where Bodie elected to do something idiotic and could get him to have the beating of a lifetime. Again. The last thing that Bodie wanted was to do something that would be drastic when it came to the thought of Klaus.

   He sighed silently to himself, knowing that everything that he was feeling was the wrong thing for him to feel at the moment. He wanted to put a stop to all of his feelings. By the time he'd gotten to the bar and ordered, he was sure that he'd ordered enough alcohol to give a human with a high tolerance of alcohol, alcohol poisoning. Of course, he'd ignored the looks that he received with the amount he was drinking and the fact that he was ignoring the presence of every other living soul in this town.

   He ignored the passage of time and the constant nagging in his mind about wanting to think about Klaus and then Leo. As much as he wanted to think about both of them, the more that he realised that he's fucked up with both of the men that he had feelings for. He'd known from the start of his relationship with Klaus that it was ruined, and he'd known that the longer Leo stayed around him, the more likely that Leo was going to eventually hate him.

   With each drink that he downed, the more that he chose to ignore everything around him. As much as he knew that maybe being in the headspace that he was in and drinking wasn't a good combination, he found that he didn't really care. However, the more alcohol that he consumed, the need to feed on most of the people within the Mystic Grill was something that was growing more. He knew that if he was feeling like this then it was best that he leave, but when he turned, it was then that he felt himself stiffen.

   As much as Bodie was trying to avoid Klaus and basically everyone that he knew, Klaus had a way to appear and trap Bodie in a state of panic as if it was something that he hadn't realised. Bodie hoped that Klaus hadn't noticed him at the bar, though he knew that there was a chance that it was unlikely given that he was in a conversation with Caroline. Though he knew that he had no right to such feelings, there was a small part of him that felt jealous over it, but he had to remind himself of the state that is their relationship.

   Bodie was tempted to listen into their conversation but elected that it as for the best if he didn't. He didn't need to feel the jealousy and then the pain over remembering everything over and over again. Seeing Klaus was bad enough. Bodie just shook his head, knowing that these kinds of thoughts and feelings were going to be the reason why he does something stupid.

   He turned back to his drinks, downing three cups as if they were shots, hoping that the more that he drank, the more that he would forget. Of course, he knew that it wasn't going to be the case, it was never the case when it came to him. He hated the fact that Klaus was like a parasite inside his brain that he couldn't remove no matter how much he tried to ignore him. As much as Bodie knew that there was a chance that Klaus was going to show up, he'd hoped that there was a chance that he wouldn't see him.

   Bodie just shook his head, he knew that for the sake of his sanity and for the sake of everyone else, it was probably best that he left or entertained himself anywhere else. He finished the rest of his drinks rather quick and stood up, Matt—who'd predominantly been serving him just glared at him as if he'd done something wrong—somewhat shook his head as if he didn't enjoy having Bodie near him. Bodie ignored it, knowing that this wasn't something that he wanted to waste his energy on.

   He found himself scanning the Grill as he went to walk out, though the one thing that he didn't expect was to almost bump into Klaus. Klaus seemed to give him a harsh glare as if Bodie was the devil in his life that caused all of his issues. For a brief moment, Bodie wondered whether or not Klaus was going to try and fight him right here, but he quickly pushed those thoughts aside, knowing that now wasn't the time or place.

   However, that voice inside of his mind made him pause in his steps and grab Klaus by his arm. Klaus gave him a sharp look as if he'd said something to offend him more, he tried to pull his arm away from Bodie's grasp but Bodie found himself almost digging his nails into Klaus' arm. For a moment, both Klaus and Bodie stared at one another, not saying a word to one another as if they waited for the other to speak.

   "Erikson, I'm not in the mood for your antics." Klaus looked him up and down like he was actually disgusted about everything to do with Bodie.

   Bodie tilted his head to the side with some form of grin. "What antics? We both know that sooner or later one of us will be wanting the other by our side."

   If looks could've killed, Bodie was sure that he would've been dead by the glare that Klaus gave him. As much as he knew that he shouldn't be doing anything to aggravate Klaus, there was a small part of him that found this all rather enjoyable though he wasn't sure if it was the immense alcohol in his system or not. He found himself grinning like an idiot at Klaus despite everything, feeling as if he were protected with everyone around them, knowing that Klaus wouldn't be able to do anything.

   "I'd rather watch this town burn than be by your side." Klaus stated. "I'll never forgive you for what you did to me, Erikson."

   Bodie somewhat clenched his jaw at that. Despite knowing that the chance of Klaus ever forgiving him was slim, there was still a part of Bodie that wished for a chance to be forgiven. But, Bodie knew better, he knew that there was no chance that Klaus would ever forgive him. "That's quite unfortunate. How many friends do you have in this town? Not many, I gather, what with Rebekah daggered and Kol and Elijah gone. I take it you're on your own."

   Rather than wait for Klaus to say something, Bodie found himself walking away, leaving Klaus alone. As much as he knew that it was best not to annoy Klaus in anyway, Bodie felt the need to be annoying to someone. He already had both Henry and Will annoyed at him for reasons that were rather stupid, and he didn't even know why Leo refused to talk to him. There was a lot that was annoying him and the three people that he actually liked were refusing to talk to him in some degree without hating him.

   Bodie found himself walking outside of the Grill. He looked around and the one thing that caught his eye was the fact that there was a group of hybrids near the alleyway beside the Grill—where Finn died. Bodie found himself closing his eyes at the thought of Finn being murdered. As much as he knew that Finn wasn't his biggest fan, there was still a small part of him that felt as if Finn was still someone Bodie thought to be like a brother in some weird way, in the similar way that Bodie saw Elijah as a brother.

   As much as he knew that he should keep his nose out of other people's business, knowing that Klaus was near, there was a small part of Bodie that knew that it might be best if he tried to step in to protect them. As much as he knew that it was stupid but knowing that their strength won't be able to match that of Klaus if they were caught.

   Bodie came towards the group of hybrids to see that Tyler had both Stefan and Caroline cornered in the alleyway. Bodie found himself somewhat smiling at that, on top of ignoring the fact that there were some hybrids that were giving him the side-eye as if they were worried that Bodie might do something which might mean their life. Of course, Bodie wouldn't do such a thing, knowing that it wouldn't give Bodie any benefit to do such a thing.

   "Sorry man," Tyler was saying, "but you don't have a choice."

   Bodie found himself laughing out loud then, which caught the attention of basically everyone. He saw the slight panic in Tyler's eyes as he laughed, which made Bodie wonder whether or not he and Klaus had a similar laugh. "Sorry, but all of this dramatic bull shit is oddly amusing."

   "You have no business here, Bodie." Tyler called up.

   Bodie pouted and tilted his head. "I do, given that Klaus is inside the Grill and for the safety of the hybrids, I'd warn to get them all out of here before Klaus pokes his nose somewhere he's not meant to."

   Bodie took notice that Leo was standing with the pack of thirteen hybrids and there was a small part of him that felt as if something ached within his heart seeing Leo with them. For some reason, Bodie would've thought that there was a chance that Leo would've been with his family. He knew that it was stupid, but Bodie would rather Leo with his family instead of trying to find a way to get rid of Klaus, knowing that there was a chance that he'd get killed.

   "How can I trust what you say?" Tyler asked.

   "Because I just saw him and possibly pissed him off." Bodie stated. He shrugged as well. "Just a warning for all of you, you know, considering that you're all ever so worried about me knowing about what you've done to all of his hybrids, Tyler."

   Bodie found himself going to walk off, only to notice that Henry was beside him, narrowing his eyes at him as if Bodie was meant to be afraid of him. Bodie, of course, wasn't afraid of Henry in the slightest. Henry crossed his arms and gave him a look as if he waited for some form of explanation about everything, but Bodie just gave him a look.

   "Thought you were too busy assuming the worst out of me." Bodie stated.

   "You're so annoying." Henry muttered.

   "As are you with your accusations." Bodie told. "I'm tired of you assuming the worst out of me, knowing that I wouldn't tell Klaus anything because he hates me more than anyone. You honestly believe that I would risk my safety just to tell Klaus absolutely anything?" He couldn't help but glare at Henry. "Honestly, I'm disappointed in you, Henry for believing any of this because of your friends. I'm your brother, Henry, you've known me for over five hundred years, you honestly believe them of my actions more so then your own experience of me? You're a disappointment to me, Henry."

   He shook his head, and for a moment, Bodie thought that he saw something change within Henry, that there was a chance that Henry knew that he fucked up, but Bodie chose to ignore it as he walked away. The last thing that Bodie wanted at the moment was to be around people that thought the worst in him when all that he tried to be was the better version of himself. All that Bodie wanted to know was why the sudden change within Henry and Will towards him? Did they really think that he'd compromise everything that they care about?

   He shook his head slightly, knowing that the one thing that he didn't want to be was surrounded by people that thought of him in such a negative way. As much as he knew that this should be something that he's used to, it was still something that hurt him more than he thought that it would. How could people that knew him more than anything believe that he would betray them for a guy that wanted him dead? The one thing that he didn't like was the fact that the people who knew him better than anything were the ones to not believe him at all.

   Bodie just clenched his jaw as he then, giving Henry a hard look before walking away. He knew that for the sake of his own sanity, it was best to just leave, knowing that the longer he stayed in a conversation with Henry, the more likelihood he was to try and fight him. The last thing that he wanted and had the energy for, was to fight Henry, especially in a place so crowded. He ignored the knowing look that Henry would've been giving him—the look as if he were completely done with everything to do with Bodie—knowing that if he were to look back, it would make his mood worse than what it was.

   For once, he wished that he at least had someone on his side that actually believed him, that didn't think the worst of him, that didn't think that there was even a slight chance that he'd do something to wrong another when he's never given that person something to assume that. It frustrated Bodie a lot, knowing that the people that he loved and cared for were always going to assume the worst out of him. As much as he knew that there were times when his morals were a bit fucked, but that still shouldn't be enough to warrant such distrust as a collective whole. He hated the fact that his brothers, his friends, the two people who have known him for such a long time generally believed the worst in him.

   Bodie just found himself loosing himself more over all of this. As much as he tried to shove these kinds of thoughts aside, he found that it was rather difficult, knowing that they were playing a constant loop inside his mind. How could Henry and Will believe any of this? They've known him for centuries, they know that his secret has quite literally damaged his relationship with the Mikaelson's, meaning that they're not going to believe anything that comes out of his mouth.

   He tried to clear his mind, knowing that the more that he thought about this entire situation, the more likely that he was going to do something drastically impulsive, and that was the one thing that he didn't want to do. The one thing that Bodie didn't expect all that much was when Leo came running after him, he could hear the way that Leo ran after him, recognise the fall of his footsteps, and Bodie almost snapped at him to leave him alone.

   "Bodie!" Leo called out.

   Bodie didn't stop, though Leo managed to catch up to him. "What do you want, Leo? To accuse me of more things that I never done?"

   Leo sighed, almost annoyed as if the one thing that he didn't want was to be accused of doing any of that. "That's not what I've come to you for."

   Bodie paused and turned towards Leo sharply then. "Then what do you want? To talk to me and then ignore everything about my entire existence? To lie to me again? To act as if there isn't something going on that requires you to completely disregard anything and everything that's gone on between us?"

   He knew that he was angry, he knew that Henry had really pissed him off and that he was taking it out on Leo, but there were small and minor things that Leo had done which somewhat pissed him off. He'd tried to understand Leo's point of view with all of this, that Leo was angry at him for what he did, but Bodie was just tired and angry at everyone for electing to not believe the good in him. He knows that he's fucked up on multiple accounts, that he's ruined relationships, but he'd hoped that not everyone thought of him as a disappointment.

   "I only ignored you because you pissed me off more than anything." Leo snapped. "In case you forgot, I loved my magic, I loved everything that existed with being a witch and you took that away when you decided to turn me into a vampire for your own selfish needs." He shoved his hands into his pockets.

   Bodie would have to admit that this was a fair point, that he remembered Leo telling him of these feelings and that Bodie completely disregarded them for his own needs. "I understand that, but the lying to me. You never told me the truth that you broke the sire bond between us."

   "I was afraid that there was a chance that you'd react in a way that Klaus would." Leo admitted, looking down towards the ground as the pair walked.

   Bodie sighed. "I wouldn't have. I wanted you to break the sire bond. I didn't want to continue whatever relationship that we had before you turned because of the sire bond. It didn't feel right that you had the sire bond on you and that I controlled you. I urged you to break it, so why believe that there was even the slightest chance that I'd treat you the way that Klaus would?"

   For a moment, there was complete and utter silence between the two, and Bodie would admit that he somewhat missed having a conversation with Leo, that this normality between them was what Bodie somewhat longed for. "Because of everything Tyler was saying about Klaus. He'd kind of convinced me that there was a chance that you would act the same if you realised that the bond was broken between us, despite what you've said. Both you and Klaus can act the same when needed to be, you've both got the same anger and rage, though I know that you're more tame in comparison."

   "You were just worried for your own life because of not knowing how I'd react." Bodie stated. "You were worried that there was this chance that I would react like Klaus."

   Leo hung his head low, as if this were the last thing that he wanted to discuss as a whole. "When I was with Tyler and Hayley, I felt as if I was part of a pack. As much as I knew that I have my parents and my brother, it's no longer the same. The hybrids were the only ones that knew what it was like to be both werewolf and vampire, the pain that we all had to go through in order to break the sire bond. It's nice and rather comforting to know that there are others that have the same kind of story as myself."

   Bodie clenched his jaw. He understood, of course, though he supposed he would never fully understand it from his point of view. "But the only difference is that they were sired to Klaus, and you were sired to me. They have more reason to fear for their lives than what you have."

   "But I do have to worry on whether or not Klaus is going to hurt me for being close with you." Leo pointed out. "As much as I know that I can't change my feelings towards you, no matter how many times I've pushed them aside, it still terrifies me that there's a chance that Klaus might try and kill me for even being close to you."

   Bodie paused then. "You think that's something that I'm not worried about? I have to worry about Henry and Will, despite everything going on between us because I'm scared shitless that there's even a remote chance that Klaus might target them to get back at me for what I've done. I have to worry for so many people and the on-going small fear that I've got knowing that you haven't spoken to me, worries me more because I don't know if Klaus has gotten to you yet."

   Once more, Leo didn't say anything as if he wasn't sure what to say. Bodie truly did want to understand the thought process of why Leo did what he did, there was still a part of Bodie that couldn't help but be angry over everything. In a fucked up weird way, he supposed that knowing that there was a pack of hybrids that he couldn't exactly join because of their fear of what Bodie might do somewhat hurt him.

   Bodie longed for the security of a pack once more, that's all that he's wanted, so he supposed that there was some form of weird jealousy that existed. He knew that this was something that he needed to get over, knowing that he was never going to get that pack back, no matter how much he tried. And yet, Bodie found himself somewhat wishing that there were even a chance that he could join a pack.

   He remembered all the times throughout his long life where he'd come across werewolf packs and wanted to join, but couldn't, knowing that there was a chance that word would get back to the Mikaelson's about where he was and the fact that he was part of another werewolf pack, while they knew that he wasn't a triggered hybrid. Not only that, but given his vampire state, he knew that he would never be welcome in a pack, which he hated more than anything because it isolated him from the life that he wished that he still could have.

   There was still a small part of Bodie that believed that there was a chance that Esther knew what he was before she turned him, knew everything that he done in order to isolate him from the familiarity that he loved so much. Bodie knew that this was always going to be the one thing that he hated more than anything, knowing that he wishes and longs for that security that he no longer had. As much as he knew that he needed no pack, that he held enough strength within him that meant that he wouldn't need one, he still wanted a pack for that love that was spread between one another. That loyalty.

   Bodie just shook his head slightly and sighed. "Leo, look, as much as I know that you must hate me for everything that I've ever done to you, and I do apologies for doing what I've done, but I want you to know that I do care about you. Even if you think that I don't, I do."

   Leo was looking towards the ground as if this were the one thing that he didn't want to hear. He clenched his jaw slightly as if there was a part of him that was somewhat angry over all of this, as if there was something else that he wanted to bring up but found that it was rather hard. "I want to forgive you for turning me, and a part of me already has, but I am nothing without my magic and I hate that I lost it because of you."

   Bodie sighed once more. "I know. I should've listened to you when you said about it. I was being selfish, like I sometimes can be. There's nothing that I can do in order to get your magic back, no matter how much I wish and try. You are more than your magic, Leo, and I know that it makes me selfish or whatever you would call me, but being what you are means that your probably more protected."

   Leo tilted his head slightly. "You don't understand, do you?" He was giving Bodie a glare. He then shook his head. "I'm not having this conversation with you, Bodie. I've tried to justify everything that you've done in my head, though, the one thing that I am grateful for is that it's allowed me to see through this entire act that you've got going on."

   Bodie opened his mouth to say something but realised that it was best if he stayed silent, knowing that anything that he would say would only add fuel to whatever Leo was feeling. As much as Bodie wanted to understand where Leo was coming from, he knew that it was something that he wouldn't be able to do. No matter how much Bodie wanted to compare himself to Leo, he knew that the situations that the pair of them went through when becoming vampires were different.

   "Do what you want, Leo," Bodie stated. "I don't care anymore." He found himself straightening his back and clenching his jaw. "If Klaus finds you, don't expect me to save you, because you've made it clear to me that you regret everything about what's happened between us, and I'd rather not cause any more agonising torture in your life."

   Bodie noticed the way that Leo somewhat flinched at that, as if that were something that Leo hadn't expect to come out of Bodie's mouth, but he didn't care. He simply turned his back on Leo and walked away, further into the charity event—or whatever was going on in town—in hopes to find someone else that he could enjoy himself with. At least for now.

   Bodie chose to ignore those that he knew. He chose to ignore Klaus, Henry, Will, Leo, anyone that he knew. Mainly because he knew that if he spoke to any of them, that there was the chance that he'd snap any of them. He was hanging on by a thread and right now, he just wanted to do something that he knew that he was going to regret. Though, now that he thought about it, there was a lot that he could do which could mean that he'd regret it.

   He shook his head, noticing how between his small chats with many, many people, the sun had long set. He was sure that at one point, he saw both Hayley and Klaus talking, and then there was this small part of Bodie that felt the need to ask Hayley about her family. As stupid as everything was at the moment, and how he knew that there was a chance that he was just overthinking everything, and yet he was sure that what he felt when it came to Hayley was something he heard Ansel talk about with Klaus.

   Bodie tried to clear his head, though, when he noticed that Hayley walked away from Klaus, Bodie found himself walking towards her. He didn't know what to say to her but there was a small part of him that didn't care, he just wanted to make sure that there was as chance that he wasn't going crazy, that there was a chance that she knew anything about her family in some way.

   "Hayley." Bodie said when he was close enough.

   Hayley paused and stared at him. "Bodie." There was this look on her face as if she'd done something that she regretted, but in all honesty, Bodie didn't care all that much.

   He found himself looking at her, the fact that she still reminded him of his sister was something that was going to drive him crazy. Though, after a moment, Bodie felt as if there was something going on, given that there was this look on her face which made Bodie feel as if there was something wrong. "Is everything alright?"

   She shrugged, giving him a rather odd look. "Yeah. Why do you keep staring at me like that?"

   "Like what?" Bodie asked rather quickly. He wondered whether or not his staring was obvious, but he hadn't realised just how obvious it would've been.

   "Like you know me." Hayley stated.

   Bodie found himself looking down and sighing. "You just look like my sister, Ingrid."

   She made a face then as if that were the one thing that she didn't expect to hear from him. "Didn't realise that you had a family. Thought that you and all the other old ones were one big happy family."

   Bodie forced some form of smile on his face. "I used to have a family. But you could thank Klaus' stepfather, Mikael, for my lack of a family." He awkwardly stared at her, there was a small part of him that was somewhat frustrated over the fact that there were a handful of similarities that he could see between Hayley and his sister. "Sorry if this seems really odd, but you don't suppose to know anything about your family history, do you?"

   For a moment, Hayley seemed rather taken aback by Bodie's question. "No. I was adopted after my parents died."

   So, there was still a possibility. He knew that is she were adopted, then there was still a chance that there was some explanation as to why he feels this familiar pull towards her and why she reminds him so much of his own sister. "Right."

   She rose her eyebrow at him as if she were expecting more from him. "I gotta—"

   Tyler came towards them, giving Hayley a small, confused look. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be taking the witch to the cellar."

   Hayley looked towards Bodie for a brief second before turning her attention back to Tyler. "There is no witch, Tyler."

   Tyler seemed rather confused and Bodie couldn't help but rather enjoy all of this. "What?"

   "I made it up." Hayley stated. "I never intended for you to put Klaus down. I needed him for the sacrifice."

   Bodie's eyes widened at that. He felt as if that were so familiar, as if he'd heard Will or Henry talk about sacrificial stuff or something of the sort which linked to magic, and yet he couldn't quite place exactly what it was.

   "The what?" Tyler asked.

   "I don't know how to explain it, but I made a deal with someone who can help me find my family." Hayley explained.

   "What are you talking about?" Tyler asked. "What kind of deal?"

   "There needed to be twelve for the sacrifice, Tyler." Hayley told.

   Bodie found himself staring at Hayley for a moment. As much as he knew that he shouldn't be listening into this conversation, there was still a small part of him that felt a sense of panic wash over him. Leo. Hayley helped thirteen—or was it fourteen?—hybrids break the sire bond, and if they were used for this sacrifice, there was a chance that Leo was one of them.

   "Twelve what?" Tyler asked.

   Hayley shook her head slightly. "I'm sorry."

   Tyler shifted slightly then. "Hayley, what did you do?"

   "If you run now, you might make it out alive." Hayley warned.

   Tyler looked at Hayley with some form of shock, as if this were the one thing that he didn't expect as a whole. He backed away from Hayley, into the crowed around them, before turning away and leaving them both standing there as if this were the last thing that he'd ever expected to hear.

   Bodie grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her round to face him. "What about Leo? Is Leo okay? Please don't tell me that Leo was with the others."

   She gave him a look and somewhat hissed in some form of pain as if his grip on her arm was tight. If it was, Bodie didn't care. "I made sure that Leo didn't go there, I told him to go back to his brother and family."

   There was a sense of relief that filled Bodie then. Leo was safe. "You did all of this for your family? To get answers about your family?"

   Hayley looked down and nodded. "I want to know about my family, where I come from, what happened to them."

   Bodie found himself clenching his jaw slightly. "I can tell you one thing. One thing that Will would hate me for telling. But this was something that I heard from my alpha—Ansel—that every full moon he'd be drawn to Klaus, given that Klaus was his actual father. For a while, Hayley, I've been drawn to you, you look like my sister. I don't know what that means, but—"

   Bodie heard that his name was called out by Henry, he turned his attention towards Henry, briefly forgetting his conversation with Hayley. He could hear the panic in Henry's voice as if there was something going on that he wasn't too sure on.

   "Bodie!" Henry called out once more.

   Instead of excusing himself from Hayley, Bodie found himself turning away and almost running towards where he heard Henry's voice. He managed to work his way out of the crowd, running towards his brother. He didn't care for anyone that he might have mistakenly ran into, knowing that whatever Henry was calling him for was something rather important.

   Bodie lost track of everything around him, noticing that Henry was leaning against the wall of the Grill looking as if there was something wrong that he was trying to calm himself down out of. Bodie found himself walking towards Henry as if he were worried just in case Henry decided to accuse him of something.

   "Henry." Bodie stated once he was close enough. "What is it?"

   Henry shook his hands as if he were nervous about something. "You were right, I shouldn't have been an absolute asshole to you."

   Bodie titled his head and looked at Henry. "Why did you call me over? You sounded panicked and all you want to do is apologise?"

   Henry leaned his head back against the wall and groaned slightly. "It's not just that. But Tyler just told me about everything with Hayley and the pack." He pulled a face then. "Not everything but a brief enough explanation of what was going on. And then I was thinking about Leo and. . .and I was too quick to judge you for even thinking about betraying them just to be in Klaus' favour."

   Bodie sighed. "You know me better than anyone, Henry. What hurts me more is the fact that chose to believe all of this more than anything."

   Henry rubbed his eye then. "I understand that, Bodie. I know that I fucked up."

   Bodie was going to open his mouth then, though, he noticed that Will appeared beside them both. Will looked panicked and almost as if he didn't know what to do with himself as if there was something that was panicking him more than anything about something that they didn't know yet. Bodie just stared at Will as if he were waiting for Will to say something given that the last time that either of them spoke to one another, they had an argument.

  "The hybrids, they're dead." Will stated. There was this wild look in his eyes as if murder were the one thing that he hadn't expected to see.

   "All of Klaus' hybrids?" Bodie asked, his back stiff.

   Will briefly looked towards Bodie before nodding. "Yeah. Klaus killed them."

   Henry looked as if he were about to cry or throw some form of fit. Bodie almost felt the way that the earth beneath them rumbled slightly as if Henry was causing it. "Fuck. They. . .they were my friends!"

   Bodie wanted to step away, knowing that there was nothing that he could possibly do in order to comfort Henry. There was a small part of Bodie that felt almost bad for Henry, knowing that it was because Bodie asked him to make friends, and it was because of Bodie's insistence that he was losing his friends to Klaus.

   "Henry," Will spoke as calm as he could, "from what I've heard, he's still pissed from everything that Bodie's done still." He then looked towards Bodie. "There's a chance that Klaus will come for you, Bodie."

   Bodie just stared at him as if there was a small part of him that didn't want to believe anything that came out of Will's mouth. Of course, he knew that anything that Will said was something that he would have to take into consideration, but the thought that Klaus would come for him without the stake was something that made Bodie a little confused.

   "The chances of him coming for me is unlikely." Bodie stated. The chances of Klaus coming for anyone that he cares about was something that was more certain than anything else. There was a sudden urge that came throughout Bodie then, the need to get everyone that he loved inside and away from the possibility of Klaus killing them.

   Will was about to open his mouth and speak, but there was a small pause and a gasp. For a moment, Bodie wondered whether or not Will thought of something, though the one thing that Bodie didn't expect to see, something that made Bodie's heart sink, something that made Bodie cry out in shock, was to see Klaus behind Will with Will's heart in his hand.

   The last expression that etched itself onto Will's face was the fact that he was totally surprised by what was going on. His last glance being towards his brother, his baby brother whose screams were mute to the world. Klaus removed his hand and Will's heart, and Will's body dropped as if there was never any movement in his body at all. Bodie found himself catching Will's body, not wanting it to hit the floor.

   He didn't know what he was meant to do. What. . .this. . .he knew to expect that there was even a slither of a chance that Klaus might kill someone he loved, but this wasn't how he expected it. This was Will, his Will, his brother. Bodie always thought that there was a chance that Will would be the one to survive all of them. It was one of the things that he'd joked around with, that both him and Henry were reckless idiots, and that Will would outlive them despite immortality.

   Henry, in his shock, just stared down at his brother's desiccated and dead body with this shocked expression on his face as if this weren't how their life was meant to go at all. Bodie could barely look at Henry, unsure on whether or not he would be able to survive that look, that familiar look, of pain over losing a brother. Bodie could just hear the heavy breathing and chocked gasps from Henry and that was enough to almost cause Bodie to break.

   "A brother for a brother." Klaus stated. There was this look in Klaus' eye as if he'd gone mad, as if Bodie was the person Klaus hated more than anything. Will was. . .Will, oh Will.

   He couldn't even think straight. He couldn't. . .this was his bother for six hundred years, the person that understood him in some weird fucked up way. William who was harsh when needed to be, who done things for himself and not for anyone else. Bodie's brother. Henry's brother. His heart shattered inside of his chest like it did when he cradled his baby brother's dead body. The world around him was mute and dark.

   A brother for a brother.

   A brother for a brother.

   A brother for a brother.

   A brother for a brother.

   One brother for another brother. Will for Henrik. Will for Henrik. This. . .this was his fault, another dead person he cared about to weigh heavy on his conscious. Another dead brother to follow him around and whisper cruel words to him, daily like it was some cruel curse. A brother for a brother. William, oh his sweet Willaim Woodford. What was he meant to do? This was taking it too far. A brother for a brother.

   William, who was always kind, who was always so helpful, who drove Bodie over the edge at times. Will who was always doing things that he thought was right, who done things for his own safety, who thought about what would be right for him more than anything else. William who was always there for them both through everything, even if he didn't need to be. There was so many times when Will didn't have to be this. . .kind, this genuine, and yet he was.

   There were times when Bodie was annoyed with Will for whatever reason, but that was because Will was like his brother and it was something that he was used to, something that he expected. Bodie lost another brother, and it was his fault once more, there was nothing that he could do to break this, for anything wrong he does, he'll lose someone that he considers family.

   A brother for a brother.

   William Woodford was dead because of the mistake that Bodie made. William Woodford who had so much to live for despite his immortality, was dead because of him.

   A brother for a brother.