『Chapter Fifty-Three』
『an attempt of murder』

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   The one thing that was almost draining was knowing that no matter what he was losing in some way. Henry knew that because of what Bodie done—killing Damon—that Stefan and the others might try and retaliate against Bodie, and that was something that Henry was afraid of. Not because he was afraid of Bodie's life but because he was afraid of what Bodie might do to them. The look on Bodie's face when he was telling Henry what he'd done was something that sent an uneasy feeling into him, like Bodie enjoyed killing Damon.

   Henry remembered talking to Leo a while ago about Bodie's actions and how Leo was afraid of the monster that Bodie might become with the way that he was acting. At first, Henry wanted to live in this state of denial, knowing that all he wanted was for nothing to be true, knowing that he didn't want to believe that his brother could turn into a monster. And yet, after hearing what happened with Damon and seeing how Bodie seemed to enjoy it, there was a small part of Henry that felt a sense of uneasiness.

   Of course, throughout the centuries of Henry knowing Bodie, there had been moments where he'd seen this monster version come out of Bodie, he'd always felt satisfied that Bodie was letting lose. However, given that in such a short amount of time, this monster side of Bodie has come out multiple times, there was a need to be concerned. It was times like this where he wished that Will were still alive, knowing that Will was better at keeping Bodie in check than what he was.

   Henry wanted to justify all of this, wanted to justify the way that Bodie's been acting because of Will's death, but Henry knew that he couldn't. He couldn't fully justify why Bodie decided to kill Damon, and no matter how much Henry allowed Bodie's reasoning to loop in his head, Henry felt as if there was something else that he needed to know. He felt as if there was something more that he needed to know about what was going through Bodie's head when it came to Damon being killed.

   Henry shook his head, Leo, Elliot, and himself were helping Bonnie with sorting out this dance happening at the school. Everyone else had bailed and hadn't shown up, which was something that Elliot was mumbling about under his breath on how it was annoying. Henry didn't take much notice with any of it given that all that was going through his mind was everything that Bodie said to him. Between all of the events that's happened so far, he felt as if he was going to go insane at any moment.

   "Henry." Leo nudged him. "Is everything okay?"

   Henry looked up, all three of them were looking at him. It made him wonder whether or not he was talking to himself about all that was going through his head. He hummed slightly. "What? Oh, yeah. Just thinking about Bodie."

   "It's horrible that he killed Damon." Elliot stated. "I mean, I didn't like him much, but killing him?"

   "His reasoning was that he wanted to protect Jeremy from him, but. . .I don't know." Henry admitted. He then looked at Leo. "I think you were right about him becoming a monster, Leo."

   There was this look in Leo's eyes as if he were surprised and almost regretful for what he'd previously said about Bodie. And yet, there was this almost angry look which started to fill his eyes. "Bodie turned me into this, stripping me of what I loved being the most, he's been a monster for so long, and it's been kept unchecked. I'm just surprised that it's taken this long for anyone to notice."

   "Leo." Bonnie said as Henry looked down. He supposed that Leo had a point, Bodie was a monster and has been for so long that Henry had gotten used to it. Henry supposed that he'd played right into it whenever it suited him the most, knowing that the monster that Bodie was becoming and was, was something that Henry needed at times.

   "What, Bonnie? Look, as much as there's a part of me that appreciates the fact that I no longer am forced to shift every full moon, I hate that my choice was taken from me and that I had to do whatever Bodie wanted. The fact that he killed Damon because he was compelled, where there was a chance that one of you three could've helped break that compulsion, just shows that he's the monster that we should fear just as much as Klaus!"

   "Now's not the time to bring it up." Bonnie tried to defend for Henry's sake.

   Henry sighed. "Bonnie, it's fine. Leo's right. Bodie is a monster and for centuries I've seen a version of it always popping out whenever someone angered him, and I was blind to it because I knew that he saved me from my coven that hated me for what I am. I thought that there was a chance that the monster within him was going to be something that would help against Klaus for killing Will, but I realise that Bodie needs to be stopped, I don't know how, but he needs to be stopped."

   For a moment, there was not a single word said between any of them, it was as if Henry's words were something that none of them expected to hear, as if there was a part of all of them that wanted Bodie gone but hadn't expected Henry to be the one to say such a thing. Of course, Henry wouldn't actually want to kill Bodie, but for a thousand years, it's clear that this monster side of Bodie has always wanted to come out and now it finally was in its own way, and that was something that scared Henry more than anything, knowing that blood will be spilled no matter what.

   Before anyone else could even begin to say anything, Bonnie's phone began to ring. Bonnie apologised quickly as if she didn't mean for her phone to interrupt this conversation. After Bonnie picked up the phone, they all heard Elena's voice on the other end of the phone ask, "Where are you?"

   "I told Caroline I'd take her place at decade dance prep. Leo, Elliot, and Henry are helping me, but none of the rest of you showed."

   "I know, I'm sorry, I had to though. I've got Jeremy under house-arrest because Kol wants to kill him and I need to keep Jeremy out of Bodie's hands, as well as the fact that Klaus wants to take him on some vampire-slaying road trip. Since neither of them are invited in, it's the only place I can keep him safe, I've also transferred the deed over to Matt because Bodie can be invited in." Elena was explaining over the phone. From what they could hear, it sounded like there was some form of party going on in the background.

   "Why does it sound like you're under fire?" Bonnie asked.

   "Apparently, I'm living in a fraternity house, now." Elena responded.

   Henry could hear the sound of Jeremy talking in the background, though he couldn't be bothered to hear exactly what was being said. Elena spoke towards Jeremy and Henry found himself rolling his eyes slightly. All that was going through his mind was whether putting Bodie down would be a good idea as a whole.

   "Well, it's hard to look forward to this dance while you're trapped in your house." Bonnie said after a moment.

   "Listen, I have a plan to put an end to all of this." Elena told. "I want Jeremy to kill Kol and Bodie."

   Henry and Leo found themselves tensing up slightly. They both knew that if Jeremy were to kill Bodie it would mean that the pair of them would die, and as much as Henry knew that he wanted to put a stop to Bodie, there was still a part of him that hadn't really considered his own life. And yet, there was a part of him that just wanted to meet his brother in the afterlife, this life didn't mean much without his brother and that's who Henry wanted more than anything, his big brother.

   "You want him to kill not one Original, but two?" Bonnie asked, taking notice of the way that both Leo and Henry tensed.

   "Think about it." Elena said. "Both Kol and Bodie's sire line must stretch to the moon and back by now. If Jeremy kills Kol and Bodie, every vampire that they have ever turned, not to mention everyone that they've turned, will die. Which means the Hunter's Mark will be complete and we'll have our key to finding the cure."

   "If we kill Bodie's line, that'll mean that Henry and Leo will die." Bonnie pointed out.

   "I'll be more than willing to die." Henry found himself saying before he could stop himself. As much as he knew that he shouldn't be putting his own life at risk, there was still a part of Henry that knew that Bodie's terror is something that should be stopped before it continues. The monster that Bodie is becoming and has become is something that needs to be stopped before more blood coats Bodie's already bloody hands.

   They all looked at each other and for a moment, it looked as if they were going to have an argument—primarily Elliot and Leo—but after a while, it seemed as if there was an agreement between all of them. Henry and Leo's lives shouldn't stop them from killing the man that seemed to have grown bloodthirsty for his own needs.

   Henry knew that there was a chance that Will was yelling at him from the other side, telling him that what he was thinking is something that he shouldn't be doing, but Henry found that the thought of dying was something that he found peace in. As much as Henry wanted to get back at the Mikaelson's for what they did against Will, there was a part of him that just believed that the loss of Bodie might mean something a little more against them.

   In Henry's mind, he wanted to believe that in some sick and twisted way the Mikaelson's still cared for Bodie in the way that Bodie still cared for them—no matter how much Bodie would deny that he doesn't—and that his death might bring the Mikaelson's some form of pain. And hurting the Mikaelson's was something that he wanted more than anything else and he would stop at nothing if it meant making sure that the Mikaelson's got hurt. He wanted them to know what it was like to lose someone that they cared for no matter how much they disliked him.

   Bonnie sighed. "We're on our way. We'll figure it out." Bonnie then looked around the room where countless silver and red balloons covered the ground. "Do you think Caroline will notice if there's only eighty-nine red balloons?"

   Elena laughed over the phone. "Actually, probably yes." Over the phone, they all heard the way that Elena let out a painful yell as if something bad had happened or as if she'd gotten hurt.

   "Elena?" Bonnie asked in concern.

   Henry found himself staring at Bonnie, wondering what was going on, though for a moment, he realised that he didn't care as much as he should. Not that he didn't care about what was going on, but there was a long list of things happening all at once, that he felt as if it wasn't a priority for him at the moment."

   "Sorry." Elena said over the phone a moment or so later.

   "What happened?" Bonnie asked. Bonnie had given the three of them a look, as if there was a chance that they might know what the hell was going on.

   "I don't know." Elena responded. "There's something in the water."

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   Between the phone call with Elena, and Bonnie excusing herself from the three of them, Henry found his brain in nothing more than a massive mess. As much as he wanted to know what happened with Elena, all that seemed to go through his mind was how both himself and Leo seemed to have made peace with dying if Jeremy were to kill Bodie. And it seemed as if Elliot was fuming over such a thought of losing his brother because of all of this. Henry wanted to be sympathetic towards Elliot, knowing that he'd lost Will and yet, it was like a struggle to do such a thing.

   He knew since the moment that he met Bodie that there was something big that he was hiding and trying to control, he'd seen the damage of which the Mikaelson's all done and the monsters that they'd become. And then there was Bodie, who was kinder, gentle, who tried to get as many people to like him as possible. It was something that didn't sit right with Henry even after all these years, though, there had been a part of Henry that enjoyed it, knowing that Bodie was this peaceful person.

   And over the centuries of Henry knowing Bodie, he'd seen the cracks of the monster underneath, being chained up like some wild animal that only showed up when Bodie lost himself. He'd seen it in Wembley, the way that he was more than willing to kill Klaus with the white oak stake but didn't, how he murdered that brother while his sister watched. Of course, there had been other times that Henry had seen it, but those were just some moments where it seemed to stand out to him more than anything else.

   Henry should've known that this act of Bodie being this nice and caring person was an act, that it was just to hide the true monster that he already was. There had been moments where Henry tried to justify everything that Bodie had done, all the times where this monster would threaten to come out, and yet now that he was here, he found that it was something that he could no longer do. It was because of Bodie that Will died, if Bodie hadn't kept his secret over killing Henrik for so long, then there would've been a chance that Will would still be alive.

   As much as he knew that there were other things that he needed to consider, that there was this bigger picture that he needed to think of, Henry just found himself wondering how much longer he was going to cover for this monster that was Bodie Erikson. He'd known for a while that there were people that had thought of Bodie as this terrifying monster because of the stories that they'd heard, and normally, Henry would've scoffed at them, but now that he thought about it more, he realised that they were right.

   Bodie was exactly like the Mikaelson's, he always had been, and that was something that Henry should've realised some time ago. if he'd realised, then there would have been a chance that his brother could've been alive still. And that's what Henry wanted more than anything else, he wanted his brother more than anything and thanks to Bodie, he never will.

   "Henry!" Elliot snapped. Henry found himself staring at Elliot who looked as if he was two seconds away from trying to blow Henry's head from his shoulders. "Are you seriously going to allow Jeremy to even make any form of attempt to kill Bodie? Even if it means both of your deaths?" Elliot pointed towards both him and Leo as he spoke.

   Henry just shrugged. "Like we already established, Bodie is a monster. What's stopping him from just burning down Elena's house just to get Jeremy? What's to stop him from creating more hybrids? What's to stop him from turning you, Elliot, into one of him? Bodie needs to be put down and we can't just wait for him to have a change of heart, he needs to be put down."

   Leo was nodding along with everything that Henry was saying. "Henry's known Bodie the longest, so I think that we should listen to him more when it comes to Bodie and what we should do with him."

   "But I don't want you to die!" Elliot told. He was pleading his older brother and there was a part of Henry that found himself breaking for the pair of them. There was a part of Henry that wished that he could talk to his brother one last time, all that he wanted more than ever is the opportunity to talk to Will once more just to see if there's anything that he would advise him to do.

   "Elliot, there's no other way." Leo stated. "We need Bodie gone. He's becoming too much like Klaus, probably worse, if we have the chance to stop that, then I think that we should at least take it."

   "Leo's right." Henry joined. "I've known Bodie for centuries, he's been holding back this monster side of him, the loss of Will has driven him over the edge far more than I thought it would've. I don't know what kind of person Bodie's going to become if he allows the monster out, but I think that he needs to be taken out. It's for the safety of everyone else."

   Elliot looked between both Henry and Leo as if he wanted to plead with the pair of them as a whole, like he really didn't want to lose his brother because of it. "But. . .I don't want to lose you, Leo. You're my brother."

   Leo looked heartbroken for a moment. "I know, but this is something that needs to happen. Elliot. I can't let Bodie continue to live the way that he does."

   Elliot looked as if he were about to say something, but it was then that the three of them paused and looked down the corridor—they were in the school still, while Bonnie made another call—they'd heard the sound of balloons popping and lockers being forced open. Henry and Leo looked at one another before the pair of them rushed towards where it was coming from. They heard Elliot groan behind them before he started to jog in the same direction.

   By the time that Henry and Leo got there, they'd noticed how Kol was on the floor groaning in pain as Bonnie looked around confused by what was going on. At an instant, Henry was at Bonnie's side, holding out his hand as if to provide comfort to her, which Bonnie took before the pair of them—followed by Leo and a panting Elliot—down the corridor and out of the school, leaving Kol behind.

   The four of them made their way to Elliot's car. Elliot threw Leo the keys which Leo caught with ease. Henry ushered Bonnie in the back where the pair of them were still holding onto one another, Henry found himself rubbing small circles into the back of her hand and giving her small smiles whenever she looked at him. There was a moment where Henry wondered whether or not his feelings were slowly changing, he'd thought for a while that he'd liked Caroline, but the more time that he spent with Bonnie, he felt different.

   Henry shook his head as the car headed out of the high school. Elliot was on the phone, calling Elena to let her know everything that happened, how Kol came after Bonnie and how Bonnie managed to overpower him. At one point, Elliot put the phone on speaker as they all talked about their plan with Kol and then Bodie, the one thing that Henry had noticed the most was how tense they all were when it came to talking about what to do with Bodie.

   Though, Elliot, Henry, and Leo talked about the entire situation of if they chose to go through with killing Bodie and them following suit afterwards, it still didn't stop any of this being somewhat painful. As much as Henry knew that he'd been alive for such a long time, it still didn't stop Henry from wishing that he had more time to fully experience everything. For so long, he'd never truly had the experience of having friends around his age—or the age that he turned—and now that he did, he didn't want to lose it.

   They pulled up at Bonnie's house after they got off the phone with Elena, Henry took it upon himself to walk Bonnie up to her door, despite knowing that there was a chance that he'd run into Bonnie's father—which he didn't mind. He liked being in Bonnie's presence and he found himself caring for Bonnie in more ways than he thought, though there was a small part of him that was worried about her venture into Expression, but Henry was more than willing to try and help her control it.

   Though, in his small meeting with Bonnie's father, it was clear that there was a chance that Rudy wasn't comfortable with Bonnie and her dabble into Expression and this kind of magic. As much as Henry wanted to try and assure Rudy that he was going to try and help her have control over this, there was still a part of him that was worried just in case he couldn't, he'd heard of this kind of magic, but he'd never truly seen such magic in effect. It was a type of magic that interested him, knowing that it was based on three sets of twelve sacrifices, and to see that kind of magic come into play was interesting.

   For a moment, Henry wondered whether or not he should've dabbled more into darker magic, knowing that maybe it would have more use for him when it comes to the events of his life against any Original. As much as he was comfortable with the kind of magic that he used and has been using, there was a part of him that wondered whether or not he should've tried more.

   "Henry." Bonnie said, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Is everything okay?"

   Henry hummed. He'd realised that he was still holding onto Bonnie's hand and slowly let go. He failed to notice the small frown on her face at that. "Yeah. Everything's good. Just—" He shook his head slightly. "Are you okay? With everything going on lately, no one's really checked on you. How are you feeling with Expression and such?"

   Bonnie smiled at him slightly. "No, I'm good. I feel great about this magic, powerful. I like it." She was silent for a moment. "And. . .I'm good. Thank you."

   Henry nodded slightly. "Just want to make sure that you're doing good."

   Bonnie then looked at him in some weird way. "Are you okay? You're planning to get rid of Bodie—your brother of all people. That. . .that's something."

   "I know." Henry smiled weakly. "I was saying to both Leo and Elliot that Bodie's always on the edge of becoming someone like Klaus and maybe worse. He's a monster, Bonnie, he has been for so long, but I've been blind to say anything and to stop it for so long. I'm just sad and angry that it came to the expense of William. Bodie needs to be put down and in all honesty, I'm contempt with the idea that I'll follow suit, knowing that I'll be rejoined with my true brother."

   Bonnie reached out and touched his arm as if to comfort him in some way. There was this look in her eyes as if there was something else that she wanted to say but chose not to, Henry wanted to encourage her to say anything that she wanted, but chose not to, knowing that it was best if he remained as quite as he could.

   There was something that buzzed inside Henry at the touch, though Henry tried to not think about it much, knowing that it was something that wouldn't matter if they went through with their plan. He didn't need something to be afraid to lose, he knew that if he allowed himself to feel, then there was a chance that it would crumble all around him, and that was something that he didn't want to happen as a whole.

   Bonnie went to open her mouth to say something, though it was then that her father opened the door, as if noticing that she hadn't come in yet. He stared at the pair of them, though there was this look in his eyes when his eyes went over Henry. Henry found himself straightening and smiling as he turned to Rudy.

   "Just making sure that Bonnie got in okay," Henry stated. He then turned to leave. "I'll see you later, yeah?" He said to Bonnie.

   "Yeah." Bonnie nodded. "See you later."

   With that, Henry made his way back to Leo's car—who'd patiently been waiting for Henry while he and Bonnie spoke. By the sounds of it, both Leo and Elliot were bickering about something that was probably about this plan to kill Bodie that will end up in Leo's death. There was a small part of Henry that couldn't help but feel a small prickle of pain fill him, knowing that once again, two brothers are going to be split apart because of Bodie. The Salvatore's are broken up because of Bodie's need to kill Damon, the Woodford's because Bodie decided to tell Klaus his secret which meant that Klaus killed Will.

   Henry slid himself into the back of the car, Leo looked as if he were three seconds away from having a crying session while Elliot was in the middle of his crying session on how he doesn't want to lose his brother and all that Henry could think was how this was his fault.

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   Bodie had felt numb all day, like there was something missing in his chest. All that seemed to loop throughout his mind was the fact that he'd killed Damon, and although there was a part of him that felt as if he were justified with what he'd done, there was a small part of him that wondered if he were just as bad as Klaus but knew that he could be worst if he wanted to. There was a small part of him that wanted to, that wanted to be worse than anything else, but knew that he needed to stop, needed to push this aside.

   And yet, he felt as if his mind was everywhere and nowhere all at once. There was a part of him that wished to shut it off, but didn't want to, knowing that he had to feel everything and live with it all. He wanted to feel all the pain that he was feeling, knowing that he had no right to be in pain in the first place, and yet the torment of every single thought consumed him until it was pure pain. He'd tried to shake these thoughts away, and yet they consumed him as if it were nothing.

   Henry had been out for most of the day, which was something that Bodie expected more than anything. As much as Bodie knew that there was a chance that Henry would be annoyed at him because of what he did to Damon, there was a part of him that believed that it was taken out of proportion more than anything else. What more could people expect from him? Other than the actions that he's made.

   As much as Bodie would like to walk around Mystic Falls, there was a part of him that didn't want to run into any of the Mikaelson's nor Stefan. He wasn't up to that state of dealing with their rage, plus he knew that if any of them decided to come at him, there was a part of him that wouldn't be able to hold back. He wasn't sure why, but he wanted this town to be painted with the blood of the people that decide to cross him, and then he wanted to leave. This town had brought him nothing but pain, he didn't know why he believed that it could be his home once more, he'd lost too much in this town and he didn't want to lose anyone else that he cared about.

   There was a moment where he wondered whether or not he should try and find Henry or even Leo, but in all honesty, he wouldn't know what to say to either of them. He supposed that there was a part of him that wanted the comfort of having either of them by his side. Plus, he hadn't seen Leo in a while, and there was a part of him that just wanted to see Leo just to know what was going on with him.

   Bodie shook his head, knowing that these were the thoughts that he didn't need as a whole. What he needed to do was wonder whether or not he wanted to continue with his plan to find this cure and shove it down Klaus' throat. He knew that there was a part of him that wanted to, for the sake of himself, strip Klaus of his vampirism and be done with him for good, and yet there was that 12-year-old voice inside of his head that wondered why he should hurt Klaus when all that was asked of him was to protect Klaus.

   He shut his eyes at the thought. He didn't need to be reminded of the promise that he made to his alpha so long ago. He knew that Klaus was a force that needed to be taken out, and that should be something that Bodie should do, he should be the one to take Klaus out. He promised to take care of Klaus, to make sure that nothing bad happens to Klaus, and that's something that he let happen. He felt that it was right that he should kill Klaus for the person that he became.

   It was night out, and Bodie had his white oak stake in his waistband. The small voice in his head convincing him to take one of the Mikaelson's out was something that he wanted to do. As much as Bodie knew that there was nothing that he could get out of killing one of the Mikaelson's—other than losing the people that he cared about—he felt as if there was a war going on between him and the Mikaelson's in some way and Bodie wanted to come out on top.

   He knew that it was crazy, that there was no need for such a thing, but he couldn't help it. The Mikaelson's had everything that he ever wanted and although one could say that he was the one to start this when he killed Henrik, there was this urge to be the one to finish it. He needed to do something for Will. He knew that Will would advise against all of this, but there was a part of him that felt as if he didn't care all that much.

   For years, there had been this nagging part of him that wanted nothing more than to get back at Klaus for everything that he's ever done, at yet it was only now that he fully had the motivation and the right push to do something about it. He knew that there was a chance that he was going to lose everyone that he'd ever cared about in the process, but there wasn't many people that ever cared for him to begin with once his parents and brother died. He knew that he had Henry, but there was a part of him that believed that he'd already lost Henry because of his actions.

   His phone buzzed and there was a small hopefully stupid part of him that wondered whether or not it might be Henry, but it wasn't. It was Leo. Meet me at the School. Unexpectedly, there was a small part of him that smiled about all of this, but there was a sense within him that could tell that there was something else going on. But that was something about it that made him realise that it shouldn't be something that he should care about.

   Bodie found himself grabbing his coat and leaving his house. He made it to the school, looking around. He wasn't sure as to why Leo would want to meet him here, he thought that there would've been another place for them to meet, but he supposed that it didn't matter. Whatever the reason for Leo to meet, there was something inside of him which told him that it was important, that it might be something of use to him in some way.

   He tried to not think too much into any of this, knowing that the more that he thought about it, the more that he was going to lose his mind. At one point, he could've sworn that he heard the sound of doors opening which made him get his stake out. As much as he wanted to believe that nothing bad could happen, he had a feeling that there was something that he was missing, something that he hadn't considered as of yet.

   The more that he listened around, he realised that he'd heard both Rebekah and Stefan talking to one another about movies in this modern age. At the sound of both of their voices, Bodie felt the way that the veins under his eyes came out and his fangs becoming more prominent. He gripped the white oak stake in his hand, he knew that if he used it on Rebekah, he couldn't use it on anyone else, couldn't use it on the one person that he wanted, but that was something that he didn't care for within this moment.

   "Bodie!" Leo's voice called out just as Bodie was about to use his vamp speed to find Rebekah. Bodie almost lost his balance. "You came." Leo came jogging towards him, Leo briefly looked towards the white oak stake in Bodie's hand before looking back up at Bodie with some form of a smile. "I thought that there was a chance that you wouldn't come."

   Bodie forced a smile on his face as he placed the white oak stake back into the waistband of his jeans. "I thought that there was a chance that it could be important. Wouldn't want to miss something that might be important."

   Leo shifted slightly, as if there was something that worried him. Bodie wanted to ask about it but chose that he shouldn't. "Yeah." Leo muttered under his breath. Bodie found himself tilting his head slightly, waiting for whatever Leo needed to say. "I know that there hasn't been much time for us to be together, given everything that's gone on, but—"

   "You want something to happen." Bodie continued.

   Leo nodded at that. There was a part of Bodie that wanted to believe that, but he felt as if there was something else going on that he wasn't sure on. Though, there was a part of Bodie that realised that he didn't really care much, knowing that he did want to spend some time Leo. He hadn't wanted to admit how much he had missed being with Leo, as much as he knew that there was nothing wrong with feeling such a thing, it was just with everything going on, he didn't want to feel much.

   Bodie just found himself staring at Leo, even though he felt as if he was losing his mind in some way, there was something about being with Leo—or, more correctly, having Leo in front of him—which made him feel a sense of calmness, as if there was nothing else for him to focus on. He knew that he should've been focusing on something else, but he assumed that whatever he was here for, it was important.

   "As much as I enjoy your company, Leo, was there something else that you wanted?" Bodie asked. "Given that I heard that Rebekah and Stefan are here, I assume that there's something else going on."

   Leo looked both confused and surprised as if he hadn't expected Bodie to know such a thing. For a moment, Bodie wondered whether or not this was something that Leo knew and yet, Bodie found himself smiling in some way. Even though he was smiling, he found himself feeling cautious, feeling as if there was something else that he was missing. He'd wondered why Leo would ask him to come to the school of all places, knowing that he'd heard Rebekah and Stefan, he wondered whether or not they were part of a bigger plan he was unsure on.

   "I wasn't aware that they were here." Leo admitted. "I would've chosen another place to meet if I knew that they were here."

   Bodie found himself humming, straightening his back. His arms joined behind his back, pressing against the white oak stake at the waistband of his jeans. He found himself walking towards Leo, staring down at Leo, he'd noticed the way that Leo looked almost nervous which made Bodie wonder whether or not he was intimidating Leo, but there was a part of him that didn't care.

   "What else did you want, Leo Snow?" Bodie asked. He was walking around Leo, while Leo turned his head to keep his eyes on Bodie.

   "I just. . .wanted to see you." Leo said. His voice hitched when he spoke and Bodie found himself smiling in some way at that.

   "Is that all?" Bodie asked. "You invite me to the school, telling me that it's important only for it to be the fact that you wanted to hang out?"

   Leo looked down slightly. "I thought that there was a chance that you wouldn't come if it weren't important. Plus, I was afraid that if I asked, you'd refuse."

   Bodie reached out and tilted Leo's head up just enough that they were staring at one another. "I would never refuse coming to see you, Leo Snow. I care about you enough that I would always come if you called, no matter what."

   There was a small blush which came onto Leo's cheeks at that. Bodie felt something flip in his stomach then, a small part of him missed when he could make someone blush. Bodie pressed his lips together slightly, he didn't want anything to distract him, although he wanted to flirt with Leo in some way, he still felt as if there was something else that he was missing.

   "Well," Leo swallowed nervously, "I'm glad that I can rely on you, Bodie."

   Bodie tilted his head slightly. "You're nervous. Why?"

   Leo shrugged. "You make me nervous."

   "I make everyone nervous." Bodie stated. "I like to believe that its part of my charm."

   "What else is part of your charm?" Leo asked. "Killing people's brothers?"

   Bodie took a step back, smiling to himself. He should've seen that Leo would bring something of the sorts up. He knew that it was a little stupid not to expect such a thing, but he hoped that he could have a few moments of peace. And yet, he knew that peace was something that he was never going to get.

   "Killing people is a way to survive, Leo. I'm sure that you'll come to that conclusion soon enough when your life is threatened." Bodie stated.

   "So, killing Damon was a way to survive?" Leo asked.

   Bodie tilted his head, a small laugh came from the back of his throat. "I killed him to protect Jeremy, you know that, right? Damon was compelled to kill Jeremy, and I took out the one that caused the most trouble. I mean, really, what was Damon really good for? He was annoying and whiny who thought himself important."

   Leo just stared at him as if there was something about what Bodie said which somewhat offended him. Bodie didn't care if he did offend or not. "Seriously? You just killed him like that? Because he was compelled? There was other ways that we could've stopped him."

   Bodie shrugged slightly then. "Oh, I'm sure that there were other ways to stop him, but I didn't want to wait for some magical solution. Sometimes, one needs to work in the moment." He was smiling to himself. He had a feeling that there was something else going on and that this was just some form of distraction, though Bodie wanted to see how far Leo was willing to go.

   Leo just stared at him, with this look of pain in his eyes as if Bodie made a jab at the lack of magic that he has because of him. "You could've just. . .broke his neck or something."

   "Now where's the fun in that?" Bodie asked. "Sometimes, I like the feeling of ripping someone's heart out. The feeling of shoving my hand into their chest, knowing that their life is in my hands, seeing that little panic in their eyes knowing what I'm about to do, and then finally ripping out the heart, seeing their lifeless body flop to the floor, dead."

   Leo took a step back. There was this look on his face as if he were afraid of Bodie. "You've truly become that monster I knew that you'd become."

   Bodie tilted his head to the side, grinning. "I take it you've been talking to Henry. He's afraid of that I will become someone like Klaus, someone to be afraid of. But, that's the thing, I've always been like Klaus, but everyone's been blind to it, wanting nothing more than to believe this 'act'—as you call it—that I am this innocent, this calmer Original. I am the monster that you've feared I'd become, I have been for centuries."

   It was then that Bodie felt as if his head was burning, he found himself reaching towards his head, feeling as if it were about to explode. He let out a small yell of pain, it hurt more than anything, he wondered whether or not his mind was truly going to explode, though he knew better than that. He opened his eyes—he hadn't realised that he shut them—only to see how Elliot was standing there with his hand out at an angle. Bodie knew that Elliot was the one to do this.

   Despite the amount of pain that he was in, there was this urge within him that wanted to kill Elliot for ever thinking about doing this to him. They decided to bring a mortal, weak and mundane person to go against him? As much as Bodie knew that magic was something that clearly had an effect on him, he knew that Elliot wouldn't be able to continue with this for an extended period of time. There was a part of Bodie which wondered who would be brave enough to make the first contact with him, knowing that no matter what their strength wouldn't be enough to beat Bodie.

   Bodie noticed the way that Leo put a protective arm in front of Elliot as if Leo knew what Bodie was thinking of doing. He'd noticed the way that the veins under Leo's eyes and the yellow tone of eyes stood out more than anything. Before Bodie could even prepare for anything, Leo pounced at him, the pain in his head stopped though Leo took pleasure in trying to hurt him in more ways than one. Bodie thought it rather amusing the way that Leo tried to fight him—any punch that made connection to Bodie's body, it didn't affect him much. Any kick didn't affect Bodie.

   Leo rose his fist back, driving it towards Bodie's face though, Bodie caught it, grabbed Leo's shirt, and flung him over his shoulder. Once Leo made contact with the floor, he let out a groan of pain. Bodie just found himself grinning down at Leo, as if this were what he'd been waiting for, for such a long time. Bodie wrapped his hand around Leo's throat, pressing just enough to choke Leo and keep him down.

   "Now, is that all?" Bodie asked. "I don't want to kill you, Leo, I like you, but if you continue to act the way that you are, I'll show you just how much pain exists from losing your entire family and not being able to do anything about it. I'll make you into me. I've already set you on the path—werewolf boy, turned werewolf-vampire hybrid, all I need to do is slaughter your family and then you'll be exactly like me."

   Leo glared at him, clutching at the hand which held him down. "I wish I never met you."

   "Never met me or never slept with me?" Bodie asked, grinning.

   Leo just stared at him with such hatred that it was rather amusing for him as a whole. "You're the most annoying person that I've ever met."

   Bodie hummed mockingly. "I've been told worse." He was going to open his mouth to say something else though when he did, he noticed the way that blood seemed to drop on Leo's face. It confused Bodie for a moment, wondering whether or not he caused this, but now that he was focusing on what the hell was going on, he'd realised that it was him that was bleeding. His nose was bleeding and there was this ringing in his head which made him wonder whether or not Elliot decided to come back once more to help his brother.

   Due to Bodie's confusion, it allowed Leo to get the upper hand. He felt something reach his waistband, pulling something out. Though Bodie tried to stop it, he realised that he couldn't, he felt as if his mind were collapsing in on itself and it was a struggle to even notice anything that was going on around him. There was a moment where Bodie thought that he couldn't breath and it panicked him ever so slightly.

   Leo then kicked Bodie in the chest and Bodie stumbled for a moment, trying his best to balance himself over the pain in his head. The blood started to come out of his mouth and for a moment, he wondered whether or not Elliot—or whichever witch idiot they got on their side—was trying to choke him with his blood or was trying to clear his body of blood as a whole.

   It took Bodie's eyes a moment to focus to realise how Henry was standing there with this hollow look on his face as if this were something that he was trying to block out from doing. Leo was beside him with the white oak stake in his hand, his knuckles turning white as he gripped on it hard. Both Henry and Leo was looking at him with a glare as if he'd slaughtered their entire bloodlines.

   For a moment, Bodie wanted to welcome anything which would happen, anything which either of them would try, but there was nothing in him other than hurt. He should've known that sooner or later something like this was bound to happen, he should've prepared himself for the moment where Henry would turn his back on him. He should've known, and all that there was inside Bodie was this broken boy who just wanted to protect himself, who wanted to get back at those that hurt him and destroyed his life.

   He knew that he'd lost his mind in some way, he knew that there was nothing that he could truly do, but the look in both Henry and Leo's eyes was something that made him wonder if he truly deserved anything that they were going to do to him. He knew that he'd killed Damon and that in some odd way, Damon was their friend, he knew that Henry must've thought that Will's death was on his hands. He knew that he'd hurt the pair of them in some way, but the one thing that didn't make sense much was why they were doing this to him.

   Bodie was about to open his mouth to say something but before anything could come out, Henry—using his magic—threw Bodie against the lockers on either side of the wall. Bodie found himself groaning. He wanted to say that he deserved this, that because of everything that he's ever done, he deserved this, but there was still a part of him that felt as if he didn't deserve any of this. He wanted nothing more than to get back at the pair of them for ever going against him. Him of all people, they both should know better.

   The pain in his head, the blood, all of it stopped, leaving him with a dull ache as if he expected something more. Bodie was going to stand up and fight the pair of them, but just as Bodie went to, Henry came over in a rush and kicked him back down. Just as he landed back down, his body was dragged with a force across the floor into the rows of lockers on the wall. Bodie let out some form of groan of pain and frustration.

   Bodie hadn't been prepared for a fight but if the pair of them wanted a fight, then so be it. He would be more than glad to give them both a fight. He didn't care if they now had the only weapon that could kill him, none of that mattered. If they wanted blood, they were going to get it, but it wasn't going to be his blood spilled.

   There were footsteps, he'd heard two sets of footsteps coming towards them though Bodie didn't care. Bodie found himself rising to his feet and before Henry or Leo could fully comprehend anything that Bodie was about to do, Bodie—using his vamp speed—rushed towards Henry, snapping his neck. As much as Bodie wanted to kill Henry, he didn't, at least not yet. Henry's body dropped to the floor and Leo took a moment before he swung his fist at Bodie.

   Bodie caught Leo's fist, snapping it, and grinning almost satanically. Bodie was about to do more to Leo, but the next thing he knew was that he was on the floor. Stefan was on top of him with this revengeful look on his face and Bodie found himself grinning more. So, this was the plan? Get a bunch of weak people to fight against someone like him? Were they all stupid?

   Bodie found himself knocking Stefan out of the way—off of him with a force that almost threw him across the hallway. Bodie found himself leaning up, noticing the way that Rebekah stood in front of Leo in a dress, fitting to the theme of the dance that was meant to happen tonight. Rebekah looked at Bodie with this look as if she'd waited for a moment like this, a moment where a white oak stake was involved, and everyone had truly turned their backs on him.

   Bodie rose to his feet, he could feel his other face—his true hybrid face—came out, he'd noticed the way that Rebekah somewhat flinched as if she knew that this could end in the worst way possible, and yet she stood bold. An Original Vampire, a hybrid, and a simple vampire all stood against Bodie—the Original Hybrid. The only thing that made Bodie almost hesitant in everything was the fact that in Leo's hand was the white oak stake that he'd gotten from Henry's limp body on the floor.

   He knew that Rebekah could possibly do better against him than the other two, but she was still weak against him. Bodie was a hybrid, and he was relying on that more than anything. He knew that the weakest link out of the three of them was Stefan, Bodie knew that Stefan was the one that he could easily take out without much thought but knew that he needed to be smart about it more than anything else.

   For a moment, Bodie wondered whether or not this was all planned, whether or not Henry convinced the others to be at the school so they could ambush him. he wondered whether or not it was Leo who planned it, or Stefan and they manipulated Henry into killing him. He realised that he didn't care, they wanted him dead, that was more clear than anything else, and anyone that wanted him dead was a problem and he wasn't about to let them even try and kill him. He'll make sure of it.

   Bodie found himself smiling and he felt the way that his fangs went into his bottom lip. Rebekah straightened herself up and the veins under her eyes showed themselves. Bodie opened his arms wide, almost welcoming any form of fight that they might bring to him. Within an instant, Rebekah raced forward, she struck at him first and Bodie blocked.

   They fought as if it was a dance, Rebekah was putting up a good fight, but she was still no match for Bodie and his strength. As much as he knew that he could easily overpower her, he found it rather amusing to continue with this entire game of Rebekah trying to fight him with the best of her ability. Every punch was caught with a block, every kick was met with a grab and then thrown away, any hit was met with either a groan or a frustrated groan.

   At one-point Bodie had gotten Rebekah to the floor, his arm raised past his head, though before he could take the strike, Stefan took him to the ground. Bodie groaned as both him and Stefan went to the ground, he found himself glaring at Stefan with a hard look, though Stefan looked at him as if he were after blood. There was a small part of Bodie that found himself smiling slightly, knowing that if Stefan were out for blood then it would be more amusing for him.

   Although, there was a small part of Bodie that was worried that at any point they might use the stake on him. The last thing that Bodie wanted was for them to use such a thing on him and kill him, he knew that if he went then it would mean the rest of his sire line would go, he knew that it meant that Henry would die. And yet, there was this small, twisted part of Bodie's brain that already knew that Henry already made peace with dying after killing him.

   Bodie and Stefan stared at each other and for a moment, for a quick second, it was like they were waiting for the other to attack first, though, it was Bodie who struck first. It was Bodie who found himself loosing himself more into the madness of his own mind, it was Bodie who broke Stefan's arm—twisting it back and shattering the bones. Stefan let out a painful groan at his arm being broken and Bodie found himself grinning slightly as he threw Stefan to the side.

   Rebekah didn't allow Bodie to have any form of break, she threw herself at him, striking him across the face which took him by surprise. Bodie didn't have time to fully recover from the attack given the fact Rebekah swiped Bodie's legs from under him, causing Bodie to land on his back once more. In an instant, the white oak stake was in her hands, she held the stake to his chest and without another thought, she dug the stake into his chest.

   Bodie tried to stop Rebekah, tried his best to use as much strength as possible, however when he did, his head started to buzz, like there was this constant buzzing in his ear that caused a buzzing headache. Bodie let out a painful yell, wanting nothing more than for it to all end, he couldn't deal with it. The white oak stake pierced more and more into his chest, Rebekah making sure that Bodie doesn't try to escape.

   There was a moment where Bodie felt as if he was panicking, the headache which came over him, the white oak stake in his chest, reaching for his heart—all of it made him worried. Bodie didn't want to die, he didn't want to die, all he wanted was the chance to live, to not have someone come after him, to not have someone wanting him dead for a mistake that happened so long ago. And yet, it was the one thing that he couldn't have no matter what.

   This wasn't the life that Bodie wanted, it was something that was forced upon him, and yet this was all that he had to deal with. He just wanted a life where it was peaceful, and yet here he was, knowing that his life was slipping from him because he'd driven everyone away by his own actions. He was going to die by the hands of Rebekah, knowing that she was getting back at him for all of the pain that he's caused them.

   "You deserve nothing, you bastard." Rebekah growled.

   Bodie groaned slightly, his head felt like a mess of mush and pain, his chest felt wrong. The way that the white oak stake dug into his chest made him more worried than anything else. This wasn't what he wanted to happen, he'd hoped that no one would come after him, but he supposed that he put too much hope in such a thing.

   "Bekah. . ." Bodie whispered. He looked up at her, there was a part of him that wished that Rebekah would see that friendship, that old bond between the pair of them. "Please." He found himself shuddering slightly.

   Bodie never truly thought of what death would be like for him, but now that he was close, now that the white oak stake was inching closer to his heart, all that he could think about was how he wished that he had more time to do the things that he wanted, that he didn't lie for his entire immortal and mortal life. All he's ever done is lie and he wished that he could live his life in truth.

   "I was just a boy. . ." Bodie whispered. He looked at her with sad eyes, hoping that she might have a change of heart.

   Rebekah's face twisted then. "Henrik was just a boy and you killed him. You knew how much it hurt me, and you lied." The white oak stake was almost at his heart, Bodie presumed that another push might kill him.

   "I just wanted to make my parents and Ansel proud. . ." Bodie whispered. "I was eleven, dealing with the fact that not even a year prior I killed someone. I thought—" his voice shook, "—I thought. . .I just wanted to make someone proud of me."

   Rebekah stuck him round the face. "Shut up. Just shut up. I don't need your pathetic story, you lied to me for a thousand years, Bodie. You were my friend, I thought you my brother."

   Bodie closed his eyes, a tear found itself rolling down his cheek. He knew that he deserved it, he knew that he deserved all of this, but he didn't want this. This wasn't how he wanted to go, but he supposed—like his family—he wouldn't have a choice in how and when he dies. He supposed that the Erikson's will never die in a way that they would want, he supposed that the family ended with him.

   He was too far into his own thoughts, he'd waited for his death to come as quick as possible, he hadn't noticed the way that the pressure of the white oak stake reaching his heart was something that eased a lot. He thought that there was even a chance that something else happened, but he didn't want to see, just in case his fear of dying at the hands of a Mikaelson was something that came true.

   "What are you doing?" Stefan asked.

   "What are you doing?" Rebekah snapped.

   Bodie opened his eyes ever so slightly to see Leo standing over him, tears running down his face. There was this look on his face as if he almost didn't want to do any of this, as if he wanted nothing more than to kill Bodie himself but was hesitant in such a thing. From what Bodie could gather, Leo had thrown Rebekah off of him and removed the stake from Bodie's chest, Leo was pointing the stake towards both Rebekah and Stefan with his other face on show.

   "I want him dead like you, but not like this. . ." Leo whispered. "He needs anything else but death."

   Bodie didn't wait, he found himself standing, ripping the stake from Leo's hand, and using his vamp speed to run away.

   The last thing that Bodie wanted was to stay here in a place that no longer wanted him. Bodie wasn't needed here, he wasn't wanted here at all. and Bodie didn't want to stay in a place where he wasn't wanted. If there was no one here that liked him nor cared for him, then there was no point in him staying. He needed to go, for his safety and for the sake of his own mental state, it was best if he found somewhere else to live.

   Bodie Erikson will leave Mystic Falls, this wasn't the town that Bodie once thought it was. He was done here.