PART THREE: THE SEARCH

TIME seems to be non-existent as a vampire, like it doesn't even matter. The fact that Elijah and I have spent more than four hundred years on the run and it doesn't even phase me is slightly concerning. Each day we can feel Klaus getting closer and closer, gaining on our trail, but that only fuels the anger inside me, pushing myself further so I can agitate him more. He's no doubt had witches cast locating spells to track the whereabouts of the moonstone, in which we still hold in our possession.

The fact that it's been four hundred years means that I'm much more experienced in my skills and control of a vampire than I was when Elijah and I first embarked on this quest. I'm a lot stronger now, as apparently with age vampires grow stronger. That means Klaus is a lot stronger too, which should make for an interesting confrontation I smell in the near future.

The Original family has been split up, each of them taking sides. Rebekah has taken Klaus's side while Finn has taken ours. Kol seems to float around the middle a lot, joining whatever side serves him best at the moment. As of right now he's doing scouting for us, listening in on nearby towns and villages of where Klaus may be.

The thing with being immortal is that you witness the world change all round you. The human species has evolved dramatically, enhancing with architecture, technology and innovations that have increased the population dramatically. Villages have turned into cities, and there are more buildings in one village now than there were in the largest town when I was born. The only thing however, is that neither Elijah nor I have returned to Mystic Falls, frankly because we're afraid to.

For every year since leaving Lexi and Joel, Elijah and I made sure to visit them again to make sure they were doing okay in that little village. However, as it got more populated people began growing suspicious of them, specifically of how they weren't aging. For a while they had to change back and forth between villages over time to decrease the suspicion, and to remain safe. However more than fifty years ago when Elijah and I wandered back into the town they were last seen in, they had suddenly disappeared. All that remained was a messy hand written note from Joel saying that something had come up, and they had to go on the run. Joel wrote to me saying not to worry, but when your siblings run away out of fear for their lives, you can't help but worry.

I haven't seen them in over fifty years, and each day I think about them. I think about what could have possibly happened to them, or why they had to disappear. I don't think Klaus would be so low as to kill them permanently, but then again he did turn me into a vampire without asking. I find myself fearful of every corner I turn. Klaus is a dangerous man whether Elijah believes it or not. The way I see it, a man who is willing to do whatever just to satisfy himself is a dangerous man capable of doing anything and everything. I know that when it comes down to it, Klaus will do whatever it takes to have the moonstone in his possession.

Elijah and I compelled us a place to stay in a large town located a couple miles away from Mystic Falls in a small apartment on top of a small bar. With everything that's happened in my life so far, all the running and vengeance, I feel like a changed man, and I feel like my appearance has to change too. Already I'm 492 years old, and I still look the same as I did 472 years ago.

With a pair of scissors in my hand, I head to the small washroom in our cabin and begin trimming my hair, getting rid of the excessive pony tail tied behind my head. It feels immensely lighter just chopping the bloody thing off. It appears with the human population evolving, hair cuts have too. Almost no man wears long hair any more, which is why Elijah cut his over a month ago. I don't know why I didn't do it sooner.

I finally put down the scissors down and take a look in the mirror, analyzing the new look of James Branson. It looks different, new and fresh. I've got to say, I like this era's sense of fashion.

"I can finally see your face now," Elijah comments from behind me, although I don't jump; I heard him the moment he stepped in the room. "Looks good."

"Yeah, it was long over due." I shrug, fixing all the loose strands of hair. "Heard anything from Finn?" I ask, glancing at Elijah through the mirror. We haven't heard from Finn in a week, which is unusual seeing as Finn is a pretty organized and loyal guy.

"Nothing." Elijah shakes his head, concern in his voice. "Kol is supposed to meet us in a few minutes. We should head down to the bar," he informs me before leaving me alone again.

I inhale deeply, gathering my thoughts before taking off downstairs to the bar that is already filled with people. I'm not surprised, as the evening rush should be happening any minute. I spot Elijah sitting in the corner of the building, taking a seat by the window. It's one of the things going on the run has taught us; the corner table by the window is always the best seat, seeing as you can observe the whole room peacefully while keeping an eye on the outside.

I grab a seat across from Elijah as suddenly the front door to the bar opens, the bell ringing to signal someone has walked in. Elijah nods at me, and I turn around, locking eyes with a very frantic Kol. He rushes over to us, running a hand through his dark brown hair while looking all around him like he's looking for someone; like he's being watched.

"Kol, what's wrong?" Elijah asks immediately as Kol sits beside me. I can hear his heart racing and feel his body shaking from beside me.

"We've got a major problem. Several problems actually. I've learned a lot on my scouting missions," he remarks rather quickly, rambling out his words while glancing over his shoulder.

"Well spit them out then," Elijah encourages, leaning forwards across the table. Both of us eager to hear what he has to say.

"Klaus daggered Finn a week ago, stuffed him in a casket and locked him away. I-I don't know where he is so don't bother asking. He knew Finn was spying on him and-"

"Wait, what do you mean daggered?" Elijah stops Kol, interrupting him.

"Like stabbed in the heart with some special knife, one that must be made from the white oak tree used during our creation spell. I-I don't know where he got it, but it sends original vampires into a deep sleep. I saw Finn's body, it was covered in grey veins, like he was dead."

"Was he?" I blurt out. "Dead, I mean?"

"No, we can't die you idiot." Kol shakes his head. "I believe when the dagger is removed, Finn will wake."

"How many daggers does he have?" Elijah begins to panic.

"I don't know. I wouldn't be surprised if he has one for each of us." Kol takes a deep breath. "Anyways, if he was able to figure out Finn was spying on him, what's to say he won't figure out that I am too?" Kol whispers lowly.

"So he's close then? He knows where we are?" I question eagerly, liking my lips in anticipation.

"Oh I wouldn't doubt it." Kol laughs nervously. "He's hungry for that moonstone, but he's also desperate to talk to you." He pauses, glancing over at me.

"Good, because I'm desperate to talk to him too." I sit back and cross my arms across my chest, feeling a great amount of confidence. All these years of tormenting Klaus and running away with the moonstone and I will finally get the chance to meet him face to face.

"Well, I don't think he's too happy." Kol warns me. "You kind of gave him the impression a year ago that the moonstone was dumped in the Atlantic Ocean. He had divers search for weeks. Then just a month ago you claimed to have buried it in a cemetery somewhere. He dug up every bloody grave you know." Kol shakes his head, a faint grin on his lips.

"That was funny," I snicker, amused, however Elijah doesn't seem very happy. I can tell he's concerned about his brother Finn, but there's nothing we can do until we see Klaus face to face.

"That's only one problem." Elijah points out. "What's the other one?"

Kol shifts in his seat, biting his lip as he stares at Elijah almost as if he's debating on whether or not he wants to say something. "My god Kol, speak!" Elijah shouts, drawing attention.

I send a few friendly smiles to the people around us, as in assurance that we're okay. "Okay," Kol sighs, closing his eyes. "I've heard rumours that father-"

"Mikael?" I gape, my eyes wide. A part of me completely forgot that he was also turned by Esther. He is also an original vampire.

"Yes, Mikael my father, was spotted in a town nearby," Kol continues.

"What's wrong with that? Maybe he will help us take down Klaus." I shrug, not really concerned.

"Oh he'll help take down Klaus alright, and us along with him," Kol remarks with wide eyes, taking a big gulp of my beer.

"What do you mean Kol? You're saying father wants to kill us?" Elijah narrows his eyes.

"That's exactly what I'm saying." Kol nods. "He's a vampire that hunts vampires. He's seen all the stuff we've done, all the chaos we've caused. Heck, maybe mother sent him after us, to end the death plaque we place upon every town we cross."

"Do you really think mother would do such a thing? She made us who we are," Elijah baffles cynically.

"Exactly, so what's not to say she didn't regret what she made? We're an abomination to nature! Mikael is out to kill us!" Kol flails his arms out to his sides.

"If Mikael is out to kill you guys, then he must know how to kill an original, correct?" I ask, attracting Elijah's attention. "He must have some sort of weapon, some sort of secrete that will allow him to kill a vampire that is supposed to be immortal," I explain, painting the pieces from my head, laying out my ideas on the table for Elijah and Kol to see.

"Are you suggesting we confront Mikael, sit down and have a cup of tea as we analyze all the ways to kill a vampire, share trade secrets? Mikael? The same guy that wants to kill my family?" Kol accuses. "You must be out of your bloody mind." He looks at me with disgust.

"He wants to kill you two, not me. I am not one of his sons," I note.

"But you're still a vampire James. Our father hates vampires. He'll kill you in a heartbeat," Elijah dismisses, throwing the idea away while I still have a tight grip on it.

"It's worth a shot okay? If I can reason with him that we're on the same page of killing Klaus, then maybe we have a shot!" I reason, pleading with the two original brothers in front of me. I know the idea of killing Klaus- their brother- is still a touchy topic, but I can hope by now after seeing everything that he's capable of, we're at least on the same page, even if we aren't on the same paragraph yet.

"This is ridiculous. I'm outta here." Kol begins to stand up, but I grab his arm.

"Were there any more problems you wanted to share before you leave us?" I interrogate him.

He takes in a deep breath, looking around again before speaking. "There's been another Petrova Doppelgänger spotted nearby- the same one needed to break the curse," Kol blurts out, tapping his fingers against the table idly.

"So if there's another doppelgänger in town, Klaus will no doubt be nearby. He'll be drawn here, just looking for her," Elijah speaks our thoughts.

"Yeah, which is exactly why I am leaving. Adios." Kol gives us a last wave before leaving out the door, speed walking as if he's in some kind of hurry. I don't think much about it, but I feel bad for the kid. He reminds me a lot of Joel, and although I despise Kol sometimes, I know he's just trying to find his own way.

"I guess we're on our own then." I drag my hands down my face, letting all this new information sink into my brain.

"Not necessarily." A female voice speaks from behind us, directing Elijah and my attention to her.

She's a young, pretty woman with long brown hair and green eyes, about the same height as Lexi. She stands confidently behind the empty chair beside me, pulling it out as if inviting herself in.

"And who might you be?" Elijah narrows his eyes, inspecting her.

"Just someone who may have some information about a Petrova doppelgänger. Sound of value?" She raises a brow conceitedly. "Sorry, I couldn't help but eavesdrop the conversation. My hearing is a little enhanced," she comments, waiting for Elijah and I to clue in.

"So who is it that turned you? Wasn't me." Elijah stares blankly at her.

"Don't flatter yourself. It wasn't one of your family members," she says, taking a seat beside me anyways even though we didn't invite her.

I glance sideways at Elijah warily. "You guys sure have been busy," I say judgementally. The Originals have spread their vampirism around like the plague, making it so many vampires now walk among us. It's getting harder to point them out.

"Oh please, don't tell me you haven't turned anybody," Elijah says quietly, slightly embarrassed.

"I haven't actually," I correct him. Frankly I've been so consumed in this whole Klaus thing, I never thought of turning anybody; not that I would want to anyways.

"Boys please, can we focus," the mysterious girl shouts quietly, loud enough to catch our attention without causing a scene.

"What do you want anyways? What's the catch?" Elijah tests her, being skeptical as always. I don't blame him however, as it's hard to trust people nowadays.

"No catch," she says. "It's just not often you run into two of your own kind, never mind an original." She sends Elijah a smile.

There's something odd about her, but it's so odd that I find myself liking it. I like her style, and I find myself trusting her for some reason. It's probably her confidence. It's not something many people in this town seem to possess. "What do you know about the doppelgänger?" I finally ask.

"Well," she begins. "One came storming into my cabin a few nights ago, right in the middle of the night. She was so cold, so scared that I gave her a warm blanket and some steaming tea just to warm her up. She was rattled up about something, and she explained everything that was going on. She told me about some sacrifice, how she was going to be killed. I felt bad for her."

"She asked me to turn her, practically begged me to. She said the sacrifice couldn't happen if she was a vampire."

"So what did you do?" I ask.

"I turned her," the girl admits, staring blankly at her hands. I find myself wanting to reach out and take her hand, letting her know she did the right thing. I would never turn someone unless they asked me to.

"Then what happened?" Elijah presses, eager for answers.

"She left the next morning, and I never heard from her again. Never even heard a thank you," she sighs, leaning back in her chair. "But that's not all." She gulps, pursing her lips.

"He showed up the next night, right at my doorstep," she says fearfully, her jaw clenched.

"You mean Klaus?" I gape, glancing warily at Elijah.

"Yes." She nods. "He came in search for the girl, compelled me for answers. I told him everything, without even wanting to. Thankfully he didn't do anything to me, but that poor girl, that poor girl's family was murdered all because she turned herself into a vampire to avoid a curse. That evil bastard killed her whole family," the girl says grimly, an estranged look on her face. The fact that original vampires can compel vampires is a whole new discovery, but I'm more concerned with the fact that Klaus was near town just last night.

"He came last night?" Elijah says incredulously.

"Yes." She nods. "But I haven't seen him since."

Elijah looks over at me, the two of us locking eyes and I know that we're thinking the same thing. "We need to leave," he says, and I nod.

"Yes, we do," I agree.

The three of us stand from the table, Elijah heading upstairs to pack our things and clear any evidence that we were here while I stay back, wanting to speak to the girl.

"Hey," I call as she starts to walk away.

She turns around with a smile, her hands neatly folded in front of her. "I just wanted to say thank you." I smile kindly. "For sharing that information with us, I mean."

"Oh yeah, of course. Anything that could help take down that bastard." She nods, a hint of anger sparkling in her eyes.

"You never told me your name." I point out, taking a single step closer to her.

"Rose." She holds our her hand, and I gladly take it.

"James," I say, surprised by how strong her grip is. I shouldn't be surprised I guess, considering she too is a vampire. "If you want to, you could stop by later. We're just rooming upstairs. We probably won't leave until morning." I suggest, nervously shoving my hands into my pocket.

I told myself that there was no room for personal relationships beyond just friends, but for once I see an opportunity. There's no point falling for a human, as eventually they'll grow old while you stay young. But Rose is a vampire, and she's something new. Something in me tells me to give this a shot.

"Sure, I'll think about it." She smirks, turning around. However as I walk up the stairs I can feel her eyes on me, glancing at me over her shoulder.

∆ ∆ ∆

Rose did in fact show up, in perfect timing too as Elijah had just left to do a little scout around town, watching to make sure there was no mysterious behaviour of any sorts that could mean Klaus was near.

She brought up a bottle of wine from the bar downstairs, along with two glasses and we found ourselves enjoying a nice friendly conversation. The thing that I've learned about Rose, is that she's very loving to big ideas. She hates small talk, so we got right to the deep stuff. She loves ideas exploring around philosophy, and frankly I found myself lost in her rants and speeches about life, and other little things most of us take for granted.

Speaking with Rose allowed time to go by slow, and seeing as I have lived more than four hundred years in what feels like only a year, it feels pretty great. It's astonishing how connecting with a person can make time go still. This is the break that I've needed seeing as the past few centuries have been filled with back to back stress and chases all over the world. It's funny though as we always end up back around home.

"I think what you're doing is great James, you're protecting your family. I just fear that it's destroying you," Rose says seriously, taking a sip of her wine.

"The only thing that destroys me, is knowing he's still out there," I say blankly.

"Why?"

"Each second he's out there, is another second that allows him to ruin another person's life. Hell, it means there's still a chance he could destroy my life even more if that were possible." I chew the inside of my cheek, becoming stressed just thinking about it.

"I don't think your life is completely destroyed." Rose nudges me in the shoulder.

"Oh yeah?" I chuckle, staring at the wine glass in my hand. "How so?"

When she doesn't answer, I look expectantly at her, waiting to hear her response, but she's already leaning in. She moves closer on the bed, turning her whole body towards me as she wraps her arms around my neck, pulling me close.

She is the one to lean in, she is the one to first press her lips to mine. I allow time to stand still for a moment, focusing on the present. As a vampire, physical touch feels like electricity pulsing through your body, much different than it felt as a human. A single kiss can send a shiver straight down your spine. It's almost magical, and I find myself craving closeness. I haven't connected with another person like this in so long, not since I was human.

As Rose begins to undress, Klaus pops back into my mind. I become paranoid, like he might be lurking outside, waiting to strike me down when I'm vulnerable. I freeze, my mind filled with thoughts that distract me from this moment.

"What's the matter?" Rose asks, her fingers tracing my jawline as she notices my body has tensed up.

"It's nothing," I say, trying to dismiss my thoughts as I pull Rose close to kiss her again.

She puts a finger on my lips to stop me, cocking her head to the side. "You're stressed. Is this about Klaus?"

"How did you know?" I laugh slightly, embarrassed.

"Took a wild guess," she says. "You can't live your life in fear forever, you know."

"I just wouldn't want you to get hurt. People that Klaus gets involved with end up hurt," I say. I'm afraid Klaus might find out about us and think to hurt Rose to get to me.

"You see, I'm already involved. I turned the Petrova doppelgänger, preventing Klaus from breaking the curse for at least a few decades, if not more. Who knows when the next doppelgänger will show up again. I have to go on the run now, or Klaus will kill me," she says, and I realize she's right.

"It's not fair," I whisper, thinking of my siblings and the life we now live. I don't know if I would even call it living. We're surviving.

"No, it's not," she agrees. "But we have tonight. I want one last good night before I go on the run."

I smile up at her as she moves to sit on top of me. "I can help you with that," I say.

∆ ∆ ∆

I wake the next morning with Rose already awake and dressed, standing by the window peaking through the curtain. She turns around at the sound of my movement, a small, sad smile on her lips.

"Good, you're awake. I wanted to say goodbye. Thought about leaving a letter but thought that was too cruel," she says, coming to sit on the edge of the bed.

"You're leaving so soon?" I ask.

"Wouldn't want to risk getting hurt, now would I?" she says, teasing me.

I smile while reaching out to hold her hand. "Thank you," I say.

"For what? Sleeping with you?" she chuckles.

I shake my head. "For listening to me. With all this chaos around Klaus, I had told myself not to get into any distractions, but I'm glad I met you. You reminded me to breathe every once and a while."

I don't know what love feels like, but I know I don't love Rose. We have only just met. It was a nice break from reality for the time being, to connect to another person. I wonder if we didn't meet under these circumstances if things would have been different.

She kisses me on the cheek before standing up. "You know, vampires hold the capacity not to feel. You can turn it all off you know, all your humanity, all your emotions. It's just a switch in your head. It just might help you think more clearly, to eliminate this intense anger you hold in."

I furrow my brows, confused as to what she's saying. "I mean, the anger for killing Klaus will be gone, because that's an emotion, but as long as you're still driven to kill him, you'll be able to get the job done," she tells me, moving to stand by the doorway.

"Just try it. Might be worth a shot." She shrugs. "Goodbye, James."

"Goodbye," I whisper, although she's gone.

The idea doesn't sound half bad, and right now I'm willing to do anything. Without emotions, I'll be able to do things quicker, more efficiently. I know I'll be dangerous, but I hope with my vampire control I will be smart.

I scramble up off the bed and write a messy note to Elijah, warning him of what I'm about to do. I explain everything briefly, just in case I'm too stupid not to explain after I flip the switch, and I warn him to bring me back to humanity in case all goes south. I know nothing that will come of it, but I just want to give it a try. At this point I'll try anything.

After writing the note I stand in the middle of the room, fidgeting with my fingers as I try to find this mysterious switch. I simply close my eyes and try to think of compiling all my emotions into the centre of my brain. I quite literally form an imaginary switch in my mind before mentally pulling it.

I feel a small zap in my body, as if electricity has gone through it. I slowly feel all the stress, anger, guilt sadness and every other emotion erase out of me, flowing out my veins until suddenly it's just all gone.

That's when I open my eyes.

_______________________

[complete & edited: 08/21/17 ]