CHAPTER SEVEN | ORDINARY PEOPLE

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DAMON HAD TOLD RILEY ABOUT THE CAVE DRAWINGS THAT HE AND MASON LOCKWOOD HAD FOUND INSIDE THE TUNNELS. The area where the images were located in the tunnel just happened to be a part where no vampire could enter. So, Alaric had entered and taken pictures of the images so that Damon could see.

"These images tell a story," Alaric explained to the group whilst he spread the pictures across his kitchen counter. Though, Damon was busy training Elena to fight all while Riley mocked. "To learn the story you have to decipher these images."

"Sloppy," Damon commented in Elena's direction once she made a poor choice in attack.

"Shut up. I'm new at this." Elena retorted. She yanked the stake back from his grasp, then glanced to his girlfriend. "Please, tell him to shut up."

"Woah. Hey, I'm not getting involved. I'm just enjoying the show." Riley raised her hands in surrender, then Damon turned around and smirked at her.

"Get involved, then." He pulled the strawberry-blonde up from her seat just as she swiftly kicked him. Damon, however, managed to block the kick as he grabbed her ankle."Of course. Ghost of Christmas past, Mason Lockwood, said that the cave would lead us to a weapon to kill Klaus."

Riley swung at him once more when she noticed how caught off-guard he was with his conversation, but he still managed to block it. "The only reason you're winning is that you're dead."

"Ooh, hurtful, Riles." Damon bit his lip and then placed a hand over his heart. "You've wounded me."

"Doesn't Mikael have a weapon?" Elena wandered into the kitchen and began to pour herself a coffee whilst Damon and Riley fought in the middle of the room.

"Yes, which probably means the wall will lead us to Mikael who we've already found and lost." Damon finally spoke before he grabbed Riley and yanked her body against his. "Bang. You're dead." He whispered into her ear and felt her entire body vibrate within his hold.

"These images at the very least might tell us what that weapon is," Alaric spoke with his eyes fixed on the pictures.

"Then all we have to do is find out what they mean," Elena gave a hopeful smile toward the rest of the group.

"And, how the hell are we going to do that?" Riley headed over to the table covered in pictures once she and Damon had finished training. "I mean, look at these things, they're confusing as hell."

"Well, if the story's about the Original family living here, then we go straight to the source. Rebekah."

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Elena decided the best use of her time would be to speak to none other than Rebekah about the unusual drawings of her family underneath the Lockwood cellar. Damon and Riley went to go check on Stefan, who was detoxing from his Ripper-spree down in the old Forbes jail cell.

"You know, if you three are going to keep me locked in here for the next decade, I think we can skip the routine visits." Stefan weakly snarled from the chair that he was bound to.

"You know, I'm not a big champion of the whole Lexi-recovery plan." Damon stepped forward into the cell keeping Riley behind him in case Stefan tried anything.

"Elena thinks this place will weaken you, and then eventually you'll get right back to your old self," Riley commented just as she stepped out of her boyfriend's shadow."And, I agree. I could really do with having my best friend back."

"We should all listen to Elena, right? I mean, her plans always work out so well, don't they?" The Ripper glared at the pair before a heavy sigh escaped his lips. "Why are you two here?"

"What are you talking about? It's family day in vampire rehab so I'm paying a visit to my baby brother." Damon chuckled softly.

Stefan closed his eyes in frustration. "Go away."

"Nah. You see, Riley and I were chatting and I thought we could hang out." Damon began to circle his brother, who clearly had enough of conversation. "How you been, Stef, huh?"

"You know, Klaus may want to keep Elena alive but that doesn't mean she's safe with Rebekah." Stefan's eyes drifted over to the strawberry-blonde witch.

"You're lying." Riley shook her head and folded her arms across her chest whilst a scoff escaped her lips. "If Elena really was in danger, you'd be working your ass off to get the hell outta here since you're compelled to protect her."

"You got me. You got me." Stefan chuckled before his face returned back to its original dull expression. "Which means you can both go now."

Just before Damon and Riley were about to leave, the Salvatore glanced back to his brother. Stefan looked completely defeated, and Damon had never really seen that look before. "You really have given up, haven't you?"

"Actually, this is my happy face." The Ripper glared at the couple with a fake smile.

Damon had enough. He simply stepped forward and yanked the chains from Stefan's wrist that kept him bound to the chair. Riley ran over and pulled Damon away with an incredulous look on her face. "What are you doing? We're supposed to be drying his ass out."

"Screw this Lexi plan." Damon shrugged. "I think we could all use a drink."

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"Okay, so you're not gonna like what's just gone down," Riley spoke down the phone to Elena as she followed a little behind the Salvatore's, who led her into a bar. "Wait, I forgot to ask. Are you okay? Still standing?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Riley, I can't really talk right now just fill me in later, okay?"

"We'll be at the bar," Stefan yelled in Riley's direction and she swore that the moment Stefan spoke, she heard a sigh leave Elena's lips.

"Wait, was that Stefan?" The doppelganger breathlessly asked.

"Yeah, about that—" Riley began to explain, but Elena was quick to cut her off before she got a word in.

"Why the hell would Damon let him out? Didn't you try and stop him?"

Damon heard Elena rant down the other end of the phone and simply took it from Riley. "Elena, I've got this." He ended the call and handed the phone back to his girlfriend. "What are we drinking?"

"Hopefully something a little bit warmer," Stefan looked around the bar and waved toward a young woman. "A little blonder."

"Hello, Callie." Damon's voice trailed off as he read the nametag of the bartender that approached them. "My lovely girlfriend and I would love a shot of your best whisky, while my brother here would love a shot of you." He compelled the girl before taking her wrist and waving it in Stefan's face.

Stefan raised an eyebrow in disbelief toward Damon and Riley. "What's the catch?"

"No catch, brother. Drink up, it's on me." Damon smirked out as he watched Stefan sink his teeth into Callie's wrist.

The trio had been at the bar for just over an hour and the alcohol was slowly starting to get to Riley's head. The strawberry-blonde was somewhat of a lightweight, and Damon knew that. She took a seat on Damon's lap while his hands snaked around her waist whilst they played a drinking game.

"You've been on this bunny diet for the better part of fifty years. So, how is it that Saint Stefan, of all people, is good at a drinking game?" Damon questioned whilst he eyed up the empty glasses around their table.

"Well, the bunny diet gave me a lot of time to practice." The younger Salvatore shrugged out. "Wallow in despair." He spoke, then he flipped a coin into the glass. "Drown in guilt." Another. "Regret my existence." He flicked another. "It's precision born out of tragic boredom. Drink up, brother."

"It's just sad seeing how far you have fallen, Stefan." Riley rolled her eyes as she slowly lifted her head from Damon's shoulder. "You used to be real fun, you know."

"You two are worse than Elena. Getting me drunk, bonding. What? You think I'll break down, and you could pull me back from the edge, is that it?"

"I happen to like the edge, Stefan. Your problem is your inability to resist falling over it." Damon explained."You're all or nothing, man. You can't just be. Although, who am I to judge."

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It was the first time in such a long time they Riley and Damon actually were free to experience each other without the drama. They were busy enjoying themselves in a drunken state a the bar. The strawberry-blonde was still sat on Damon's lap with one arm around his neck, the other tugged softly on his hair whilst her lips were passionately pressed against his.

Damon couldn't quite believe this side of Riley— the carefree attitude she displayed when she had consumed a fair bit of alcohol impressed him. Though, the couple had stopped once they noticed Stefan was drawing a little too much attention to himself.

"Nothing to see here," Damon stepped in front of a passer-by and began to compel her to. "Run along." Damon immediately yanked Stefan away from the waitress he was feeding on. "Hey, ease up. She's giving us her employee discount."

"Alright. Time to fess up, both of you. What's the point in the jailbreak, hm?" Stefan questioned the couple as they walked over to the bar again.

"You looked kinda sad, you know?" Riley simply stated. "I guess Damon was right. You could use a little time-out. If we wanna get you back, leaving you to rot alone is hardly the way to do it, hm?"

"Oh, come on. You know, Elena's going to hate the pair of you for letting me out."

"Maybe I wanted to remind you what freedom was like before Klaus took it from you." Damon simply shrugged in response with his hand wrapped around Riley's waist.

"So long as Klaus is alive I do as he says."

"Yeah. Because you're his little bitch, now. When was the last time you did something you wanted to do? You've gone off the rails. Boom. Maybe you should do something about it."

"Riley. He can't be killed." Stefan snapped with an irritated tone of voice.

"Maybe I can help with that," A British voice spoke from behind them. They turned to see a man stood with a smirk plastered across his face. "The Salvatore boys, and the lovely Evans witch I presume?"

Stefan shifted uncomfortably the moment he realized who the man could have been. "Mikael?"

Mikael nodded slowly, whilst he eyed Stefan up and down. "Is Klaus out of the country?" Mikael asked the compelled Salvatore.

"I can't tell you." Stefan simply stated with his arms folded across his chest. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't answer Mikael's questions.

"Has he spoken to you since he left?" The Original vampire pressed once more.

"I can't tell you," Stefan answered again, this time a small smile on his face.

"Alright. Can you tell me the last time you spoke to Niklaus?" Mikael tried a different approach, though Stefan couldn't answer still.

The Salvatore rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. "I am compelled to do as he says and he says to keep my damn mouth shut."

"I really hope this game of twenty questions isn't your secret weapon." Damon cut in with a sarcastic tongue, His hands still remained on Riley's waist as she glared at the Original vampire.

"You see, Damon." Mikael edged forward and placed a hand on Damon's shoulder just as he glanced down to Riley."I've been a vampire hunter longer than you've been alive. It's why I found you here. It's why I'm gonna find Niklaus."

"Hasn't he been running from you for like, ever? I mean, good luck with that, but sadly I don't hold out any hope, to be honest." Riley spoke out of ignorance.

Irritated by her attitude, Mikael simply grabbed her by arm and pulled her into his hold whilst he applied pressure against her neck. "Careful boys, one move, and I'll snap her little pretty neck quicker than you can blink," Mikael warned with darkened eyes. "Now, where is Klaus? It's not a trick question, Stefan. One twist and she's dead. Unless you don't care, of course."

Damon attempted to grab Riley from Mikael's grip, but instead, Mikael plunged his free hand straight through Damon's chest. The moment he did so, Stefan twitched. "Stefan's emotions have been shut off, he can't care."

"Really? His link to Klaus is so strong that he'd let his own brother die?" Mikael raised an eyebrow in Stefan's direction. "As well as his best friend? No ideas, hm? Think Stefan." The Salvatore remained silent, which caused Mikael to roll his eyes. "I think you're right, he's a dead end and so are the pair of you."

"Wait!" Stefan called out after a moment of hesitation. "I can bring him back. I can lure Klaus back to Mystic Falls."

With that, Mikael withdrew his hand from Damon's chest. He let Riley go and pushed her back into Damon's arms. "And there is our loophole. Just had a rail him up a bit." Mikael withdrew a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped his hand of Damon's blood. "Get Klaus back to Mystic Falls and I will gladly drive a stake through his heart. Fail, and I will drive it through yours."

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