Try {One | Alaric Saltzman}

Memorial

Abigail moved into Elena's doorway as soon as she gasped awake, but Stefan was the one who explained it all to her. He said it all slowly, from the choice Meredith made to heal her with Damon's blood to Rebekah's act of retaliation that sent Matt's truck off of Wickery Bridge. Not that it would make a difference.

"I was ready to die. I was supposed to die. I don't... I don't want to be-" Elena cut herself off, vigorously shaking her head. "I can't be a vampire! If there's something that Bonnie can do, we have to try."

Stefan took her hand. "We will. We'll try everything."

"Your choice, Elena..."

"Abigail, I can't."

"Bea, I-" He pulled her against his chest, smoothing her hair down as he whispered, "My dark side was dangerous enough as a human. I can't be a vampire."

"Hey," Damon called after her as they walked into Klaus' mansion. "Get your head in the game."

There were paintings everywhere, some destroyed, some intact, all signed with the same initials. Tables were smashed, paint was splattered, and there were brushes scattered across the floor.

Rebekah's form jerked to a stop at the base of the stairs. "You should know better than to sneak up on a lady."

"Good advice." He tilted his head to the side. "Have you seen one?"

"You have to understand, Alaric killed my brother." She faced them. "He was trying to kill me. I had to do something to stop him."

"You did to my sister what your brother did to me," Abigail growled. "You took from her all that you want: a human life."

"At least you still have her! I will never see my brother again!"

"Yes, you will!" She yelled. "Bonnie did a spell to protect him. Which you would have known if you would have run to a safe place instead of killing my sister!"

"What are you going to do? Kill me?"

"She won't," Damon seethed, "but I will."

He rushed at her with the indestructible white oak stake. Suddenly, wooden bullets came through the window. Just as Rebekah fell to the ground, temporarily dead, Abigail and Damon sped out of the house.

"And I love you, Abigail. I love you so much that it makes me wonder if I'll ever be able to live without you."

She rested her forehead against his. "I love you, too, Alaric."

The Gilbert residence was empty with signs of a struggle when they returned. "They're gone. Whoever nailed Rebekah, took them too. Please tell me you have something. Anything."

Liz walked inside. "I can't. The Council locked Carol and me out of our offices. Files, computers, everything."

Abigail laughed darkly. "So, the mayor and the sheriff never contemplated a backup plan?"

"Relax," Meredith blurted.

"Relax? You want us to relax when the lives of people we love are at stake?"

She ignored her. "When Caroline called to say she got away; did she know where they were planning to take her?"

Liz shook her head. "Just that she was in some van in the middle of nowhere and she managed to escape."

"Perfect," Damon sang. "We've narrowed it down to nowhere."

"Nowhere," he laughed out. "It doesn't sound like nowhere."

"Fine. I'm at Matt's. On the back porch." She looked up at the sky. "I would much rather be with you."

"You're drunk."