New Alliances (A Vampire Diaries Seasons 3 and 4 Fanfiction)

Chapter 8: The Damage Is Done

After the ball... 

Esther walked through the house, speaking to Elijah angrily. 

'No violence. That was all I asked! Rebekah and Kol have disgraced our family tonight!' 

'It won't happen again, Mother,' he said softly to her. 'I'll deal with them.' She stepped forward, placing a hand on her son's cheek. 

'Thank you, Elijah. I wish the others were more like you.' He took her hand off of his face and held it for a moment, then dropped it, leaving the room just as Finn walked in. The two eldest brothers locked eyes for a moment, then as Elijah left the hall, Finn stepped into the room fully and shut the doors behind him. 

'Are we alright to speak freely?' Finn asked his mother. 

'Yes,' she said, mildly startled. 'The sage still burns.' She pulled a large piece of paper out of the desk and began to write on it as Finn walked around behind her, noticing her facial expressions. And it wasn't of a malevolent witch. It was of a mother who was about to do an ugly thing to bring balance to nature again. 

'You're not having second thoughts, are you?' Finn asked her. 

'Of course not,' the Original Witch replied. 'It's just Elijah. He's so... moral. And the woman he loves - she doesn't deserve to be alone, or to be a part of this.' 

'You're doing the right thing, Mother.' 

'You understand what this means, don't you? This spell I'm casting tonight will bind you all together as one.' 

'I understand. When it is time, I will be ready to die.' 

'Then we must complete the link,' she replied, looking up at him. Placing a knife in his hand, she cut it, letting blood flow freely onto the paper with which she had written the names of her children, including Lilliana. She began to chant slowly, and the blood began to flow over the paper, forming a tree of sorts over the names of her children and Lilliana. Then the spell ended, and the tree was formed, linking the lives of the Mikaelson siblings, and that of Elijah's girlfriend, together as one. The two, mother and son, looked down at the paper. 'The link is complete.' She looked at Finn. 'You are one.' Then the page began to burn. 

Later... 

Elena Gilbert entered her home, followed by Stefan. She began to take off her gloves and overcoat off of her dress. 

'So, Esther wants to kill her family,' Stefan remarked. 'How's that for mother of the year?' 

'Yeah,' Elena said flatly. 'And I got to look Elijah and Lilliana right in the eye and lie to them about it.' 

'Well, good. Can't say I'll be sorry to see any of them go.' 

'I just signed their death sentences, Stefan. And Lilliana was our friend.' 

'No, you signed Klaus' death sentence, Elena. Everyone else is just collateral damage. Lilliana betrayed us when she sided with them.' 

'It's not that simple,' she said, turning around to look at Stefan. 

'The family has brought you nothing but darkness, Elena. It is that simple.' He sighed, then looked back up at her. 'So, uh, where's Damon? I would think that he'd want to make sure that you got home safely.' 

'I'll call him and let him know.' 

'What was with him going after Kol?' 

'Damon being self-destructive. I said something I didn't mean.' 

'So did I,' the vampire replied. 'Anyway... good night.' He left, leaving the door open. He was walking out onto the porch when Elena opened the door fully and spoke. 

'Stefan.' He turned to her. 'Do you really not feel anything?' 

'When?' 

'How do you do that? Act like you don't care, like you don't feel anything? Because I can't do that.' She stepped out of the front door and onto the porch, towards Stefan. 'I feel. I feel... everything.'

'Elena, stop,' he said softly. 

'I'm not going to stop, Stefan, because I don't believe that you feel nothing.' 

'What? Do you think I want to be this person?' he hissed angrily at her. 'I hurt you, Elena. I bit you. I hate myself for what I did to you.' 

'Then show it. Do something.' She reached up, cradling his face in her hands. 'Stefan, anything is better than trying to convince me that you don't care.' 

'I can't,' he replied flatly, but there was a trace of brokeness in his voice. 

'Stefan...' she begged, but he grabbed her hands and forced them down by her sides. Not cruelly, just none too gently. 

'If I let myself care, all I feel is pain.' He let go of her hands, turned and walked away, leaving Elena on the porch alone. 

At the Mikaelson home... 

Elijah walked into the room. I was on the bed, curled up in the blankets, and I sat up when I heard Elijah come in. He shut the door to our bedroom, and began to remove his tie and jacket, placing it on the chair. Once he'd gotten ready for bed, he crawled into his side of the bed and I reached up to give him a sleepy kiss. 

'I missed you,' I said in a soft voice, barely above a whisper. He gave me another kiss, then collected me in his arms and held me close. 'I'm scared, Elijah,' I said. 

'You know I'd do anything to protect you, Lilliana. Right?' he said, looking down at me. 

'I know... I just - I don't want to lose you.' 

'You won't lose me. I promise.' 

'Elena was lying,' I said flatly. 'I could hear her heartbeat, 'Lij.' 

'I know,' he replied, kissing my forehead gently as I began to fall asleep again. 'We'll deal with all that in the morning.'