Dark Heretic (E. St. John)

Epilogue

3 years later.

Nick rushes to Enzo's body after he rips his heart out and Bonnie stabs the cure she got from the Prison World into Stefan. Nick grabs Enzo's heart and drags him inside. Nick shoves Enzo's back into his chest and he starts chanting while forcing himself not to cry. He does cry in relief when it starts to work. Bonnie sighs in relief when Enzo gasps awake and Nick removes his hand from his chest. Enzo yanks him down into his arms, his eyes are wide as he stares at Stefan, whose eyes are wide and tearful as he is a human now.

"I have to go," Nick says. "I love you, Lorenzo."

Enzo's heart soars. "I love you, too, Nickolas."

Nick kisses him. He rushes to Mystic Falls with Bonnie in his arms and sees the Hellfire. He enters the flames and he starts chanting, absorbing the Hellfire, siphoning it.

Enzo pops up beside Bonnie and grabs her arm before she can stop Nick. "Don't," he says. "He's siphoning the fire. Saving the town."

"Can he do it?" Bonnie asks.

"Well, he siphoned the Devil to death," Enzo says. "I think Nick can handle a little Hellfire."

"Right... he was the one to kill Cade," Bonnie says. "And he helped the Saltzman twins kill Sybil. He killed Kai Parker. Katherine. He's taken out every enemy without hesitating. He's got this." She watches as the flames actually start to fade. "He's doing it," she gasps. "Holy crap, he's actually doing it."

"Come on, love," Enzo murmurs.

The fires disappear and they see Nick flowing red all over because of the flames. Kol, who came up for New Orleans to help Nick out, opens the dark vase he has and Nick releases the flames into it.

"Now, a brand new prison world for this fire, Darling,"  Kol says.

Nick nods. He does a spell with an ascendant that he took from the Gemini Coven when they all died when Kai killed himself to become a heretic. The vase seemingly disappears with the ascendant.

"And there is no ascendant on this physical plane," Nick says.

Kol smiles and he looks around. "Holy crap." He smiles. "You did it. You saved Mystic Falls, Nickolas James. I am so bragging to Elijah. We need your help. That's another reason I agreed to come. The Hollow. Can you take it out of Nik before he and Elijah kill each other?"

"Go," Enzo says. "I'll help clean up."

Nick nods. He kisses Enzo before he runs off with Kol. They go to the public New Orleans street where Klaus and Elijah are. Nick walks over and he grabs Klaus's arm without warning. Klaus gasps as the siphoning begins. Elijah's eyes widen.

"You did go to Mystic Falls," Elijah says to Kol.

"Nick needed my help magically locking away Hellfire, literally," Kol replies. "He siphoned and absorbed it and used the spell that Freya sent. In return, he's getting rid of the Hollow. He's stronger now than he was before. His boyfriend helps him practice. Enzo, attractive and nice guy. Nick brought him back to life after Stefan killed him. Stefan's human now."

"They've been through a lot there, too, then," Elijah says.

"Yes,"Kol replies.

Klaus's eyes glow electric blue as Nick continues. Klaus roars as the Hollow dies out and he pants once Nick is done.

"Bloody hell," Klaus pants. "Nickolas?"

"Hello, Klaus," Nick greets. "The new Other Side isn't quite done yet, so I couldn't have to dying on me yet."

Klaus rolls his eyes and he sees someone tackle Nick in a hug, thanking him over and over. He sees that it's Hope, his daughter with Hayley, who was killed by a brainwashed Elijah. Nick is surprised.

"You're welcome?"

"Nick, this is my daughter, Hope," Klaus says. "Hope, this is Nick James, Elijah's ex. The Dark Heretic I told you about."

"You saved my dad's life, Nick," Hope says. "Thank you for making me keep at least one parent."

"Hayley..."

"Elijah killed her," Klaus says. "But he wasn't in his right mind. She found peace, though."

"I could use your sister's help making the new Other Side," Nick says and he reveals the pendant. "And yours, too, Hope, if you're willing."

"Yes!" Hope replies. "I want to help with a big spell. Come with me."

Hope grabs Nick's hand and they rush off. Elijah exhales shakily.

"He just saved me," Klaus says. "Why?"

"Because of Elijah," Kol says. "He saved you for him."

"Who's this new boyfriend?" Elijah asks.

"He's not new," Kol says. "According to Bonnie Bennett, they've been together for three, almost four years. Enzo was the bad guy first. His name's Lorenzo St. John, or just Enzo to his friends. Accented."

Elijah sighs. "At least he's happy," he says.

"Exactly," Klaus says.
****

Hope hugs Nick once more when they're done with the Other Side spell. "Thank you for including me," she says.

"Of course," Nick says. "Freya... here." She hands the anchor to her. "You put this someplace safe. I have to go help clean up Mystic Falls after the Hellfire."

"We're coming with you,"  Rebekah says as she and her man Marcel come in with Klaus, Elijah, and Kol. "We'll help."

Nick nods. Once Freya puts the pendant someplace secure, they all head up to Mystic Falls and help clean it up.