Brave (Damon Salvatore x OC)

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Klaus is pouring himself a drink in the parlor of the boarding house as Rebekah wrestles a bloody and bruised Alaric up from the basement as Stefan watches.

"That's a little gratuitous, don't you think, Stefan? I would have been more gentle." Klaus tells him.

"I'm gonna take him to the caves." Rebekah informs her brother then looks at Evil Alaric. "You're gonna go inside and fetch me the stake and if you think you're gonna hide, you're wrong." She pushes Alaric towards the door and leaves.

Klaus considers Stefan. "And then there was one. I know about your brother and Ember's little mission to Denver. They failed. Not that that's news anymore."

"So, what are you gonna do now, Klaus? You gonna kill me?" Stefan asks.

"I haven't actually decided yet." Klaus sits down and sips his drink.

"Aww, sure you have. See you've had every chance and every excuse imaginable to do it, but yet you haven't. Which means you don't want to." Stefan declares.

"You know something, you're right. You see, I'm still waiting for my old friend to come back. By the looks of it, he's just beneath the surface. Waiting to come out and play. Isn't that right, Ripper?" Klaus taunts.

Stefan smiles. "I've been fighting that part of myself, thinking that if I repressed it then it would go away. But it won't. And now that I've accepted it, it can't control me. And neither can you. So, unless you're gonna stake me, why don't you get the hell out of my house?" Stefan walks out of the room.

........................

Evil Alaric and Rebekah walk down into the cave below the Lockwood cellar. Rebekah pushes Alaric inside but she stops where the vampire barrier is.

"Go get it. You know I can't get in."

Evil Alaric walks over to a small hidden opening in the rock wall and pulls out the stake. He turns and walks to Esther's coffin where he sits. "Now why would I give you the one thing that requires everyone to keep me alive?"

Rebekah smirks. "Are we bargaining now? Fine. What's your offer?" She sounds bored.

"There's only one stake. Which means only one Original has to die. Help me and I'll make sure it's not you." He offers.

"Tenuous, but points for effort. You see, I don't want one Original to die." Rebekah steps over the vampire barrier and Alaric takes a step back in surprise. "I want them all to die."

"How the hell did you do that?" Ric demands.

"It was easy to fool Niklaus, but I thought you of all people would understand. After all, my son did use your body at one point." She comments.

"You're not Rebekah." Ric realizes.

"No. My name is Esther and we have a great deal in common." She tells him.

.............................

It's daytime and in the living room of Klaus's mansion he is working on a painting on an easel when Rebekah/Esther enters.

"What took you so long?" He asks.

"Alaric didn't want to hand over the stake." She waves the stake in her hand. "Luckily I'm quite the charmer."

Klaus steps towards her. "That's it?"

"The last of the white oak stakes that can kill us." She tells him. "Do you want to do the honors or shall I?"

Klaus puts his paintbrush down and takes the stake from Rebekah/Esther and throws it into the flames in the fireplace. The flames flare up around the stake as it burns quickly.