'love?' when you live as long I have, 'love' is a surprisingly rare occurrence, something that many would have given up on. Yet, as I look into the eyes of the man in front of me - his innocent blue eyes filled with hope of what life holds and fear...
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And then there was one.
Salvatore mansion
The Salvatore mansion loomed in the darkness, a silent witness to the unfolding drama within its walls. Stefan stood tense, his gaze fixed on Klaus as the hybrid poured himself a drink with casual indifference. Rebekah entered the room, her arms supporting a bloodied Alaric, his presence a grim reminder of the brutality that lurked just beyond their doorstep.
"It's a little gratuitous, don't you think, Stefan?" Klaus remarked, his voice dripping with mockery as he eyed the scene before him. "I would have been more gentle," he added, a twisted smile playing at the corners of his lips.
"Rebekah's voice cut through the tense air like a knife, each word dripping with determination as she outlined her plan. "I'm going to take him to the caves," she declared, her tone devoid of hesitation, belying the turmoil that undoubtedly raged within her. "You're going to go inside and fetch me the stake," she commanded, her words carrying a quiet yet undeniable menace. "And if you think you can hide, you're wrong," she warned, her gaze piercing through the shadows with a steely resolve that brooked no argument.
"And then there was one," Klaus mused, his words carrying the weight of impending doom as Rebekah led Alaric out of the room, leaving Stefan and Klaus alone in the suffocating silence of the mansion.
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Cave
In the depths of the cave, Rebekah guided Alaric to the part where no vampire could tread, her movements purposeful and resolute. "Go get it," she commanded, her voice echoing off the damp walls of the cavern, her eyes fixed on Alaric with an unwavering intensity. "You know I can't get in," she reminded him, her tone tinged with a hint of frustration.
Alaric retrieved the stake from its hidden alcove within the cave, his movements slow and deliberate as he faced Rebekah. With a heavy sigh, he leaned against the nearby coffin, his expression a mask of defiance. "Now, why would I give you the one thing that requires everyone to keep me alive?" he challenged, his voice tinged with skepticism.
"Are we bargaining now?" Rebekah retorted, a wry smile playing at the corners of her lips. "Fine. What is your offer?" she inquired, her eyes narrowing as she assessed Alaric's resolve.
"There's only one stake out there. Which means only one original has to die. Help me. And I will make sure it is not you," Alaric proposed, his words weighted with the gravity of their situation.
"Tenuous, but points for effort," Rebekah conceded, her gaze unwavering as she contemplated his offer. "You see, I don't want one original to die," she admitted, her voice soft yet laced with a steely determination. "I want them all to die," she declared, her words echoing off the cavern walls with chilling finality.
Alaric's confusion was palpable as he struggled to comprehend Rebekah's sudden shift in demeanor. "How the hell did you do that?" he demanded, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"It was easy to fool Niklaus, but I thought you, of all people, would understand," Rebekah replied cryptically, her features hardening as she took a step forward. "After all, my son did use your body at one point," she added, her words hanging in the air like a dark omen.
"You are not Rebekah," Alaric asserted, his voice tinged with a note of defiance.
"No," Rebekah conceded, a sinister smile curving her lips. "My name is Esther," she revealed, her eyes gleaming with a newfound sense of purpose. "And we have a great deal in common," she concluded, her voice laced with a chilling certainty.
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(A/N - Rebekah convincing Klaus to got to the decade dance and burning the last (fake) white oak stake and all that, and Damon talking to Dr. Meredith about Alaric and herbs, let's jus assume happened, hehehe, shall we? :) :) (: (: hehehe. )
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Burial Ground
In the solemn silence of the graveyard, Rebekah and Alaric traversed the hallowed ground, their footsteps echoing off the weathered tombstones as they made their way towards the burial site of the Salvatores. "Why are we here?" Alaric questioned, his voice tinged with uncertainty as he gazed around at the desolate landscape.
"Long ago, my son tore my heart from my chest. The violence of my death marked this ground for all time," Rebekah explained, her words heavy with the weight of centuries-old pain and resentment.
Entering the Salvatore burial ground, they beheld the last remnants of a forgotten era: the last white oak stake and a chalice, symbols of power and destruction. "I will need your ring," Rebekah stated matter-of-factly, her eyes fixed on Alaric with an unwavering determination.
"Ah, why would I give you the one thing that protects me from death?" Alaric countered, his voice edged with skepticism as he struggled to comprehend the gravity of Rebekah's request.
"I will give you all the protection you need. However, the stake will burn up in the body of its first victim," Rebekah explained, her tone resolute as she laid out the terms of their dark bargain. "If you are to kill all my children, I will need to bind the protective magic in your ring to the stake, thus rendering the white oak indestructible," she concluded, her gaze unwavering as she held out her hand to receive the ring.
Alaric hesitated for a moment before relenting, placing the ring in Rebekah's outstretched palm. With a solemn nod, she placed the ring in the chalice and began to chant the ancient spell, her voice echoing through the stillness of the night. Suddenly, fire erupted from the chalice, engulfing the ring in a blaze of brilliant light before melting it away into nothingness.
"The ultimate weapon... for the ultimate hunter," Rebekah proclaimed, her voice reverberating with a sense of foreboding as she dipped the white oak stake into the molten metal, sealing their dark alliance with a promise of destruction.
