Power of Artemis

Stuck

"So what's it gonna be? You hold both weapons. Tunde's blade would put me down, but the stake could finish me off for good." Nik exclaims.

"Well-- unlike you, brother-- I have no taste for fratricide. [He holds up the stake] I only hold this to keep it from you. [He holds up Papa Tunde's blade] This is just my insurance." Elijah says.

"Why must you defend her? Rebekah betrayed you, as well, when she brought Mikael here." I ask him.

"Because she is our sister, and because I like to remember her the way that she was before we became what we became. [He flashes back to the Mikaelson children, all five of them, as they wrestle and laugh outside] She was an innocent girl, quick to laugh, full of life." Elijah says.

"My memories serve to make her betrayal more painful." Nik says.

"Can you not then accept some small part of the blame? After all, Niklaus, it was your cruelty that led her to do what she did." Elijah tells him.

"Do you not see, Elijah? She didn't mean to chase me off. She wanted me dead." Nik yells.

"You're wrong." Elijah says.

"She has always hated me. You know that's true." Nik glares.

"You have no idea, do you? You have no idea what she was prepared to do for you. When our sister sees something that she perceives to be an injustice, she can be stubborn, impetuous, and, at times, downright dangerous. And never was this more apparent than the night she tried to kill our father." Elijah says. In flashback, a young Rebekah grabs a knife, and wanders over to where Mikael was sleeping, fully ready to kill him.

"What is this, some melodramatic fiction designed to garner my sympathy?" I ask him.

"It is the truth. I was there. And she would have done it, all to protect you, had I not stopped her. I often wished that I could revisit that moment, complete the task myself." Elijah says. In flashback, Rebekah steels herself to kill Mikael as he slept, but before she could, Elijah discovered what she was about to do, and grabs the knife from her hand before yanking her back to her bed.

"Why are you telling me this now?" Nik asks.

"Niklaus, sometimes our sister acts without thinking. She's short of temper, she's quick to fall in love, but she loves you. But, your malicious treatment has broken her heart. So, yes, she responded by summoning our father. Yes, that was a mistake. I'm not entirely sure that I can blame her." Elijah says.

"I can." Nik says. Nik vamp-speeds to the tomb where Rebekah is hiding, but Elijah beats him there, defensively holding a weapon in each of his hands.

"Niklaus, so help me--" Elijah says.

"Are you really going to stand against me? And not with that pathetic blade. You'd just have to pull it out someday, and then I'd hate you as I do her, now. If you want to protect Rebekah, you'll need to use the white oak stake." Nik asks.

"I don't have to listen to this nonsense." Elijah exclaims.

"Oh, don't pretend you haven't thought about it. You look at me, and you see everything you abhor in yourself. Sure, you dress it up with your fancy suits and your handkerchiefs. You, with your mask of civility and eloquence, you're every bit the abomination I am. Or worse. Go on, Elijah. Go on. Use the white oak stake." Nik says and Elijah throws the white oak stake far away and glares at Nik.

"I'm not so cowardly that I have to kill you, Niklaus, but if I have to make you suffer to protect Rebekah, that is what I will do." Elijah says.

"You see? I knew you couldn't do it. You still cling to the hope that I can be redeemed, and if the bastard can be saved, then maybe there's hope for you. [Klaus vamp-speeds over to Elijah, grabs Papa Tunde's blade, and stabs it into Elijah's heart] There. Now you know how it feels." Nik smirks. Elijah falls to the ground, gasping in agony and glaring at Nik. Suddenly, Rebekah appears behind him.

"That was supposed to be my line. [She holds up the white oak stake that she just picked up from where Elijah threw it] Now, I have this. So I decide who lives and who dies. I'm taking out that blade." Rebekah says.

"You'll have to kill me first, and now you hold the means to do so. Why not finish what you started a century ago?" Nik asks.

"I did not want you dead. I wanted you to run." Rebekah says.

"Liar! You wanted revenge." Nik shouts.

"You drove me to betray you, and now you want to twist it and make it worse so you can justify killing me instead of accepting your own fault? All I did was love your friend! You could've been happy for us, but instead, in your paranoia, you feared losing us both. And, because of that, you did. There is no one else to blame, Nik. Only you." Rebekah shouts.

"Where is Marcel now, hmm? I thought he loved you, and yet he left you trapped in here with me." Nik says.Rebekah and Nik are still in a standoff. Nik stands next to Elijah, preventing Rebekah from removing Tunde's blade from his chest, but Rebekah still holds the white oak stake.

"You against me. It's hardly a fair fight, is it? I mean, perhaps, if Marcel were here, you'd stand a chance, but I expect he's already found another girl. No doubt younger and prettier." Nik says.

"You take joy in other people's pain, and then you wonder why I hate you." Rebekah exclaims.

"Yes, and that hatred led you to do what you did. Admit the truth. Admit you wanted me dead." Nik shouts at her.

"I wanted you to run, that is all-- despite your delusions." Rebekah yells.

"Elijah lies suffering, and I will allow you to help him. All you have to do is admit it." Nik tells her.

"You're insane." Rebekah says.

"Yes! Yes! I am a vicious, heartless monster, and so you summoned Mikael to kill me. Admit it." Nik exclaims.

"It's not true." Rebekah tells him.

"You know what you did. Admit it." Nik tells her.

"I didn't." Rebekah lies to herself.

"You wanted me dead! Admit it." Nik shouts.

"Maybe I did. Nik--" Nik shocked that she actually admitted it, angrily stabs Rebekah with the white oak stake. Rebekah awakens to find Nik and I sitting on a nearby tomb, Nik is holding the white oak stake.

"You missed my heart." Rebekah says.

"Perhaps I did. Or, perhaps I never meant to kill you. Perhaps I just wanted you to feel a fraction the fear I felt when Father came for me." Nik tells her.

"Do you yourself know the truth?" Rebekah asks.

"I know this. You accuse me of being evil, and yet you are the one who conspired to kill your own blood." Nik says.

"You made our lives a living hell. You tormented us." Rebekah exclaims.

"I love my family-- You, Elijah. I loved all of you. [He walks toward Rebekah and looks her in the eyes] I know I can be difficult, but I did not make myself this way. It was Mikael who ruined me." Nik says and I stand beside him holding his hand.

"He ruined me, too. That's what you forget. Centuries later, each of us is broken. You with your anger and paranoia, me with my fear of abandonment. And poor Elijah. [She looks over at where he's laying, Papa Tunde's blade still stuck in his chest] He dedicates himself to everyone but himself. We are the strongest creatures in the world, and yet, we are damaged beyond repair. We live without hope, but we will never die. We are the definition of "cursed." Always and forever." Rebekah whispers quietly.