Penumbra

Chapter 1

Hey all,

I'm in the midst of writing chapter 8 of Saved but this story has been bugging me for a while. I think it's a one shot. Anyway, this is how I envision the crossover between the Originals and TVD going.

I'm sorry about writing about the kid but it's like the elephant in the room.

I hope you enjoy,

K

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In the darkest hour he sits with his child in his arms. His eyes are locked on the new born whose face was so much like his. The baby's tiny chest rises and falls in a decreasing pattern. It has been a long night. Frankly it has been 12 long weeks. 12 weeks that have changed, destroyed, everything. At the end of the day, it all leads to the next hour.

It shouldn't be long now. He can feel it.

Guilt is not something that he allows but if there's any moment, this is the one. It gnaws at him that he had not felt anything for this little flesh of his flesh until this moment; that he hates the mother and had intended to kill her as soon as the babe was out. He hates that he wishes she was someone else in this whole situation. He regrets that this child was born to be but an instrument. What good is guilt, though?

This child was born to die.

The tiny breath hitches and his heart trembles knowing the end is near.

In the background somewhere, he hears the mother whimper. She knows it too. He doesn't look at her. In truth, he doesn't care. He only has minutes left and like he's done for the past three hours, he dedicates those solely to the child. He wants, needs, every moment uninterrupted with this blood of his blood.

The child's eyes open slowly and his heart wrenches. They open to see before they close forever. His heart leaps to his throat. The emotions are too much and he can't set them free. He'll suppress and then murder a couple of towns, maybe a whole country. He feels the little heart slow some more as the eyes stare firmly into his. This innocent little creature would have lived and died and the only sight would be the eyes of his father. He couldn't bring himself to share. But he walks to the window and turns the baby him towards the moon without taking his eyes off him.

The little body is working so hard to create the next breath that he knows it's only a couple left. He hears something flash behind him but doesn't turn around. He turns the baby to face him again when he hears Rebekah's voice.

"I got the Doppelganger blood."

He turns around and for this first time he takes his eyes off the child to send a warning to hers. He wouldn't forget this taunt. She ignores him and steps up, and opens a vial, dips a dropper and inserts it in the child's mouth. She waits and then drops some more before leaving it in for good. The child mouth begins to move slowly and after a while, latches onto it. It's amazing. The act of a child simply latching. He doesn't want to move when the heartbeat begins to speed up. He looks up to find Rebekah smiling.

"She will live." She declares.

"How?" He says still enthralled in the bundle in his arms.

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The day before

"She's gone." Damon tells Caroline.

"What? Gone where?" She stunned then says "Klaus."