Tiberius Salvatore: Mikaelson Extended

27

"It was nice meeting you, Joseph."
"Nice to meet you too, Anya. And you, Rio."
"Pleasure's all mine."
"Rio, if I may ask, I got the sense you hate your mother."
"What's the question?"
"Why do you hate her?"
"It's a long story. I've bumped into her as a vampire in the past, and it wasn't pretty. She's changed quite a bit since she was human."
"Oh." Joseph replied, sensing Rio wouldn't specify. "Anyways, you two probably should get going. Please come visit anytime."
"Depends, will you invite me in?" Rio joked. Joseph hadn't really invited him inside yet.
"I'll invite you in right now, in case you ever need me. Please, do come in." Joseph said, gesturing to his home.
"Maybe next time. Goodness knows what's waiting for me back in New Orleans." Rio smiled. Joseph nodded and Rio started to walk away, an arm slung over Anya's shoulder.
"I got cute baby pictures of you!" Anya squealed. Rio rolled his eyes.
"I know."
"I'm going to show them to Klaus, and Rebekah, and Elijah, and even mother. I'm sure she'd love to see these pictures."
"I'm sure she would. But do you have to show them to Klaus? I'll never hear the end of them."
"I know. But it's way too late. You're not getting them!"
"Then I'm grounding you." Rio said with a laugh. Anya rolled her eyes.
"You need to work on your comebacks." She told him, and his phone rang.
"Yes?" Rio asked. Anya frowned as his face changed to a more stern look. "Yeah, of course, thanks. Okay. I'll see you."
"Who was that?"
"Elijah. Turns out New Orleans is no place to be right now for any human. There's a war between the witches and the vampires. Between Klaus and Rebekah. You can't go back."
"You mean we can't go back, right?" She asked him.
"I have to. Klaus is at his worst. I can't turn my back on my best friend in his time of need."
"Let me come with you."
"I can't lose you. It'll be more dangerous there than it has ever been in Mystic Falls. Sam is in Arizona. I need you to get there, now. You know where she is."
"But-"
"I'll be fine. I promise. Klaus won't hurt me."
"Rio-"
"Please Anya? I beg you please." She stared at him before nodding.
"Okay." She muttered the spell and disappeared but not before giving him a hug and telling him to stay safe.

"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." Rio came to the cemetery and listened for Klaus. He walked to where he heard the sounds and discovered Elijah's body in front. He wasn't dead- so Rio would come back for him later.
"You take joy in other people's pain, and then you wonder why I hate you." Rebekah sneered at him.
"Yes, and that hatred led you to do what you did. Admit the truth. Admit you wanted me dead." Rio didn't know how to announce himself, so he decided to wait a minute before intervening. Maybe Rebekah could talk him down.
"I wanted you to run, that is all-- despite your delusions."
"Elijah lies suffering, and I will allow you to help him. All you have to do is admit it."
"You're insane."
"Yes! Yes! I am a vicious, heartless monster, and so you summoned Mikael to kill me. Admit it." Klaus was trying to provoke Rebekah into some sort of confession but Rio didn't understand what Mikael had to do with it.
"It's not true."
"You know what you did. Admit it."
"I didn't."
"You wanted me dead! Admit it."
"Maybe I did. Nik--" Rebekah stops herself as though just realising what she said. Rio barely had time to process before Klaus lunged at her with the white oak stake.
"No!" Rio shouted, he hadn't expected that. Klaus turned around.
"Relax, she's not dead, I didn't stake her in the heart." He didn't seem surprised to see Rio.
"Oh God, you idiot! You scared me."
"You really think that low of me, that I'd ever truly kill Rebekah?"
"Not on purpose, Klaus. You and Rebekah have that one thing in common. Your tempers sometimes get the best of you. Besides, you're kind of acting like a crazy person. What's this about Mikael?"
"Rebekah and Marcel brought Mikael here in 1919, in their pathetic endeavour to kill me off."
"As I said. Your tempers are the same."
"You believe she was right?"
"I believe neither of you were right. She did what she did for true love, and you did what you did for family. You tried to shelter her, but you ended up smothering her, and she tried to break free, but she ended up burrowing deeper down instead, not knowing which way was up or down after so many years."
"You missed my heart." Rebekah sat up as she awoke.
"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."
"Do you yourself know the truth?"
"I know this. You accuse me of being evil, and yet you are the one who conspired to kill your own blood."
"You made our lives a living hell. You tormented us."
"I love my family-- You, Elijah. Rio. I loved all of you." He walked over to his sister. "I know I can be difficult, but I did not make myself this way. It was Mikael who ruined me."
"He ruined me, too." Rebekah whispered softly. "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. 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."
"There is no damaged beyond repair, Rebekah. Anyone with the ability to love has the ability to be saved." Rio said, and she looked shocked, as though just noticing him.
"Rio?"
"The three of you, Elijah included, have been tormented throughout the centuries, ruined by the one man who was damaged beyond repair. Mikael had hope, when he still loved you mother, but hating his son was a monstrous ability of his. He chased you for centuries- forgetting the meaning of love and he was the only one who didn't deserve anything. Rebekah, your love for Marcel, and any other man you've ever loved, is what keeps your humanity in check. And Klaus, you may have a twisted idea of family, but it is evident you love them, as well as your unborn babies- God help those kids. Either way that's what keeps you somewhat human. And Elijah- forever loyal to his family, he loves every single one of you, and it is rare that he falls in love with a woman, but when he does, he falls wholeheartedly. That's what keeps him human." Rio walked over to his unconscious body and removed the blade. "You all once swore Always and Forever, and you haven't broken that bond. Sure, you've strayed away every now and then, but you always come back to each other. And that's why you can't lose hope in yourselves. Because that's your bond of family, and you can never get rid of family. You all taught me that. You may have been ruined and broken, but you're not utterly shattered. You're still alive. You have the ability to strengthen your bond. It's been strained, and stretched. Twisted and bent but all in all you're all here. Together in New Orleans. As a family- to help one another. So stop fighting each other. You're family, for God's sake!"