A Persistent Lover

A Sacrifice

The wolf paced impatiently back and forth, as Bonnie mumbled spells under her breath. Caroline had her eyes closed, almost completely unconscious to the world around her.

The others all stood grim, gazing at the wretched scene in front of them. Each one of them felt much more emotional than they expected for a scene such as this. Each felt oddly connected to Caroline, the thought of her dead seemed horrifying. Even Kol, who had only ever seen Caroline at his mother's ball and at the grill, was strangely terrified of Caroline's unavoidable death. The sight of someone as bright and beautiful as Caroline dying would be an awful thing to behold.

Suddenly Bonnie stopped chanting and let out a soft sob. The wolf immediately growled and began to advance towards her before Dominic and Kol made to a move to stop him.

The wolf stopped in front of Kol, growling deep within his chest. Kol's face drew out fangs and deep veins, hissing at the wolf.

"Your anger will only make it worse for Caroline..." Kol growled low.

The hair on the wolf's back rose up, and with a growl he lowered himself to the ground in submission.

Dominic shrunk next to Bonnie, taking one of Caroline's hands into his own.

"It's not working..." he affirmed to the crying Bonnie.

Bonnie shook her head, wiping away her tears.

"Killing Lucy drained all my strength...the can't reach the witches anymore. I can't...it won't be long now." Bonnie sobbed again.

Dominic turned to Bonnie, grasping her shoulders so that she was looking right at him.

"There has to be another way!" he whispered fiercely. "There is always another way. Bonnie, please you know there is."

Bonnie looked at him in silence before whispering back. "You will not like this other way."

"If you want Caroline to live, you will tell me this other way. I do not care what price we will have to pay."

Bonnie turned to look at everyone around her, suddenly remembering them. Elijah's face was a mask of seriousness, though she could see the beginning of his resistance starting to fade. Rebekah's eyes were pleading at Bonnie's, begging her to save Caroline. Kol faced away towards the wolf, making sure it stayed away from the overwhelmed Bonnie.

"I can save Caroline, but..."

"But what, Bonnie?"

"...but the only way I think I can do it at this point is if I transfer the poison out from her body into another vampire's."

There was silence before Rebekah whispered, "So one of us must be the one to die for Caroline to survive."

It wasn't a question, more like she was affirming what everyone was wishing not true.

Dominic gazed at Bonnie, unfocused. Here was his purpose. Had he not told Caroline that he would die for her? And not even two hours later, it all came down to someone's willingness to give away his own life for Caroline's.

The wolf stepped forward, as if about to volunteer, before Bonnie said, "Klaus, you are in a werewolf form, and even if you were not, you are a hybrid, it would not work.

The wolf stopped cold and stood stiff, looking like a lost puppy.

"I'll do it."

Everyone's gaze turned to Dominic. Even the wolf turned to stare at him, surprise and hope now flickering in its eyes.

Bonnie gaped at him. "Are you sure...I mean...you do understand you're going to die, right?

Dominic lightly trailed his fingers across Caroline's face. For some reason the thought of dying did not bother him. That he was dying to save Caroline's life somehow made his own death painless.