•

"Abandon all hope

Ye who enter here,"

Dantes Inferno

-Dante Alighieri

"You don't sound like you were for that deal," Stefan said watching the girl cautiously. This had to be some kind of trick.

"I wasn't," she said. "But when you're dying... People can be pushed to do many things once self preservation kicks in."

He shook his head. "That doesn't excuse what you did."

"What? Taking others lives to preserve my own immortal one?" She shook her head. "We are the same, Stefan, the only difference is I kill the evil of humanity. It's not our fault there is so much of it."

"Why tell me this?"

"Like I said, you are worthy, and because of that I will give you one last piece of advice," she said. "Find Damon before my sister does, or you will never defeat him."

•••

Matt followed Alaric into the Armory, his father still seemed a bit shocked by all this. Ric hated to admit it, but he didn't like the guy, in fact it was all he could do not to break his nose.

For Matt's sake he was trying to be civil.

Stefan was pacing in front of the cell. Sybil sat on the bed, legs crossed and eyes closed.

The tuning fork clenched in his fist. "Careful with that."

Stefan turned to them, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Hey, Matt."

"Hey, Stefan," he said walking past him to look at Sybil. "This her?"

"One of them," Alaric said.

Matt shot him a questioning look.

"There are two of them," Stefan supplied. "Sybil and her sister."

"Who's her sister?" Matt asked.

"We don't really know," Ric said, he didn't know why but he just couldn't believe Georgie was capable of being a monster.

"Great," he sighed. "Has she said anything? Or does she just sit there and hum."

Alaric frowned. "Hum?"

Stefan smacked the fork against the wall, before pointing it at her. "Cut that out."

Sybil clutched her head. "I was just seeing who he is."

Matt tapped on the window. She lifted her head with a smile.

"Yes, Mathew?"

"It's Matt. Why did you send Damon to kill my dad?"

"Dad?" Stefan frowned at Pete.

Alaric nodded, the distain hard to keep hidden.

"I didn't," Sybil said. "I sent him to get something, if he tried to kill your father it was his choice. Though I'm surprised you're so upset about it, considering he did abandon you and all."

Matt grabbed the fork and smacked it against the wall.

She grit her teeth, holding her head as the vibration tore apart her psychic sound waves.

•••

"When I get out of here I'm tearing your throat out, witch," Enzo snarled.

Bonnie sat against the cell door, watching him struggle. It was a good thing her friend had a vampire worth prison in their basement or this would be really difficult.

"Yeah, you've said," she said deadpan. Sure it hurt to hear stuff like that from the man she loved, but it was the hunger talking not Enzo. "Guess it's a good thing you aren't getting out of here."

"Why does it matter to you anyway?" Enzo asked, letting his head fall back.

"It matters because I love you," she said.

"That's kind of pathetic, don't you think? Going to so much trouble for someone who wants nothing more than to drain you, all for the sake of something as tedious and foolish as love," he spit the last word like an insult.

"You can say anything you want, I know who you are," she said, times like these made her glad she was so damn stubborn. "And this, this isn't you."

"But it is," a dangerous smile spread across his face. "I am a monster after all."

She stood taking a few steps towards him, not close enough for him to reach her but close enough so he could see the determination in her eyes. "No, you aren't. There's so much good in you, despite everything that's happened to you."

"What good? I've killed so many people," he leaned forward as much as he could. "And I don't regret anything. And if we're being honest, I'm fairly sure the only reason I gave you the time of day is because you remind me of Maggie."

She closed her eyes taking a deep breath. She knew it wasn't him but it hurt.

"Lorenzo St. John, I will not let you go just because you're being a being an ass," she walked back to her place by the door, sitting again.

"Actually I was just expecting you to stake me," Enzo said. "Since you have tried that before."

She glared at him. "You are so damn lucky your humanity's off."

•••

Caroline watched Josie and Lizzie sleeping for a while.

They were so innocent, they had no idea the kind of world they lived in.

She sighed, eventually they would get dragged into a mess like this. A small smile came to her, her girls were going to be total badasses.

•••

Georgie stared at the man for a long time, afraid if she took her eyes off him he would disappear and she would be alone again.

She didn't want to be alone.

Another soundless voice came to her.

She reluctantly walked away from him looking for this other person.

She found her, acting on instinct she pressed her palm to her forehead. She saw the pain, the fear and the bitterness. The feeling of a sharp blade slitting her throat, the rain washing away the blood and tears as quickly as they came. The darkness she knew before this. The bitterness to her own kind. Her fear of giving someone any control over her. The hope she had felt, the pain when she knew it was in vain.

Georgie pulled her hand away. So much pain. Everyone here was in so much pain.

Reliving every wrong.

Being completely and utterly hopeless.

She felt their pain and she knew, this was hell.