Chapter Twenty One: Do Not Go Gentle

Esther still in Rebekah's body found Klaus angrily painting a portrait in the living room. "What took you so long?" he asked without bothering to look back at her.

"Alaric didn't want to hand over the stake," she smiled as she pulled up the stake. "Luckily, I'm quite the charmer, so do you want to do the honors or shall I?"

Klaus took the stake from her and threw it into the roaring fireplace. "Pack your bags, we're leaving."

Rebekah paused. No, they couldn't leave. Not tonight.

"But tonight is the decade dance," Rebekah protested. "I'm the head of the committee we have to go."

Klaus scoffed as he returned to his artwork. "I'm not going to any dance."

Rebekah shrugged and said. "Holly will be there." She knew that Klaus had a soft spot for the former witch.

Klaus paused. "She means nothing to me."

"Please," Rebekah begged. "I have big plans for tonight."

Klaus gave an exaggerated sigh. "All right, but we're leaving tomorrow morning."

Rebekah nodded as she exited the house and walked towards Alaric's apartment where he was waiting for her. He looked up. "Did he buy it?"

Rebekah nodded. "Just as I thought. He is unaware that he is heading to his own death." She dipped a dagger in some white oak. "He burned the fake stake and you'll get the real stake when it can no longer be used against me in this body." She opened a coffin and found Esther's body.

Alaric was confused. "So how do you-"

Rebekah guessed his question. "How do I return to my old body? With a little magic and some help from a vampire hunter." She handed the dagger towards Alaric who didn't hesitate to stab her in the heart.

Rebekah let out a low grunt of pain as she fell to the floor. Esther who was in the coffin at that precise moment opened her eyes.

Holly could see her reflection in the window of one of the cars that was parked outside the school and belonged to one of the many students that were trying to enjoy the decade dance, which thanks to Rebekah the theme was the 1920's. Holly could see her reflection in the glass window.

A simple, short fringe black dress, long pearl necklace, black high heels, and a little black headband with a flower to keep her wavy hair in place. Very dapper. But if you saw a closer look on her expression you could tell that she was unhappy.

In reality all she wanted to do was go back home and curl up on the couch, not be at a stupid dance. She didn't even have a date.

Damon appeared next to her, a frown on his face. "We need to talk, all of us." He pointed towards Elena and Stefan. "Alaric has been lying to us, he's not taking the herbs that Bonnie gave him, and so he's getting sicker."

Holly shook her head. "Then there must be another way a cure, an antidote-"

Damon shook his head, clearly frustrated. "We've tried every possible way. Magic, regular medicine, we can't even compel him-what are we supposed to tell him act like Alaric! The guy we knew is gone."

Stefan took a cautionary pause. "What are you trying to say?"

Damon threw him a venomous look. "I'm trying to say that we should put him out of his misery."

"What?" Elena yelled.

"No way in hell!" Jeremy screamed as he came towards them, he had apparently heard the whole conversation.

"Oh, please it would be what he would have wanted, it's a mercy killing."

"You're out of your mind!" Jeremy shouted as he turned around as Elena followed him.

Damon cocked his head towards Holly who was having mixed feelings. "Come on, Holly you know I'm right."

She shook her head. "Actually, I don't know anything. I'm going to be inside."

Holly found herself back inside the school gym, where honestly she felt uncomfortable and like she didn't belong. All around her couples were dancing and Holly could see Caroline and Tyler sipping punch and Bonnie and her date Jamie dancing.

"All alone this evening?" Holly turned around and saw that Klaus was wearing a cream colored suit. "What a misfortune, especially since you look so pretty tonight."

Holly cocked an eyebrow. "If that's your way of flirting, I'm not interested."

"Then you don't know what you're missing." He offered his hand. "Care to dance? I promise I won't bite."

Holly shrugged. Honestly, what did she have to lose? And anyway, it way better than standing here looking lonely. "One dance."

Klaus smiled as he took her hand and led her towards the dance floor. "You would have loved the twenties, Holly. The girls were reckless, sexy, fun. They literally danced until they dropped."

"It must be nice," Holly blurted. "Passing decade after decade and see how the world is changing."

"You're a vampire now, you'll experience that soon enough." Klaus smirked. "I'm leaving town tomorrow, so you should be nice to me." Holly snorted. "I would ask you to come, but we both know you're not ready for that. But one day you will, and I will be there ready to show you everything this wonderful world has got to offer you."

"I doubt it, but it's a nice thought." Holly said as she stopped short feeling uncomfortable. "I need to go outside, I need some fresh air."

Much to her dismay, Klaus followed her. "By myself."

Klaus didn't respond with a sarcastic remark, instead he paused when he saw the salt around the school, creating some kind of boarder. "What is this?"

"Salt."

"I know its salt, Holly!"

"God chill!"

Stefan stood behind them and simply said. "Your mother is back."

Fifteen minutes later, Holly, Stefan, Damon, Jeremy, Klaus, and Jamie were in Alaric's old classroom waiting for Bonnie to try to figure out a boundary spell. Apparently Esther had also taken Elena.

"What is taking her so long?" Klaus asked frustrated.

"Give her time." Holly scolded.

"For what? For my mother to kill me?" Klaus grabbed Jeremy by the arm and bit into his wrist.

"Klaus!" Holly shouted as she grabbed her brother's shoulder. "What the hell?"

"Am I the only one thinking?" Klaus demanded as he led Jeremy to the desk where there was a world map. He let a few drop of Jeremy's blood drop. "Do a damn locator spell."

Esther had been talking to Elena when she felt someone's presence outside the small crypt. She had taken Elena there because it was a remote place and Alaric's transformation was almost complete. He would be an Original vampire, however with only one lifespan.

She exited the crypt and Matt and Jeremy popped out of the bushes holding out guns and pointing them at her. "Don't move! Where's Elena!"

"Jeremy!" Elena shouted as she exited the crypt.

"Let her go!"

Esther pursed her lips. "How foolish of you to risk you lives for those that hurt you. Well, that is your mistake." She moved her hands so that Matt and Jeremy were pointing their hands towards each other.

"Matt, let go!" Jeremy shouted.

"I can't!"

"Esther stop!"

Alaric came behind Esther and stabbed her with a knife in the heart. He looked around confused. "Where's my ring? What happened?"

"Klaus just left with Esther," Alaric told Elena and Jeremy weakly. "He doesn't know about the white oak stake, so that gives us some of an advantage."

"Alaric!" Holly cried as she rushed in, when Esther had died the spell had been broken and she had been allowed to get out. "Are you all right, what did she-"

"No, I'm not all right, Holly in a way," Alaric said. "Esther tried to make me into some kind of weapon. She made me into an Original vampire and made an indestructible white oak stake. The thing is I'm not going to complete the transition."

Holly shook her head. "No, you can't. You have to Alaric, please-"

"So what we're just going to lock you here and let you die?" Jeremy demanded,

"Listen, Jeremy it's the right thing to do, ok?" Alaric winced. "Maybe after everything, I had it coming."

"Alaric this isn't you fault." Elena said firmly.

"Please, guys let's not make it harder than this has to be." Alaric shook his head sadly. "Look Damon's here, he'll make sure everything goes the right away. And let me say taking care of all three of you . . . it's the closest thing to the life I've always wanted.

Holly's throat felt tight and she feared that she might cry at any second. She wrapped her arms around Alaric. "I'm going to miss you . . . thank you for everything."

"Meredith came by and gave him some sedative so he'll go peacefully," Holly told Damon outside of the crypt, trying to keep her voice from breaking, she could see that this was hard enough on Damon.

"I offered to snap his neck, but he didn't take me up on the offer."

Holly smiled. "That sounds like Alaric . . . you should go with him . . . he needs a friend right now."

"He said he wanted to be left alone." Damon said dryly.

"No one deserve to die alone," Holly squeezed his hand. "Go with your friend, Damon. He needs you."

Alaric was asleep and Damon guessed he only had a few minutes before he died. He stopped drinking when he heard crunching noises coming from outside. He stood up and saw Bonnie, looking at him blankly. "Bonnie, what the hell are you doing here? Did you sleep walk or something?"

Bonnie raised her hand causing Damon to fall on the floor in pain. She went towards Alaric and grabbed the white oak stake and stabbed her hand and offered the blood to his awaiting mouth. Alaric drank, his eyes flew open and he gripped the white oak stake.

-End of Chapter Twenty-

For those of you that are interested I just started an AU version of Broken Pieces-The Originals featuring witch Holly being pregnant with Klaus' baby, called The Witch and the Hybrid. Thanks for your reviews!