Always Getting Over You:
Down the Rabbit Hole:
Rhea POV:
Rebekah was standing with her arms crossed with a frown etched onto her face as she glared out to the restless ocean while Stefan and I sat next to each other on one of the large rocks in the clearing and Elena stood a few yards away with her back to us. I leaned my head on Stefan's broad shoulder with a sigh as I watched the doppelgänger explain our current situation to Caroline through her cell phone and my boyfriend slipped his arm around my shoulder comfortingly as he pressed a lingering kiss to my forehead.
"Tell me you're not serious." I heard Caroline exclaim in exasperation through the phone line after Elena had explained that Jeremy had gone missing the night before and I smirked to myself as I imagine the comical expression that her pretty face would look like at that moment with her eyebrow raised in question and her lips puckered in annoyance.
"I wish I weren't." Elena admitted with a sigh as she rubbed her forehead with her head tiredly and I felt a little sympathy for the girl because she was missing a brother after all. "When we got back from looking for Jeremy, Shane and Bonnie were gone too. Shane needs Bonnie to cast a spell on Jeremy's tattoo in order to find the cure, and he managed to sneak them both out from under our noses."
"Well, where's Damon in all this?" Caroline asked her with irritation lacing her voice as Stefan stiffened at the mention of his older brother and I turned my head slightly too lightly kiss his throat in understanding because I knew that he was worried about the electric blue eyed vampire.
"We had an argument. I thought he was just taking a walk, but then when we went to the beach, we saw signs of a struggle. Meaning somebody probably jumped him and then grabbed him!"
"Do you think Shane took him?" Caroline asked her in concern as Elena started pacing around the clearing with a distressed from on her pretty face and I worriedly nibbled on my lower lip as I watched the doppelgänger shake her head even though the other girl couldn't see her through the phone line.
"No, I mean, he's not strong enough to take Damon on, even with the element of surprise. He must have someone, or at least a few someone's helping him."
"I'm so sorry. I wish I was there to help." Caroline said sincerely with a small sigh escaping her as I looked over at Rebekah's rigid back and frowned sympathetically because I knew that she was feeling completely discouraged at the moment.
"Well, maybe there's something you can do from home." Elena stated in a hopeful voice as she paused in her pacing to stare out at the rocky waves and I snapped my head around to look at the brunette in confusion because I had no idea what Caroline could do to help us from Mystic Falls. Caroline hummed in acknowledgement as Elena tried to discreetly sneak a look at Rebekah's back before her dark brown eyes swept over to where Stefan and I were sitting watching her in a mixture of wariness and curiosity. "So Shane's looking for the cure. We think we can find him. We have pictures of Jeremy's tattoo, but we just can't translate the map. Unless you get the Hunter's Sword from Klaus."
"He'll never give up the sword." Rebekah called nonchalantly over her shoulder without looking away from the water and I internally cringed because I knew exactly where the Hunter's Sword was hidden.
"Yeah, but if anyone's gonna get him to give it up, it's Caroline." Stefan reminded her pointedly as he looked over his shoulder at her and I stood up from the rock as I straightened out my coat while trying to ignore Stefan's questioning gaze.
"He will never give up the sword, not even for Caroline. He's terrified we'll use the cure against him to make him mortal, and even if he wasn't, he wouldn't want any of us to derive a moment's worth of happiness from being human." My sister spat bitterly as she turned around to face us with a scowl etched on her pretty face and I bit back some guilt that I felt for keeping a secret from her as I walked over to where Elena was standing watching the scene.
"Phone, please." I demanded softly as I held my hand out to her expectantly with a quirked eyebrow and she frowned at me as her dark brown eyes flashed with a fierce defiance but she slowly placed the cell phone into my awaiting hand. I sent her a brief smile as I held the phone up to my ear before turning away from her and stealing a glancing at Rebekah and Stefan who both had confused frowns on their faces. "Hello, petite luciole."
"Hey, Rhea!" Caroline replied happily over the phone as I nervously bit my lower lip and looked apologetically at my twin sister as she raised her eyebrows in silent question.
"Listen, the Hunter's Sword is stashed in the safe in my and Stefan's room at the mansion." I admitted quietly as I stared remorsefully into Rebekah's shocked cerulean blue eyes and she gaped at me with her mouth open as her arms fell lifelessly to her sides. "Nik doesn't know that I have it so you'll need to be careful getting in. The safe is hidden in the walk-in closet behind my formal dresses. The passcode is 249540."
"You stole the sword from Nik!" Rebekah exclaimed in disbelief as she stepped towards me slightly with her mouth hanging open in shock and I scrunched my nose up at her in answer as I grimaced guiltily.
"Well, I couldn't very well trust Nik with it!"
"Hey, um, if those delicious Christian Louboutin Purple suede 'New Declic 120' pumps go missing from your closet, it wasn't me." Caroline's voice interrupted whatever Rebekah was about to respond with and I held the phone away from my ear for a second to look at it with a frown before chuckling softly as I shook my head in amusement.
"Take them. Oh, also in the safe is an envelope with Nik's name written on it. Take that with you as well and give it to him when you and Tyler show up with the Hunter's Sword." I told her knowingly as I grinned out at the ocean and I heard her sharp intake of breath as she went to deny that Tyler was still in town but I rolled my eye because I knew that he hadn't yet ran for his life like he was meant to. "Don't bother denying it, petite luicole. You would have been much more depressed if he had actually left town when he was meant to. Anyway, just tell Nik that Tyler has a pardon from me for the day. The day, Caroline, and that's all."
"I can do that. Don't worry. Just e-mail me photos of Jeremy's tattoo. I'll find the sword, and I'll call you back." Caroline assured me confidently as I smiled softly at the resolve lacing her voice and I could picture her in my mind nodding her head with conviction.
"Thank you, Caroline."
"Bye. And thank you for the shoes!" Caroline said jokingly with an infectious laugh at the end as I grinned at the sound before she hung up and I sighed as I lowered the phone from my ear.
3rd Person POV:
Caroline nibbled on her bottom lip nervously as she tightened her hold on the laptop in her hands and cast a sideways look at the hybrid standing next to her as she sighed in defeat. She knew that Rhea had said that Tyler could be here for the day but it still unnerved her that he was in such close quarters with the man who was hell bent on killing him.
"Tyler, I don't think it's a good idea for you to be here. I can do this on my own." Caroline whispered to her boyfriend as she looked at him pleadingly with wide blue eyes and Tyler sighed loudly as he turned to face her with a determined expression.
"I'm not going to let Klaus drive me out of my own town, Care. My friend's need my help and I'm going to help them." Tyler told her sternly as he stared at her with dark brown flashing with fierce purpose and she studied his handsome face carefully but all she could see was hurt, determination and hatred for the Original Hybrid. Caroline looked away from him with a frown as she shook her head slightly and sighed heavily as she started walking down the hallway towards Klaus's art studio.
"Let's get this over with." She muttered to herself under her breath as she grasped the doorhandle to the heavy door that lead to the art studio and took another deep breath as she pushed the door open with an impassive expression on her face.
Klaus heard the sound of the door to his studio opening from behind him and the sound of two sets of footsteps approaching him. He turned away from the canvas in front of him to see Caroline and Tyler both strolling into the room as though they owned it and he had to smirk a little at their shared attitude as he placed down the paintbrush he was holding.
"Well, if it isn't little orphan Lockwood. Come to show how laughably impotent you are against me?" Klaus asked tauntingly as he grabbed a rag from the table next to him and ignored the disapproving glare that Caroline shot at him as he kept his light blue eyes locked on the other hybrid.
"I'm just trying to help my friends find the cure." Tyler spat out angrily as he tightened his grip on the object in his hand and Caroline hissed under her breath for him to shut up as she stepped forward to stop Tyler from moving any closer.
"Well, you're actually meant to be running for your life. You obviously have very little regard for your survival."
"Stop." Caroline commanded in a clear voice as bright blue eyes snapped from one to the other but both the men just continued to glare at each other and she sighed as she reached into her coat pocket to grab the envelope she had gotten from Rheanna's safe. "Here. Rhea told me to give this to you."
"Oh, what's my little sister up to now?" Klaus asked rhetorically as he stepped forward to take the envelope from her dainty hand and she sucked in an unnecessary breath when his skin touched hers because shivers shot up her arm at the contact. The Original locked eyes with her wide blue eyes as he slowly pulled his hand back and quickly looked down at the envelope in his hand when she glanced away from him. He ignored the pointed glare that Tyler was shooting at him as he opened the envelope from his sister and Caroline sunk down on to one of the chaise lounges as she avoided her boyfriend's accusing stare.
Dear Nik,
Don't be too harsh with Caroline and Tyler. They only have the Hunter's Sword because I told them where to find it. And they didn't break into your safe but you do need to change the combination because I figured it out and stole the sword's days ago. It's been in my room for the last three days. Don't feel too bad about not noticing. Stefan didn't either.
I know that you're probably beyond angry that I've given Tyler a pardon for the day, but I'm really doing this for you.
Tyler is Caroline's first love. Believe me, she'll get over it but it will take time. We both know that Caroline is meant for bigger things than Mystic Falls but she's still only a baby vampire and she hasn't had time to adjust to the new perceptive of time. She still thinks in the measure of months and years instead of decades and centuries like we've grown accustom too.
Give her this day. Not only will it give her a sort of closure but it will also show her that there is more to you than the blood and vengeance that she's seen. You have so much love in your heart, Niklaus. Just give her a chance to see the caring, protective older brother that I love and look up to.
Love, Rhea
Caroline tilted her head to the side in fascination as she watched the Original hybrid read the letter Rhea had written him and various emotions crossed his handsome face until he finally chuckled softly to himself before sending a smirk in Tyler's direction.
"Apparently, you have a day's pardon from my darling sister. Use it wisely." Klaus told him darkly as he watched the other hybrid grit his teeth in frustration and Caroline rolled her vibrant blue eyes at the testosterone suffocating her in the room.
"Rhea told Caroline to get this out of her safe." Tyler explained to the Original hybrid as he unwrapped the cloth that was covering the Hunter's Sword and carefully balanced the metal in his hands so that it didn't cut his skin open.
"And you think finding the sword brings you closer to the cure?" the older man asked in mock confusion as he sunk down on to the edge of the coffee table in the middle of the room and canted his head to the side as he smirked at the couple in front of him.
"You tell me. I was playing around with the handle on the way down, and I found this." Tyler admitted in a hard voice as he untied the leather strap around the top of the sword and removed the cloth to reveal some sort of turning device.
"And what do you think 'this' is?"
"It's called a cryptex." Caroline said abruptly as she stood up from the couch she was sitting on and both of the hybrids looks at her in surprise. She glanced first at Tyler's handsome face and saw that he was looking at her with a mixture of shock and annoyance that she had known something he didn't. The blonde ignored the blush that rose on her cheeks as she looked over at the proud and amusement smile on the Original hybrid's striking face and shook her head as she straightened her shoulders. "I've seen The da Vinci Code. You turn the different sides to the different symbols to get the translation on the other side. And with the magic of the internet, Elena sent over these. So now all we have to do is cryptex away." She told them proudly as she held up a couple of Jeremy's black inked Hunter's tattoo and sat back down on the couch gracefully as she opened the laptop with a smirk in Klaus' direction. "If you happened to want to help, we wouldn't stop you."
"Right. Well, might I suggest using the magic of the internet to purchase an Aramaic-to-English dictionary from your nearest retailer." Klaus informed her with a smirk on his lips as he folded his hands underneath his chin and Caroline snapped her head around to look at him with wide blue eyes as she gaped at him in shock.
"What's Aramaic?" Tyler asked her in annoyance as he frowned in confusion and she glanced at him from the corner of her eye as she pursed her lips together in irritation.
"It's a dead language. It hasn't been used since, like, biblical times." She informed him as she sighed to herself and sent a glare in Klaus' direction as she slammed the laptop closed in defeat.
"Qetsiyah's native tongue, I'm guessing. You know, even if you had the best dictionary in the world, it could take days to translate. Perhaps weeks. 'In bas so-teen-too ara-ma-eet.'" The Original hybrid declared softly as he leaned back a little on the coffee table with a smirk on his lips and Caroline narrowed her eyes at him as she stood up from the couch.
"What does that mean?"
"'If only you spoke Aramaic.'" Klaus translated for her with an amused grin in her direction and she groaned loudly at him as she sunk down on the couch once more with her head in her hands.
"Okay, this is it. We've translated all the symbols on the tattoo." Caroline announced proudly as she clicked on the laptop keyboard with a small smile on her lips and Tyler leaned forward on the couch to look at the different pictures spread out across the coffee table they were sitting next.
"What's it say?"
"'Passage inside... requires a young senator, and a pretty flower.'" She translated uncertainly with a confused frown as she picked up one of the pictures of Jeremy's tattoo that had a sticky note attached to it and then tossed it back down on the table in frustration. "Okay, none of this makes sense!"
"'Requires a powerful witch and a hunter in full bloom.'" Klaus interpreted in bored voice from where he was lounging on an armchair across the room and he looked up from his sketch pad with a smirk to see the other two staring at him in shock because he hadn't been forthcoming with help.
"What are you doing?" Tyler asked him suspiciously as he narrowed his dark brown eyes at the Original hybrid with a scowl on his lips and Caroline shot him a small glare out of the corner of her eye because she knew that they needed help with they were going to figure this out.
"I don't need to tell you my reasons. Caroline. Bring my sword over here." Klaus said politely to the blonde vampire with a soft smile playing on his lips and Caroline slowly stood up with the sword resting in her hands as she made her way over to the armchair next to his so that she was close enough for him to read the cryptex.
"You better be reading this right because I want my godchildren." Caroline muttered under her breath as she sat down gracefully on the armchair next to the Original hybrid and Klaus chuckled at her as he looked down at the charcoal sketch of the beautiful blonde that he had drawn while watching her try to translate the tattoo.
"Rheanna's already naming godparents? Where exactly do I fall?"
"You get to be the baby's uncle!" she reminded him pointedly as she rolled her bright blue eyes at him and fought the smile that was threatening to cross her lips.
"Done yet?" Tyler asked loudly in annoyance from the couch across the room and Caroline looked up at him in shock as guilt filled her stomach. Klaus glared at the other hybrid with scowl twisted on his handsome face and Caroline cleared her throat delicately as she tucked a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear.
"Better?" Caroline asked Klaus quietly as she looked down at the sword in her hands and Klaus leaned forward to place the sketch pad down on the side table so that she couldn't see what he had been drawing on it as he nodded at her in answer to her question.
"'Silas rests on the far side, the means of his destruction at hand.'" He translated for her as she glanced up into his light blue eyes at the same time that he looked up at her and her breathing caught in her throat at the pure adoration in them before she remembered that Tyler was in the room. "Turn the cryptex to the right. Stop. The top of the hilt reveals a key to a nautical map. Turn it to the left. Now turn the other piece. There's something else."
"What is it?" Tyler asked him in irritation as he stood up from the couch across the room and Caroline bit her lower lip nervously as she looked with wide eyes at the Original next to her. Klaus narrowed his eyes at the cryptex as though he was confused by the outcome before mumbling something in Aramaic and glancing at the photograph of the tattoo once more with a frown on his lips.
"What does it mean?" Caroline asked him curiously as she tilted her head to the side and Klaus looked up at her with a wide smile spreading across his lips. "Klaus, what does it mean?"
Rebekah POV:
I was sitting down on the beach with my legs crossed under me and my eyes closed tightly against the last rays of the burning sun.
Rheanna and Stefan had wandered off into the forest a little while ago and I really didn't want to know what they were doing. Elena had muttered something under her breath a minute or two after they left before stalking away.
I could feel the heat of the sun beating down on my skin and all I could think about was what it would be like to worry about getting skin cancer. I wanted that. I wanted to be concerned about getting sunburn or cancer or any other kind of illness.
Everything about becoming human appealed to me.
I wanted to give birth, no matter how painful. I wanted a daughter or a son that would call me 'mother'. I wanted to plait her hair for dance classes. Or watch him play on the soccer field.
The sound of my mobile phone ringing in my jacket pocket knocked me out of my thoughts and I opened my eyes slowly as I blinked away the tears that had gathered in my eyes.
"Hello?" I answered the phone huskily as I wiped a finger under my eyes to make sure no tears had fallen.
"Hey, it's Caroline. We have the translation of the tattoo. We're emailing you pictures of the map and instructions right now." Caroline's bubbly voice informed me through the phone and I had to smile a little at the sound of her perky voice because it reminded me so much of Rheanna. I pulled the phone away from my ear so that I could check my email and grinned widely as I read the translation on the screen.
"Got it. Thanks." I told her sincerely as I put the phone back up to my ear and slowly rose to my feet on the beach as I wiped the dirt from my jeans.
"Actually, it was me." I heard Niklaus through the phone line and I froze in the middle of turning around at the sound of his voice. There was no way that my narcissistic older brother had put someone else's happiness before his own agenda.
"Nik, you helped?"
"You sound so surprised, little sister." Nik said mockingly as I huffed in annoyance at his taunting because I didn't need him making this experience any harder than in already was.
"Shouldn't I be? I mean, you don't want me to be human. You don't want any of us to be human. Why would you help us find the cure?" I asked him suspiciously as I placed one hand on my hip and cocked my head to the side in confusion.
"Maybe I finally realized the longer I stand in the way of what you want, the longer you'll continue to hate me. Perhaps I want my sister to finally know happiness." He told me gently and I swallowed down my doubt because I was finding it hard to believe what was true and what was false.
"Fool me once, shame on you; fool me a hundred times—"
"No more fooling. No more games. I hope you and Rheanna both get to live, and die, as you wish." Nik said softly in a sincere voice as I blinked back tears and cleared my throat delicately as I tossed my blonde hair over my shoulder.
"So do I." I admitted more to myself than he brother as I nodded my head in agreement and sighed heavily as all my limbs instantly felt lighter now that I had my favourite older brother's approval to be human.
"There is one more thing, Rebekah. There is only one dose of the cure. You need to find it first and take it. It's the only way you'll—" Nik informed me in a rushed voice before the phone connection was broken and the phone went end.
"Nik. Nik!" I screamed into the receiver as I reached up to grip my blonde hair in my hand and I looked down at the screen to see that it was disconnected.
Rhea POV:
Rebekah had been acting strange since we had met back up at the beach and was now walking in front of us as we all trudged through the forest without saying a word to any of us. Elena was walking in the middle of our little group and Rebekah hadn't even spoken up to taunt the doppelgänger like she had been doing the last couple of days we had been on the island. Stefan and I strolled behind them hand in hand as I worried about what was going through my twin sister's mind and tried to concentrate on the fact that we were close to getting the cure for vampirism.
"What did Caroline say?" Elena asked my sister conversationally as we strolled through another clearing because Rebekah had been the one that Caroline emailed the translated photographs to and I titled my head to the side as I looked over at my sister to see what she said.
"I don't know. We lost the signal. Come on, this way." Rebekah said quickly as she clenched her fist once before releasing her hand and I frowned as I narrowed my eyes at her hand because I knew that she only did that when she lied. We followed her through the last bit of forest until we came to the edge of a cliff in the middle of the trees and Rebekah stopped near the border of the jungle with a heavy sigh escaping her lips as she rested one of her hands on her hip.
"Are we supposed wait for the magic rock bridge or what?" I asked sarcastically as I stepped up next to my twin sister and looked down over the rocky edge with a small frown on my lips as I let go of Stefan's hand.
"We need to get down and across. Advantage, vampires: all we have to do is jump." Rebekah quipped with a smirk in my direction as she shrugged her shoulders delicately and I chuckled softly at her as I stepped back to wrap an arm around Stefan's waist.
"Wait, wait. Um... maybe you should leave the map behind. In case you fall, you don't want anything to happen to the phone." Elena said in pretend concern as she glanced down over the edge and I scoffed at her as I crossed my arms over my chest while narrowing my eyes at her suspiciously.
"Are we doing this again? I thought we were a team?" I asked her mockingly as I tilted my head to the side with a frown on my lips and Elena glared at me heatedly through narrowed dark brown eyes as she turned her head.
"Guys, we don't have time for this. Elena, you go first. We'll be right behind you." Stefan told her sternly as he nodded his head at the cliff and Elena stared at him for a moment before she turned to face the rocky edge. The doppelgänger hesitated at the ledge before she sucked in a deep breath and then took a running leap off the edge as I watched in interest when she stumbled slightly at the bottom.
"That looks like fun." I said happily with a bright smile as I looked over my shoulder and saw Rebekah and Stefan both shaking their heads at me in amused exasperation. "I'm next."
"Wait!" Rebekah exclaimed suddenly as she threw her arm out in front of me to stop me from jumping off the edge of the cliff and I looked back at my sister with a frown on my lips. I stood up straight as I took in the contrite expression on her pretty face and linked my hand through Stefan's as we shared a confused look. "There's something you should know about the cure."
"What about it?" Stefan asked her curiously as he squeezed my hand reassuringly while I stared at my sister with wide eyes and Rebekah took a deep breath as she glanced away from us guiltily.
"When Caroline called me earlier, Nik was there as well." She admitted softly as she nibbled on the corner of her lower lip while still looking out into the distance so that she didn't have to look at us and I quirked an eyebrow at her in question as I leaned slightly into Stefan's side for comfort.
"What did Nik say, Rebekah?" I asked her gently with a hard edge in my voice that made her snap her head around to look at me with wide pleading cerulean blue eyes and I knew that something was terribly wrong because Rebekah was usually one to be bluntly honest.
"He told me there was only one dose of the cure…" she said in a small voice as she glanced down at the ground at her feet and I felt all of my muscles weaken dramatically as Stefan wrapped an arm around my waist to keep me upright when I started to stumble backwards.
"What? No."
"So you're sure that Klaus is telling the truth? That there's only one dose of the cure?" Stefan asked my sister in a steely voice as he squeezed my hip gently and tears sprung in my eyes as I watched Rebekah nod her head gently at him in answer.
"Oh, my god." I mumbled to myself as I removed myself from my boyfriend's grasp and covered my face with my hands as I walked a few paces away from the others. Everything I had ever wanted had just been pulled out from under my feet as tears sprung to my eyes and I cupped my hand over my mouth to muffle the frustrated scream I let out.
"Well, I guess that's what happens when you're dumb enough to hold out hope."
"There's still hope for one of us." Rebekah uttered quietly as I turned around to face them with tears streaming down my cheeks and I licked my lower lip as I looked at the devastated expression on my twin sister's pretty face. I knew that Rebekah wanted to be human just as much as I did and she had a chance at that life so who is I to take that away from her. All I wanted was for her to be happy and this would make her happy. I turned my head to look at my handsome boyfriend as my heart swelled with a love that I never felt before and I knew in that moment that I didn't want to be human with I couldn't be human with him. Stefan was my humanity I realised as I stared into his forest green eyes and he offered me a heart stopping smile as I took a step closer to him with my hand stretched out towards him. He placed his hand in mine as he nodded subtly in silent agreement with the decision that must have been written plainly on my face and I smiled back at him thankfully as he pulled me into his side. Stefan rested his hands on my hips as my feet settled on the floor with my hands flat on his muscular chest and he stared into my oak brown eyes with a relieved smile that made my heart swell with love for him. His forehead rested on mine as I smiled at him in contentment and he slowly lowered his head towards mine until his lips were only an inch away from his. I glanced down at his lips quickly before focusing on the darkened shade of green his eyes had changed to and he squeezed my hip as he brought his lips down to mine. My eyes fluttered closed as his soft yet powerful lips melded together with mine and I slowly slid my hands up until they were wrapped around his neck. Stefan's arms slid around my waist tightly as he swiped his tongue across my lower lip and I eagerly opened my mouth to give him the entrance he asked for without question. His tongue tangled with mine in a small battle for dominance as I ensnared my fingers in his tousled bronze hair and pulled gently as he growled in the back of his throat. I moaned in pleasure as he gently nipped my bottom lip before pulling away from me slightly so that his lips were just resting lightly on mine and I sighed in happiness as I loosened my hold on his hair. I smiled at him as I opened my eyes slowly and saw forest green eyes looking back at me with something close to adoration. Stefan lifted one of his hands to gently cup the side of my face as he caressed the skin under my eye with his thumb and I shivered at the seemingly innocent gesture that made my skin tingle with pleasure. I pressed a chaste lingering kiss on his lips as I backed away from him a little but kept myself in the circle of his arms and he smiled down at me with love shining in his eyes. I looked over at Rebekah with a bright smile on my lips as Stefan squeezed my hip in support and saw that Rebekah was looking off into the distance with tears in her cerulean blue eyes.
"Take it." I told her softly as I rested my head on Stefan's broad shoulder and Rebekah's snapped her head around to look at me with eyes wide with shock. Her mouth fell open a little as she stared me as though as had never seen me before and she shook her head at us as she frowned prettily. "The cure. It's yours, Rebekah."
"Rheanna…" she muttered gently under her breath as tears sprung into her eyes and I nodded at her with a smile on my lips.
"Take the cure, Rebekah. Be human. I'm okay being a vampire. I have Nik and Elijah and Kol. I have Stefan." I reminded her contently as I glanced up at Stefan's handsome face with a loving smile on my lips before looking back at my twin and biting my lower lip nervously. "Maybe being the fun aunt will be better than be a parent anyway. I won't have to deal with all the nitty gritty details. I'll be the one your children call when they want to get away from you."
"You'll be a fantastic mother, Rebekah. But whenever your kids can't stand you, they're more than welcome at our house." Stefan joked lightly as he smiled charmingly over at my sister and Rebekah laughed in delight as she cried happily at the prospect of becoming human again. She covered her mouth with her hands as she closed her eyes tightly as though she was willing away the tears and I chuckled at her as I walked over to wrap my arms around her shoulders.
"Shh…." I cooed in her ear as she cried into the crook of my neck while I soothed her blonde hair and she cleared her throat delicately as she straightened up with a determined expression on her face.
"We better go. Elena is still waiting down there." Rebekah reminded us pointedly as she quirked an eyebrow and glanced down at the rocky cliff edge as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. I nodded at her in agreement as I smiled reassuringly and she smiled back at me as she took a running jump off the edge of the cliff without a backwards glance.
"Together?" Stefan asked me with a smirk on his lips as he held his hand out for me to take and I chuckled softly as I nodded my head in agreement with his suggestion. I took a deep breath as I squeezed Stefan's hand for comfort before we shared a small smile and took a running jump off the edge of the cliff. The wind lifted my long honey hair off of the back of my neck as we flew down the chasm and I laughed out loud at the sensation of my stomach floating in mid-air. My feet connected with the hard ground as I stumbled slightly into side when we landed and I slowly opened my eyes to see Stefan grinning at me.
"You guys ready?" Elena asked us with an annoyed voice from the side of us and I turned my head to see her and Rebekah staring at us with differing looks of irritation.
"Right. About that…" Rebekah trailed off cheerfully as she used her Original Vampire speed to rush behind the doppelgänger and placed her hands on their side of the brunette's neck before snapping it. Elena's dark brown eyes rolled back into her head as she fell down to the ground and I smirked a little as Rebekah grinned happily at the doppelgänger's lifeless body. My sister glanced up at us with mock innocent cerulean blue eyes and she pouted slightly at the disapproving frown on Stefan's handsome face. "What? She wants the cure too. I can't have her getting there before me."
"Rebekah, give us a minute. We'll meet you down there." Stefan requested in more of a demand as he nodded towards the cave entrance and Rebekah looked at him for a minute before nodding in agreement. I watched her retreating back as she walked deeper into the darkened cave while Stefan gently moved Elena's unconscious body over to the side so that she wasn't lying in the middle of the entrance.
"Why did you want Rebekah to leave us?" I asked my boyfriend warily as I slowly sunk down onto one of the large boulders to the side of the dirty clearing and Stefan turned around to face me with a half-smile on his lips as he strolled over to crouch down in front of me.
"Are you okay?" he asked me quietly as he slipped his hands into mine where they rested on my lap and I looked down into his intense forest green eyes that were radiating concern. I tilted my head to the side with sad smile on my lips and I couldn't believe that I was lucky enough to find someone who was so empathetic. It was sometimes hard to remember that he wasn't just going along with the cure for me but he also wanted the life that came with it.
"Are you okay?" I asked him softly with concern lacing my voice as I rubbed soothing circles on his hands with my thumbs and he offered me a small heartbroken smile in return as he squeezed my hands reassuringly.
"I will be eventually."
"Me too." I assured him sincerely as I nodded my head once in determination and Stefan reached up to tuck a strand of my honey coloured hair behind my ear as he nodded back at me with matching resolve. Tears had started to build in his gorgeous forest green eyes as he looked down at the ground and I sighed heavily as guilt ate at my stomach because I was one of the reasons that Stefan wasn't going to try to get the cure for his self anymore despite how much I knew he wanted to be human. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"Sorry? Rhea, you have nothing to be sorry for." Stefan told me passionately in confusion as he moved forward a little too cup my cheeks in his large hands and I shook my head slightly as tears falling from my eyes unapologetically.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." I repeated to him genuinely as I avoided his conflicted gaze by looking down at the ground and reached up to hold onto his wrists as he rubbed the tears from under my eyes with his thumbs.
"Hey, hey, hey." He murmured quietly as he pulled me into his arms and I buried my head into the crook of his neck as I sobbed recklessly with the guilt, loss and the future that we would never have together. "Shh… I got you, babe."
"I'm sorry, Stefan."
"What are you sorry for?" he asked me cautiously as he pulled back a little to look at my tear streaked face and I let out a shaky breath as I roughly wiped the fallen tears from my cheeks.
"I know that you wanted to be human just as much as I did. I'm so sorry that I'm part of the reason why you decided not to take the cure. I'm sorry that we won't get to have the children that we were planning on having." I told him softly as I looked into his understanding forest green eyes and I wiped away the single tear that escaped his eye as he smiled sadly at me. "I really wanted those kids, Stefan. Little girls that went to dance recitals and boys that played football like their father."
"I wanted that too." he confessed to me in a low voice as he lifted my hand to his lips and pressed a chaste kiss to my palm as he nodded in agreement. "I wanted to teach the boys how to throw a football, go camping as a family, dance with the girls at their weddings."
"That would have been perfect." I told him softly as I leaned my forehead against his and closed my eyes tightly as the hypothetical images of our smiling children crossed my mind.
"What were their names?" Stefan asked me suddenly in a voice so quiet that I nearly didn't hear him with my superior Original vampire hearing and I snapped my head up to look at him in confusion as I tilted my head to the side slightly. "Our kids. What were the names that you picked out?"
"Stefan… I don't think that's a good idea."
"What were their names?" he repeated the question firmly as he stared into my oak brown eyes with conviction and I pursed my lips together in thought as I tried to figure out whether or not it was a good idea to prolong the delusion that we might someday get the future we wanted.
"Isaac Henrick, Lydia Alexis, Noah Damon and Addison Bekah." I eventually revealed to him in a broken whisper as I looked away from his forest green eyes and out into the trees so that I didn't have to witness the heartache that I knew was echoed in my own eyes. Stefan didn't say anything for a moment as he absorbed the names in silence and I was glad that he didn't try to comfort me even though I could tell he wanted to because this was something that we both needed to mourn the loss of.
"Urgh…" a voice mumbled almost inaudibly from behind us and we both turned around in surprise to see Elena slowly blinking her dark brown eyes open as she tried to push herself up from being sprawled on the ground. I wiped the leftover tears from my eyes as I sniffled delicately and cleared my throat as I stood up from the boulder I was sitting on. "What happened?"
"Rebekah snapped your neck." Stefan informed her helpfully as he stood up from his crouch in front of me and wiped the dirt from his jeans as he looked over his shoulder at the doppelgänger.
"Why?" Elena asked groggily as she pushed herself up from the ground while frowning at us in confusion and I sighed slightly as I walked over to the backpack that was leaning against the rocky wall near the entrance to the cave.
"There's only one does of the cure and Rebekah wants it. You were in her way." I told her sullenly as I reached into the backpack to pull out a plastic hospital blood bag and silently strolled over to hand it to Elena with a small quirk of my lips when she took it.
"There's only one cure?" she asked in shock as she sucked on the plastic straw of the blood bag and the coloured in her pretty face came back as Stefan nodded his head at her in answer. Elena closed her eyes for a second as she emptied the rest of the plastic blood bag and shook her head slightly as she looked crestfallen at the news. "I can't take it. I mean, not above everyone else who deserves it just as much as I do. It's over."
"I'm sorry." I said to her sincerely as Stefan wrapped his arm around my waist in comfort because I knew what it was like to have the last hope pulled out from under me at the last minute and Elena looked at us for a minute with sympathetic dark brown eyes that glowed with understanding.
"Don't be. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise. : Things changed the minute that I went off that bridge. Even if I could be human again, I wouldn't be the person that I was. So it's about time that I accept the person that I am now and figure out a way... to start living the rest of my life."
"The rest of your life... sired to Damon." Stefan reminded her gently as he tilted his head to the side with a small frown etched on his lips and the brunette sighed heavily as she glanced over from us in defeat.
"I guess we'll have to deal with that when I get home." she said reluctantly as she shrugged her shoulders delicately and ran a hand through her messy hair as she pursed her lips together in thought.
"I still have all of my grimoires at the house. I can go through them again once we get home for some way to undo the sire bond." I told Elena sympathetically as I wrapped my arm around Stefan's waist and the doppelgänger snapped her head around to look at me hopefully as I smiled slightly at her. She nodded at me with a thankful smile on her pretty face as she tucked a strand of her dark hair behind her ear and Stefan pressed a chaste kiss to my temple as we all started walking towards the entrance of the cave. The cave was dark as we walked down the narrow tunnel together and Stefan slipped his hand down so that his hand was intertwined with mine as we followed slightly behind Elena. A faint groan echoed throughout the tunnel as we turned a corner blindly and it took me a second to recognise the voice as Damon's.
"Damon!" Stefan called out in concern for his older brother as he tightened his grip on my hand and pulled me pass a shocked Elena until we came to a small dirty chamber that ended with a shaft at the end of the clearing.
"Bekah!" I exclaimed anxiously when I saw her familiar head of blonde hair lying prone of the dirty ground and I let go of my boyfriend's hand as I ran at Original vampire speed over to her side. I brushed the hair off of her pretty face gently as I checked for any stakes still in her body and then sighed in relief when I was sure that all of her injuries would heal.
"Ah!" I heard Stefan cry from behind me and I spun around on my knees to see him trying to removes some rope from around his brother's neck but cringing as he touched it.
"You're wasting time. Just get the cure. Go." Damon ordered weakly as he tried to push his brother's hands away from the rope and I rolled my eyes at him as I moved over to crouch down next to Stefan at Damon's side.
"We're not gonna leave you." Elena protested passionately as she gripped her brother's hand and I bit my lower lip as I pushed Stefan's burnt hands away from the vervain covered rope.
"You need to go ahead. We'll be right behind you. Go." I told Elena sternly as I nodded my head towards the shaft and she looked between all of us nervously before she stood up from her crouch. Damon groaned in pain as he tried to push himself up onto his knees but he fell back down on his stomach with a hiss and I gently pressed down on his shoulder to stop him as I wrapped my hand around the rope. My hand burned like acid was being poured onto my palm but I gritted my teeth together as I quickly unwrapped the vervain soaked rope from around his neck and he sighed in relief when I removed it from his skin. "All right, come on. We have to catch up."
"No, it's okay. I just need a minute. I'm only gonna slow you down. Go." Damon said breathlessly as he rolled over onto his back and closed his electric blue eyes against the pain that he had to be feeling. "I'll look after Rebekah. Go find the cure. I didn't go through all of this not to get the damn thing."
"I'll leave the backpack. It has some blood bags in it." I informed the eldest Salvatore brother as I pressed a kiss to his sculpted cheek and stood up from my crouch as Stefan held out his hand to help me up. Stefan and I intertwined our hands together as we walked over to the shaft at the end of the chamber and I slid down the rope first before Stefan followed quickly after me. We hurried down the dark narrow tunnel until we come to see Professor Shane lying unmoving on the dusty ground at the side of the tunnel and I quickly ran over to his side as I listened intently to the sound of his heart beating steadily in his chest. Stefan sunk down at my side as I shook Shane's shoulder gently to walk him up and he slowly blinked his greenish grey eyes as he moved his head to the side.
"Hey, I don't suppose you'd want to share a little of that vampire blood." Shane murmured under his breath as he closed his eyes once more before opening them to look between the two of us and I narrowed my eyes at him suspiciously as I leaned forward slightly.
"Where are Jeremy and Bonnie?" I asked him in a demand as he pushed himself up onto his hands and leaned against the rocky wall behind him as he breathe deeply to steady his heart rate.
"I have no idea."
"Stop lying!" Stefan commanded angrily as he grabbed the collar of Shane's shirt and dragged him up the rocky wall behind him as I slowly stood up from my crouch.
"I'm not lying... But if you help me, I will take you the rest of the way, I promise." Shane bargained with a loud gasp as he spoke and I watched impassively as Stefan pushed him harder by against the wall with a blank expression on his handsome face.
"Did you know this whole time that there was only one cure?" I asked him emotionlessly as I tilted my head to the side thoughtfully and crossed my arms over my chest as I pursed my lips together.
"What? No. How could I? I've never seen it. Look, everything I ever said and did was just to bring back my family, I swear." He swore desperately as he looked at me over Stefan's broad shoulder and I could see the honestly in his grey eyes as my boyfriend released him from his grasp roughly.
"Well, then you know what it's like to have hope, and now you know what it feels like to lose it." I told him coldly as I nodded once in determination and Stefan stepped back from the professor as he linked his hand with mine. I cast one more look over my shoulder at the distressed expression on but ignored the guilt in my stomach as Stefan lead me further down the tunnel and I squeezed his hand as we went strolled quickly through a new passage. A sweet scent hit my senses as we turned down a new tunnel and I froze for a second as the small of fresh blood invaded on senses. Stefan turned around to look at me with a confused frown on his handsome face as I looked around the dark tunnel for the source of the blood and saw that the dirty wall just up ahead was glistening with scarlet red blood. I started moving forward quickly in concern as Stefan hurried to keep up with me and I paused when I saw a familiar brunette leaning against the wall with a bloodied wound on her head.
"Elena." Stefan stated in a worried voice as we both moved forward to crouch down next to her and the doppelgänger blinked groggily at us as she moaned in pain slightly. "What happened?"
"She's here!" Elena whimpered in warning as she reached up slowly to touch her healing wound and I placed a calmly hand on her arm as Stefan sat down on her other side.
"Who?" I asked her anxiously as I rubbed her arm comfortingly and she closed her dark brown eyes with a groan as she leaned into Stefan's embrace. I looked up at Stefan's forest green eyes as I frowned in concern at what was happening and he stared back at me with the same apprehension written all over his handsome face.
Hey, readers!
I'm sorry but I'm going to take a small break of this story so that I can concentrate on some of my other stories. Don't worry. I will absolutely be coming back to Stefan and Rhea's story.
Please review and tell me your honest opinion on my story. If anything is OOC let me know. If you want to see anything in particular in the coming chapters let me know.
Thank you all for the reviews, favourites and follows.
Please check some of my other stories!
The Originals:
Bring Me To Life:
After the events of the Harvest, Imogen left the French Quarter coven and vowed to do anything to protect the last of her family. With the arrival of the Original Family, the vampires are thrown into complete upheaval and Imogen is caught right in the middle. With the supernatural community of New Orleans prepping for war, which side will she fall down on?
Teen Wolf:
Rising Moon:
Scott McCall's twin sister Sophie is along for the ride with her brother and their best friend Stiles as Scott gets bitten by the Alpha and turned into a werewolf. How will Sophie handle the change in her life when she discovers the existence of the supernatural? Or did she already know?
The Vampire Diaries:
She Will Be Loved:
Caroline, Rebekah, Bonnie, Katherine and Elena have been best friends since college. How five such different personalities managed to even stay in the same room for a prolonged amount of time is a conundrum many have tried to figure out, but at last, it appears nothing can break these girls bond of friendship. But is that really true? Klaroline. Kalijah. Delena. Stebekah. Kennett.
Why Are You My Remedy?
Ariana Howard has been a vampire nearly as long as the Originals. When her friend asks her to stay in Mystic Falls and watch over the town, she agrees. What will happen in Mystic Falls? Not to mention, what will happen in New Orleans? And now that she can stop moving around dodging Mikael, can she finally be with the one she loves?