Chapter 52: Selfishness and Selflessness

Tatia felt slightly reckless since her tryst with Niklaus. She couldn't help it. Something was boiling beneath the surface, dying to get out, like an untamed beast. And the more she tried to keep it at bay the more she felt herself becoming prey to her darkest desires. She loved Elijah, and she loved Niklaus, but she couldn't have them both… could she?

The thought of keeping each of her lovers pleased the darkest thoughts of the beast inside her. And though she tried to think about it rationally, she just… couldn't. She had to have them both.

She lingered near the Mikaelson home, waiting for Elijah, when a slender hand grabbed her arm.

"I know what you seek," Esther pierced Tatia with her discontented stare, "but my sons are not here."

"Do you know when they will return?" Tatia struggled to cover her immense displeasure.

"They will return from their hunt in three days time."

"Three days," Tatia couldn't help but exclaim.

"Don't worry," Esther narrowed her eyes at the young woman. "I'm certain you can find other ways to keep busy until they return."

Tatia pouted and stalked away towards her home.

Evangeline watched her ancestor's dissatisfaction and smiled to herself. She'd had enough of witnessing the effect Tatia had on both Klaus and Elijah… her Elijah. Though she still pitied the girl… slightly. Tatia was falling prey to her own supernatural fate, and she didn't even realize it, or even fight it.

Evangeline trailed unwillingly behind Tatia as a handsome, sandy-haired gentleman offered to escort her home. Immediately Evangeline noticed an intensified level of charm being exuded by Tatia, and Evangeline shook her head in dubiously. "Unbelievable," she muttered to herself. Tatia was out of control.

"You see how confusing it was for us."

Evangeline gasped and swung around to face Elijah. "You came back."

"You shouldn't have to endure this alone." Elijah took her hand warmly, and she leaned into his chest, finally feeling at home.

"So you saw her flirt with other men? Take advantage of them?" Evangeline turned to Elijah, somewhat shocked.

"You see, as envious as we might have been, the moment Tatia turned her full attention on us none of it mattered. We didn't realize at the time, or even after, that there would be a supernatural reason for her behavior."

Evangeline scoffed absentmindedly. "Well, it seems obvious now. Why didn't Amethea give her the stone yet?"

Elijah turned thoughtfully to Evangeline and tucked her hair softly behind her ear. "My siblings and I knew nothing of Tatia's curse nor anything about the stone. I can only guess that they were waiting for some specific moment in which to present it to her."

"You're not going to leave again, are you?" Evangeline suddenly grew tense with worry.

Elijah leaned in close and pressed his lips ever so softly into hers. "I'll remain as long as I can."

He stayed by her side the entire night, in which several weeks passed in Tatia's life. Her dependence on both Elijah and Niklaus grew tremendously, though she couldn't find the will to tell one about the other.

It was heart wrenching for Elijah to replay this anguish, and Evangeline did her best to distract him. She kissed his cheek, then his jaw, then his neck… Pretty soon the thousand year old scenes that played around them were nothing as they made memories of their own…

"It's not real for you is it?" Evangeline leaned against Elijah's bare chest sadly several minutes later. "It doesn't feel the same for you, because you're not really here."

Elijah lifted Evangeline's face in his hand and gazed deeply into her eyes. "It's more of an out of body experience, but trust me," he brushed his lips against her cheekbone, "there was no moment in which I felt any less than you did."

She shuddered happily and pressed more tightly into him. "Good."

After laying together whilst another week played out in Tatia's life, Elijah sat up abruptly.

"What's wrong?" Evangeline sat up anxiously.

Alarm filled every inch of Elijah's face. "Something's wrong. Something's happened."

"Go." Evangeline pushed him as hard as she could. "Help them."

And then she was alone again.


The Salvatores, Elena, Bonnie, and Rebekah positioned themselves defensively around Veronica and her three siblings in front of the cottage.

"What have you done to her?" Stefan's voice seethed.

Alexander grinned callously. "I did nothing. It's your lot who turned my sister into a vampire loving vagrant. I simply used it to my advantage."

Veronica stared guiltily at the ground, looking petrified.

"Veronica, you don't have to do this," Bonnie pled with her.

"Yes I do," Veronica sobbed quietly.

"Indeed she does," Alex shrugged emotionlessly. "You see, we know the Siren is no longer a threat. We also know that we can't get in that cottage, but the only way I'll be satisfied… is if it's completely sealed."

"Why the heck would she help the brother who kicked her to the curb?" Damon scoffed.

Sydney answered the question with glee. "If she doesn't help then we're going to kill all of you," she sighed dreamily.

Elijah flew from the cottage to join the others. "Why are you here?" he menaced toward the oldest witch.

"I want to rid the world of abominations," Alexander spat, "starting with the siren."

He then linked hands with Veronica and his two cousins and began chanting. Wind swirled all around them, and the clouds grew dark above.

"Bonnie, what are they doing?" Elena gasped.

"They're sealing the house… completely."

Rebekah stepped forward in horror. "But that means no one can get in… or out."

Elijah's mouth fell open with unmistakable grief. He knew what he had to do.

"No," Rebekah grabbed Elijah's arm, tears streaming down her face. "Elijah, we'll find another way. Just don't go."

Elijah gazed down at his sister, with chaos and anguish behind his eyes. "I cannot leave her."

Damon rushed forward and held her back as Elijah stepped toward the cottage, then Elijah turned to Rebekah and stared at her meaningfully. "Take care of my son."

She stopped struggling and nodded with understanding as the tears streamed down her eyes.

"Hurry, Elijah, the seal's almost complete," Veronica shouted frantically at the Original, and without looking back, he passed through the front door and disappeared from sight.

"No," Rebekah sobbed into Damon's shoulder. "No…"

The wind calmed, and Alexander heaved an exultant sigh. "It is finished."

Then he tried to break his grip from the others but found that his hands were stuck.

"Alex," Sydney shrieked. "What's going on?"

"I don't understand," he tugged more forcefully.

Marck finally realized what was binding them together. "Alex… your sister."

Her eyes had clouded over, and she still chanted softly to herself. Without warning, the wind blew forcefully again through the trees, and the volume of her chanting increased.

"Stop it, V," Alexander fumed, but she pressed on, completely oblivious to his demands.

"Oh my gosh," Bonnie breathed as she listened more closely to Veronica's words.

"What is it?" Rebekah and Elena edged nervously to Bonnie's side.

"She's sacrificing herself to save Elijah and Evangeline."

"What, but how?" Elena turned to glance at Veronica in bewilderment.

"She's calling on her ancestors to bind herself to the amulet."

"But what does that mean?" Elena shook her head in confusion.

Bonnie faced the others with uncertainty and awe written in her features. "It means she's going to sever the connection of her family's magic to the amulet."

Stefan stepped beside her, looking grave. "You mean she's going to die."

Elena gasped, "Why would she do that?"

"It will restore the amulet's full power to its original line, and any matriarchal witch that proceeds from it."

"Esther's line," Rebekah's mouth fell open.

"Exactly." Bonnie turned to Veronica reverentially.

The storm darkened overhead until finally lightning struck Veronica in the chest. But unlike Evangeline, Veronica didn't stir.

Alexander, Marck, and Sydney immediately ran like the blazes, but Stefan and Damon ended them in seconds.

Rebekah, Elena, and Bonnie stepped gingerly to where Veronica's body lay.

"Why would she do something like that for us?" Rebekah stared at Veronica's lifeless figure in wonder.

"Because Lucy loved Evangeline… and she loved Lucy."

The three of them stood together for several minutes, taking in everything that had just happened.


"How much more time do you have?" Evangeline held Elijah tightly. He'd been with her for days and had surely exhausted his blood supply.

Elijah sat silently beside her, not wanting to admit the truth. But finally he sighed, "The longer I stay, the harder it becomes to resist your blood."

A resigned tear fell from Evangeline eye. "What are you going to do?"

"I will neutralize myself when the time comes."

Evangeline sobbed into his shoulder and cried softly, knowing the time was coming soon.

Hours later Elijah felt the veins darkening around his eyes, and closed his eyes defeatedly. "Forgive me, Evangeline."

"It won't be forever." She kissed him gently and offered him a hopeful smile. "I love you, Elijah."

He smiled, then grimaced with pain, and instantly he vanished from sight. Evangeline held her knees tightly, knowing she'd be alone for a long, long time.


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