Preparations
James was waiting for Alex and Elijah on the front porch as they pulled up out front. He was sitting on the steps with a book in his lap and a frown on his face. Alex sat in the car and glanced at him for a moment.
"Are you okay?" asked Elijah.
Alex nodded. "Yeah, just don't mention Renee. I want a chance to talk to James about what has happened. But it will need to wait until later."
Elijah nodded.
They climbed out of the car, and Alex couldn't help the smile that graced her lips when Elijah sped around to stand beside her and take her hand into his. They strolled up the path and James glanced up at them; Alex expected him to comment on their intertwined hands, but he offered them a smile.
He said, "Elena is not happy with you."
Alex sighed. "Yeah, I may have run off to pick up this." She pulled the moonstone from her pocket to show him.
James snapped his book shut and stood up. "Renee just gave it to you?"
Alex bit her tongue. This was not a conversation she wanted to have, but she didn't have a good excuse.
"I'll leave you two alone," said Elijah. He kissed Alex on the side of the head and stepped inside.
"What happened?" asked James.
Alex sat down on the steps beside him. "Yesterday, before everything with Klaus, I confronted Renee about the fact that the Council has been killing witches by syphoning their magic."
James didn't react.
Alex wasn't sure if he was taking in the information, or if he already knew that it had been going on; when she had mentioned it that morning he had never given her a proper response, they had been distracted by other things. She could never imagine that James would be okay with something like that. "I accused Renee, and she didn't deny it, she gave me a choice, and I chose to not side with the Council. However, we gave the moonstone to her so that it would be safe from Klaus."
"Are you going to break the curse?" he asked.
Alex nodded. "You will link me to Elena, I will break the curse, and when Klaus is weak, Elijah, and I will take care of him. Once that is dealt with, Elena will wake up and I will…" She couldn't say it. Alex didn't want to die, but it was the only way she could keep Elena say.
"There has to be another way," he said.
Alex reached over and placed her hand on top of his. "We tried, but there isn't time to find another way. I can't let her die."
James wrapped his hand around hers. "I know. And I didn't know about the syphoning."
Alex sighed. "I'm glad to hear that."
"I can't believe that they are killing witches." James shook his head. "It's…"
"Horrifying." Alex cleared her throat.
"Where is Renee now?" James asked.
Alex let go of James' hand and stood up. She wasn't sure how to explain. "She's dead." Alex looked at the ground, she couldn't look him in the eye.
"Elijah killed her, that's surprising." James frowned.
Alex shook her head. "Elijah didn't kill her." She glanced up and saw the look forming on James' face. The realisation flashed, and he shot up.
"You?" He was shocked.
"She tried to syphon my magic. I managed to reverse it and ended up syphoning not just my own but my grandmother's magic too."
James' expression darkened.
"I didn't take Renee's," she said quickly. "I stopped. But she threatened everyone, and like an untrained child, my magic lashed out and before I could do anything she was dead." Alex was scared to look at James again. She knew she was no better than Renee, but she hoped that he would understand.
Alex ran her fingers through her hair and tugged at the roots.
James stepped up behind her and stopped her from tugging. He said, "It's okay."
She shook her head. "But it's not. Renee is the second witch I've killed, I'm no better."
He frowned. "Yes, you are. Renee lied to both of us about everything. She has no doubt killed countless innocent witches, and if she absorbed too much magic, it could have driven her insane."
"What do you mean?" Alex asked.
"If a witch, who isn't naturally gifted with syphoning abilities, has a limit to how much magic they can take. The original spell designed to syphon magic was to give witches a temporary boost of power, with the intention that the witch would return the magic when they no longer needed it. However, those who have abused the spell, like Renee probably did, can overload themselves with too much magic, and it can drive them insane," explained James. "Renee would have kept trying to steal your magic if you hadn't killed her."
Alex hated that James' explanation made her feel better. Nothing should allow her to feel justification for taking a life. What she needed was to distract herself, focus on Elena and the ritual. Alex stepped out of James' grip and said, "Did you get everything for the binding?"
James frowned. She could tell he didn't like her changing the subject. But he nodded, and said, "Yes. I even had Elena provide us with some blood."
Alex frowned at him.
"I told her we needed it for a protection spell, she doesn't know about the linking aspect."
Alex sighed and nodded. "Let's do this then."
James grabbed the book he had been reading and asked, "Are you sure?"
Alex huffed. "No, but I have to keep Elena safe."
James nodded, and they headed inside.
The spell took no longer than ten minutes. Alex spent a few minutes apologises to Elena, before slipping upstairs to her room with James. They spread out the candles and sat across from one another with a plate in the centre. Alex watched and allowed James to complete the spell. He had taken a small vile of her blood and Elena's blood, poured each vile of blood on either side of the dish. James closed his eyes, and he began to chant, the candles around them burst to life, and the blood began to creep towards the centre. The blood merged and mixed together, creating the bond. Alex felt the burst of magic as the spellbound her and Elena together and sighed with relief as James opened his eyes.
Alex didn't feel any different, she couldn't sense Elena anymore than usual, and that was good. If she had been able to sense the link, then Elena may have been able too as well. Keeping the bound now between them from her was crucial, she would never agree to anything if she knew Alex would end up dying in her place.
"What are you going to tell Elena?" asked James.
Alex knew she had to explain the plan. She would need to convince Elena to keep it all from everyone else, including Stefan and Bonnie. No one except herself, James, Elena and Elijah could know what was going to happen. "I have no idea," she said.
Alex made her way downstairs and couldn't help but smile at the scene before her. Similar to the other day, Elijah was in the kitchen cutting up ingredients, but instead of Alex beside him, it was Elena. Elena's face was bright, and a genuine smile graced it. Elijah too had a warm grin, and he appeared to be eating pieces of whatever he was cutting up.
Seeing two of the most important people in her life before her, doing something so incredibly normal was a breath of normality. Ever since things had become so complicated, the normal life that she had never really considered having appealed to her more than ever. And even though she was a witch and Elijah a vampire, they could see do what normal couples did. Go on dates, have lazy Sunday mornings, have dinner with family. Alex wouldn't get to experience that though, so seeing this simple moment really brought her a sense of peace.
"Good timing," chimed Elena, pulling Alex from her thoughts. "We have food, well what Elijah didn't already eat."
Elijah shrugged. "Couldn't help myself; apparently, Elena is a pretty good cook."
Alex smiled. "No doubt."
"You hungry?" Elena asked.
Alex nodded.
They all sat down at the table and James joined them too. The four talked about anything but their current dilemma, and as the meal went on, both Elijah and James were giving Alex's looks to tell Elena. The minutes were ticking by until Klaus showed up and he was either going to break his curse or kill them all.
Alex cleared her throat and stood up. "Elena, can you come with me?" Alex decided it was probably best to do this alone.
Elena gave her a strange look and nodded. "Okay, where are we going?"
"Just come with me." Alex led her upstairs and into Alex's bedroom.
Elena dropped onto Alex's bed and looked around at the mess of candles. "What witchy stuff was you and James up to before, I could hear him chanting."
"Just some protection spells, keeping us safe for the meantime."
Elena nodded. "So…"
Alex took a deep breath. "I have a plan to stop Klaus."
Elena smiled excitedly. "Really?"
"Yeah." Alex rubbed her hands up and down her shoulders, wiping the sweat that was building on her hands. "It isn't a plan that many would consider smart, but it is the only guaranteed way to stop him without the white oak stake."
"Okay, what do we need to do?" Elena asked.
Alex turned away from her and squeezed her eyes shut. How could she do this? Ask her sister to let a monster like Klaus, kill her so that inturn she could kill Klaus? Alex groaned and Elena stood up and walked over to her.
"Alex, what's wrong?" Elena gripped her hands and turned Alex to face her. "Talk to me."
Alex felt the tears fill her eyes. She tried to push them away but more just replaced them. She took another breath and said, "If we let Klaus break the curse, he will have to transition. Which means he will have to feel every bone in his body break. The transition will be so painful that he will be weak enough that Elijah can stop him."
Elena dropped her hands. "If he breaks the curse, then that means I'd have to die." Her voice cracked.
Alex looked up and saw tears well in Elena's eyes. "I know it's too much to ask, but it's the only way."
Elena shook her head. "You want me to let Klaus kill myself? I thought the whole reason you came back was to keep me from dying, not make it happen." Elena's voice rose as she shouted at Alex. "You are supposed to be my sister." Elena tried to push past Alex, but Alex grabbed her.
"I know, I never wanted to ask this. But you won't stay dead. I have a way to bring you back." Alex gripped her forearm. "I never wanted to ask this of you, but if we don't do something, then Klaus will show up tomorrow and kill you anyway."
Elena turned back to face Alex and sniffed. "You are still asking me to die."
Alex wrapped her arms around Elena and hugged her tightly. "I know, and I'm sorry."
The two sisters ended up on the floor at the end of Alex's bed. Elena had her head tucked into Alex's shoulder, and Alex rested her head on top of Elena's. Alex had gone through everything with her. The Council, Renee, Elijah, James. Everything was laid out so that Elena could understand why they had no other option; all except the binding spell.
Through the whole conversation, Alex's stomach had twisted itself to the point she felt like she wanted to be sick. Everything was screaming at her to find another way, she couldn't do this to Elena, but they were out of time.
Elena tightened her grip on Alex's hand, she said, "I'm scared."
"I know." Alex placed a kiss on her forehead. "But I will bring you back, and when you wake up it will all be over, Klaus will be gone, and you will be safe."
"I need to tell Stefan…" Elena started to say.
Alex cut her off. "No, you can't tell anyone. The only people who can know are us, Elijah and James."
"I can't not tell them." Elena sat up and frowned.
"If you tell Stefan or Damon, they will convince you not to do it or won't let you. Bonnie and Caroline too. It will be safer for everyone if they don't know." Alex pushed back a strand of Elena's hair that had fallen in her face. "I am going to get you through this. Promise me you won't say anything."
Elena sighed and nodded. "Okay, I don't like it. But fine."
Alex hated pushing her sister to do this. But by this time tomorrow, Elena would be alive, and Klaus wouldn't be. That was all that mattered.
