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Kol had initially suggested that it be Elena but she had pointed out that without the knowledge she had once held and the addition of the talisman he was the better choice.

She still didn't like it though.

"Are we sure this is the only way?" Elena rubbed Hope's back; the child had fallen asleep again against her neck.

"I for one would love another option," Rebekah sat up in her salt circle, "but she's got Nik and she's got Elijah and she's got your sister," her eyes found Elena's worried gaze. "She will kill you both. I wouldn't be surprised if she can hear us with the power she's channeling from them, and that sealing spell won't keep her out. If there's any chance of keeping you two alive then someone needs a power boost and it's gotta be someone with more than a basic understanding of magic, and an adequate knowledge of the enemy."

"It's not going to hurt you is it?" Elena worried her bottom lip as Rebekah and Finn took their places in the circle.

"No."

Rebekah waved her off, but the raised brow of Finn told her that it was indeed going to hurt.

"Is it going to be enough?" Finn said instead. His first instinct had been to say no to the brother that had daggered him, but there were two innocent children whose lives were on the line.

"Two Original vampires versus a Original, a Hybrid and an Immortal?" Freya secured the talisman around Kol's wrist. "Sure."

"Oddly enough," Elena's eyes darted to her husband, "that doesn't make me feel any better."

He knew she was worried when he pressed a lingering kiss to her trembling lips and she held the back of his neck desperately. He could practically smell the anxiety beneath her skin, the fear for him; he hoped that Freya remembered the spell to bring someone back in case.

His feet made a silent path through the courtyard towards the stairs where he knew he would find his family. He fingered the dagger in his belt and eyed the dark corners for any sign of the witch.

He made it nearly to Elijah and Amara; he could see the symbols carved into their foreheads, when he heard the creak of a squeaking floorboard. Glancing over his shoulder revealed an empty corridor. He was about to turn back and ruin Qetsiyah's channeling spell when the familiar feeling of steel slicing through skin hit him.

"Really?" He grunted, lifting his eyes to Qetsiyah. He pulled the knife from his stomach and felt the skin knit back together.

"Interesting," Qetsiyah tilted her head, "but I've been keeping an eye on this house for a while now. You could channel power from everyone and it still wouldn't be enough."

For the first time in nearly a century he felt the strong urge to maim, but he knew she was right. Two Originals vampires against Qetsiyah's arsenal were not enough, no matter what he and Freya had said to reassure Elena. The moment Qetsiyah had drawn the spell on Amara's brow they were lost, as long as she channeled the immortal woman there was no chance of defeating her.

He spun the knife in his hand and took the risk. Twenty minutes ago he wouldn't have thought of it, but the combined strength of his brother and sister gave him confidence. He had almost forgotten the euphoric feeling that came from being all but invincible.

His arm darted out and snagged her waist, trapping her momentarily in an embrace that might have been called playful if not for what he did next.

Qetsiyah yelled, more from surprise then from pain, as the knife plunged into her back and severed her spine.

Kol dropped her in an undignified heap and stepped over her, attempting to banish the tiny trickle of guilt; it was made easier when he looked at her and remembered the sight of his wife's heart being torn from her chest. He gave a wave of his hand when he saw her reaching for the blade and sent her flying towards the stairs.

He heard her body thumping along each step as he knelt beside Amara and drew the dagger from his pocket. He made a quick alteration to Qetsiyah's spell that destroyed the balance of magic and saw the mark begin to melt away. He repeated the action on Elijah and stood up as footsteps returned to the hall.

"That hurt," she seethed, dropping the bloody knife on the floor.

"It was meant to," he turned to face her. From the corner of his eye he saw Amara's marble finger shift and knew that it would be a while before she or Elijah were capable of lending a hand. "Should have paralyzed you," he nodded to the knife.

"It did."

"Good," he smirked, "for a moment I thought I'd forgotten my physiology."

"You can't beat me," Qetsiyah shook her head. "When are you going to admit that?"

"I think I've got a better chance than I did," he stepped aside revealing his brother and sister-in-law.

Elena paced back and forth furiously. Every few minutes her eyes would dart to the door from where they could all hear the sounds of a struggle: shattering glass, shouted spells, and thudding bodies.

Caroline was certain she was going to wear a hole in the antique carpet. She could hear the frantic pounding of her heart.

"You need to calm down," she held the arm of the sofa and watched the brunette, "high blood pressure and stress aren't good for the baby."

"You know what else isn't good for the baby?" Elena twisted her wedding ring, warm against her skin. "Growing up without its father."

The metal was practically burning her skin. Every nerve vibrated with energy. She felt like she would either snap or jump into action at any moment given the right provocation.

Caroline stood and caught Elena's arm. She pulled her friend into a tight hug and stroked her hair down, pulling a stray feather away when she found it.

"Kol's going to be fine," she soothed.

"He's channeling two Original vampires Elena," Freya paced around the salt circle.

She hated to be the one to point out the obvious, but the ratio of shouted spells did nothing to put her mind at ease.

She heard a yell that made her final decision; just like when he'd been attacked by Davina in the basement. Her feet moved of their own accord up the steps.

She wrenched open the door, shaking off Caroline's hand, and darted out through the kitchen towards the courtyard. She heard Caroline coming up behind her as she dropped to her knees beside Kol's convulsing body.

"What the hell did you do?" She looked up to glare at Qetsiyah.

"Not nearly enough," she spat, "with the power he's channeling it'll take a lot more to kill him, so I guess I'll start with you."

Elena tossed up her arm in defence, but before Qetsiyah could take a menacing step towards her the witch's arm was wrenched behind her back.

With her concentration broken the spell on Kol faded. His vision began to return slowly. The first thing he saw was Elena; her wide eyes were trained on something to his left. Turning his head he followed her gaze to Qetsiyah; the image came in patches: a hand, a strong arm holding her back, a twinkling gaze.

"Sorry I'm late," he popped the cork on a small vial of red liquid, "this place is a bit of a maze and you were moving about."

Qetsiyah's eyes grew round as the liquid was forced between her lips. She tried to spit it out but a hand clamped over her mouth and covered her nose forcing her to swallow. She fell forward onto her hands and shuddered, looking back over her shoulder.

"Silas," Qetsiyah straightened up. She lifted her hand and frowned when nothing happened. She tried again and again. "What did you do to me?" She glared at her former lover.

"Don't be upset," a feminine voice called from the door, "he gave you what you always wanted…"

Elena's breath caught in her lungs as the woman stepped out of the shadows. Kol sat up and stared.

"… Immortality," her heels clicked over the stone. "I'm certain you were told of the side effects."

His lungs burned. He sucked in greedy breaths and got shakily to his feet in time to see Amara and Elijah standing in the hall, supporting each other.

"What happened?"

Caroline pinched her forearm to make sure she wasn't dreaming; she was certain she had stepped through the looking glass into some bizarre version of reality. It had to be a trick, it had to be. Qetsiyah was trying to distract them before attacking again, but how could that be? Qetsiyah appeared to be powerless.

At least, that was what the new woman said; the woman who wore Caroline's face.

One more chapter + maybe an epilogue. Depending on the length of the next chapter I might put it right in the chapter itself.

I've got nearly five chapters written for the new story called Second Chances. I want to finish Tabula Rasa and then I'll replace Second Chances with it's work time and start typing. Once Tabula Rasa is finished I'm also going to get back to some of my other stories. Temporarily Changed, Who Are You?, Clarity, Addicted and SAF.