"You don't have to do this."
Alex drew her out of her daze and she looked over at him, smiling softly. "I wish I didn't."
"You have a choice here Caroline, you and me can stay in this car and just drive away. We know Mikael well enough that both of us can survive just fine. We don't have to do this. You don't have to do this."
"I hate you," Caroline pouted, looking over at him. "If you think for one second I don't know what yoare doing, then you are dead wrong. You're trying to convince me that this is something I can get out of and I don't have to do and you're trying to convince me to do this your way, but it's not working Alex. I won't let you drag me to the dark side of hell with you."
"What?" Alex frowned as she got out of the car and headed into the old witches house. "What just happened?"
After a moment of realizing that he would never be able to understand what just fully happened because Caroline was a female and if Alex learned anything in the last hundred years was that he knew nothing about them. He walked in to find her still standing in the door way, not quite all the way in the house.
"You know I have your back, right?" He asked softly, closing his fingers around her wrist.
"That's not reassuring," She mumbled, knowing he wouldn't take offense to it and would understand what she meant.
"Forget all of those idiots in there, they don't know you enough to know better Caroline. Eventually they'll catch on and get use to you sacrificing yourself on a daily bases."
It was a poor attempt for a joke at times like this, but it was enough to make Caroline smile and relax her a little and made her further step in the room.
"Don't let Bonnie kill me, yeah?" She asked, looking at him.
"Please," He snorted. "She wants to kill me too."
"Maybe we'll burn together."
"Kinky."
She nudged him hard before going further into the house, gaining the courage to face all of those so called idiots Alex mentioned. Yeah they were idiots, but they were idiots she needed at the moment and would prefer if they didn't die.
All conversation ceased as Caroline walked in the room, and she accepted it well. It wasn't the first time Caroline was hated and unwanted, and it wouldn't be the last.
"Well don't let us stop you," Alex said from behind her. Unlike her, he walked further into the room while she stayed close to the door. "Do you have that spell figured out yet Bonnie? Because I don't know about you guys, but I want to see Mikael burn and make s'mores with the flames."
"I'm almost done," Bonnie said, refusing to look at Caroline. "I need blood of the sacrifice that I'll spell into the pentagram and then all I'll need to do is gain my strength."
Caroline stepped forward until she was standing in front of the table Bonnie was behind. She held her wrist out to the Bennett witch and waited until she looked up and finally met her eyes. "Take what you need," Caroline said.
Bonnie picked up a knife the was on the table and looked at Caroline, and she was shocked to see just how cold the witches eyes had turned, especially on her. Bonnie suddenly grabbed the knife and thrust it into Caroline side, completely shocking the vampire. She cried out mostly in shock, gripping the handle. She was about to pull it out when a pressure started in her head, making her feel like her head was about to split in half. She leaned over the table, forgetting the knife as she gripped at her head, squeezing it to try and relive the pressure. She moaned in pain, faintly aware of her nose bleeding.
"That's enough," Alex snapped, stepping to Caroline side, gripping her arm. "Let her go Bonnie." Bonnie ignored him and focused on Caroline some more, watching the blonde cry in pain, withered to nothing but limp, withering mess of a woman. It was fascinating to see just how easy it was to weaken the great and powerful Caroline. "Bonnie!"
She finally let Caroline go and watch as the blonde panted, regaing composer. She looked up and met Bonnie's eyes, and Bonnie leant over, dragging the knife from her side and yanking it out. This time Caroline didn't make any noise, and it was because she was expecting the pain now, and now she knew who was dealing with.
"Was that necessarily," Alex said, taking a step towards Bonnie.
"She told me to take what I needed, so I did," Bonnie said, looking up at Alex.
"Not like that," He hissed.
Caroline placed a hand on his chest and straightened up herself. "It's fine Alex." It wasn't fine, not at all, but she had no choice but to deal with it. She dabbed at the blood under her noise, finding it still wet. "Is that all you need?"
"Yes," Alex answered for her, glaring at her.
"Bonnie?" Caroline prompted.
"It'll do," She answered, the 'for now' lingering in the air.
Caroline nodded jerkily and started wiping her nose off on her arm when Elijah handed her a handkerchief. "Thank you," She whispered, turning her back to the group while she cleaned her nose off, and to hide the tears. They didn't show, but they wanted to. Damn her for being so emotional.
"Do you need anything else?" Kol asked, surprisingly quit for his usual self.
"Other than time and space, no," Bonnie said.
"Are you kicking us out?"
"Not everyone."
Caroline couldn't help the laugh that escaped her throat and she, spun around and smile on her face. "If you want me gone Bonnie, then say it."
Bonnie stood up straighter and said, "I want you gone."
Caroline opened her mouth to say something, but Rebekah's laughter caused her to close her mouth. Rebekah stumbled in the room and Stefan Salvatore followed her in, a grin on his face. Alex seemed to straighten up seeing them, and Kol and Klaus rolled their eyes.
"Sorry we're late," Rebekah grinned.
"Let me guess, you and your new flavor of the month were too busy picking out your wedding rings," Kol said sarcastically.
"Funny Kol," Rebekah smirked, but didn't deny it.
"Why is Salvatore here?" Klaus asked.
"I don't know why you both came, you'll just get in the way," Bonnie added.
"You set them up to do this, didn't you?" Rebekah asked, glaring at Alex.
"Are you serious right now?" Alex frowned.
"You did, didn't you? You just don't want me to be happy," Rebekah said.
"I don't spend my day plotting out your unhappiness Rebekah, I certainly don't think about you all day," Alex scoffed.
"No, I doubt you ever thought of me," Rebekah said, shaking her head. "You're a selfish prick, has everyone ever told you that?"
"Actually, yeah. She was hell of a lot prettier then you too."
Caroline pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head wildly. "Alex, I'm asking this in the nicest way possible and please leave."
"No, I'm leaving," Rebekah snapped, glaring at Alex, storming out of the room with Stefan following her. Alex growled in frustration before leaving as well.
"Should have known a family get together wouldn't be complete without someone storming off," Kol said.
"I'm going to go see that everything is as planned at the house," Elijah sighed, leaving as well.
"I suppose I should go with you, better than staying around in a house filled witches that hate me," Klaus said, following his brother out.
Caroline watched him go, debating on whether she should try and reach out and talk to him, and she decided she should. She quickly followed them out, trying to catch them before they left.
"Klaus," she called, stopping them from leaving.
Both brothers looked at them, but Caroline focused on Klaus. "I'll give you two a moment," Elijah said, walking away.
"Can we talk?" She asked, but the look on his face said it all. "Please, I think, I think I need to explain myself."
"There's nothing to explain Caroline," He said.
"I disagree, if you'll only let me- "
"I need to go."
She closed her eyes and nodded, turning back to the house. She made his choice, and now Klaus made his.
"I'm almost ready," Bonnie said looking up.
"Is the spell in place?" Caroline asked.
"Yes. All I need is the moon now," Bonnie said, glancing out the window.
Caroline nodded and glanced outside herself. In an hour or two, that's all and she find herself becoming oddly nervous. She faced death a lot of time, nearly every day, so why was she nervous now? Maybe now it was because she know there was no escaping it this time.
"I'm ready," Bonnie said, looking outside.
Caroline straightened up and stood in front of the table. "Let's do this, shall we?"
"I hope you aren't thinking about starting without me."
Caroline spun around, her vampire features emerging as she came face to face with Mikael.
"There's no need for that Caroline," He said, stepping further in the room. "I simply came here and do what you wanted all along." She didn't respond, and he grinned wickly. "Die."
"I'm not dying by your hands," Caroline growled.
"We'll see about that," Mikael said, flying at her.
Caroline met him half way, keeping the fight away from Bonnie. "Start the spell," She hissed at her, while Mikael got on top of her and began punching her.
"I'm going to make you regret betraying me," He hissed, squeezing her throat.
She brought her hand up pushed it into his face, pushing him up and off her. She grabbed the nearby chair and hit him with it. She missed the stake he grabbed from the broken chair, and when she came back down on him, fully prepared to stab him with it and put him away for the moment, and got stabbed herself.
Her eyes widened as she looked down, seeing a stake sticking out of her rib cage, brushing against her heart. She heard Bonnie yell no, but blood was pounding in her head, her vision was fuzzy, and she had trouble focusing. She managed to look up at Mikael, eyes wide, and on the verge of passing out when his hand suddenly surged up, and she felt everything stop.
"I don't see why you didn't just talk to the girl," Elijah said, watching Klaus drawn yet another drink.
"She made her choice Elijah," Klaus growled.
"So it seems, but I'm sure there's a reason for her choice."
"I have no interest her twisted reasons why she chose to give away her life."
"It is her life to give Niklaus." Klaus remained quiet and starred into his drink, refusing to look up and see the look in his older brother's eyes. "Niklaus."
"She wanted to give her life up to save mine," Klaus said hoarsely.
Elijah didn't say anything, just watched as his brother worked through his emotions and struggled to accept what happened.
"Why would she do that? Why would she give up her life for me Elijah?" Klaus asked, looking at him lost. "What is that?"
"It's love Niklaus."
His eyes widened and he slowly shook his head.
Happy Holidays everyone! I'd like to apologize for the very late post, but my computer crashed and the chapter I wrote out for this was erased and I had to re-write it, and obviously not my best, but it's better then nothing in my opinion. Hope you enjoy, I enjoy reviews, but if you don't, that's okay, but it is the season of giving.
Happy Holidays!