I battled with the ending of this chapter, and actually the whole thing. Though, I'm not entirely satisfied with it, I hope you will be.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT! IT MEANS ALOT! :)

Please remember to review at the end! :)

Stefan moved towards the book shelf farthest away from her, and fingered one of the books with his right hand.

"Stefan, you can't ignore me forever."

He stilled his movements, but kept his back to her.

Rebekah sighed, and closed her eyes, forcing back the tears. Though she tried, the tears escaped her closed lids. She felt a hand wipe away her tears, and slowly she opened her eyes to find that he had moved towards her, and was now standing only a foot away from her.

"I'm not ignoring you, Rebekah." He whispered, in a strangled tone.

She swallowed, and searched his eyes. "Then what do you call the past hour?" She asked, in a broken tone.

He swallowed, and closed his eyes. "Protection." He whispered, finally, turning away from her.

She opened her mouth, and followed him. "Protection?" She asked, stopping behind him. "Protection from what?" She continued, watching his back stiffen. "Stefan, please talk to me." She stated, her voice pleading.

He closed his eyes, and bowed his head for a moment, only to turn to face her. His face stoic, and unrelenting. "Protection from me." He stated, simply.

She scoffed, and approached him. "Why do I need protection from you?" She asked, throwing her arms out. "I've known you for almost a hundred years and…" She paused, not wanting to reveal too much, yet. "In all the time, I've known you; I have never needed protecting from you." She added, watching his face contort.

Stefan shook his head, and turned once more away from her.

"What are you afraid of?" She asked, realizing the real problem.

Stefan clenched his teeth. "Bonnie needs to hurry back. I have work to do." He replied, moving towards the door.

Rebekah shook her head. Too many times, he changed the subject, and ran away from her, now she wanted answers. "Stefan," She called out, reaching for his right arm.

He stilled, and felt a shock rush through him at her touch. He turned his head, and glanced down at her hand, still resting on his arm; slowly he lifted his gaze to hers, and saw the sadness in her eyes. He hated seeing her hurt, and he hated being the cause of that hurt.

Rebekah felt her hand burn as it rested on his skin, but she didn't remove it. "Stefan, please." She whispered, after moments of silence.

Stefan clenched his jaw. He couldn't tell her. He couldn't.

Could he?

~XXX~

Bonnie bit the last nail from her right hand, and glanced down the hall. She couldn't believe she agreed to this plan, but it had to be done.

It had to be. If not now, then when?

~XXX~

Rebekah moved her hand from his arm, when she realized he wasn't going to answer her. She turned on her heel, and moved away from him as she headed towards a large book stand with an opened book resting on it.

She moved her fingers over the passages, and soaked in the words.

Fire must be tempered by love or it will not be strong enough to last, for it will be tested by the former fire, and it must be strong to endure.

She hadn't realized that she had spoken the words aloud until she heard footsteps behind her.

"What did you say?" Stefan asked, in a choked tone.

Rebekah turned her head, and pointed to the passage. "I was just reading this passage." She answered, watching his face turn pale. "Stefan, what is it?" She asked, as his eyes flashed with fire.

He lifted the book from the stand, and tossed it across the room with a loud yell. Rebekah jumped, and covered her mouth with her hands, as she watched him run his hand through the bookshelf, knocking the books onto the floor with thunderous crashes.

"Stefan." She cried, wanting to move towards him. "Stefan…" She called to him again, and felt sympathy rile inside her as he turned towards her, and tears burned his eyes.

"I have spent the past hundred years to escape that, and yet I can't." He spat out, pointing to the book on the floor.

Rebekah turned her head to the book, and then back to him. "It's just a book, Stefan." She replied, lifting her hand to the book, and dropped it.

He laughed, mockingly, and shook his head. "It's not just a book, Rebekah. It's a prophesy book, and that was my prophesy." He returned, turning away from her.

Rebekah's eyes widened, as she took in his words. She moved towards him, slowly, and felt his pain emanate from his body as his right hand landed on the shelf in front of him, and bowed his head.

"I thought you don't believe in prophesies." She whispered, moving to his right side.

He lifted his head, and shook it. "I don't." He remarked, eyeing to the books in front of him, but not really seeing.

She nodded, and bowed her head. "Then why did you get so angry at yours?" She asked, wanting to understand the truth.

He scoffed, and turned to place his back against the shelves. "Because, it is a constant reminder of what I lost and will lose." He answered after a while.

She lifted her hand and placed it on his left arm. She felt him flinch, and moved to move her hand, but he stopped her.

Her eyes widened as she lifted her eyes to his, and found him staring out into the room, but his right hand stayed over hers.

"Is that why you ignore me, and won't let me in?" She whispered, gazing at his right hand.

Stefan moved his head to look at her, and sighed. "I can't let anyone close to me, Rebekah, especially you." He whispered, shaking his head.

She bit her bottom lip, and nodded. "But I want to be close to you, Stefan." She whispered, hating that she sounded weak.

He closed his eyes, and frowned at the pain. "I want that too." He whispered, causing her to open her eyes to his.

"Then let me, Stefan." She whispered, placing her left hand on his face, as her right hand remained on his left arm. "I'm not afraid, and I don't need protection." She stated, stroking his face. "I had that enough from my five brothers." She added, watching him smile for a moment.

He shook his head, and moved away from her, letting go of her hand in the process.

She sighed, and followed him, not wanting to give up. "I care about you, Stefan, and I know you care for me too, or else you would be so hell bent on protecting me." She stated, her fire from earlier seeping in.

"I don't need protecting, Stefan." She repeated, watching him make it to a small table. "The only thing I do need is someone who will love me for me, and who will be there when I need him." She added, stopping behind him.

Stefan remained silent for a few moments, and then slowly turned around. He caught her eyes, and saw her vulnerability shining through. His heart broke at the sight, and he couldn't resist the temptation. Too long had he been keeping her at arm's length.

Denying himself of the knowledge of knowing what it would feel like to hold her, and kiss her, and later to make love to her.

Before he could stop his body, he reached forward with his right hand, and grasped her lightly by the waist, and pulled her to him.

Rebekah didn't fight, she couldn't. So many times in her dreams did she wish that he would grab her and kiss her, showing her just how much he cared for her.

With one quick movement, he lowered his head, and placed his lips on hers for the first time. Tomorrow, he would regret letting her into his heart, but today, he would show her what she needed in her life, and that he could give it to her.

~XXX~

The Bennetts smiled as they peered into the orb at the young couple.

"It has started." They said in unison.

~XXX~

Bonnie sighed, and dropped her hands in front of her, wringing them with a nervous tick. She turned her head towards the door down the hall, and wondered if it had been enough time, yet.

"Not yet, child."

She whirled around, and sighed, when she saw Sheila Bennett standing in the center of the room. "Grams…" She began, watching Sheila smile.

"Give them a little more time, child, and then go in." She replied, nodding her head.

Bonnie shook her head, and approached her, only to find that she wasn't really there, and in a flash she was gone from the room.

She sighed, and turned her head once more. "A little more time…" She whispered, nodding her head. "Okay…"

~XXX~

Stefan slowly separated from Rebekah's lips, and watched as she smiled with her eyes still closed. Slowly with several blinking movements, she opened her eyes, and held his.

"If you're still thinking about avoiding me for my protection after that, good luck." She whispered, with a smile on her face.

Stefan swallowed, and searched her eyes. All of his plans for avoiding love, and living his life alone, were burning away at his soul and heart.

From one simple act, one weakness, his heart had been burned with love, a surpassing love for the goddess in his arms.

If only he didn't have to push her away.

If only he didn't have a prophesy eating away at his soul and future.

If only he didn't love her.

If…what a huge word, and what a depressing one.

Rebekah searched his eyes, and started to feel concern at the look of sadness in his eyes. Reaching up with her left hand, she tenderly touched his face. "What is it?" She asked, hoping he would tell her.

Stefan deliberated for only a moment, and started to tell her nothing, when the doors opened, and Bonnie entered with a book in her hand.

"I'm sorry for keeping you locked in here." Bonnie replied, frantically, trying to sound convincing.

Stefan nodded, and gently, but firmly pushed Rebekah away from him, and moved towards her. "Is there something you wanted to tell me?" He asked, ignoring Rebekah for the moment.

Bonnie frowned, and glanced at the prophesy book across the room. "I see you've found it." She replied, turning back to Stefan.

Stefan narrowed his eyes, and glared at her. "I've heard that one before." He stated, roughly.

Bonnie opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, Stefan stormed out of the room, and disappeared. She turned to find Rebekah bowing her head with a sad expression on her face.

"I thought he would change." Rebekah replied, moving towards the door.

Bonnie reached out and grasped Rebekah's arm with her hand. "There is something you should know." She whispered, watching Rebekah's gaze turn curious. "It concerns Stefan and, most importantly, his feelings for you." She added, noticing how Rebekah's eyes widened a fraction.

Rebekah opened her mouth, and slowly shook her head, but didn't get very far with her words when Bonnie continued.

When Rebekah left, Bonnie closed her eyes, and the vision behind her eyes brought fear into her soul. Opening her eyes, she turned to doors, which led to the outside, and sighed.

"Let them be ready." She whispered, bowing her head. "Let them be ready."

~XXX~

He growled as the fire engulfed him, and began to feed him the strength he needed.

Soon, he would be ready.

Soon, he would take back what was his, and the one who stole his life would pay, dearly.

He sneered as the flame lit his darkened soul, and began to fill his eyes. The image before him told him enough.

His successor was infatuated with the Mikaelson girl, the Goddess of Love.

How perfect.

How very perfect.

I know this chapter wasn't very long, but I couldn't think of much to put in here without giving away the whole story, and two, I've been working the past two days so I'm about to pass out from exhaustion! :)

To Chlonizzle: For this series, I'm not planning on pairing Damon and Bonnie as a romantic couple. They'll just be good friends.

However, on a good note, I have been working on a Damon/Bonnie (even though I'm mainly a Kennett fan) story for a few weeks now, and I've just started writing it. I haven't posted it as of yet, but I hope to have enough to post it very soon. Though I haven't come up with a title yet, it will be up and going soon.

Coming Soon: What did Bonnie mean? Will Stefan be open enough to listen to Rebekah, now that she knows the truth of the prophesy? Or did Bonnie tell her something different? Find out soon...

Until Next Time...