I apologize immensely for taking forever to update this story! I would say that I'm getting better at my time management, but I'm still trying to manage everything. I hope you will be patient with me.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT! IT MEANS SO MUCH! :)

Please remember to review at the end! :)

"Are you ready?" Her melodic voice rang through the room, as Stefan lifted the swords he had just created, and placed them in a pile next to the wall.

Stefan straightened, and turned to find her fingering a bow he had fashioned out of metal and gold. It was beautiful, and somehow it called to her. He slowly approached her, and smiled at her fascination.

"This is beautiful." She whispered, lifting her eyes to his.

Stefan smiled, and nodded. "Thank you, Rebekah." He whispered, holding her eyes with his.

She smiled, and felt her cheeks flush at the intensity of his gaze. "We should go." She whispered, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

Stefan sighed, and reached forward with his right hand, and caressed her face. Leaning down, he brushed his lips across hers, and smiled against them when she responded to his kiss.

Slowly, he pulled back, and smiled down at her, as her eyes slowly opened to capture his. "You are beautiful." He whispered, stroking her face, lightly.

She smiled, brightly, and it seemed the fire in the center of the forge burned brighter than before. "Thank you." She whispered, lifting her right hand to stroke his left cheek, tentatively.

Stefan stiffened, slightly; shocked that someone would touch his scars with such tenderness, and care.

"No one ever took the time, did they?" She whispered, watching his face become stoic.

He swallowed, not wanting to speak, no not wanting to, couldn't.

Rebekah smiled, and tilted her head to the side. Leaning up, she brushed her lips over his cheek, and pulled back.

He cleared his throat, and tried his best not to ruin this moment. "We should go." He replied, saying the words she had said earlier.

Rebekah nodded, and looped her arm through his right arm, knowing he needed baby steps. "Where are we going?" She asked, excited that they were getting out of the stuffiness of the forge. Not that she would complain, in fact, she loved his work, but no one needed to stay cooped up like had been.

He smiled, and led her out of the cave, as they disappeared in a flash of light, only to reappear in the center of a meadow with a cottage just at the edge of the woods.

Rebekah looked around, amazed that such beauty could be in one spot. Her mouth opened, and she glanced down to find a blanket with all the trimmings of a picnic on the ground in front of them. "You did all of this?" She asked, glancing up at him.

Stefan nodded, and motioned his head towards the blanket. "Damon suggested I do something romantic." He replied, watching her smile, brightly.

"Well, I say you passed with flying colors." She replied, kissing his right cheek.

As they sat down, and began to enjoy the food before them, Rebekah noticed the cottage a few feet away had markings on it, burnt markings to be more precise. Her eyes narrowed as she realized what the markings meant.

"This was where you were born." She replied, softly, causing Stefan to pause with a cup of nectar at his lips.

He lowered the cup, and sighed, glancing at the cottage. "It is." He returned, causing her to bow her head.

"I'm sorry." She said, knowing she might have ruined a perfect day. "I shouldn't have said anything." She added, shaking her head.

He shrugged his shoulders, and sighed. "It was a long time ago, Rebekah. You did nothing wrong." He replied, trying to ease her discomfort.

Rebekah sighed, and picked up a piece of an apple, and nibbled part of it. "Mother always talks about your mother, Calypso." She began, tentatively. "She said she was a brave woman."

Stefan paused, and smiled, sadly, though it didn't reach his eyes. "That's what they say." He replied, shaking his head.

"You blame yourself." She replied, reading his face and body language.

Stefan glared at her, and fire flashed in his eyes, causing her to lean backward. "Why shouldn't I?!" He shouted, standing up, as quick as he could. "I'm the reason Silas attacked the house with my mother still inside. I'm the reason he set fire to the house. I'm the reason mother gave her life." He ranted, moving away from the picnic.

Rebekah shook her head, and stood up to follow him. "Did it ever occur to you that your mother gave her life so you could defeat Silas in the long run?" She stated, placing her hand on his right arm.

He flashed his eyes at her. "Yes, it did, and that's why she's dead, because of ME!" He shouted, jerking his arm away from her.

Rebekah sighed, but didn't back away. She couldn't. "She died because Silas wouldn't listen to prophesy, and didn't take it like a man." She stated, shaking her head. "If he had listened to the Bennetts, your mother wouldn't have died, and you wouldn't blame yourself." She stated, moving to stand in front of him.

"Why don't you say the truth, Rebekah?" He asked, in a low dark tone. "Why don't you say that I wouldn't be scarred and hideous, receiving pity from a beautiful creature like you?" He asked with a small sneer on his face.

Rebekah stepped back, pain evident on her face. "I thought we've established that I don't pity you, Stefan." She whispered, shaking her head at the last bit.

Stefan scoffed. "Isn't that why you want to give this a chance?" He asked, darkly.

She shook her head, taking a step forward. "No, I want to give this a chance because I love you, Stefan." She stated, watching his face become darker than ever. "Stefan?" She whispered, suddenly it dawned on her what was happening.

"No," She whispered, shaking her head.

"Oh, yes," A dark voice emerged from Stefan's mouth. "Hello, goddess."

"Silas," She whispered, before she let out a scream, and then…

…sat up in bed.

Panting, she placed her hand on her chest, trying to still her breathing. Shaking her head, she climbed out of bed, and waved her right hand.

She needed to see him.

She panicked when she looked around the forge, and didn't see him, racing through the corridors, which she knew led to his chambers, she felt the tears from her fears run down her cheeks.

"Stefan!" She cried, running towards the door.

Suddenly the door opened, and Stefan, disheveled from being aroused from bed, stood in the doorway, only to envelope a distressful goddess in his arms.

"Rebekah?" He whispered, as her face became buried in his bare chest.

"Hold me, Stefan. Just hold me." She cried, clutching him with every bit of strength she had in her body.

He didn't say a word as he did as she requested, and held her in the doorway of his bedroom.

She straightened after a few minutes, tears dried on her cheeks, eyes red from crying. "I…I had a dream." She whispered, shaking her head. "It was so real." She whispered, her body shaking with fear at the memory.

Stefan sighed, and moved to lead her into his room. After settling her down on his bed, he procured a chair so he could sit in front of her. Once they were comfortable, she began her tale.

"I dreamed Silas posed as you on our picnic." She began, keeping her eyes focused on her hands in her lap. "He told me that I pitied you, and that was why I gave you a chance, because how could anyone care for a scarred man." She continued, scared to lift her eyes to see his face. "I told him that I didn't pity you, that I…" She paused, sniffing, closing her eyes. "I care for you." She replied, not saying the words she longed to say.

Stefan sighed, and bowed his head. "He's trying to find my weakness." He whispered, standing up, and slightly limped towards the small window in his room.

Rebekah sniffed, and lifted her head at his words. "Your weakness?" She asked, trying to understand.

Stefan sighed, and closed his eyes. "You, Rebekah." He whispered, hoping she didn't hear.

But she did, and it changed everything.

~XX~

"He visited her last night." Sheila remarked, coldly.

Ayanna sighed, and bowed her head, her brown curls covering her face for a brief spell. "He knows." She whispered, shaking her head.

"Did you think he wouldn't find out about Stefan's feelings for the Rebekah, and their strength?" Sheila retorted, shaking her head.

"I knew he would discover their love, but I never thought it would be so soon." Ayanna replied, lowly, in a contemplative tone.

Sheila sighed, and closed her eyes. "What do we do now?" She asked, shaking her head with her shoulders shrugging.

Emily stepped forward, and gauged Ayanna's expression with her young eyes. "Do we tell them?" She asked, carefully.

Ayanna shook her head. "No, they already know." She replied, after a moment, gazing into the orb in front of them, showing the couple in a loving, comforting embrace.

Sheila smiled at the sight. "It's not all bad, is it, then?" She asked, with peace in her voice.

Ayanna smiled, and shook her head. "No, it's not, but…" She trailed off, a frown appearing on her face. "Time is getting shorter, and soon they will need to be ready, for if they are not, then everything will be turned into fire, and there is nothing we can do to stop it." She replied, in a firm tone.

The others nodded in understanding, and hoped that the couple was going to be ready for the trial up ahead.

And Soon…

~XX~

Rebekah pulled back, slowly, the words he had just said, ringing in her ears. Lifting her eyes to his, she began to slowly search them. "Stefan?" She whispered, her voice barely making it through.

Stefan swallowed, and closed his eyes. "I didn't mean to say the words." He whispered, shaking his head.

Rebekah opened her mouth, and shook her head. "So it's true. I'm your weakness." She whispered, waiting for him to turn his head to look at her, hope filling her chest.

Stefan didn't say a word, only clenched his jaw tight.

"I thought we were going to be honest with each other." She replied, placing her hands on his chest. "Stefan,"

He closed his eyes, and bowed his head. "It is." He finally whispered, hoping she understood.

Rebekah bowed her head, and stepped closer to him. "Are you going to try to push me away again?" She asked, after a moment.

He smirked for a brief moment before catching her eyes. "Will it work?" He asked, though he knew her answer.

Rebekah shook her head. "No," She paused, a smile appearing on her face. "Now that I know how you feel, it won't be easy getting rid of me." She whispered, pressing her body closer to his.

Stefan smiled, sadly, hoping she would have said yes it would have worked, but she wouldn't be Rebekah if she did. Raising his right hand, he caressed her cheek, and kissed her forehead, tenderly.

Rebekah smiled, and placed her head on his chest, as she wrapped her arms around his waist once more. "Can I stay here tonight?" She asked, hoping he would say yes.

Stefan sighed, wanting to say no, but after what happened to her tonight, how could he? "Come on." He whispered, escorting her into his bedroom.

Rebekah smiled as she looked around, finding the room seeming to touch her. "Love the décor." She replied, turning to look at him with a huge smile on her face. "I used to think this place smoked, in more ways than one." She added, winking at him.

He chuckled, finding her sense of humor just what he needed. "Does it still?" He replied, watching her step toward him.

She smiled, and placed her hands on his chest. "Oh, yes." She whispered, standing on tiptoes to touch her lips to his.

Stefan smiled against her lips, and opened his mouth to return her kiss as much as he could without going overboard.

She moaned, and her nails began to dig into his bare skin. Her body began to pulse against him, and she began to feel his response against her stomach.

"Rebekah," He moaned, trying to keep his head focused, and not let desire take over.

Rebekah pulled back, slightly, though her lips were only a fraction away from his. "Stefan?" She whispered, her body singing with love and want.

Stefan pulled back, and gazed down at her to find the desire in her eyes focused on his. "We should sleep." He replied, stroking her face, lightly, trying to curb his desire.

She read between the lines, and though her mind and heart agreed with him, her body was telling her a different tale. "We should." She managed to get out in a low whisper.

He smiled, and gently led them to his bed, and waited for her to slide in first, as he watched her tuck underneath the deep red satin sheets, he felt himself harden at the sight of her in his bed.

Rebekah smiled at the expression on his face, and scooted over, allowing him room to slide in beside her. "I don't bite." She whispered, leaning back against the satin pillows.

Stefan sighed, and bowed his head. He realized that he would be sliding in on his left side, and suddenly felt insecure. He felt a hand on his left hand, and his eyes, which had closed for a brief moment, opened, and he caught the soft eyes of the Goddess before him.

"I don't care, Stefan." She whispered, knowing he needed to hear the words. "If it helps, I'll move out, and lay on your right side." She replied, searching his eyes.

Stefan swallowed, and shook his head. Moving to sit down, he lifted the sheets, and slid in beside her, carefully lying beside her. Rebekah smiled, and moved to his side, gently, placing her head on his left shoulder, as his left arm, draped over his stomach.

As she drifted to sleep, she realized how far they had come since they had begun, and the thought of Silas faded from her mind, but unbeknownst to her, that thought lay present in the God of Fire's.

~XX~

Klaus sighed as he leaned against the doorframe of the nursery, watching his wife feed their daughter while rocking her gently.

"You're worried." Caroline remarked, not taking her eyes from her daughter.

Klaus smiled, and pushed away from the doorframe to walk further into the room. "You always know how to read me." He replied, kneeling in front of his girls.

Caroline lifted her eyes to his, and smiled, briefly. "One of the perks of loving you." She replied, lightly, as he smiled, and gently kissed her lips. "Are you going to tell me?" She asked, glancing down at their daughter, who was now sleeping in her mother's arms.

"Sheila came to see me." He replied, with slight reluctance.

Caroline sighed, and looked up to catch his eyes. "Stefan and Rebekah." She replied, nodding.

Klaus nodded, and sighed. "She told me that time is moving forward." He began, moving his eyes to his sleeping daughter. "I told her about the movement down in Oblivion." He added, stiffly.

"Silas." Caroline concluded, sadly, clutching her daughter closer to her, trying to protect her.

Klaus nodded, and sighed. "The more time that is wasted, the more time Silas has to grow stronger, and that means less and less time for Stefan and Rebekah." He replied, bowing his head.

"Nik, I've seen them together, and they are almost there." She replied, softly. "We just have to have faith." She added, holding her husband's eyes.

Klaus smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "You always had more faith than I did." He whispered, pushing her blonde hair behind her ear.

She smiled, and leaned into his hand. "I always had faith in you, and that got me through everything." She returned, softly. "Faith is the best thing that any of us can have at the moment, so that is what I'll have." She concluded, firmly.

Klaus smiled, and nodded. "Well, then, your faith will always give me faith, love." He whispered, lovingly.

Caroline smiled, and leaned forward to brush her lips over his. "I think I'll invite your sister to lunch." She whispered, placing her forehead on his.

He smiled, and shook his head. "I thought as much." He replied, with a chuckle.

She pulled back, and moved to stand up with her husband's help, and carefully placed her daughter in the flower crib. "I'll send the message tomorrow." She replied, as she straightened.

"I'll send for Matt in the morning." He replied in agreement.

Caroline nodded, and walked with him towards the door. She paused at the door, and looked gravely towards the crib. "It could change, couldn't it?" She asked, sadly.

Klaus sighed, and placed his hand on her back. "Yes." He stated simply.

Closing her eyes, Caroline prayed.

~XX~

Deep in the pits of fire, a man stepped out on a fiery ledge, and smiled. His strength began to grow as the fire from depths of Hell surrounded him, and he knew it would be a matter of time before he could emerge from his fiery prison.

Sending the dream to the lovely Goddess of Love was only the beginning, and he smiled at just how lovely she truly was.

When everything went according to plan, he would have the world, and he would take the Goddess of Love into his bed, forever destroying the bastard who claimed what was rightfully his, and when he took the Goddess from Stefan, he would drain the life from the man, and relish the look of defeat on his face for all eternity.

He would have his revenge, and he would have it with pleasure and fire.

Please be kind!

I won't say when the next chapter will be up, because so much is happening in my life at the moment, that time is being stretched for me. I hope you will understand, and be patient.

Next Chapter: Stefan and Rebekah come to terms with what is to come; Caroline and Rebekah have a moment together; Stefan meets with Bonnie about Rebekah.

Until Next Time...