Hi! I am so sorry for keeping this so long, but I was kind of lost on how to deal with this chapter and in the end, I am not happy with it at all. It's kinda short too, but I didn't want to keep this update from you any longer, considering how I ended the previous chapter.(It was mean, I know lol) Hopefully the next update will come faster.
I also have to say that this story is slowly but surely coming to an end, I'm thinking that there are only 2-4 chapters left. We'll see. :)
Elena
"As you wish." Klaus utters and plunges the blade deep into Stefan's stomach.
Not a single sound escapes my lips as I watch the man I love fall lifelessly on the floor. I want to scream, to run, to die, but all I can do is just stare, helplessly. It is the worst feeling, knowing that you're incapable of doing anything, there's nothing I can possibly do to make this situation disappear.
"Elena," Stefan's voice is barely audible but nevertheless I can make out what he is saying. He falls on his knees, his eyes never leaving my face. Tears that are falling from my eyes are clouding my vision but I can see that something in him changed. His eyes are not that empty anymore, there's a light in them which has been missing for a while now.
"I love you..." he says, taking one last breath before closing his eyes forever with a slight smile on his lips like he remembered something very important.
I want to scream, run to him, but my feet won't listen to me.
My Stefan was back, just for a second. And then he was ripped away from me, so ruthlessly.
"No," I let out a strangled sob. I have forgotten all about my own injuries, the physical pain I felt before has now been replaced by emotional pain of which I have never felt before.
I take a staggering step forward; I almost stumble over a piece of furniture which has been destroyed. I take another step, then another until I am finally close enough. I kneel next to him and grab his hand.
My heart skips a beat; I can't feel it anymore, the electricity between us.
"Stefan, please." I whisper, holding onto him for dear life. "Don't leave me, please, Stefan." I beg, although I know this is fruitless.
I look around me; I meet Damon's pained face, I have never seen him look so broken.
Then I see Klaus, admiring his handiwork smugly. He sees me looking at him and smirks.
"Well, now, sweetheart." He coos. "I think it's time we get done with this whole ordeal." He wipes the blade which is dripping with Stefan's blood on his jacket sleeve.
"Did you really think that I would let you two live?" He asks. "I'm not that merciful."
Klaus starts walking slowly towards me, I close my eyes knowing what's coming next. Maybe this will be better; at least I won't be alone anymore.
My eyes snap open when I suddenly hear a commotion – Damon has tackled Klaus again. The next minute passes by in a blur.
"Elena!" Damon roars, "Catch!" he throws a small object at me, which I am barely able to catch.
"You really think you can beat me?" Klaus bellows, slamming Damon against the wall. "When are you going to learn – you can never defeat me!" Damon's head meets the wall again.
Damon grunts in pain but I can see the determination in his eyes – he catches Klaus unaware, kicking his legs from under him so they both fall to the floor, with Damon having the upper hand.
"Elena, shove that thing down his throat, quickly!" Damon yells, struggling to maintain the power over Klaus.
"Why?" I cry out, examining the small bottle.
"No time for that, do it!" Damon growls, "I can't hold him much longer."
I crawl over to the two men and as soon as Klaus is within my reach he starts laughing maniacally.
"There's no use in that, dear." He tries to shove Damon away but to no avail. I have no idea how Damon is managing to hold the archangel down. Some say that pain is the biggest motivator; maybe this is the reason right now.
"We'll see." Damon says through gritted teeth, "Elena, now!" He commands.
I look over my shoulder and see Stefan lying there and I am overcome by a new wave of anger and grief. I unscrew the bottle and pour the contents down Klaus' throat.
The archangel's eyes bulge as the liquid makes its way down, it's almost as if he is in pain. Damon releases his hold on him but Klaus doesn't move, it's like his whole body is paralyzed.
"What was that?" I whisper, my voice trembling, because I know what's coming next.
"There's no time for explanations, where's the fucking blade?" Damon searches frantically the floor.
"I think he dropped it when you knocked him down." I say, my eyes wandering over the destruction and then stopping on Klaus who is completely immobile. I feel both fear and fury when I look at the man who has destroyed my life.
"Here." Damon offers me the weapon which I take with shaky hands. It's heavier than I thought.
I look between the blade and Klaus, unsure.
"Elena, you have to do it now, it's our only choice." Damon's voice is urgent.
"I...I..." I stutter. Knowing what I have to do and act out on it are two different things.
"It has to be you, Elena. I can't do it."
"What if Rebekah was wrong?" I squeak. "What if she said that it had to be me, because she knew that it couldn't be me? What if she tricked us?"
"We don't know that, Elena. Please. Do it." He pleads.
"I don't think I can, I'm not a killer, Damon." Tears are burning the back of my eyes and I am barely holding onto the weapon.
"Think about Jeremy, Elena, what Klaus did to him. What he did to Stefan." Damon puts a hand on my shoulder. I look up to see his bloodied, pained face. Then my eyes catch Stefan lying there. Not breathing, never smiling again.
I inhale sharply and raise the blade. I give Damon one last glance for reassurance. He nods his head and with that I plunge the weapon deep into Klaus' heart. His back arches and with one last breath drop to the floor again. I let go of the blade, and push myself away from the body.
Klaus is dead. He is finally dead.
I feel like a huge burden has been lifted off my shoulders, like I can breathe again.
My lips curve into a small smile as I can't tear my eyes off Klaus' body, but then the waterworks begin. I can't stop the flow of tears – tears for everything I have lost because of this man – my brother, my whole life, my Stefan. The grief starts to overwhelm me and I just can't control it anymore. I am utterly alone, I have nothing and no one left. I bury my head into my hands and cry uncontrollably.
"Elena…" Damon whispers behind me.
"Just, don't." I beg, wiping the tears from my cheeks but new ones are already replacing the old ones. I look up to Stefan's brother, his face is so swollen and bruised but his eyes are as clear as water. Then my eyes stop on Stefan again. Damon follows my gaze and grimaces when his eyes fall on Stefan.
"I failed him…" Damon murmurs. "I promised myself I'd save him and I failed." He grimaces. I open my mouth to say something to him, anything that could make him feel better, make me feel better but he walks away his head lowered before I manage to utter a single word.
The only thing I can hear is my own strangled breathing. I scoot closer to Stefan's body and grab his hand again, knowing that I won't feel anything but the mere contact with him gives me a little solace.
"We won." I tell him. "After everything we went through, we won." I close my eyes, taking a few deep breaths.
I don't know how much time passes as I sit there on the floor with him. I can't think coherently, I can't function. All I can picture is Stefan and how Klaus killed him.
"I love you…" Stefan's last words echo in my head.
"I love you, too, Stefan." I sob. "I love you so much and you never got to hear it. I am so sorry. I wish I had told you sooner, I wish I had told you…
"You were my everything, Stefan. You were all I had left and now you're gone too, and I can't live like this - without my brother, without you. I can't do this." I confess in despair.
I look at Stefan's face and he seems so peaceful, like he finally found what he was looking for, like he welcomed death as an old friend.
Death. Such a short word carrying so much meaning behind it.
Suddenly it dawns on me. I quickly scramble on my feet and run at the direction Damon went. I discover him sitting by the front door with a bottle of whisky in his hands. I am not surprised; it's his way of dealing.
"Damon, you were an angel of death, right?" I get right at the point.
"Yeah, what of it?" he takes a big gulp from the bottle.
"When someone dies, isn't there a way to bring that person back?"
"Angels of death can't do that." Damon says. "Only…." He stops in the middle of the sentence and abruptly jumps on his feet.
"What? Damon, tell me!" I cry out, stepping in front of him.
Damon grabs me by my shoulders and looks straight into my eyes. "Only archangels can do that." He says and steps outside.
"Rebekah!" He bellows. "I know you can hear me! Klaus is dead, we did our part, and you know this house, so get your ass right here right now!" Damon is looking up to the sky, pacing back and forth.
"Rebekah?" I say, "You don't know if she's even alive."
"Oh, I don't doubt that she has gone through some terrible torture, but I am 99% sure that she's still alive. REBEKAH!" he bellows.
I can feel it, the shift in the air, the slight flickering is almost detectable.
"Damon." A woman's voice with a familiar accent rings behind me. I turn around and I am greeted by Rebekah's strained face.
"Glad to see you're alive." Damon says sarcastically.
"Glad to see that your manners haven't improved." Rebekah retorts. "Where's Klaus?"
"In the house, with a blade through his heart." Damon says.
"Good." Rebekah states. "I figured that he was dead as soon as I was released from the prison he had been holding me." She grimaces at the memory. "But it's good to hear it myself. Now, why did you call me, I am sure that you're able to dispose of the body yourself."
"Stefan." I say my voice a bit more confident. "Klaus killed him."
Rebekah's face drops visibly at that – "I'm sorry."
"Save him." Damon walks over to Rebekah, standing so close to her that any other person would have flinched away by the proximity, but not Rebekah.
"I can't. The prophecy said that one will die and even if I could I can't bring back a life that has already been taken."
"Replace it then." Damon says, "Replace his life."
Rebekah narrows her eyes a bit. "You're willing to do that for him?"
"Yes."
I am confused, scared even. – "Damon, tell me." I plead.
He turns around to face me – "She can't bring Stefan's life back just that, but she can replace it. With mine."
My eyes grow huge at his words – "No, Damon."
"Yes, Elena." He snaps. "It's the only way."
"Why?" I have to know.
"He's my brother, I'd do anything for him." Sadness flashes in his eyes. "Besides, he has someone to live for. I already got my revenge."
"Damon…I…" I stutter but he raises his hand indicating for me to stop.
"You don't have to say anything, Elena. This is my choice. Let's go." He starts to walk back into the house with Rebekah and I close on his heels.
When we arrive at the scene of destruction I see how Rebekah sends a look of disgusts towards Klaus' body and without another glance she steps right next to Stefan's lifeless form.
"Are you sure about this, Damon?" Rebekah asks, eyeing him.
"Yes." he nods his head, his eyes never leaving Stefan.
"Take his hand then." Rebekah indicates. Damon falls on his knees and takes Stefan's hand into his. I watch everything from a distance, afraid for Damon, afraid for Stefan. I am thankful for Damon for doing this, but I would never ask him to do this.
"Will it hurt?" Damon asks silently.
"I don't know." Rebekah says honestly while kneeling across Damon and grabbing Stefan's other hand.
"Okay." Damon accepts her answer. "But before we do this, tell me please, will I see Katherine again?"
"I'll make sure that you and Katherine shall be reunited." Rebekah promises.
"Thank you." Damon smiles a small but genuine smile.
"Are you ready?" Rebekah asks.
Damon nods – "Yes."
Rebekah lowers her head and starts to mutter something under her breath, I can't make out the words but I am guessing they're in Enochian. Both Damon and Rebekah lower their heads and the whole ritual lasts about ten minutes, then suddenly everything is eerily quiet. I don't even dare to breathe. My eyes wander between Damon, Stefan and Rebekah. Damon and Rebekah are still kneeling and they both are so still that they could actually be mistaken for statues.
Then Rebekah's eyes snap open and she utters a single word and Damon falls on the floor. I cover my mouth with my hands to keep myself from crying out.
"It's done." Rebekah says, slowly standing up.
I run over to Stefan – "Stefan? Can you hear me?" I get no response.
I look up to Rebekah and she reads the concern from my eyes – "Give it some time." She says and takes a few steps back.
"Stefan?" I whisper. "Stefan, I love you, please, please come back to me." I beg, hoping that he can hear me. I put a hand on his cheek and I almost start crying again, from joy because the electricity is back, it's weak, but still present.
I don't know if my mind is playing tricks on me, but I can swear that I see Stefan's chest starting to move a little, like his lungs are struggling to get air in them. I take his hand and give it a gentle squeeze and just then his eyes fly open and he is gasping for air.
"Stefan, shh, breathe." I hover over him, trying to calm him down. His eyes are wildly wandering around and they're full of fear. "It's okay." I say to him, trying to keep my voice as soothing as possible, although from inside I am burning with joy.
"Elena?" He asks, his green eyes meeting my brown ones. Stefan's real eyes, not those empty shells. Stefan pushes himself into a sitting position.
"Wh-wh-what happened?" He sputters, still gasping for air.
"You died then I brought you back." Rebekah answers instead and his eyes quickly lock on the blonde woman.
"Died?" his voice is full of confusion.
"Klaus." I swallow hard.
He blinks a few times in confusion. Then his eyes fall on Damon.
"Damon?" he gives him a slight shake. "Damon?" He asks again.
"What happened?" he starts to panic.
"Stefan, it was the only way…" I say timidly, putting my hand on his shoulder.
"I remember Klaus stabbing me…" he says more to himself than to me and Rebekah. "Darkness came… I am supposed to be dead…" he mutters.
"Stefan…"
He faces me. "Tell me everything."