The Ritual:
Elijah and Beth made their way back to the boarding house where Stefan and Alaric were. They walked in and they were the first people they saw. "Hey, where is everybody? Where's Elena?" Beth asked him.
Stefan was noticeably upset. "Klaus already took her. Damon's trying to find a way to stop the sacrifice. We have to get down to the house, Bonnie and Jeremy are they're trying to look for a way to keep Elena human." Stefan said and they walked out the door. They all piled into one car with Beth and Alaric sitting in the backseat. Once they got to the house and got out Elijah started to explain everything.
"The sacrifice is completed in stages until the full moon sets. First the werewolf is killed, then the vampire. Finally the doppelganger. Once Elena dies, the curse will be broken. Klaus will become hybrid." He said to Stefan. Alaric and Beth were walking behind them.
"So when do we attack?" Alaric asked.
"Elena's death will activate his dormant werewolf side. He'll be vulnerable during the transformation. That's when Elizabeth and Bonnie come in." Elijah said gesturing to the witch in front of him.
"And you're sure they'll both survive this?" Alaric asked concerned. He wasn't going to let Beth go with this if she could get hurt. They'd have to find another way if that was the case.
"If they can deliver him to the brink of death, I'll finish the job myself." Elijah assured him. He wouldn't have Elizabeth in danger. Stefan nodded and his phone rang at that point. He walked away from them to talk to Damon. Stefan stopped and looked back at Alaric.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Alaric asked him worried. Whatever Damon told him was not good at all.
"Oh my God." He said.
"Stefan, what's wrong?" Beth asked him.
"He turned Jenna. He's going to use her in the sacrifice." Stefan sighed out, looking down.
"No." Alaric said shaking his head. First Elena, now it's Jenna. "What do we do?"
"I-I don't know." Stefan said.
"We have to talk to Bonnie first and you need to talk to Jeremy." Beth told them trying to stay calm. She put a hand on Alaric's arm. "We need to talk to them first."
"Yeah, you're right. I'll go get her." He told her. Alaric took a deep breath as he walked into the house.
"We should go, Bonnie and I before he kills her." Beth said to Stefan.
He shook his head. He couldn't let Beth and Bonnie "That's not an option. You'll die." Elijah informed her, though he knew she already knew that. She couldn't just let Jenna get killed though. She was someone she considered family and she knew how Elena and Jeremy had lost so many people as well. "Your death will not bring anything but pain. It's not an option." He repeated seriously to her.
"Hey, what's going on?" Bonnie asked walking out of the house. They all exchanged a look before Stefan explained everything that happened with Jenna to her. "Why did he take Jenna?"
"A punishment for meddling." Elijah said sadly. He knew that she was important to them all but there was no other way.
"Klaus was going to use Tyler and Caroline but Damon rescued them." He told them all. She was happy at least her other two friends were safe.
"Then we need to go." She decided and she looked to Beth for support and she nodded in agreement. "Now. Before Jenna's sacrificed. Beth and I can kill Klaus ourselves."
"You know if you two use that much power, you'll be dead." He said. They weren't only Elena's friends, they were his and he was not going to let them kill themselves. He had already lost too many people. He'd have to think of something else. "We've already been through this. It's not an option."
"Neither is letting Jenna die." Beth argued.
"Well, Stefan would agree with you." Elijah spoke up. The witches turned to look at him. He knew what the young vampire would do. It was too keep his friend and family safe and he respected that.
Stefan sighed and walked closer to the girls. "We're going to offer another vampire. One that he'll want more." He explained. "Me. Bonnie, I need you to do the locator spell to find where Klaus is keeping them. And when it's time Elijah will bring you and Beth to stop him." He said before they could argue. Bonnie knew that this was the only way to save Jenna. Beth was still in shock to say anything. Elijah and Bonnie went into the house. Stefan and Beth were in silence before she spoke up.
"You can't do this, Stefan. You're going to die. I can't let you die." She said.
"It's the only way, Beth. It's either Jenna or me. I can't sit around here while Klaus is preparing to kill her." Stefan reasoned with her. Beth began to pace around the house. "Beth…"
"What about Elena? Damon? Me? What about us? They need you, Stefan! You don't even know if Klaus will take you. Let Bonnie and us take out Klaus now. I promise she'll be okay. She'll make it."
"But you can't promise that you'll be okay." He said. She sighed and shook her head. He gave her a sad smile. "I appreciate it but I have lived over 160 years. I can't let you get yourself hurt. I need to at least see if Klaus will make a trade." She still wasn't convinced he should do it. "Elizabeth, if you were in my position, you know you would do the same." She didn't deny it cause she knew he was right.
"Still doesn't mean it doesn't suck ass." She mumbled and he actually gave her a full-fledged smile. He knew that it was unintentional but she could always make him feel slightly better. She cracked a smile herself, before she throwing her arms around his neck and let a few tears slip from her eyes. He hugged her back tightly.
"It'll be okay."
Elizabeth bit her bottom lip. She was seriously starting to get worried about Stefan. Damon had left 3 days ago and he was still depressed. Elizabeth wasn't exactly cheerful either but she couldn't sit here and watch him stare out the window. "Okay, Stefan. Get up!" She ordered him.
"What?" He complained. She pulled him by the arm to stand him up. He sighed as she dragged him outside of the house. Katherine went into town with Emily so they had the house to themselves. She pushed him out onto the ground with his back to her. "What is it, Elizabeth? I just want to come back inside." He went to face her but she threw something at his head. He groaned and bent to pick up a small ball she threw. He turned to see her staring at him innocently.
"What is it, Stefan?"
"Why did you throw this at me?" He asked and she threw another one at his chest and she started to smile. "Stop it." She threw another one. "Stop!" He said and she laughed as he started to get frustrated and she threw another one. He couldn't help but smile with her and that's when she took off. He laughed as he took off after her. "I'm going to catch you!"
"Not a chance, Stef! Not a chance." She yelled back.
"Bonnie did the locator spell. They're at Steven's quarry." Elijah informed them walking out. They pulled apart, Stefan coming back to the present. "They need your help inside." He told Elizabeth, sympathetically. Stefan gave Beth a small nod and she left. She quickly wiped away her tears to go help Jeremy and Bonnie.
A half an hour later, John and Damon came. Alaric was filling Damon in on everything that had happened while John was helping the girls and Jeremy find a spell. "I brought the Gilbert journals. I think I know the spell you're talking about." He said setting down a box.
"Where's Damon?" Bonnie asked him as they took out a few of the journals.
"Upstairs. Alaric wanted to talk to him." He told them. Beth wanted to go down there but for right now they needed her help. She took one of the journals and went through it to find something that would help while the others did the same. Beth was reading through entry after entry until she stopped.
"I think I found something."
John came over to her quickly. "What is it?" She handed it to him and read through it quickly, his lips moving along as he read it. "This…this is it. Thank you, Beth." He said sincerely. She probably just saved his daughter from becoming a vampire.
Damon and Alaric came upstairs. "What's going on?" The latter asked.
"We found something in the Gilbert journals." Beth told him. Damon looked at her and nodded. He didn't know what to say. Those were the first words she said to him since that afternoon. He was guilty of forcing her to drink his blood and she hadn't completely forgiven him but they needed to help each other out. And she was worried. He wasn't looking good to her.
"Jonathan journaled the story of a mother who called in Emily's services. The woman's baby was sick; dying. Emily cast a spell that would bind the woman's life force with her child." John told them.
"Skip to the save Elena part." Damon said impatiently.
"Well, the child died, but the mother's life force flowed through her, restoring her life." He explained quickly.
"Well already know Elena's going to come back to life but she'll be a vampire." Jeremy said confused.
"Not if her soul remains intact."
"Her soul, really?" Damon scoffed. "You're going to put your faith in some act of God mumbo jumbo?" He asked. Beth and Bonnie both raised their eyebrows at him. This was their power he was talking about. And after everything they've seen and how they've managed to stay alive, he should have faith in that.
"I refuse to let Elena become the thing I've spent my life protecting her against." John told him firmly. "And you can call that God or mystical energy, whatever you want, but yes…I'm putting my faith in it." Damon nodded, slightly taken back by his speech. He may have been a poor father but he loved his daughter and would protect her with his own life.
Beth decided to do the spell since she found it. John sat down at a chair while she went behind him and put her hands next to his head. "Come on, El, we got a hybrid to kill." Damon said hurrying her, while he snapped his fingers. Jeremy and Bonnie flashed him a look saying for him to be quiet. Beth ignored him as she finished the incantation she was chanting.
"It's done."
"That's it?" He asked and she nodded. "Let's go." He said and he let her go in front of him. Bonnie was quickly talking to Jeremy, to make sure he'd stay there with John. Damon looked at Beth who was leaning in the doorway waiting. He realized that this was it. She could get hurt and he was going to die soon, from the werewolf bite. He couldn't have her hating him. "El…I'm sorry." He apologized sincerely. Her eyes flickered to his. It wasn't every day that Damon apologized to someone and meant it.
"I forgive you."
He looked at her shocked but saw she meant it. She have him a small smile. "Be careful out there. Please." He pleaded with her and she nodded. Bonnie finally came out of the room. They all walked upstairs where Alaric and Elijah were getting ready.
"It's time." Elijah announced.
"All right. I got the weapons in the car." Alaric let them know.
"Elizabeth and Bonnie are the only weapons we need." Elijah said as he walked out behind them and Damon. Alaric followed but found he couldn't get out. He was trapped.
"Bonnie! Beth! What is this?" He asked annoyed.
"We can't put anyone else at risk." Beth told him. He should know better than anyone that he was safer here but he couldn't let her go out by herself. Yes, Damon would protect her, but he needed to make sure she was safe.
"I can't stay here with Jenna and you out there!" He argued.
"I'm sorry." Bonnie apologized.
"You can't do this! Damon!"
"Sorry, buddy. They're right." He said sympathetically. At least with him there he could keep an eye on the others and wouldn't be in harm's way. They left him standing there, yelling at them not to do this. Beth felt guilty but she knew that she'd rather him be angry than be dead.
They made it to the quarry. They could hear Klaus talking to someone. Damon put a finger to his lips to signal that they should be quiet. Beth put on her amulet, to help channel the power from the full moon. Elijah moved off to the side to let Bonnie and Beth do the spell. They could hear Klaus more clearly now. "I can feel it! It's happening! Yes! Yes!" He yelled victoriously. Beth could see him starting to transform into a werewolf. Bonnie began the spell and Beth joined in. Using their joint powers they threw Klaus onto the ground. Bouts of fire were set ablaze around the quarry. Beth walked closer to Klaus with Bonnie. She saw Jenna, dead out of the corner of her eye and it took everything for her not to cry. She had to focus on the spell. She concentrated on Klaus.
He was now yelling in pain as they continued the chant. "No!" He said shocked as he saw Bonnie. "You were dead!" At that moment Bonnie sent him flying again and he cried out once more in pain. Beth was starting to feel weak and her nose was bleeding but she kept concentrating on the spell. Klaus cried out in pain once more as they finally stopped. Elijah walked up to his brother's dying body. "Elijah!" He was surprised. Beth felt someone coming behind her. It was Stefan, he could say her wavering on her feet and he wrapped an arm around her to keep her steady, as they watched they saw Elijah greet him.
"Hello, brother." He punched a whole in his chest and grabbed onto his heart. "In the name of out family, Niklaus…"
"I didn't bury them at sea!" He said quickly to him. Elijah looked at him surprised. Beth was getting a major headache now and she was feeling faint. "Their bodies are safe. If you kill me, you'll never find them."
"Elijah!" Beth called to him shaking her head.
"Elijah, don't listen to him." Stefan agreed.
Klaus however saw how his brother was affected by his words. He just wanted his family back. "I'll take you to them. I give you my word…. Brother." He promised.
"Do it and I'll take you both out!" Bonnie threatened them seriously. She was not going to let Klaus just go after what he did to them.
"You'll die."
"I don't care!"
Elijah looked over at them. Beth shook her head desperately. He looked at her, saddened but this was his brother. He could have his family. "I'm sorry." He apologized, though it was mostly directed to her. They all ran to stop him but he already jumped with Klaus and they disappeared. They couldn't stop staring at the place the brothers left. Everything, was all for nothing. Beth couldn't stand anymore. The last thing she heard when she fainted was her name being yelled as darkness over came her.
xxxxx
Beth woke up with a splitting headache. She opened her eyes and saw she was in a bed. She tried to sit up but it just made her head worst. She looked around realizing, she was in Damon's bed in his room. Alaric was in the chair across from the bed, fast asleep. He obviously had stayed there all morning, since it was the middle of the afternoon now. "Morning, sunshine." A voice said from the door. She turned and saw it was Damon with his signature smirk on his face. She smiled, happy to see he was safe. He was happy to see she was awake. He couldn't sleep not knowing if she was.
"Hey." She replied. He walked over to the bed and sat on the edge near her as she tried to sit up a bit more. "What happened?" She asked. "Is Elena okay? Did it work?"
"Yeah, she's all alive and human. She's trying to deal though. John died. He knew that he would once he did the spell." He told her. She sighed. Damon and them must have known what had happened now. "They're both gone, though, Elijah and Klaus. Bastards took off and Stefan carried you back here when he saw you fainting." He cocked his head at her worried. "Are you okay?" He asked.
"Are you?" She said. He seemed to be a bit sick to her and vampires didn't get sick.
He was quick to change the subject. "I'm not the one who went on overload and fainted, El." He joked and she smiled. She threw her arms around his neck and buried her head in his shoulder. He rested his chin on her shoulder and sighed. He knew that he couldn't tell her. It wasn't worth her freaking out over when there was nothing she could do about it. He was just glad that all she did was pass out. The outcome could've been a lot worst.
"I'm okay." She replied. He nodded and smiled at her once she pulled back. There was a knock at the door and it opened. She smiled again seeing Stefan smiling back as he leaned in the doorway. "Hey."
"Hey." He greeted her as he walked into the room. Damon sat on the other side of her while Stefan bent down to hug her. She had scared both brothers when she fainted. Stefan gave Damon a knowing look and he shook his head, indicating he didn't tell her and he didn't plan to. "How are you feeling?"
"Better. Just went into overload, like Day said."
"Yep, I was right. You were stupid to do it but at least you're okay." He admitted with a smile. They heard Alaric starting to stir as he woke up and when he saw her sitting up her hurried to stand up.
"Beth!" He said quickly as he walked over to the bed.
"And that's our cue." Damon told her. They both knew he'd be happy she was awake but pissed that she trapped him there. Before she could stop them they left.
"Do you know how worried I was? I thought something was going to happen to you." Alaric told her seriously sitting down besides her. She gave him an innocent smile, hoping he would calm down. "Oh, no you're not getting out of it that easily, just because you're in bed. You scared the hell out of me, Beth! Especially when I saw Stefan carrying you! "
"I'm sorry, Ric. I just wanted to keep everyone else safe. Rotten job I did, right." She said bitterly. He sighed. He knew that it wasn't her fault. She couldn't save everyone. She would try though, just like her mother would. He brushed her hair behind her ear.
"You did what you could, kid." He assured her. He leaned over and she hugged him tightly. Through everything they still had each other. He was her family and she was his. In the end, they'd take care of each other, no matter what. They were all they had left. He kissed her forehead. "I'm so happy you're okay."
"Me too."
The funeral was the next day. Beth was at the Gilbert house with Elena and Jeremy. They were happy to see that she was okay but she wanted to just help them through this. They were going to be leaving for the funeral home soon. Elena was in her room and the Salvatore's were downstairs. Beth just came out of the bathroom and was walking past Jeremy's room when she stopped. He was staring out the window. "I did that a lot." She said and he looked over at her as she walked in. "When my mom died, I'd just think about what it would be like if she were here."
He sighed as he ran a hand over his head. She stood next to him as he stared at the ring his uncle left him. "Will it ever get better? Or at least not hurt as much?" He asked looking towards her.
"Sometimes." She admitted. "Sometimes it's a good day and you can do it and others you just want to crumble and that overwhelming feeling that makes you want to hide from the world or just ignore it. But it does get better. The good days trump the bad. You feel stronger because you know that they want you to feel better. So you do it for them and then it becomes a little easier every day. And you'll feel alone at first but you have Elena, Bonnie, and Alaric and…and you have me." She assured him. He wouldn't have to go through this alone, Alaric was there for her and she'd be there for Jeremy. "I won't lie, it won't be instantaneous but it'll get better, Jeremy. That I can promise you." She told him looking him in the eye. He nodded.
She turned and hugged him and to his surprise he hugged her back. He felt better knowing that she knew what he was going through. She was practically voicing his thoughts. "Thank you, Beth."
They got to the funeral home. Damon, Stefan, Caroline, Bonnie, Alaric, Jeremy, Beth and Elena were all there. Elena put two roses on her aunt and uncle's grave and another two on her parent's. Beth gently squeezed Jeremy's hand as tears threatened to fall from his eyes and Alaric was on the other side of him with a hand on his shoulder.
Elena stood up and Damon gave her a sympathetic look. Alaric decided that they should all go back to the house. Beth was walking behind when she noticed, Damon and Stefan talking. She looked at them curiously but Damon just gave her an assuring smile. It said he was okay and that she had nothing to worry about. Even if it was a complete lie.
