Disclaimer: I only own my OCs
A/N: In honour of my upcoming birthday, you get a chapter a day early (it's also because I don't know if I'll get time to update over the weekend!) Ironically, it's probably one of the saddest chapters, since we finally have the sacrifice. This chapter was written around the time of my dad's leukemia diagnosis, so it may be a bit emotional at time, which I apologise for in advance! Hopefully this chapter is a suitable pay off for all the build up
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Damon's POV
I sighed as I sat down at the kitchen island, staring at the werewolf bite on my arm. It was just bad luck that the Lockwood kid managed to get me. Despite my reservations about saving the werewolf, I knew that Alexa couldn't lose him. So I set him free. And got bitten in return. But I didn't regret it. Alexa had lost so much; she couldn't lose her adopted brother.
I could feel Katherine by my side, her gaze fixed upon the bite. Despite her nonchalant attitude, I could tell that she felt guilty for what she did. And so she should. The twins would now lose their birth father. They were lucky not to be losing their beloved aunt. For once, John had done the right thing by insisting that he be sacrificed. And I had to respect him for that. Jenna deserved to live, she deserved to have a happy life.
"So that's what a werewolf bite looks like," the vampire doppelganger remarked, glancing up at me.
My mind flashed back to Rose's bite, although hers was a lot bigger than mine, "Yep."
"It's not that bad," Katherine dismissed it as she moved around the island. Although she still kept her gaze fixed upon the wound.
"Will be," I sighed as I remembered what Rose's looked like at the end. I knew that it would just grow and get worse, spreading throughout the body. Mine would just take longer, as it was just a nip, whereas Rose was properly bitten by one in its wolf form.
I shook my head and rolled down my sleeve. It was a problem that could be ignored until the sacrifice was over with. Only then could I think about the fact that I was going to die. That I was going to leave Alexa without ever telling her that I loved her. And I couldn't tell her, not now. It would be unfair for me to tell her that only to die not long after. And I couldn't never be cruel, not to my girl. She deserved the best that life could give her.
I stood up, only for Katherine to rest her hand on my arm, "So that's it? You're just… going to die?"
I raised my eyebrow at her, "Well, that depends. You know anything about a cure?" Katherine shook her head, a regretful look on her duplicitous face, and I smirked, "Me either."
I shrugged off her grasp and walked over to the couch. Picking up my jacket, I shrugged it on and started to make my way over to the door. I had done all I could here and I was needed elsewhere. Katherine had told me that Alexa had died again. She needed me with her when she woke up. This night would be bad enough for as it was, having watched Klaus take her sister, dealing with another death was the last thing that my girl needed.
"145 years and no last goodbye?" my former lover asked from behind me, sounding as though she was pouting.
I snorted and shook my head, not even bothering to look back at her, "You don't get a goodbye."
I heard a sigh from behind me before there was a gush of air. Katherine stood in front of me, her had on my chest and a pitiful pout on her face, "No. Don't leave mad."
I rolled my eyes before glaring down at the doppelganger, "Us ending up on good terms isn't exactly on my bucket list, Katherine."
I attempted to push my way past her but the annoying wench stopped me again, "Klaus made me call Jenna and John to lure them out. And he told me to get Alexa out of the way. There was nothing that I could do. I didn't have a choice."
"That's why I gave you the vervain," I snapped, momentarily losing my cool. "So you had a choice."
The fact that Katherine had killed Alexa, for the second time, had my blood boiling. And now she was making excuses about it. She could have knocked Alexa out, but instead, she chose to kill her. Again.
"It was them or me," Katherine shrugged and I narrowed my eyes at her. "I chose them."
"I helped you," I shook my head and shoved her hand off of me. "You owed me. Now when Klaus dies, you're going to walk out of here without a scratch and the twin's birth father dies. Alexa will have to suffer the after effects of dying again. Somehow, you're the only one that wins. How'd that happen?"
"I didn't let love get in the way," was her simple answer, an uncaring look on her face.
"That's because you're incapable of love," I snorted, shoving my way past her. "Enjoy an eternity alone, Katherine."
"What are you going to do?" Katherine asked from behind me, knowing better than to try and stop me again.
"I'm going to offer myself as a replacement to Klaus," I answered, glancing over my shoulder at her. I knew that John didn't have the best relationship with the twins, but I also knew that they couldn't lose another parent. He represented something special to them, and they deserved to have the opportunity to develop that bond with them.
"He won't take you," the other vampire shook her head, glancing down at my hidden bite. "He saw your bite, he said that your blood is impure. I'm sorry, Damon. But John's dead and there's nothing that you can do about it."
"Maybe so," I sighed, my hand going to touch my bite. "But I have to try. For Alexa's sake."
Katherine's face twisted in disgust, "She makes you weak, Damon. The man I knew all those years ago wouldn't have given up his life for a weak human girl."
"She makes me strong, Katherine," I corrected her sharply. "She makes me want to fight, to be a better man. It's something that you'll never understand."
XXX
Elena's POV
I sat next to John as he clutched his head. It was a shock to see him here. It was even more of a shock to learn that he had been turned. Even though I had done everything that Klaus had wanted me to, he still decided to punish me by turning John. By choosing him to be his vampire.
"I didn't think it would hurt like this," John groaned as he glanced over at me.
"What happened?" I asked, eager to know how he had ended up here. "Is everyone else okay?"
"I was hit from behind," John sighed as he glanced over at the witch, Greta, who was pacing around the clearing. "I woke up in Alaric's apartment. Jenna was with me." My heart froze at my aunt's name. She wasn't here, so she had to be safe. I needed her to be safe. "Klaus made me chose who would be his vampire for the sacrifice. Not that it was much of a choice. I was always going to chose myself. Jenna should never have been involved in any of this. I couldn't let her die."
I was quiet for a moment, taking in his words, before quietly saying, "Thank you." At John's puzzled look, I elaborated, "For sparing Jenna. You're right, she should never have been involved in this and the thought of her getting hurt because of me." I shook my head, "It breaks my heart. I don't want you to die either, but I appreciate you saving Jenna."
"Of course," John smiled softly, before patting my hand. "There's something else you should know." He hesitated for a moment before sighing, "When Katherine was sent out to take Jenna, she… she killed Alexa."
My heart froze and my eyes closed in despair. Oh my poor baby sister. She shouldn't have to suffer that again. Especially after having to let me go. I could feel my hatred for Katherine growing. After everything that she had done, she just couldn't stop hurting my sister. My only hope was, if I didn't survive this, that Damon killed her painfully. Once Klaus was dead, we had no use for Katherine. She could finally pay for what she had done to my family.
"Are we at the quarry?" John's words drew me from my angry thoughts. "I thought he would have taken us out of town."
"Yeah, we are," I shook my head. "Greta said that the sacrifice needed to be done at the birth place of the doppelganger. Makes things easier for us."
It meant that our rescue party didn't have to go far. They would be able to get Bonnie here to kill Klaus with ease. They didn't need to search for us.
Before John could say anything else, Greta walked over, a small knife in hand. I froze for a moment, worried as to what her intentions were.
"It's time," she smirked and I saw my chance to stop my birth father from being killed. Just because he had given himself up for Jenna didn't mean that I was going to let him die. That was not part of the agreement that I made with Klaus. I hadn't run, he had no right to kill someone close to me.
Greta was focused on John and I used her distraction to my advantage. I spied a sharp rock on the ground and tensed my muscles, ready to spring into action. The moment Greta glanced away; I made my move. I rushed forward, going for the rock. But I wasn't quick enough.
With just a wave of her hand, Greta sent me flying. I was barely aware of what was happening until I landed painfully on the ground. I gasped in pain and winced as the movement hurt my sore ribs. Before I could even think about moving, Greta waved her hand again. A circle of fire sprang up around me, sealing me in. There was nowhere that I could go. And there was no way that I could save John.
"Don't bother trying to get through," Greta smirked smugly and I wondered why her father and brother put so much effort into saving this girl. "I spelled the circle. You're trapped. No matter what you do."
"Greta, please," I begged, trying to get through to whatever humanity was left in the girl. "Just let him go."
The witch used her knife to slice open her wrist. Blood dripped to the floor; John's gaze fixed upon it.
"Klaus gave him a choice," Greta stared down at John as she lowered her wrist. "He chose this."
"To save Jenna," I protested as John fought against the desire to drink. "John, don't do it!"
"Drink it," the witch commanded, holding her wrist closer.
"I can't," John murmured, but he couldn't take his eyes off of the blood.
"Please, just stop it!" I knew that it was only a matter of time before instinct took over. I didn't have long to try and persuade Greta to stop this. "Don't make him do this."
"Too late," the witch smirked softly as John finally gave in. He grabbed her wrist, sinking his teeth in and drinking greedily.
"No," I sighed softly, tears beginning to form. I was too late to save him. It was because of me that he was in this position. I must have done something wrong for Klaus to want to punish me like this.
John's eyes fluttered closed in obvious satisfaction as he continued to drink. Greta watched him, her face twisted in pain, until she deemed that he had drank enough to complete the transition. She pulled her wrist from his grip, causing John to fall to the ground.
"That's enough," she ordered sharply before walked away. She flicked her wrist and another circle of fired formed. This one surrounded John, who looked so devastated. Now that his instincts weren't controlling him, he realised what he had just done. He had become the thing that he hated most. And my heart went out to him.
"It's going to be okay," I called over gently, feeling a desperate need to make him feel better. My birth father glanced over, the veins beneath his eyes rippling, and he shook his head.
"No it won't."
XXX
Stefan's POV
I was just leaving home when Jenna called. I had gone back to collect Ric after dropping Alexa back off at the Gilbert house. There was still no news from Damon, after he had promised to do something to stop the sacrifice from happening tonight. I hadn't checked caller ID when I picked up the call, expecting to be my brother. So when I heard Jenna sobbing down the line, I was shocked.
"Woah, Jenna, slow down, what happened?" I tried to calm her down while I hurried Ric into the car. He shared my worried look as he hurried to take us back to the Gilbert residence.
"It's Alexa. She's dead, Katherine killed her. And Klaus took John for the sacrifice," she cried down the line as Alaric raced down the quiet streets. My heart sank at Jenna's words. I had taken Alexa home in order to keep her safe. But instead, I had delivered her to Katherine. Who had taken great pleasure in hurting Alexa in the past.
"Are you at home?" I asked, hoping that they were close by.
"Yeah, I woke up a couple of minutes ago," Jenna confirmed and I nodded to Ric to get him to keep heading in the right direction. "They left her on the porch. They killed her and just dumped her body here."
"We'll make sure they pay for that, but first, we need to get you both somewhere safe," I said softly and I could hear Jenna try to steady her breathing. "We're nearly with you, get ready to move."
"I'll be ready," she sounded determined before hanging up the phone.
"How are they?" Ric asked, glancing over at me.
I sighed and shook my head, "Klaus took John for the sacrifice. And Katherine killed Alexa again."
"Shit," the history teacher cursed under his breath, shaking his head as he pulled up outside the Gilbert house. The house was dark and I couldn't see any sign of Jenna or Alexa. I was out of the car in a second, speeding up to the porch. And my heart eased slightly.
Jenna sat on the porch, Alexa's head in her lap. She glanced up at me when I arrived, her face stained with tears. Her hands moved methodically, brushing Alexa's hair away from her still face.
"She isn't awake yet," she said softly, looking back down at her niece as Ric reached my side.
"She'll wake up soon," he was quick to reassure her as he walked over. "Let's get you somewhere safe."
Ric gently eased Jenna away from Alexa's body, even if she was reluctant to let her go. I carefully picked the girl up, resting her head against my shoulder. I had never seen her like this, even if Damon and Elena had. It was odd seeing her so still. Even when she was asleep, Alexa wasn't still.
I eased her onto the back seat where Jenna quickly grasped onto her again. I knew that it was even harder for Jenna to see her like this. It was the first time that Jenna had seen anyone like this, let alone one of her wards.
The ride to the old witch house was quiet after Jenna had finished explaining what happened. Klaus was more than earning his reputation for viciousness. Forcing John to make that decision, to become what he hated most and die, or force Jenna to take his place was just cruel.
Elijah met us there, looking as calm and collected as ever. But you could see the tension in his body. I picked up Alexa to take her into the building, Elijah explaining the plan as we walked. The girl was still to wake up and I was getting worried by how long it was taking.
"The sacrifice is completed in stages as the full moon sets," the Original explained as I adjusted Alexa in my arms. "First the werewolf is killed, then the vampire. Finally, the doppelganger. Once Elena dies, the curse will be broken. Klaus will become hybrid."
"So when do we attack?" Ric asked, his arm wrapped around Jenna's shoulders.
"Elena's death will activate his dormant werewolf side," Elijah answered. "He'll be vulnerable during the transformation. That's when Bonnie comes in."
"And you're sure Bonnie will survive this?" I had to ask. I needed Bonnie to survive this, for Elena's sake. When she woke up, I needed her to wake up with her best friend alive. She had fought so hard to keep Bonnie safe, I couldn't let that go to waste.
"If she can deliver him to the brink of death, I'll finish the job myself," the Original promised darkly, a dangerous look flashing across his face.
Before I could say anything else, my phone began to ring. This time, it had to be Damon. So I eased my phone out of my pocket, keeping Alexa close. I knew that the sensible thing to do would be to give her to someone else. But I just couldn't bring myself to let her go. I had failed to look after her, the least I could do was do so now.
I walked away from the others as I answered the phone, "Damon."
"You're not going to like what I'm about to say," my brother answered with a heavy sigh.
"I have a feeling that I already know," I interrupted him, glancing down at the girl in my arms.
"Jenna must have called you, how is Alexa?" I could hear the worry in my brother's voice. His love for the younger twin was obvious. As much as I didn't approve of it before, I knew that he was good for her. And her for him. I just wished that one of them would admit their feelings before it was too late.
"She isn't awake yet," I spoke slowly, hoping that Alexa would prove me wrong. "But we've taken them to the old witch house where she'll be safe now. We're sticking with the original plan. We're just about to meet Bonnie."
"I'll be there as soon as I can," Damon said before hanging up the phone.
XXX
Elena's POV
I paced back and forth as much as I could within my firey cell. Ever since he was turned, John just sat there. It was even worse for him because he had essentially chosen this, if only to spare Jenna from this fate. I was grateful that he had done so. I didn't know what I would have done it was my aunt that was here.
Every time I checked in on him, all I received was silence. I was itching to go over to him but the fire stopped me. It was infuriating, being trapped like this. Greta had no reason to keep me separated from him. I wasn't going to run. I just wanted to ease the desolation that my uncle felt. He was experiencing his worst nightmare and there was nothing that I could do to help. Even if I managed to get him out of here alive, how would he react to being a vampire? There was no cure, no way of making him human again. Would he eventually accept what he now was?
"How are you feeling?" I tried again, hoping that this time I would get an answer.
And I did.
"I feel like myself," he responded quietly, finally looking over at me. "Except I don't. I know that I feel different. Everything is brighter. The fire feels hotter. A part of me feels so broken, but there is another part of me that doesn't want to feel anything."
"That's the part that wants to turn it off," I nodded sympathetically, remembering what Stefan had told me about the vampire's ability to turn it all off. I was silent for a moment before sighing. "You can turn it off. If it will help you deal with this."
"That's kind of you, Elena," John managed a weak smile. "But if I'm going to die, I'm going to do it feeling like myself."
"You're not going to die," I protested sharply, hating the resigned look on my birth father's face. "I will not let that happen. I don't care what I have to do."
It was ridiculous that it took something like for me to realise just how much I did love John. He wasn't perfect and he had made a lot of mistakes. But I didn't want to lose him. I wanted to have the opportunity to act create a relationship with him. And even more so, Alexa needed him. I didn't want my sister to lose anyone else, let alone our birth father. I knew that for all her current anger at him, Lexa had bonded with him. She was closer to John now, losing him would hurt her. And I hated the thought of my twin being hurt.
The sound of twigs snapping drew me from my thoughts. It was quickly followed by the slow, desperate groans of someone in agony. I glanced over in the direction of the noise. For a moment, I couldn't see anything. But then two figures emerged from the darkness.
Greta was dragging another woman across the ground. Her blonde hair covered her face but I could see the pain contorting her face. She let out high-pitched whimpers with every movement made. She felt familiar, but I couldn't quite work out why. We hadn't met before; I knew that much. But it felt like she had been around town before.
"Who is that?" John asked from behind me, a wary look on his face as he looked at the person Greta was dragging behind her.
"That must be the werewolf," I mused, wondering where Klaus had found her. I was just relieved that it wasn't Tyler. We couldn't lose anyone else, especially not Alexa's beloved brother.
Greta dragged the werewolf further into the clearing before dumping her on the ground. The blonde immediately curled up into a ball, clutching her stomach. Her nails scratched at her at her skin as she fought against the pain. I wanted to go over to her and comfort her, but the fire blocked me.
"What's happening to me?" she groaned, her voice thick with pain. My heart went out to her. I remembered Alexa describing Mason's video of his transformation. The pain must be excruciating. And it sounded as though something wasn't happening naturally with the turn as well.
"I cast a spell to slow down your transformation," the witch shrugged, sounding completely unbothered by the pain she was causing the werewolf. "Your insides are trying to tear themselves free."
As I stared at the newcomer in horror, Greta walked away before flicking her wrist. A third ring of fire formed, trapping the wolf in a cell of her own. Not that it was needed. With the pain that she was in, it was clear that the blonde wasn't going anywhere.
"Greta!" I called before the witch could move too far away. "Witches are supposed to maintain the balance in nature. It's your duty to them to keep this curse sealed."
"My duty is to Klaus!" the witch snapped back, a fierce glare on her face as she spun around to look at me. "The new order."
My heart sank as I realised just how lost this witch really was. I wouldn't receive any help from her. Maybe it was a good thing that her family weren't around to see what she had become. She was going against everything they believed in. Bonnie was rare amongst witches by helping them like she did. But it was only because of her human friends that she did so. Our witch would never do something like this. It went against everything that witches stood for.
"Glad to know that I still have a dance partner," Klaus announced his arrival with a smirk. I had wondered where he had gone. I had expected him to be here from the beginning. But I suppose he was too important to help with setting everything up. He glanced between us, a satisfied look on his face. "Now then, are we ready?"
XXX
Alexa's POV
I woke up with a gasp, my hands immediately going to my neck. I remembered the look on Katherine's face as she snapped my neck, from the front, this time. I remembered screaming at Jenna to stay inside the house, even as she was already stepping outside. The look of horror on her face just as everything went blank was imprinted on my mind. I never wanted Jenna to see anything like that. Her innocence deserved to be preserved.
Gentle hands grasped mine and I glanced up. Stefan stared down at me with sympathetic eyes.
"Yo, Stef, how's it hanging?" I smiled shakily, automatically going to my 'everything is fine and there is no need to worry about me' method of dealing with it. Stefan just gave me an unimpressed look and sat down next to me. I sighed, "Not gonna let me have it, are you?"
"Sorry Alexa, not this time," the vampire smiled softly as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders.
"Ugh, spoilsport," I groaned, slumping into his side. "So what did I miss after Bitcherine decided that killing me again would be a swell idea?"
I knew that I was being a bit too nonchalant with my third death. But I knew that if I focused on it then I would just break. Elena being taken in front of me earlier had wiped me out. Dealing with my death on top of that was just not possible.
"Katherine… killed you… in order to take Jenna to Klaus," Stefan explained with a sigh. I immediately tried to shoot up, to go looking for my aunt, but Stefan held me in place. "She's fine. I promise. She's downstairs with Jeremy. John was there too. He, uh, he gave John a choice. Either he would use Jenna in the sacrifice or he would use John."
I covered my face with one hand and sighed, "John chose himself, didn't he?"
"He did," Stefan confirmed and I let out a groan.
"What an idiot. He shouldn't have chosen anyone. Why did Klaus do this? If he wanted to punish Elena, he would have chosen me. And he should have chosen me. Now John is going to die and Elena is going to have to watch him die and there is nothing that I can do to stop it."
"Hey," Stefan gently grasped my chin and titled my head back, so I had to look up at him. "This is not your fault. There was nothing that you could have done to stop this. And Alexa, the thought of you being killed in the sacrifice, with no way to bring you back, is heartbreaking. We're only just saving Elena. We can't lose you too."
I started to tear up and I cursed under my breath, "Why do you always say nice things that make me cry?"
Stefan laughed softly and brushed away a traitorous tear, "I don't do it on purpose."
"Well, that's reassuring to hear," I snorted wetly, wiping away the annoying tears that fell. "Cos if you did so, I would totally have to tell Elena on you."
The mention of my sister had my face falling further. I would never forget that moment that Klaus took her from me. The feeling of her hand leaving mine would forever haunt my dreams.
Stefan must have sensed where my thoughts went as he pulled me close again, "She'll be fine. Elijah wouldn't have suggested the elixir if he wasn't sure it would work. And Bonnie agreed that the magic should still be active, even after all these years."
"I just… I can't lose her, Stefan," I whispered, unable to say the words any louder. "I don't think I could survive losing her."
The vampire was quiet for a moment before nodding, "You won't lose her, Alexa, I promise."
Before I could comment on the determined look on his face, we were interrupted by the arrival of my aunt.
"Oh Alexa, thank god you're awake," she gushed, rushing forward. I was promptly yanked up from the sofa and into Jenna's arms.
"Can't keep me down for long," I smirked weakly before seeing the desperate look on her face. "I never wanted you to see that. I'm so sorry that you did."
"Hey," she cupped my face with a gently stern look. "That was not your fault. You didn't ask to die. Again. And I'm going to make sure that you get through it okay."
"Well, it was a lot less painful than my previous death. So. Positives, right?" I got the feeling that my words weren't appreciated by my aunt. But I needed to look on the positive side. I needed to keep going otherwise I would just break. And I couldn't break. Not yet. Not until my sister came back to me. "Oh, Stefan told me what happened. Are you alright? Klaus didn't hurt you, did he?"
"I'm fine," Jenna was quick to reassure me, although now that I was looking, I could see the beginnings of a bruise forming around her eye, hidden by makeup. "He didn't lay a finger on me. He was just using me to taunt John."
"I can't believe he tried to use you in the sacrifice," I shook my head as I tightened my grip on my aunt. "I can't believe he is actually using John. I hope Bonnie makes him suffer when she kills him."
"Well, after seeing your body, I know that she is definitely planning on it," Stefan remarked from the side and I glanced over at him. I couldn't quite place the look on his face, but I knew that I didn't like the look of it. So I filed it away to deal with once I had finished daydreaming about Bonnie ripping Klaus apart.
"Good. If I can't hurt him, at least Bonnie can," I nodded sharply, relieved that I could live out my revenge fantasies through my witchy friend. I knew that Bonnie hated Klaus almost as much as I did. And I knew that she would make him hurt. My only regret was that I wouldn't be able to do it myself.
XXX
Elena's POV
The only sounds in the clearing were the crackle of the flames and the werewolf's whimpering. Klaus and Greta had moved to the edge of the clearing. A stone bowl sat on a small alter upon a small hill. It was a very dramatic setup. And you could see everything that was happening on there. It was as though Klaus wanted every death to be seen. And as I would be the last one, I would have to watch it all.
My heart went out to the werewolf as she let out a low groan. What Greta had done to her was just cruel. The transformation was painful enough as it was. But slowing it down like that, the poor wolf must be in agony. There had to have been another way to do it. Even if it meant knocking her unconscious. Keeping her awake like this was pure evil.
Klaus pulled the moonstone from his pocket and I knew, then, that this was the beginning of the end. The ritual was about to start. And I was going to die soon. The thought of dying bothered me, but I tried to keep my faith in the elixir Elijah provided. I had to believe that it would work, I couldn't think otherwise. I had to believe that I would return to my family. That I wouldn't be abandoning my sister. I had to stay positive. It was the only thing keeping me going.
"I've got the moonstone," he remarked, his voice carrying across the clearing. "I spent 500 years looking for this. I hate to part with it." I almost hoped that he wouldn't hand it over, that he wouldn't go ahead with the ritual. But I knew that I wouldn't be that lucky. Klaus had been waiting for centuries to break this curse, he wasn't going to let a little bit of paranoia get in the way. With a sigh, he passed the moonstone over to the witch.
Greta took it before glancing up at the night sky, "The moon has passed its apex. Remember everything you need to do?"
Klaus nodded, "I remember."
The witch nodded before dropping the moonstone into the stone bowl. Sparks flew out of the bowl as the moonstone was finally destroyed. I shivered as Greta began chanting. You could feel the magic in the air as the ritual started and I shivered. It had all become so very real. That magic that I could feel was overwhelming. I knew that the others felt it too, as there werewolf let out a low groan while John shivered.
Klaus left the small hill and approached the rings of fire. I knew that one of us was about to die, but I didn't know who. I cursed my lack of knowledge about how this would all happen. I should have asked more questions. Now, I didn't know when I would be able to save John.
In the circle to my right, the werewolf lifted her head from the ground. She must have sensed something that I didn't as she spoke her first words since she arrived.
"Everything I did," she gasped out, keeping eye contact with me. "I was just trying to help Tyler."
With those words, it all clicked together. I realised why she was so familiar, why I recognised her.
"Are you Jules?" I asked, my eyes narrowing as I remembered what she did to my twin sister. The pain that she put her through haunted her dreams for ages. I regretted feeling sorry for her. I didn't want to feel that way, the pain Jules was enduring was horrific. But so was the pain she put my sister through.
"I didn't want him to be alone!" Jules cried out and I felt all my pity for her vanish. I didn't want her to die, but I also didn't feel bad for her anymore. She tortured my sister. She took pleasure in hurting her. Damon had given me all the details, after I had asked for them. I knew what she had done to my twin.
"Then you shouldn't have hurt my sister," I shook my head at her, stepping away from her. "She would have helped him. She would never have let him be alone."
Before the werewolf could say anything else, Klaus came to a stop by her cell. He looked down at her, "Shall we?"
The ring of fire surrounding the werewolf dispersed. Her eyes turned yellow and she let out a low snarl. Jules used her innate wolf speed to rush at Klaus. She was clearly trying to take him out before he could kill her. But he was too quick for her.
The Original flipped the werewolf around, pinning her to the ground. Within the blink of an eye, he plunged his hand into her chest. Jules let out a gasp at the impact and tears started streaming down her face. With a small grunt, Klaus ripped out the werewolf's heart. Jules took one final breath before dying. There would forever be a look of fear on her face, accented by the tear tracks running down it. I had to look away from her. It was a heart wrenching look and one that I knew that I wouldn't be able to forget for a long time.
I didn't want her to die, but I knew that she would never be able to hurt my sister again. She had never said it, but I knew her well enough to know that she was worried about Tyler being with Jules. She didn't trust her; she couldn't trust her after what she went through. And while Jules seemed to honour some kind of wolf code, Alexa would never have trusted her with Tyler's safety.
Klaus slowly stood up, breathing heavily, blood dripping down his arm. I couldn't take my eyes off of the heart in his hand. It was a horrifying sight, and I understood why Klaus was as feared as he was. He didn't even hesitate in ripping the life out of Jules.
XXX
Alexa's POV
"Hey kiddo, how you doing?"
Jeremy glanced over at me as I sat down next to him. He and Bonnie were still down in the basement of the old witch house. Despite the gloomy atmosphere of the building, the two had managed to make it look quite homely.
"Probably a lot better than you are," he shrugged, patting the floor next to him.
"What you talking about?" I snorted, waving away any concern. I need my brother to focusing on his own wellbeing, instead of mine. "I'm fine.
"Alexa, you just died," he looked over at me with those big brown eyes of his. "Again. I saw your body."
"Pfft, honestly, I'm fine, dying happens far too often for it to bother me anymore," I couldn't quite bring myself to meet his gaze as I lied through my teeth. Dying again bothered me a lot. I had that sick feeling in my stomach that something wasn't quite right and I could feel a shakiness in my muscles.
"Lexa, I saw your body," he shook his head and my heart clenched. "That's not something that I'm going to forget."
"Hey," I said softly as I scooted closer to him. He gasped his hand and held it to my chest, right over my heart. "I'm alive. I'm here. And I'm fine. I'm not going anywhere, I promise."
"I'm going to lose John, I might lose Elena, I can't lose you too, Lexa," Jeremy's words were breaking my heart. I grabbed his head and pressed a kiss to his temple.
"You're not going to lose me, kiddo," I murmured into his ear. "And you won't lose the other two either. Elena will be fine and we'll find a way to save John."
"How can you be so sure of that?" my baby brother sounded so young. And I hated the world for doing this to him. Jeremy deserved to grow up happy and innocent. He was supposed to be exploring who he was and making mistakes. Not sitting in an old witch house worrying about losing his family.
"Because my word is law," I smiled softly, resting his head against my shoulder. "You should know that by now, pipsqueak."
"I'm not smaller than you anymore, Alexa," Jeremy rolled his eyes but I could see the smile on his face.
"Maybe not," I shrugged a shoulder. "But you'll always be my baby brother."
We sat in a comfortable silence, despite the situation.
It had been hard, not being able to see Jeremy recently. But it had been important for us to avoid the witch house in order to keep Bonnie safe. We had called and texted each other, but it just wasn't the same.
"Do you really think that they can save John?" Jeremy asked after a while, glancing up at me through his lashes.
I sighed and shook my head, "I have to hope that they can. He's our uncle who we love to hate. He does stupid things and makes people mad at him. But I can't imagine life without him."
"You're coping a lot better than I thought you would," Jer sighed as I brushed the hair away from his face.
"Well, I've got you to look after right now," I pressed a quick kiss to the top of his head. "That's definitely helping. And I'm also trying not to think about the situation. Denial goes a long way, kiddo. Not that I'm recommending that you follow that route. Cos you need to deal with things in a healthy way."
"You need to listen to your own advice, Lexa," Jeremy snorted and I poked his thigh.
"Don't be cheeky," I mock-scolded him, rolling my eyes. "I know I'm incredibly intelligent, but I don't always have to listen to myself."
"Maybe I should get Damon to tell you," the cheeky kid muttered under his breath. "You'll listen to it then."
One day, people would stop using the Damon card against me. And that would be a happy day. Because it was incredibly annoying when people brought him up like that. I was just lucky that no one had made that move in front of him.
"Speaking of, where is Damon?" Jeremy asked, glancing around the basement as though he was expecting the vampire to leap out of a dark corner.
"Stefan said that he was on his way, not sure what is keeping him so long," I sighed, hoping that my vampire would hurry up. I knew that I would feel a lot better when he arrived. Despite my attempts to remain in denial about the fact that I just died, my sister is about to be sacrificed and John was taken by Klaus, I could feel myself starting to crack. And I knew that Damon would help me cope with it. He always helped me cope with it. He just knew what to say, or what not to say, and he just made me feel better.
"Let's hope he gets here soon," Jeremy sighed, shaking his head. "We're gonna need him when we go to kill Klaus."
"Well, yeah, we will," I shifted so that I could look down at my kid brother with a raised eyebrow. "But you aren't coming."
"Yeah, I am," Jer protested, moving away so that he could give me a glare. "I'm going to be there for Bonnie. I need to be there to look after her."
"Jeremy, I'm not letting you anywhere near Klaus and there is no way in hell that I'm letting you see any of the bodies that there may be there," I shook my head sharply. "I'll be there to look after Bonnie and so will Ric and the Salvatore's."
"But Lexa," he tried to protest but I interrupted him.
"No Jer, and if you keep on arguing, I'll get Bonnie to trap you in here," I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow.
The kid stopped trying for the moment, but I knew that he would be asking again. But I knew that everyone else in the house would agree with me. Jeremy was not going anywhere near the sacrifice or Klaus.
XXX
Elena's POV
Greta continued to chant while Klaus held Jules' heart over the bowl. I had to look away as he squeezed the blood into the flames. You could hear the faint sizzling as the blood hit the flames and sparks flew out. Once he had squeezed all the blood from the heart, Klaus threw it to the side. There was a faint thud as it landed in the woods and I winced.
"Does that mean it's working?" Klaus asked, glancing over at his witch as the sparks faded.
Greta smirked victoriously, taking a break from the chanting to nod her head, "It's working."
I watched as the two continued to converse, with Klaus checking how the spell was working. He seemed nervous, which put me on edge. I knew how desperately he wanted this to work. And he would do anything to make that happen. A desperate person was a dangerous person.
"I was there, you know, the night you were born." I glanced back over at John. He stood by the flames, looking over at me. I had never seen him look so sad, not even at my parent's funeral. I walked over to him as he shook his head. "Miranda gave me a choice. I could raise you both or give you to her and Grayson. I waited until I held you both, until I knew that you were both born safely. And it was hard to decide what to do. But… well, you know what I chose."
"Why didn't you raise us?" I had to asked. I had never known this part. I assumed Jenna never knew either. And I'm sure she would have told us if she knew. This felt like something that was kept between my parents and John. It probably would have never been spoken about if we weren't in this situation.
"Because I was scared," he sighed, running a hand through is hair. "I knew that I would never be a good parent. I'm just not that type of person. I couldn't even be a good uncle to you both. But I didn't even hesitate. I immediately gave you over to Miranda."
"You don't need to feel bad about that," I tried to reassure him, unable to see the guilt on his face and do nothing about it. "We grew up loved. We grew up with a mom and a dad that would do anything for us. You made the right choice and you stayed in our lives. We grew up knowing you. And yeah, you weren't our favourite person. But we still loved you."
"It's more than I deserve," John smiled weakly and went to move back to the center of his circle. But I couldn't let him go. I could see that my words hadn't sunk into him yet.
"John, wait," I called over as quietly as I could. I crouched down, encouraging him to do the same. "This is just your guilt speaking. Being a vampire, it has intensified it. But it has also made you stronger and faster. You can fight back. And with the training that you've received, you can do it well. I'm gonna get through this. I'll be okay. Alexa would never have let me go if she didn't believe that I would come back to her. I need you to believe that. But I need something from you in return. You have to promise me that when you get the chance," I placed a finger to my lips and whispered the next word, "run."
"I can't do that, Elena," John shook his head, keeping his voice low. "I won't leave you like that."
"And I can't let you die. Alexa and Jeremy need you. I still need you. You have to survive this, John, you don't have a choice in the matter."
"But what if he goes after Jenna again. I can't risk someone else getting hurt because of me," John looked so reluctant to do as I asked.
"He doesn't have time to go and turn someone else. And all of the other vampires in town are hidden away. If he doesn't have you, then he can't do the sacrifice."
"Then how will you kill him?"
I paused before sighing, "I'll find another way. But I can't let you die, John."
John smiled softly, looking like he wanted to reach out and pat my hand, "I would give my life a thousand times over if it meant keeping the ones I care about safe. I gave you girls up so that you could grow up with loving parents. I made this choice so that Jenna wouldn't suffer this fate. I've worked so hard to keep you all safe, this is just another way for me to do that."
"Why won't you let me help you?" I sighed in frustration, shaking my head. I knew there wasn't much that I could do to actually help him, being trapped in this circle was infuriating. But I could at least use my words. But he wasn't listening to them.
"Because I don't want to live as a vampire, Elena. I couldn't think of anything worse for me. I've grown up hating vampires and while I can begin to change those beliefs, I could never be one. I would rather die than remain one. And if my dying helps you destroy that monster for good, then I'll happily do it."
I knew that there was nothing that I could say against that. I knew that John was changing his viewpoint on vampires, he was beginning to see the shades of grey. But that didn't mean that he could accept being one of them. While I hadn't quite made up my mind on that final decision, I knew that John had. I couldn't subject him to a life like this, but I also couldn't let him die without trying to save him.
I could never forgive myself if I didn't try to save my uncle, my birth father.
XXX
Alexa's POV
I paced back and forth, crossing the entire width of the basement as I did so. Each second that ticked by brought my sister a moment closer to death. There were no guarantees that she would be coming back to me. And all I had to rely on was faith. Right now, faith wasn't enough.
Bonnie and Jeremy were sat together in the corner, speaking quietly. I had a sneaking suspicion that Jeremy was asking Bonnie to let him accompany her to kill Klaus. She would say no, that part was obvious. But it was how nicely she would put it that mattered. He could be a stubborn child and he had never liked being told no.
Damon had arrived a few minutes ago, but had immediately been whisked away by Alaric and Jenna. I had a feeling that it was tied into Stefan's strange behaviour. He had come down earlier, given me a long hug and said some very nice things that made me wanna tear up. He then gave Bonnie a determined look before disappearing. We hadn't heard from him since.
Ever since he had seen my dead body, Jeremy had insisted that I stayed where he could see me. Which was why I continued to pace in the same room as him. I could understand why he didn't want me to leave his side. I was like that when he was killed by Katherine, all those weeks ago. You just get controlled by the irrational feeling that something bad would happen to them once they left your sight. So I didn't begrudge Jeremy his request.
I tucked my hands under my arms, hiding the shaking in them from the other two in the room. My levels of self-control were fading quickly. Everything was beginning to crash down on me and I just couldn't let that happen. I needed to be in my right mind when we went to go kill Klaus. I knew that the sight of my sister's body would just break me. I couldn't let myself break before then.
"I'm gonna go find Damon," I eventually spoke up, changing direction so that I was walking over to the stairs. "I'll be right back."
Luckily, Jeremy was too distracted by Bonnie's words to realise that I was leaving the room. I knew that I needed to be there for my kid brother, but I was no good to him while I was falling apart. I needed to go and find Damon. He would help me center myself, to find a way to be strong for a little bit longer. Until then, I wouldn't be able to properly look after my brother.
And looking after Jeremy was important. Despite his size and strength, he was still a kid. And he was facing the prospect of losing his uncle and his sister. It was hard for me to deal with, and I had been preparing for this moment for a long time. Despite the fact that I had hoped that it would never happen, I knew that I had to be prepared. I would be of no use to my sister if I was emotionally destroyed by this.
Luckily, the man I was looking for was close by. Damon, Ric and Jenna had gathered in the hallway at the top of the stairs. Damon had a frustrated look on his face while Ric just looked resigned. It was Jenna's face that struck me the most, she looked guilty and I just knew that John's decision was affecting her. It was a shitty feeling, knowing that someone had given their life for you. And I hated that Jenna was going through that.
"He did what?!" Damon snapped as I reached his side. Without even looking, he reached back and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.
"He wasn't going to let John die," Ric sighed as he exchanged a glance with Jenna. "He didn't want the twins to lose another parent."
"We have a witch," my vampire growled out in frustration. I could feel his body shaking and grew worried for him. I knew that he loved his brother and the thought of Stefan dying was a horrifying one. "She kills Klaus. No one has to die!"
"Except for Bonnie," Ric just had to remind us all of that fact.
"There's no guarantee that she will die," I said quietly, wrapping my arm around Damon's waist. "Especially if she just needs to weaken him enough for Elijah to make the final blow."
"We don't know if that will be enough," Jenna sighed, wrapping her arms around herself. Yeah, she was definitely feeling guilty. I could see it in the way that she held herself. Klaus was being cruel when he made John decide with Jenna right there. He knew exactly what affect it would have on my aunt. When you add in the fact that she had to watch me die, it was clear that Jenna was suffering. And I hated that.
"God, Stefan, damn it!" he shouted the last words as he spun around and punched the wall. His vampire strength caused his whole arm to go through the fragile material. There was a moment of silence while it registered what just happened. But then it all came crashing together.
I whispered an "oh shit" before helping Damon pull his arm out of the wall. He stumbled slightly as it was pulled free and I quickly wrapped my arm around him again. I just assumed that he had lost his footing when his arm was pulled out. He had managed to get it wedged in quite deeply in his rage.
"Hey, are you okay?" Ric asked as my vampire stumbled, only to get waved off.
"I'm fine," he shook himself off before wrapping his arm around my shoulders again. "Well, that's my brother for you. Always cleaning up my messes." He glanced down at me before steering us deeper into the house. "Come on, you, we need to talk."
XXX
Elena's POV
While I was stuck in the ring of fire, I couldn't help but think about my sister. About what she was doing. I knew that she would be at the witch house. The original plan was for her to remain with Jenna back home. But Klaus' actions would have destroyed that plan. After he had targeted Jenna, they needed to be hidden away. I just hoped that Alexa was dealing alright with being killed again. At least this time, she wasn't able to hide it from anyone. Jenna had seen it; she could make sure that someone looked after Alexa. Because my sweet sister would need someone to look after her. And she would need that. Klaus had kept me around long enough to see Alexa collapse in despair after I was taken. She couldn't survive dealing with another death on top of that.
Klaus approached the circle of flames keeping John trapped. I wasn't ready for this yet. I still hadn't convinced John to run, to survive another day. I was failing in saving my birth father. My parents had died because of me. My birth mom had died because of me. I couldn't fail another parent. I couldn't let another die because of me. I couldn't take another parent away from Alexa. I knew that she wouldn't blame me, but I would blame myself.
"Hello John," he smirked as we both climbed to our feet. "Tell me, has the self-loathing taken over yet? Or are you still in denial?"
John just glared at the Original, refusing to play his games. I admired him for that. We had learnt over the past few days that Klaus loved to play with people. He had done so with Alexa and Jenna while possessing Ric's body. Elijah had mentioned his brother's love of pitting people against each other, about getting in their heads and causing them to rip themselves apart.
"Let him go," I spoke up, doing my best to appeal to whatever speck of humanity remained in him. There had to be something left in his cold, black heart that I could speak to. That would understand why I was so desperate to save John, who shouldn't even be here. "I understand that I have to die, but he doesn't!"
I momentarily forgot about the flames and tried to walk forward. But the moment I got too close, they flared up. The heat was overwhelming and I was quickly forced to stumble back. I was trapped in here and could only use my words. I just didn't believe that they were enough. Not to change Klaus' mind. He had been around for so long, he had ripped lives apart without caring, why would the words of a seventeen year old change that?
"Careful," Klaus scolded mockingly, although he did look genuinely worried. Guess he couldn't let anything happen to his precious doppelganger until it was time for him to kill me. If something happened to me, he would have to wait centuries for another doppelganger to appear. And that was assuming that Alexa carried on the bloodline. It would be unlikely that she would, especially she knew what she would be subjecting one of her descendants to.
"Elena, don't, it's okay," John held out a soothing hand, a peaceful look on his face. I knew that he had accepted, and even embraced, his fate. But I couldn't. I needed him to survive this. I couldn't be responsible for the death of another person that I cared about. It would be too much.
"It's not okay," I disagreed sharply, shaking my head. "You don't deserve this. Our family doesn't deserve this. Jenna doesn't deserve to live with the guilt of being the survivor. Alexa deserves to have the opportunity to have a proper relationship with you. The same for Jeremy." I turned my gaze to Klaus, desperation fueling me. "I followed your rules; I did everything that you asked. I didn't run. I didn't try to fight this. Please. Please don't do this."
The Original was silent for a moment as he stared over at me. I couldn't read his expression and I had no idea as to what he was thinking. But I knew, deep down, that he wasn't going to help. He was going to kill John and my words would have no effect on him. He didn't care what he had put my family through. He had stabbed my sister just a few days ago and didn't care in the slightest. He didn't care, now, that he was killing my birth father. He had taken great pleasure in making John chose between becoming what he hated most and dying, or doing the same to Jenna. He took great pleasure in hurting people. My words wouldn't stop him from doing the same now.
But something else caught his attention and he twitched slightly, "Well, well." He turned to the side to look up into the distance. "I don't recall you being on the guest list."
I followed his gaze and gasped loudly.
Stefan stood at the top of the quarry. What was he doing here? He wasn't supposed to be here yet. It wasn't safe for him to be here. He was supposed to be back at the old witch house with Bonnie and Alexa. He needed to keep them safe. He needed to look after them. So why was he here?
Even from this distance, I could see a resigned look on his face. And that scared me. I knew my boyfriend, I knew that he had a tendency to make stupid, sacrificial decisions, just like I did. And I just couldn't let myself think, to believe, as to why he was here. Because that thought would just be too awful.
I couldn't hear what he said but Klaus replied with a, "Very well then."
He turned, glancing between me and John for a moment before disappearing from sight. The next thing I knew, he was at the top of the cliff and approaching Stefan. And I could feel my heart freezing in my chest.
XXX
Alexa's POV
Damon took me to the far end of the house, where we would be guaranteed peace. I couldn't quite read the look on his face, but I could tell that he was worried. What he was worried over was the question. Was it the sacrifice? Was it the fact that Stefan had just gone to offer himself in John's place? Was it because I had died again?
Once we were settled down on one of the old couches that had been abandoned with the building, Damon sighed and pulled me closer. His arm was wrapped around my waist with my head resting against his chest. It was a position that we adopted many times. And one that helped me to relax.
For the first time since I woke up from my third death, I was able to properly breath. Damon was here now, and he was able to look after me. I knew that my belief that he would be able to make everything okay was irrational. And it would probably come back to bite me on the ass one day. But for now, I needed it.
"How are you feeling?" Damon broke the silence with a quiet question. His fingers were stroking my hip, distracting me enough that I didn't even consider softening my answer.
"Like shit," I sighed, playing with the end of his shirt. "The fact that I'm still standing is a miracle. But I suppose my little breakdown earlier, when Klaus took Ellie, got all the crying out of my system for a while."
"I should have killed Katherine for what she did to you," my vampire muttered lowly, his voice going dark. I grabbed his free hand and gave it a squeeze.
"Hey, don't think like that," I shuffled even close to him. "We can get our revenge on her later. But for now, she isn't important. I've coped with dying before. At least this one wasn't as painful as the last one. Although it sucks more than the first one did. That was probably the nicest, cos she got me from behind."
"The fact that you can rank your deaths is a worrying thing, Alexa," Damon murmured into my hair, but I could hear the amusement in his voice.
"If I don't joke about it then I'll cry about it. And if I start crying now, then I'll never stop. Which wouldn't be very good as it would make me useless for helping Elena later. And I'm rambling, aren't I?" I winced as I tried to stop myself from talking.
"Just a bit," my vampire tried to reassure me, which was sweet of him. "But I think you're entitled to do a bit of rambling right now."
"It's not like I can ramble to anyone else," I sighed, shaking my head. "Jenna is feeling incredibly guilty over the fact that John gave his life to save her. I can't unload any of this onto Jeremy, I need to look after him. And you're really the only one I trust enough to tell all of this to."
Damon was silent for a moment and I didn't dare look up at him. I knew that I had said something big, by revealing how much I trusted him. It had always been unspoken between us really, or said in a joking manner. But the time to avoid serious conversations was ending. Life was getting more dangerous and I didn't want to lose my opportunity to say how I truly felt. I knew that I couldn't go all the way tonight, and reveal my love for him, but I could let him know how important he was to me.
"Thank you, Alexa," his voice was low when he did finally speak. "I'm glad that you can trust me."
"You've always been there for me, Damon," I mumbled slowly as my vampire tightened his grip on me. "Trusting you just feels natural."
"There are a lot of people that would disagree with you there," I could hear the weariness in Damon's voice and winced. He had made quite the reputation for himself when he arrived in town, and he hadn't exactly done much to improve it. But for some reason, he had tried to improve it with me. I don't know why he had chosen me to reveal his true self to, but I would forever feel honored that he had.
"You haven't exactly given them a reason to, Mr Tough Guy," I glanced up at him with a raised eyebrow. "I know you care about them, even if you won't admit it."
Damon just hummed into my hair, not even trying to argue with my words. He knew that I was speaking the truth and he couldn't find it in himself to argue with me.
I shifted slightly and groaned at the stiffness in my neck. It was something that I had suffered with the last time my neck had been broken. Despite being magically healed upon my return to life, I still suffered with some soreness. Last time, I had been too traumatized to pay much attention to it. I was too focused on the nightmares and flashbacks. But it was a pain this time.
"Your neck hurting again?" Damon asked softly, his free hand coming up to rub at the muscles there.
"Katherine isn't very imaginative in her methods of killing me," I sighed in content as Damon's hands started to ease away the pain. "Unless she knows about this part and enjoys that. Which I wouldn't put past her."
"Next time I see her, I'll stake her for you," there was a slight hint of amusement in the vampire's voice as he continued to massage away the pain.
"Promises, promises," I hummed, letting my eyes slide closed. I knew that this feeling of content would soon disappear. I had to admit that I was surprised that I was feeling it now. But I appreciated it. Because very soon, shit would hit the fan. And I didn't know if I would be able to survive it.
XXX
Elena's POV
I couldn't take my eyes off of Stefan. For once, I was upset to see him. He wasn't supposed to be here, he was supposed to be safe. And now he was talking to Klaus. There was a wary look on my boyfriend's face, but you could also see the determination there. And I had a nasty feeling as to what he was up to.
"What's going on?" John asked softly, glancing over at me. Even he had been surprised by Stefan's appearance. This wasn't part of the plan. Everyone knew their agreed positions; we had worked hard to make sure that everyone would be safe and ready to do their part. Klaus had thrown a spanner in that plan when he took John, but the plan would still have worked. Now, without Stefan, I didn't know if it would. He was supposed to get Bonnie here safely, to look after her once she had used her magic. I knew that Damon would focus on me, his main aim would be getting me back to my twin. If Stefan died, I didn't know what would happen. Other than my heart breaking.
"I-I don't know," I stuttered, running a hand through my hair. I just needed to hear what was being said. The look on Klaus' face had my blood running cold. But I wasn't able to. Although, I knew someone who could. I turned to face John, "You can hear them." John raised an eyebrow and looked like he was considering my words. "You can hear anything. Just… just focus on them."
John nodded and closed his eyes in concentration. I kept my gaze on him, unable to look away. It was obvious that Klaus was taunting Stefan and I just couldn't watch that. That monster had hurt so many people that I loved. Now, his attentions were turned towards my boyfriend. I didn't know what he would do to him. Whether he would just hurt him with his words or try something else. He had stabbed my sister but taunted Jenna. It was so hard to know what way he would go this time.
"What are they saying?" I whispered, unwilling to break my uncle's concentration but needing to know what was happening. John's face twitched and he opened his eyes, shaking his head.
"I can't… I can't make it out," he sighed, frustration colouring his tone. John hated to fail at anything, apparently his new vampire instincts were included in that. I couldn't blame him for that. Being able to use his new super hearing was very important at this moment in time.
"You can do this," I tried to smile in encouragement, but I was probably failing miserably. I was too nervous, too wound up, to be able to properly ease John's frustrations. I just had to hope that he was capable to doing this. "Just relax. Focus."
John nodded and closed his eyes again, his face scrunching up in concentration. I felt a pang in my chest as that look was exactly like the one Alexa had when concentrating. I had tried so hard not to think of Alexa since Klaus came for John. I had failed her, by letting John give up. She deserved better than that. She needed all the family that she could get, and I was failing her by letting John die.
"I can hear him," my uncle murmured quietly, keeping his eyes closed and cupping his ear. "I can hear Stefan. And Klaus."
I shuffled as close to the fire as I could, eagerness taking over. If I knew what was being said, then I could try and plan accordingly. I needed to know what was happening. It was the only way that I could fix things.
"What are they saying?" I asked, keeping my voice just as quiet. Not only did I not want to break John's concentration. I also didn't want Klaus to hear. It was important that he was kept in the dark, that he wasn't aware that I was planning anything. It was the only way that I had any chance of success.
John continued to concentrate, but there was a worried look forming on his face. That had my heart sinking. Whatever was being said, it wasn't good. And I almost didn't want to know.
"Oh no," John opened his eyes and turned to me, a guilty look forming on his face.
"What is it?" I asked slowly, definitely not wanting to know but needing to.
"He wants to take my place," my birth dad sighed, shaking his head and covering his face with one hand. I stared at him, horrified, before looking up at Stefan. My idiot boyfriend. Who was too noble for his own good.
How could I make this choice? Who could I save between these two? My birth dad, the man who had grown up as my uncle, against my beloved boyfriend. Who do I choose between them?
I loved Stefan more than I loved John. Despite him being family, my relationship with him had never been good. I wanted to fix that relationship, to give him a chance to make things right with me. But I couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't do something to mess it up again. But on the other hand, how could I take him away from Alexa? She did love him, even if she didn't always like him. He was our dad, and he had looked out for her, considered her feelings, while almost everyone else focused on me. But I knew that she had bonded with Stefan. She cared for him. And she loved his brother.
What did I do? If I stop Stefan, John dies. But if I don't do anything, then I love Stefan. The man that I loved.
It was a cursed choice and one that I wished that I didn't have to make. But I had a feeling that Klaus would make me. He was cruel and vindictive; he would punish me for my earlier words. He would make me chose between my love and my family.
XXX
Alexa's POV
I watched as Bonnie finished meditating, her gaze focused on the candle in front of her. She had been like this for a little while, gathering her strength. Even though she wasn't striking that deathblow, she still needed to be strong enough to weaken him. So she had been meditating and communing with the dead witches.
Damon and Jeremy were also in the room, talking quietly together in the corner. I just lurked by the doorway, keeping an eye on our witch. She was the key to killing Klaus. And it was something that I had been dreaming of for a while. Plus, it meant that I could finally fulfill my deal with Katherine. Even if I wasn't the one to actually kill him.
"Come on, Bonnie," Damon snapped his fingers, having finished his chat with Jeremy, an impatient look on his face. "We got a hybrid to kill."
Jeremy glanced over at the vampire and rolled his eyes. He tried to mutter something to calm the vampire down, but he was immediately ignored. I shared Damon's impatience, as the sooner Klaus died, the better it was for everyone.
A couple of minutes later, Bonnie opened her eyes and stood up. She nodded once, a peaceful look on her face, "I'm ready."
"About time, let's go," with that said, the vampire walked out of the room. I rolled my eyes with a tolerant smile before glancing over at the two lovebirds.
Bonnie gently touched Jeremy's arm, encouraging him to look at her. She reached up and cupped his cheek, a soft smile on her face, "I'll be back soon."
Jeremy frowned in confusion, his hand resting on her arm, "Wait, what do you mean? No, I'm coming. I need to be there. I need to make sure you guys are okay."
"And who's going to make sure you're okay?" the witch countered softly, before glancing over at me. I nodded, giving her permission to do what she needed to do.
"I've got my own ring," Jer said, holding up his hand. "Look, I'm not taking no for an answer."
Well, that certainly sounded like a challenge. Luckily, it seemed as though Bonnie already had a plan as she just smiled. Otherwise I would have had to intervene. The witch used her hand on Jeremy's cheek to pull him down for a kiss. They stayed embraced for a few seconds before Bonnie pulled away. Jer smiled down at her, a bashful look on his face, which quickly turned to confusion. Before he could say anything, his eyes rolled up and his knees gave way.
It was just pure luck that I was close enough to leap forward to catch him. I wrapped my arms around his waist to support his weight, before dragging him over to the inflatable mattress in the corner.
"He'll be fine," Bonnie said quietly as I got him comfortable. I covered my baby brother with a blanket and placed a pillow under his head. "He'll wake up soon."
"Thanks Bonnie," I smiled at my friend as I joined her in the doorway. "At least now I know that he'll be safe."
The witch nodded before making her way up the stairs. I glanced back at Jeremy for one last time before following her. As I reached the top, I heard Elijah speak, "It's time."
Damon and Bonnie walked out of the house, with only the vampire glancing back. It wasn't until later that I remembered the regretful look in his eyes. Alaric and Elijah went next, with Alaric bidding Jenna a final farewell.
"I've got weapons in the car," Ric was saying to Elijah. "Just in case Klaus has minions."
"That makes sense," the Original nodded as I went to follow them out the door. Only to be stopped by an invisible barrier. I went to move forward again, only to be stopped again. I knew exactly what was happening but I wasn't thinking rationally. I started banging against the magical barrier, my heart pounding in my chest.
"Bonnie!" I shouted, even as I struggled to breathe. "Let me out! I need to save Elena! Bonnie!"
Bonnie stopped and looked back at me. She had a regretful look on her face as she said, "I can't put anyone else at risk."
"Elena is out there, Bonnie, she needs me!" I tried pleading with my friend, even as I kept banging on the barrier. "Please don't do this!"
"I'm sorry," the witch sighed, shaking her head as she refused to drop the barrier.
"No! You can't do this!" I started using my whole body to crash against the barrier. "Damon, please, please don't do this!"
"I'm sorry, Alexa," my vampire looked at me, and I could see the genuine regret in his eyes. "But I can't let you get hurt."
I started crying as they started to walk away. I kept on throwing myself at the barrier, calling their names as they walked. Pleading with them to let me come. I had to go to my sister. I had to help her. She needed me to come save her.
Despite the invisible nature of the barrier, I could feel the bruises start to form on my arms. But I just couldn't bring myself to stop. I had to keep trying. I had to get to my sister. But a gentle hand grabbed my arm, pulling me away from the barrier.
"Hey, hey, hey," Jenna hushed me gently, wrapped her arms around me. My knees gave way and I collapsed into her gently grasp. "It's okay, Lexa, it's okay."
"I need to go save her," I sobbed into my aunt's shoulder. "I need to be there for her. I have to be there when she wakes up."
"You will be," Jenna ran her hand down the back of my head as she eased me into a more comfortable position. "Damon will bring her straight here. You'll be there when she wakes up. But it's too dangerous for you to go."
"I don't care about the danger," I shook my head as I squeezed my eyes shut, even as the tears continued to fall. "I just care about Elena."
XXX
Elena's POV
"Elena," John sighed, looking at me with pity in his eyes. He knew what I was feeling. He knew the situation that I was in. It was an unwinnable scenario. And either way, I was doomed to lose.
"I have to do something," I shook my head, fighting hard against the tears that wanted to form. "This can't happen. None of it."
Stefan and Klaus emerged from the gloom, walking over to us. My boyfriend met my gaze, an apologetic look in his eyes. I stared back sadly, not knowing what to say.
It was a problem that Klaus didn't share. He smirked vindictively as he looked between me and the younger vampire, "Quite the predicament. You know, it's funny, all this talk about preserving family, and here's Stefan, granting your wish."
I blinked back the tears, and whispered quietly, "Stefan…"
I couldn't find a way to voice the thoughts in my head. I couldn't express how I was feeling. There weren't the words to describe it. But Stefan knew, he always knew.
"It's okay," he nodded, a reassuring look on his face as he smiled softly.
"Well," Klaus twirled the stake in his hands, before using it to gesture between my boyfriend and my birth father. "Who's it going to be, Elena?"
I glared at the Original, refusing to play his games. I held my head high, despite the tears that I could feel in my eyes, and shook my head, "No."
"Oh, don't worry," Klaus' smirk deepened, a dark look in his eyes. "There's actually no choice."
Before anyone could say anything, Klaus sped around, his movements a blur. There was a scream of pain from Stefan as Klaus staked him in the back. My beloved boyfriend collapsed to the ground, his hands pawing at his back.
"No!" the scream ripped from my throat unbidden, as I tried to get through the flames. "Stefan! No!"
Klaus ripped the stake from Stefan's back. But not all of it came out. A chunk of wood was still stuck in my boyfriend's back, preventing him from healing. The Original glanced down at the writhing vampire before looking back at me, "I have other plans for your boyfriend. I want him alive. But for now…"
He reached down and grabbed at Stefan. My vampire tried to slap his hands away, but he was too weak from his injury. Klaus snapped his neck, drawing a strangled gasp from me, before dropping his body back to the ground. I moaned slowly, feeling sick as I stared down at my boyfriend's body. It was only Klaus' next words that drew my attention away from the sickening sight.
"Whenever you're ready, Greta," the Original called over to his witch, who was ready and waiting. Greta nodded before restarting her chant. With a flick of her wrist, the fire around John disappeared. My birth father stared at Klaus with a hard look, while I watched on, completely powerless.
"No," I whispered softly, my voice thick with unshed tears. It was my voice that drew John's gaze away from the Original.
"Your turn," Klaus smirked, stepping forward.
"No!" I snapped tearfully, raising my voice in panic. "John, no!"
I tried to move forward, to throw myself between my uncle and the monster who haunted my nightmares. But the fire stopped me, flaring up and blocking my way.
John smiled softly, holding up a hand to halt my desperate advances, "It's okay, Elena. Everything is going to be okay."
I stared at him for a moment, my gaze meeting his, and I nodded, "I love you."
"I love you too, kiddo."
Those were John's final words before he sped over to Greta, using his new speed, and ripped into her neck. I watched on in shock as Greta screamed in pain. But Klaus wasn't going to let his witch die. He sped over, using his own vampire sped, and grabbed John, throwing him away. He quickly followed, pinning John to the floor before staking him in the upper back. John choked as the wood pierced his lungs and he looked over at me.
"John!" I cried out as the tears finally started to fall. I held my hands to my mouth as John smiled softly. He tried to speak, only to choke on the blood filling his lungs.
"Just turn it off," I nodded, trying to give my birth father one final piece of reassurance. "Turn it off, John. You won't be scared anymore; everything will be okay."
My birth father closed his eyes as Klaus flipped him onto his back, ripping out the stake as he did so. I let out a wordless scream as Klaus killed John, driving the stake in deep.
I collapsed to the floor as John's body started to go grey, indicating that final death. The Original let go of the stake and stood up, a satisfied look on his face. I couldn't take my eyes off of John, who laid there, stake sticking out of him, with a peaceful look on his face.
Even as Greta began chanting again, blood dripping from her neck, I continued to stare at John. The tears hadn't stopped falling even as I felt completely numb. Klaus stood by her side, a small bowl in hand, an eager look on his face.
Stefan woke up with a gasp, and I finally looked away from John's body. I watched as my boyfriend reach back for the piece of wood that Klaus had left in his back. But he couldn't reach it. The monster had known exactly what he was doing when he left it there. Stefan was powerless to help but had no choice but to watch. After struggling for a moment, Stefan looked over at me. I stared back at him sadly, my face stained with tears.
My boyfriend glanced over to where John's body laid, a desolate look forming on his face as he looked back over at me, with a whispered, "No."
Greta took the bowl from Klaus and poured it into the ceremonial one. I had watched as Klaus took the blood from my birth father's body before it desiccated, uncaring of respecting his body.
"I'm so sorry," Stefan whispered, looking at me with eyes full of pity. I couldn't bare to look at him and see that pity. It only added to the misery that I felt.
I placed my finger to my lip and gently shushed him, before whispering, "Are they going to kill him?"
Stefan nodded, as much as he could, and whispered back, "Yes."
I could feel my expression harden, "Good."
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Klaus approaching, a satisfied look on his face, "It's time."
The circle of flames surrounding me disappeared. It was time. And there was nothing that I could do to stop it. I looked up at the Original as he came to a stop in front of me. He held out his hand, obviously trying to be a gentleman about this. But I wasn't going to let him have it. So I pushed myself to my feet and walked past him, completely ignoring his hand. I made my way up to the altar, my heart pounding in my chest.
Each step brought me closer to John's body. I couldn't take my eyes off of it, even as I reached the altar. I came to a stop and stared down at John's body. The peaceful look on his face gave me courage. He faced his death face on, he knew what he was doing. So I would do the same. I wouldn't run from this; I would look death in the face and not back down.
Klaus had been following me and once he reached my side, he grabbed my face, turning it to face him. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Stefan struggling to get up. But the piece of wood in his back prevented him from getting him to his feet.
"Thank you, Elena," the Original said softly, drawing my attention back to him. He actually sounded grateful and it made my blood burn in anger. I wasn't given a choice here. This was forced upon me and now he had the audacity to sound grateful.
I glared at him, "Go to hell."
I was moved so that my back was to Klaus, his hand still on my face, but this time, he was holding my head to the side. I stared forward, keeping my face blank. I could see Stefan continuing to struggle, and I didn't want to give him even more reason to struggle. There was nothing that either of us could do to stop this. I had to accept it.
I had to bite my lip when Klaus' fangs sank into my neck. I could feel my heart pounding my chest as the Original started to drain the blood from my body. With each sip he took, the pain grew. It radiated across my body as my legs started to shake. Klaus' grip on my body tightened as he held me in place. The edges of my vision started to go black and my eyes fluttered shut. I knew then that this was the end. In a few more seconds, I would be dead. I was just lucky that I was unconscious when it came.
XXX
Alexa's POV
I paced up and down the hallway, while Jenna watched from one of the old sofas. My heart was pounding in my chest and I just couldn't relax. Especially when the sun started to come up. It had been far too long since they left to go kill Klaus and save Elena. So why the fuck weren't they back yet?
"Alexa, come and sit down," Jenna sighed, patting the seat next to her. "You can't keep going like this."
"If I stop moving, then I think I might explode," I shook my head, continuing to pace. Every now and then, I reached up to clutch at my chest. It probably sounded crazy, but I could have sworn that I felt it, the moment that Elena died. It might have all been in my head, as I knew that it was coming. Elijah had explained the different stages of the sacrifice and when it would be expected to happen. But my connection with my twin was something else, so I might have actually felt that moment. I had never asked Elena if she had felt the same when I died. I was probably scared of what the answer would be.
"We should have heard something from them by now," Jeremy spoke up from the stairs, sharing my unspoken thoughts.
"I hope everything went okay," Jenna agreed, standing up to go and sit next to him. She had probably given up on trying to get me to settle down. There was no way that I would be able to relax until my sister was in my arms. Until I could feel her heart beating and knew that she was alive.
"How are you holding up, Jer?" our aunt asked, pulling the kid close.
Jeremy snorted and shook his head, "A lot better than Alexa is."
"I will push you over Jeremy, I don't care if I'm stress pacing, I will do it," I gave the kid a look as I walked past him. I continued that look even as I turned around to pace the other way.
"Kids, you can fight later," Jenna shook her head, giving both of us a stern look. "And I don't care if it's distracting you. I won't have any bickering."
"Such a killjoy, Jenna," I sighed, exchanging a look of agreement with my baby bro as I walked past them. I could see why Jenna said that. With the tensions running high, any friendly sibling bickering would probably seriously escalate. So Jenna putting a stop to it would probably be a good idea.
Before anyone could say anything, Jeremy sat up straight, staring out the open door, "They're coming."
I immediately stopped my pacing and raced to the front door. I felt my heart momentarily ease as I saw Damon carrying Elena. At least I knew that two of the people that I loved were safe. I just had to hope that Stefan, Bonnie and John were too.
"How is she? Is she okay?" I asked as Damon carried my twin over the threshold. I couldn't stop myself from hovering over her, even though she was still in the vampire's arms.
"She hasn't woken up yet," he said softly as he gently placed her down on the sofa. The moment he stepped back, I was next to her, brushing her hair from her face. Ellie's skin was still cold even as I cupped her face and held her hand.
"Come on, Ellie," I sighed quietly, as I scooted closer to her. "You've gotta wake up now. You can't leave me."
From behind me, I could hear Jeremy asking, "How is she?"
"I don't know yet," Damon sighed, resting his hand on my shoulder. Even after he had put my sister down, he hadn't strayed far. He stood next to me, offering me his strength and reassurance.
"What about John?" Jenna asked quietly, sounding as though she didn't want to know the answer. Not that I could blame her. If John had died, then he would have given his life for her. Jenna was only alive now because John had insisted on taking her place in the sacrifice.
"I'm sorry," my vampire said softly, shaking his head. "If it helps, he looked as though he had found peace."
So John was dead. I knew that the grief would hit me soon. But until Elena woke up, I couldn't let myself focus on anything else. My twin was my priority. Looking after her was the most important thing that I could do. Until them, everything else could wait. Including my grief over losing my last living parent.
So I just kept staring at my sister, stroking her hair and squeezing her hand. I didn't know how long it was since Damon brought her back to me that she gasped back to life. One moment she was silent and still, the next, she was awake, her eyes wide and heart racing.
"Hey, hey, hey," I was quick to sooth her, cupping her face and focusing her gaze on mine. "You're okay. You're okay, I'm here now."
"Alexa," Ellie gasped before throwing herself forward, wrapping her arms around me. I squeezed her tightly to me, burying my face in her neck.
"How do you feel?" Damon asked above us as Jeremy sat down behind me. He wrapped his arms around the both of us, and I could feel him resting his head against my shoulder. I grabbed his hand with my free one and gave it a squeeze. I would give him a proper hug later and make sure that he was okay. But for now, he was joining in the hug, he was here and was able to make sure that Elena was okay himself.
"I feel fine," Elena answered, her voice muffled as her face was pressed against my neck.
I was just relieved that I could feel her heart beating. I could feel her breathing. Her skin was warm and she was speaking. Despite everything, Elena was alive. She was in my arms and she was alive. She had survived the sacrifice. I hadn't lost my sister, my twin, my Elena.
XXX
Before he had been taken to the sacrifice, John had written us letters. They were goodbye letters, in case the worst happened. He had given them to Jenna, before she was returned to us. Our aunt had been reluctant to give them us, just in case John was rescued. But now, the morning of the funeral, Jenna had decided that it was time for us to get them.
I had disappeared to my room to read mine, like Elena did. It was our birth father's last words to us, we wanted to read them in peace. It was hard enough that we were burying him later. Our friendly neighborhood Salvatore's had organized everything for us. They had arranged for the death certificate to signed, for the plot to be dug, even told the Council. It was to be kept low-key, for our sake, mainly.
We didn't want any attention to be drawn to the family, especially with the way that John died. The Council only knew so that questions wouldn't be asked. We would be free to bury our birth father without there being crowds of well-wishers. None of us were up to hosting a wake or putting on the public display of grief. No, quiet and private was the way to go, this time. Maybe later we could do something for the town, not that many people actually liked him. But people loved to show off their grief and their support for the grieving family. It was an aspect to small town life that I hated and would never understand.
I sighed and opened the letter, my hands shaking as I did so. I almost didn't want to read it. Because these would be the last words that my birth father ever said to me. There would be no going back after this. I would have to accept his death, even if I didn't want to. Over the past year, I had lost every single parent that I had, even the ones that I didn't originally know about. I supposed I was just lucky that I actually got a goodbye this time.
Alexa,
There are so many things that I could say right now. But none of them feel right. So I'll go with this: you are stronger than you think you are. Despite everything that life has thrown at you, you haven't broken. I have always admired your strength, your determination to keep going. Even when life throws every obstacle possible at you, you just keep marching on. And I am so proud of you for that.
Elena would never have survived the sacrifice without you. I am sure of that. Your tenacity, your determination kept her fighting. It made her want to live. But there is also a lesson in this, that I hope you have learnt.
You don't need your sister to survive. You are more than just Elena's twin. You are important in your own way, Alexa. You're not just the spare, the way to keep the doppelganger line going. You are important and you deserve to live.
I wish that I could be saying this to you in person, that I could help you understand and accept what I have said. Too often, you have thrown yourself between danger and the ones you love. It is an admirable trait but one I hope you learn to let go. You are worthy of the love that is given to you, you don't need to put yourself in harms way to feel it.
No matter what you decide to do with your life, I want you to know that I will always be proud of you. Even if that means that you wish to be with Damon. All I have ever wanted for you, Alexa, is for you to be happy. To be truly happy.
I love you, Alexa, and I always will do. And I wish you only the best in life.
John
I slowly closed the letter and put it aside. I didn't know how I felt about his words and I knew that I wouldn't for a while. Dealing with complicated emotions was at that moment in time. I was barely able to function. It was only the fact that my twin needed me that kept me going. I was there for her in the morning, when she went to sleep. Other than reading this letter, I had barely left her side since she woke up.
Part of that was because Klaus was still alive. Not long after Ellie woke up, Stefan and Bonnie arrived back at the house. They explained how Elijah had betrayed them. How he had saved Klaus' life and whisked him away. If I was being brutally honest, I wasn't surprise. Stefan had told me about the conversation he overheard. Elijah had initially thought that his siblings were dead, gone forever. But then Klaus, the smarmy bastard, had revealed that they were still alive. Well, it was only inevitable that Elijah would betray us then. I knew how important family was to him. Once he knew that he could save them, we meant nothing to him.
We were just lucky that he had already given Elena the elixir. That her survival didn't depend on Elijah killing Klaus. Even if it meant that we would now have to constantly watch over our shoulders for him. No matter how much I hoped that Klaus would put Mystic Falls in his rearview mirror and never return, I knew that we wouldn't be that lucky. He would return, one day, be that when he gets news of the doppelgangers survival or when something else brings him back. It didn't matter what it would be, but he would be back, I felt it in my bones.
So I would wait for him to come back. And then I would kill him. He murdered John, he murdered Isobel, he would have killed my twin if we weren't prepared. Klaus needed to die, and I just hoped that I would be the one to finally finish him off.
XXX
Only our nearest and dearest went with us to John's funeral. It was a quite affair. No ceremonies, no wakes, no fuss, it was just us, saying goodbye at his grave. I followed Ric, Jeremy and Jenna across the graveyard; my arm linked with Elena's. Stefan stood by her side, his hand on the small of her back. Damon stood next to me, his presence giving me strength. Caroline and Bonnie walked behind us, a comforting presence. Tyler had wanted to come, but I made him stay at home. He had suffered during the full moon, having been shot a couple of times. Making sure that he healed and rested was important.
I had three white roses in my hand, contrasting with the red ones Elena carried. Roses were mom's favourite and I knew that John always loved them for that reason. He was buried next to mom and dad, keeping them company.
Once we reached the edge of the family plot, the group paused. It was as though we were all scared to make it official. By looking at the grave, we had to acknowledge it. There were so many stages to grief, and acknowledging your loss was a huge part of that.
It was Elena stepping forward, tugging me with her, that broke the silence that settled amongst us. It was as though the whole world had stopped breathing, just for a moment. Until Elena stepped forward.
She let go of my arm and crouched down in front of John's gravestone. The stonemasons had put it together quickly, must have worked through the night. Unless John had one prepared, which wouldn't surprise me if I was being honest. He was always far too organized.
Ellie reached out and placed a rose on the raised mud of the grave, tears filling her eyes. I knew that she blamed herself. She had told me during the night, that she had tried so hard to get him to run. But John, stubborn John, wouldn't do so. Much to my sister's misery.
I crouched down next to her, placing my white rose next to hers. I stared at the gravestone, my heart constricting. I wasn't crying yet. I felt too numb to cry. But I knew that it was only a matter of time. It was only my need to look after Elena that kept me composed. But that wouldn't sustain me for long. The tears would come soon.
My twin stood up to approach the graves on the other side of us. I didn't have to look to know who they were. Ellie crouched down and placed her final two roses on their grave, stifling a sob as she did so. I almost didn't want to follow her. I didn't want to look at their graves and feel like I had failed them. Elena had still died, even if she had come back to life, I had still failed to protect her. I had failed to protect John too. My family were slowly dying because I wasn't strong enough to protect them.
But I owed it to my parents to honour them. So I joined my sister in front of their grave, placing my roses next to hers. I wrapped my arm around Ellie's shoulders, pulling her into my side as we looked at our parents' gravestone. I knew that my twin's guilt over their deaths had been amplified. Losing John had opened a lot of old wounds for her. She had never stopped blaming herself for their deaths, no matter how many times I had told her that it wasn't her fault.
My sweet sister was crying into my shoulder as I helped her to her feet. Stefan quickly appeared on her other side, wrapping his arm around her waist. I let him take her, knowing that she needed a stronger body than mine to lean against. Just because the grief hadn't hit me yet meant that I was able to comfort her. But as long as she was in my line of sight, I was able to let her go to Stefan.
Movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. Damon, my Damon, had started to walk away from the group. He paused when he caught my eye, but I nodded slowly, letting him go. A brief smile flashed across his face as he returned my nod before continuing to leave. As much as I needed him to stay, I knew that I had to let him go. He was another one who was feeling guilty for John's death. John was only taken because of Damon's interference. But there was no way that I could blame him. My vampire had only tried to save Caroline and Tyler, he was attempting to delay the sacrifice to find a way to guarantee Ellie's survival. None of us expected Klaus to retaliate like he did.
I was just grateful that Damon has survived his meddling. I honestly didn't know what I would do without him. He was my strength. He kept me going. I loved him. And maybe it was time for me to tell him that.
A/N: Normal updates will resume next week :) thank you for the reviews, my darlings, they really keep me going! And thank you for your views on smut/domestic Dalexa, it's really been helpful while getting season 3 going. Please keep the reviews coming and until next time, hope you enjoy xoxo
