Talia watched in awe as her fiance painted in the study, a concentrated look plastered onto his face as his hand drifted across the canvas. She couldn't quite tell what he was painting yet, but it still looked great. Perhaps it was abstract. She did not fail to notice the excessive use of the black oil paints, wondering if it was a stylistic choice or if he had been seeing the world more darkly after Finn died.
"It looks lovely," Talia complimented, standing up and wrapping her arms around his waist.
"Thank you," Klaus responded, still working with his paints.
"Thinking hard?" she asked.
"I am," he replied. "Once Rebekah gets hold of the last stake, I want to get out of town."
"Wait, what?"
She saw him stop painting at the sound of shoes tapping against the floor. Talia turned around and saw Rebekah, still holding herself in a manner that was just a bit unlike herself.
"What took you so long?" Klaus asked.
"Alaric didn't want to hand over the stake," Rebekah replied, holding the stake in her hand. "Luckily, I'm quite the charmer."
"That's it?" he asked.
"The last of the white oak stakes that can kill us," she said. "Do you want to do the honors or shall I?"
Klaus took the stake she held out and tossed it into the fire, watching as the flames rose with a tiny smile.
"Well, that's that, then."
"Pack your bags," he said. "We're leaving."
"Today?" she asked.
"Why not?" he responded. "There's nothing keeping us here. Talia will pack, we'll grab the doppelganger, and be off by sunset."
"But tonight's the decade dance."
"So?"
"So I'm the head of the committee. We have to go."
"I'm not going to any dance."
"Please? Talia will go."
"Um, since when, Bekah?" Talia asked. "I'm not crashing a high school dance, especially a Mystic Falls Decade Dance. I hear they end up disastrous for everyone."
"Please? I have big plans for tonight."
"Fine," Klaus conceded. "I'll go."
"And Talia?"
"I don't want to be the pathetic grown up hanging around high school kids because my life has no fulfillment."
"I'm insulted."
"Oh my God, that is so not what I meant at all." She chuckled. "I mean, like, I went to high school there and I don't wanna look like the adult pining to go back. You know, the ones that supply alcohol and drugs to the kids to seem cool."
Klaus chuckled. "You won't look like that."
"Still."
"It's 20s themed," Rebekah said. "Come on. It'll be fun."
"Why not?" Klaus conceded. "One last hurrah."
"One last hurrah," Rebekah echoed, giving Talia puppy dog eyes. "Please, Talia?"
Talia sighed. "Fine, but I'm chaperoning. Not partying. Someone has to be the responsible adult."
Rebekah smiled and rushed upstairs, Talia sat back down and huffed.
"We're leaving?" Talia asked Klaus.
"There's nothing keeping us here," Klaus said.
"Maybe for you, but I have my mom and Caroline," she responded. "I wanna see Caroline graduate and for my mom to maybe fall in love again. I want to see Caroline get married. Even though this town sucks and has caused me...us a lot of pain, I still have family here. I-I can't leave yet."
"You don't want to leave with me?" he asked.
"Not yet," she answered. "I love you and I want to be with you forever, but we still have time."
"I understand," he said, sitting beside her. "We can wait."
She bit her lip. "Nik?"
"Yes?"
"Something's wrong with Rebekah. At first, I thought it was just some attitude change because of Esther dying and I thought it was part of a mourning process, but something's really wrong. Bekah is holding herself like Esther. Tall, proud, elegant. I can't hear her thoughts no matter how hard I try and I feel nothing from her. The last time I felt that was with Alaric's alter ego and Esther."
"Are you saying my sister has some alter ego?"
"I'm saying that there's gotta be some reason. It can't be a coincidence. There's a lot happening at once and even though I still don't know her well, I'm good at picking up mannerisms as well as, you know, emotions and thoughts. You can't see how different she is?"
"I haven't really noticed."
"Nik, there's something wrong with her."
"What do you suggest we do?"
"I don't know."
"Let's just...pretend everything's okay."
"What good will that do?"
"We can't let her know we're on her trail."
"Whatever trail that is."
He stood up and held out a hand that she graciously took, standing up with him. Then she hugged him, trying to calm down.
Klaus kissed her cheek and listened to her heartbeat calming down.
"You worry so much," Klaus said.
"I have reason to," Talia justified.
"Fair point," he replied.
She relaxed against him and said, "We just need to be cautious and trust only ourselves."
"I agree."
She smiled. "I love when you make me not feel paranoid."
"To be fair, I have no right to call someone paranoid."
"Yeah, that's true." She smiled. "You know what? If you still wanna book it out of here, we can go on another vacation. I can't leave this town yet, you know?"
"Sadly, I do."
She kissed him and broke the hug, saying, "I will see you tonight where I will guard the punch bowl. And, no, I will not dress up like a flapper. I'm a chaperone."
"Weren't you going to be a sexy hippie at one point when chaperoning for a school dance?"
"I almost forget that I met you in Alaric's body."
"Brought me a beer in a public school."
"Okay, so I guess I'm not the most responsible adult, but you did throw a homecoming party to celebrate Mikael's death and distributed alcohol to kids."
"We are horrible influences."
"We really are." She kissed him once more. "But stay alert of Rebekah. I love you."
"I love you more."
Talia left the house with a sense of worry, as per usual, and went home to get ready. Klaus finished up painting before getting himself ready, unaware that "Rebekah" had been listening in on their conversation and was wistfully smirking since her plan was going well already.
***
"Elijah!" Talia greeted over the phone, throwing potential dance chaperone dresses onto her bed in the apartment as the day grew darker. "I've missed you. Why haven't you called?"
"I've been busy," Elijah replied. "Catching up with old friends. Besides, the phone works two ways."
"You got me there," she said with a smile. "I'm sorry I didn't call. I've been a bit busy too."
"Tending to Niklaus' whims is a full-time job," he quipped. "I understand."
"I do not tend to his whims. I'm a supportive soulmate, not a personal assistant."
"Yes, I know."
She tossed a final dress onto the bed. "I miss seeing you. I wanna give you a hug."
"I wish I could hug you too, Natalia."
"Well, until you come up here to hug me, I'll just have to survive. Somehow."
"A difficult task for you, I've found out."
"Well, I haven't actually died yet so I'm winning."
"I wouldn't call surviving numerous murder attempts as winning."
"And that is where you and I differ. You can't die. I can."
"I can die."
"Don't remind me."
He chuckled. "What are you doing right now?"
"Picking out clothes. At Bekah's request, I'm chaperoning for her big dance."
"And how is that going?"
"I have a few dresses that are school appropriate, but don't forget I was a New Orleans party girl not even a full year ago, so they're far and few between."
"How is everything else?"
"Nik and I are keeping an eye out. He doesn't see anything wrong, but Bekah's been acting weird and I don't have a good feeling. The fact that I can't actually feel anything from her terrifies me."
"And you have been able to before?"
"Of course I have. The only times I haven't been able to was with Alaric's alter-ego and Esther which makes me, you know, nervous. And I don't want to chaperone some high school dance, but... I just wanna retire."
"I have to say I've never met a human as strong-willed as you are. I'm surprised you haven't exploded yet."
"I'm not human."
"Close enough."
She nearly smiled. "But we're cautious. If anything, I'm there to protect the kids because something bad always happens at the Decade Dance."
"Then why are you going?"
"Caroline is going. I can protect her."
"She's a vampire. She's plenty capable of doing it on her own."
"Yeah, but Bekah wants Nik to be there and me and it's a mess. I don't want to act like something's wrong because if she knows we know something's up, any element of surprise we had is gone."
"What's the plan?"
"I don't have one."
"Natalia!"
"I know, suit and tie! I know." She paced around the apartment. "What do you suggest I do?"
He sighed. "Bring a stake. Just in case."
"I don't have one."
"You don't? Not a smart move."
"Yeah, I know. Nothing I do is smart."
"You're smart."
She chuckled. "Not true, but thanks."
"You don't have any firewood you could carve up?"
She gasped. "I do!"
"You do?"
"I forgot!" She ran to the living room, still on the phone. "I don't even have a fireplace, but after I encountered Katherine way back when she was, you know, the enemy, I got some logs to carve in case I needed them. I forgot why I got them, but now I remember. Thank you!"
She started rifling through the wood in the bucket hidden in a corner of the living room when she felt an oddly smooth piece of wood. No bark or rough edges. Confused, she grabbed it and emerged it from the rough wood. Her eyes widened.
"I have a stake."
"You do?" Elijah asked.
"Y-yeah," she stuttered. "I didn't make this."
"What do you mean?" he asked.
Her heart lurched into her throat when she noticed how pale the wood was. "I think...I think it's a white oak stake."
"How?"
"I don't know. I thought they were all gone."
She heard her locked front door being kicked in and screamed, clutching the stake to her chest and wishing she had a roaring fireplace to chuck it in.
"I'm calling Nik," she murmured shakily. "I'll talk to you later."
She hung up and dialed Klaus's number, her free hand shaking. She ran into her bedroom and opened the window, but found it would not open all the way. It looked like just enough to squeeze through. She was begging for the call to be answered, especially when the sound of cracking wood stopped.
She paused for a moment before kicking the screen out of the window, not caring as it tumbled down onto the ground outside the apartment complex, and she tried to squeeze through it.
The phone finally picked up and Talia was relieved.
"Nik!" Talia choked out.
"Hello, Natalia," said Rebekah on the other end, Talia quickly losing hope.
"No," she cried, trying to make the small gap in the window wider.
"I had to make a phone call and mine was dead," she said. "What a shame."
"What the fuck is going on?"
"You know, that comment about me being a whore really did sting."
"Motherfucker," she groaned in realization, hanging up. Her paranoia wasn't for nothing. Esther was still alive and, apparently, in Rebekah's body. Not for long, though.
When Talia realized she couldn't squeeze through the window, she got to work breaking it, not caring how much it would cost.
She slammed her elbow into it and saw a crack form in the glass. Before she rammed her elbow into it again, she saw a distorted figure appear behind her in the reflection.
She turned around, armed with the stake, and noticed it was Alaric's murderous alter ego.
"For fuck's sake," she cried. "Give me a break."
"Clever hiding place, no?" the cold alter ego of the part-time history teacher/full-time alcoholic taunted. "Esther needed me to retrieve it."
"Fuck that," she replied.
She swung at him with her free hand and tried to kick him, but he grabbed at her hair, yanking her towards him. She threw the stake and shoved him away with her blonde hair still grasped between his fingers. She felt him rip out some of her hair and while it hurt, saving her hair was not her priority.
She noticed him turn away to grab the stake and she kicked him in the back, watching him stumble. She ran to the kitchen, grabbing a knife, and running out the door that was now broken off its hinges. If her landlord did not already hate her, they sure would now.
Alaric caught up with her quickly as she tried to run down the stairs and, once again, grabbed her by the hair. She stabbed him in the thigh and grabbed the stake, but he twisted her wrist until it nearly broke to grab it back, almost unfazed by the fact that he had a kitchen knife lodged in his leg.
Taking this opportunity, she ran out of the apartment building and running into the closest establishment.
She made it.
But Alaric had the stake.
She quickly asked to borrow a phone and tried to call Klaus again, but it didn't go through. She then called Caroline and even the Salvatore brothers, but they were already at the dance. Trapped.
***
Talia made it to Mystic Falls High School as quickly as she could, noticing how the students easily left the dance past the salt line. She crossed it and entered the high school. For a brief moment, she wondered where they were until she realized they had to be in Alaric's classroom. She was right. There was Bonnie, the Salvatores, Jamie, and Klaus.
When she saw him, she jumped into his arms, needing his comfort. She was a blubbering mess.
"I had it this whole time," Talia sobbed into his shoulder. "It was with the firewood I had to carve stakes. I didn't even know. I'm so sorry."
"It's not your fault," Klaus murmured. "Did he hurt you?"
"Just yanked out some hair and bruised my arm," she answered. "Rebekah was Esther and Alaric was not himself."
"I'm just glad you're okay," he said honestly. "If anything were to happen-"
"I handled it. For once." She smiled sadly. "I'm almost proud of that."
"How?"
"I stabbed him in the leg and ran. I tried to grab the stake, but he twisted my wrist and was stronger than me. I should have tried harder. I could have stopped this."
"Talia, my love, nothing matters more to me than your safety." He carefully brushed some hair behind her ear. "I love you."
"I love you too."
He led her into the gymnasium where the dance had been held so she could talk to Caroline and Jonas while he waited for the spell to be lifted. He promised to rush back if she needed him and stood outside of the dance behind the salt line.
He heard Stefan's shoes on the red carpet and sighed.
"All of this is your fault, you know," Klaus told the younger Salvatore brother. "You released my mother for your petty revenge."
"I'm done with revenge," Stefan said.
"Convenient timing," the hybrid replied.
"You wanna know why I've stopped, Klaus?" he asked.
"I couldn't care less, mate."
"Because there is someone who loves you unconditionally. Someone I once considered to be my friend. Which means that, as much as I hate to admit it, you're not unredeemable."
"She was your friend until you tried to kill us."
"After you tried to kill us."
"I wanted to be my true self and to have my family. Was that too much to ask?"
"You stole from me."
"Stealing three months and your vegetarian diet is nothing compared to stealing my family."
Stefan did not respond.
"I wish you made that decision long ago. Would've saved a lot of trouble."
"I hear you."
Klaus smirked. "How does it feel to admit you're wrong?"
"Hurts a little," Stefan admitted.
He chuckled.
"Just don't come after us again."
"As long as you leave my family alone," he agreed.
"Including Talia?"
"Of course. She is my family. If one hair is out of place on her head and I ever hear it was your doing, I will massacre the lot of you."
"Understood."
He sighed. "These decorations remind me of the time we spent together in the 20s."
"You say that as if I remember that time fondly."
"You would if you didn't brood."
Damon, Bonnie, Talia, Caroline, Jonas, and, surprisingly, Tyler Lockwood exited the school where Bonnie informed them that the spell was broken since Esther stopped pushing back. Talia raised a brow, wondering if there was a chance Esther was dead. According to the phone call Matt made, she was and Alaric was himself again for the time being. He was also an Original vampire in transition, but he was refusing to go through with it.
That was why Talia and Klaus dropped by the horribly depressing crypt where Alaric was going to die in. Klaus stood close by, but Talia knew immediately it was Alaric who was sitting there on the ground willing to die. It was him.
Talia sat down beside him and said, "I'm really mad at you, you know."
"For what?" Alaric asked.
"Being unpredictably strong for an alcoholic history teacher," she answered. "And for dying."
"I was a vampire hunter," he replied. "It helped keep me in shape. And I don't have much control over that second one."
"I know."
She hugged him and he, although growing weaker, hugged her back.
"I guess I gotta get it all out of the way now so everyone has a chance to do the same," she said, a tear already trickling down her cheek. "I missed you."
"I missed you too," he admitted. "I'm so sorry for any pain I caused."
"It wasn't you."
"I should have known sooner."
"How could you have known? No one else did."
"I know."
She sighed. "I know we chose sides a long time ago, but I still loved you, Al."
"You loved me?"
"Yeah. You're family."
"Don't make me cry, Talia."
"Well, too bad." She smiled. "I miss the days where our biggest problems were Damon and Mason butting heads at Jenna's barbecue."
"Feels like a million years ago."
"I'm grateful for what I have now, but sometimes, I want to go back."
"Me too," he admitted.
"I know you're only a bit older than me, but you remind me a bit of my dad. In the best way."
"I hear Sam Sullivan was a good man. I'm honored."
"And you are a good man." She clasped his hand. "There's so much I wanna say, but I don't know where to begin, you know?"
"Yeah, I know."
"I'm sorry for any pain I caused," she said. "And even though we were on opposite teams, I'm glad I got to know you and be your friend."
"Me too."
"I love you, Al."
"I love you too, Talia."
She stood up, wiping away any last tears. "I hope when you find peace, you get to spend it with Jenna. I hope you have nothing but happiness in the next life."
"I wish the same. I'm gonna miss you."
"I'm gonna miss you too."
Klaus stepped in to help a tearful Talia outside, but not before shaking hands with Alaric one more time.
Talia returned with Klaus to the mansion, deciding that maybe going back to the apartment wasn't a good idea after being attacked not even a few hours ago. She wanted to stay by his side and now that Rebekah was going to be back, he wanted to be near family.
Talia did grieve for Alaric, but a part of her was already at peace with the fact he was going to be gone, wishing him the best. All she could do was move forward and she did.
But, of course, not many stay truly dead in Mystic Falls. For some reason, some people have to keep coming back and Alaric Saltzman was, unfortunately, one of those people.