I have read zero spoilers for the rest of the season. Just love the originals and fear they won't make the cut for next season. I also took some liberties, mainly Bonnie casting a spell to protect Tyler but I wanted everyone to be on board with their plan so I had to.

I guess this would be set after 3x19 and presumably after Esther leaves Rebekah's body (at least I hope she does!)

"What's going on?"

Rebekah stood frozen in the middle of the cave entrance. Every single person in Mystic Falls that she despised, all be it some more than others, were all standing there staring at her. Matt was noticeably absent. Amid them all however, one face that made her feel much more at ease...Klaus.

"I told you I had something you needed to see," Damon smirked at her.

"You lied to me," Rebekah shook her head.

"And you're surprised? How many times have I lied to you now? Am I that irresistible that all rational thought goes out that pretty little psycho head of yours?"

Elena let out an annoyed sigh from her place across the darkened cave.

"Well, now that your clever little scheme has paid off and you've convinced my sister to come along with you, can you just get on with it?" Klaus insisted "You're all wasting my time...and my patience is already wearing thin with the lot of you."

"Oh, we'll definitely make this worth your while," Damon smirked, jerking Rebekah by the arm into place so that they all stood in a circle.

"What's going on?" Klaus echoed his sister's own words as he raised an eyebrow in suspicion "Where's the stake?"

"You know, that's your problem Klaus...you've never had any patience," Stefan smirked at him.

"I've heard enough of your mouth rippah," Klaus scowled at him "If it wasn't for you coddling your vampire hunter we wouldn't be here right now. The stake would have been long since destroyed."

"Not if your big bad mommy had anything to say about it," Damon shrugged "While you're pointing fingers, why not point one at the biggest witch of them all?...No offense Bonnie."

Bonnie rolled her eyes.

"Can we just get on with this?" Caroline sighed from her place next to Tyler.

"You too?" Klaus smirked with disdain as he glanced over at her.

Caroline reached out and lightly linked her fingers with Tyler's, casting a satisfied expression Klaus' way.

"You know perhaps more could get done in this miserable town if you all stopped pawing at each other in underground prisons and cheap motels," Klaus smiled smugly, causing not only Tyler and Caroline but Damon and Elena to exchange glances, the latter not going unnoticed by Stefan.

"Have you been spying on us?" Caroline spat "You're digusting."

"All right, I've had enough chatter, now give me the stake so we can destroy it and get out of this bloody place...It's rather gloomy," Klaus turned his attention back to Damon.

"Not so fast, oh ancient one," Damon folded his arms across his chest "There's a few ground rules before this ritualistic burning goes down."

"Yes well, I've never really been one for rules," Klaus shrugged.

"Call off your crazy prick of a brother," Damon continued "Jeremy is off limits."

Elena nodded her head in agreement. Her eyes stoicly fixed on Damon. Her insides however were churning. So far it seemed like Klaus and Rebekah were totally oblivious to the secret they had uncovered. They had no idea that Elijah was the sire, the one they couldn't touch. Elena had been relieved. Even more so by the spell Bonnie had cast that would protect one soul from the sire curse...Tyler. Now they could go through with their plan, using the one stake they had left.

"I have no control over Kol. Never have, never will," Klaus smiled "Why do you think I boxed him up for centuries?"

Elena concentrated on keeping her breathing normal. She didn't want to give anything away.

"Now, if you all will excuse me...the stake," Klaus, who had slowly made his way to the center of them all, turned to glance at Caroline "I can't bare this friendly chit-chat another minute."

Out of the corner of Rebekah's eye, she saw it first. Stefan's quick move into his jacket pocket. He rushed up behind her brother's back. She wanted to cry out but the words wouldn't come and before she knew it, she had closed the gap between them. She pushed her body between Stefan and Klaus' just as Stefan pulled the dagger out into the light. She felt the swoosh of air off Klaus' body as he turned around at the commotion but it was all too late. Stefan plunged the dagger into an original...but not into it's intended victim.

Elena, Caroline and Bonnie all gasped in unison. Damon's face fell with disappointment.

Rebekah let out a gasp of her own as her eyes turned up looking into Stefan's, the shock on her face was mirrored by the shock on his own, as he tumbled backwords next to his brother.

"Rebekah?" Klaus gasped, as she fell backwards against him and dropped to the cave floor.

It was then in that moment that Elena realized something. Something she wondered why they hadn't figured out before. She watched as Klaus sank to his knees, his face twisted, his hands shakily and roughly running over Rebekah's cheeks as her skin began to change color. The way to get to Klaus was Rebekah. Rebekah was the one with whom he had stayed for a thousand years. Rebekah was the one he protected for centuries. Rebekah was the one who never left his side. Rebekah was the one he loved most. Until this moment, Elena wasn't even sure Klaus could love at all.

"No, no...no," Klaus mumbled to himself as if he could will it to stop.

Rebekah gasped for breath, as her skin grew darker...her eyes never leaving her brother.

"Rebekah," he whispered again, cupping her face in his hands.

She stopped moving and flames burst out from around the stake. Klaus never budged, never left her, it was as if he didn't see the fire at all.

"No!" Klaus let out a gutteral cry, as if it was coming from the very depths of everything he was, pent up frustrations and expectations over a thousand years released in that one moment.

Elena hated herself for feeling any ounce of pity for him but she did. She watched as a few tears slowly made their way down Klaus' cheeks. It was if she were watching someone else. Not Klaus. The Klaus she knew didn't give a damn about anyone.

Stefan stood still, frozen. As much as he hated Rebekah for the things she had done to Elena, she didn't deserve to die while Klaus continued to walk the earth.

As Rebekah's body burned, Klaus slowly pulled himself to his feet. His eyes zeroed in on Stefan.

"Killing you now, would be too easy," he finally spoke, although not with his usual tone "No, I will pick you off one by one until there are none of you left. I'll save Elena for last..."

He turned his hollow eyes toward her and she felt her breath catch in her throat. If she wasn't assured by anything else in the time she had known Klaus, it was that he wouldn't end her life. Her blood was far too valueable...but now it was if none of that mattered. He turned his gaze back to the Salvatore brothers.

"You took what was most precious to me and I will take everything that matters to you...piece by piece, bone by bone, until you're all gone..." he looked down at his sister and back up at them again "Now get out of here and leave my sister in peace."

He dropped back onto the ground as they all hurried out cautiously, as if waiting on him to strike. He didn't. He couldn't. For as much as he was prone to lash out, react with violence to every situation...He couldn't move.

It was like Elena had thought. The way to get to Klaus was Rebekah...and they had won.