Tension filled the cemetery, as Klaus glared down at Rebekah, Elijah placing himself protectively in front of his sister. As Klaus gripped the white oak stake, Elijah held the Tunde blade up, ready to use it if he had to. 

   "Walk away." Elijah told Klaus, a calm tone to his voice.

   Klaus ignored his older brother, his glare not once leaving Rebekah. "Don't move!" He warned her.

   "Leave us now." Elijah told his sister. 

   "I can't. I'm stuck here." Rebekah let out, fear growing in her voice as she saw the weapon Klaus was holding. "Elijah, he has the white oak stake."

   At the mention of indestructible weapon, Klaus pointed it toward her threateningly. "I brought it for you, sister."

   "Get out of sight." Elijah ordered her firmly. "Your presence here only serves to anger him. Leave him to me now." 

   As Rebekah looked hesitant, Audrey grabbed her hand and began to move her back. "Rebekah, let him handle this." She told her, and with a reluctant nod, Rebekah held onto Audrey tighter and sped them away.

   The slowly turned into day, and nothing seemed to calm the rage that Klaus felt. He spent the hours ranting, moving to try and reach Rebekah, only for Elijah to block him each time. With Celeste's boundary spell still in place, all Rebekah and Audrey could do was wait in one of the tombs, Rebekah scared and anxious. As the blonde called Marcel that morning, Audrey left the tomb with a sigh, making her way out into the cemetery. 

   She stood by one of the tombs between the two brothers, listening slightly as Elijah looked at Klaus calmly. "You've been at this for hours. To what end?" He asked him. "Niklaus, I know you, and I grew up fighting you. I can't be beaten, nor can I be persuaded. You cannot get past me."

   "I can get past you. Although, it might have to be over your dead body." Klaus shot back darkly, pointing the stake threateningly toward Elijah. "You did stab me with that blade, forcing me to endure hours of unspeakable pain. Perhaps I should direct my rage toward you."

   "Nik." Audrey warned him. "You wouldn't, and you won't."

   "You should see yourself-- the murderous expression, the self-righteous posturing. You look like Father." Elijah told him in disbelief.

   Klaus's face fell in hurt and upset, shaking his head. "I'm not him." He whispered softly. "Rebekah's betrayal justifies my anger. His was that of a madman." He snapped as his anger reappeared. "You were never the recipient of his cruelty. None of you were-- not Kol, not Finn, None of you! I think you've forgotten what he was truly like."

   "No." Elijah replied gruffly, looking lost in thought for a moment, before Klaus rushing away snaps him out of it. Instantly, he rushed and blocked his path once again, Audrey slowly walking closer with her arms crossed. "Niklaus, I understand your anger, but I implore you, be better than him. Do what he could not-- demonstrate the grace of mercy, rather than this petty cruelty."

   "You ask me to show mercy to one who has wronged me." Klaus scoffed. "You really don't know me at all, do you, brother?"

   "Enough." Rebekah cut in firmly as she joined them, looking toward Klaus bravely. "Whatever I have done wrong, my guilt is nothing compared to yours. You want revenge? Fine. But, before you have it, I will look you in the eye and tell you why it was your cruelty and your spite that led us to this."

   "Go on, then." Klaus told her, his expression remaining cold. "Speak your piece, and when you are finished, I will grant you the punishment you deserve, even if I have to go through Elijah to do so." 

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

   "Let it begin." Klaus announced as he sat on top of one of the tombs, the three stood on the ground watching him. "The trial of Rebekah Mikaelson."

   "What a relief." Rebekah muttered, rolling her eyes. "His ego is in check."

   "Was that ever in question?" Audrey mumbled back.

   "Just speak your truth." Elijah told her. "I'll make certain he behaves himself."

   "You stand accused of betraying your own blood." Klaus continued, looking toward his sister. "How do you plead?"

   Audrey shook her head as she watched him, pinching the bridge of her nose. "This is insane."

   Elijah sighed as he rubbed her shoulders, looking just as unimpressed at the situation as she did. Rebekah, meanwhile, just looked toward Klaus with a glare. "I plead you to shut up and listen." She mocked in annoyance.

   "You summoned our father. You brought him to our home." Klaus let out in betrayal. "What possible defense could you have?" 

   "I knew he was the only thing that you feared, and I wanted you to run." The Mikaelson girl answered honestly.

   "Because you hated me!" Klaus sneered in assumption.

   "Because you were hateful!" Rebekah let out. "You denied me the freedom to love."

   "Oh, so that's your defense?" Klaus asked with a mocking smile. "You called Mikael-- the Destroyer,  the Hunter of Vampires-- because I detained you from pursing some dull suitors?"

   "Your were cruel, and controlling, and manipulative." Rebekah argued strongly.

   "I was trying to protect you!" Klaus snapped, throwing his hands up in frustration. "From imbeciles, and leeches. Not to mention your own poor judgment."

   "And what about the one that you loved enough to call friend?" She fired back, raising a brow at him. "Why did you forbid me to love Marcel?"

   Klaus went rigid as he pointed at her angrily. "Do not mention his name." He warned in a dangerous tone.

   "What has happened to you?" Rebekah asked quietly, looking toward her brother almost as if she didn't recognize the man in front of her. "I remember the sweet boy who made me laugh and gave me gifts, who loved art and music. I wanted to be just like you. How could you have fallen so far?" 

   Elijah moved to Rebekah's side as Klaus fell silent at her words. "You say you despise Rebekah for her betrayal, and yet no one has stood by your side for so long, not even I myself." He told him knowingly. "Perhaps it's you that's forgotten. I remember the day that Father caught you whittling little chess pieces with his hunting knife. He beat you so mercilessly and for so long, I actually feared for your life."

   Klaus looked down with a pained expression, trying hide it as he cleared his throat. "So, you would paint her as a loyal sister, but she betrayed me out of lust for Marcel." He snapped. "Perhaps that was why you did it-- for love. Perhaps I might temper my rage if Rebekah will admit she was a victim of her own idiocy. That her great love, Marcel, used her to oust this family and to take my city."

   Rebekah shook her head. "Marcel did not manipulate me."

   Klaus smirked as he met eyes with her. "You defend him, and yet you can't help but wonder, what if I'm right." 

   "We love each other." Rebekah said firmly with anger appearing. "It was your refusal to accept that that led to your ruin."

   "Then why didn't he chase after you when you fled New Orleans?" He challenged. "Oh, yes! That's right. He was here stealing what I built!"

   "You want me to renounce Marcel, to beg for your forgiveness? I won't. Marcel is not at fault. I called Mikael." Rebekah began as tears appeared in her eyes.

   "Rebekah." Audrey began to shake her head, knowing this was going to make things worse.

   Elijah looked just as worried, shaking his head. "Rebekah, you must--"

   But Rebekah ignored them both, her tears falling as she screamed at Klaus angrily. "I was the one who brought him to New Orleans because of your wickedness! I wanted love and happiness, and you denied me the freedom to have either. Yes, I hated and I was afraid of our father, but he was a lesser evil than you. My bastard brother who loomed over me, threatening me as you are now. I wanted rid of you, and given the choice, I'd do it again!"

   Klaus, furious, lunges at Rebekah and pushes her against a tomb, and is just about to stake her in the heart when Elijah tackles him. When they get back up to their feet, Elijah has both Papa Tunde's blade and the white oak stake. "Sister, leave us." Elijah ordered.

   "I'm not going--"

   "I said, leave us, please." Elijah cut her off, and after a moment, she rushes away. "You wouldn't listen to her. So, now, you must deal with me."

   In that moment, Audrey didn't think that this could get worse, but she had idea how wrong she was. 

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

   "So what's it gonna be?" Klaus asks his brother, looking from the stake to the blade. Audrey had stayed close by, watching the brothers carefully. "You hold both weapons. Tunde's blade would put me down, but the stake could finish me off for good."

   "Well-- unlike you, brother-- I have no taste for fratricide." Elijah holds up the stake. "I only hold this to keep it from you." He holds up Papa Tunde's blade. "This is just my insurance."

   "Why must you defend her?" Klaus asked in annoyance. "Rebekah betrayed you, as well, when she brought Mikael here."

  "Because she is our sister, and because I like to remember her the way that she was before we became what we became." He said, looking lost in memory once again. "She was an innocent girl, quick to laugh, full of life."

   "My memories serve to make her betrayal more painful." Klaus muttered, looking away from him.

   "Can you not then accept some small part of the blame?" Elijah tried to reason. "After all, Niklaus, it was your cruelty that led her to do what she did."

   Klaus shook his head in denial. "Do you not see, Elijah? She didn't mean to chase me off. She wanted me dead."

   "You're wrong." Elijah told him.

   "She has always hated me. You know that's true." Klaus continued.

   Elijah looked at his younger brother in disbelief. "You have no idea, do you? You have no idea what she was prepared to do for you. When our sister sees something that she perceives to be an injustice, she can be stubborn, impetuous, and, at times, downright dangerous. And never was this more apparent than the night she tried to kill our father." He says, recounting the night he found Rebekah when they were human, standing over a sleeping Mikael with a knife. "

   "What is this, some melodramatic fiction designed to garner my sympathy?" Klaus sneered.

   "It is the truth. I was there." Elijah told him firmly. "And she would have done it, all to protect you, had I not stopped her. I often wished that I could revisit that moment, complete the task myself."

   The hybrid blinked back some tears at the information, taking a deep breath. "Why are you telling me this now?"

   "Niklaus, sometimes our sister acts without thinking. She's short of temper, she's quick to fall in love, but she loves you." Elijah stated truthfully. "But, your malicious treatment has broken her heart. So, yes, she responded by summoning our father. Yes, that was a mistake. I'm not entirely sure that I can blame her."

   "I can." Klaus vamp-speeds to the tomb where Rebekah is hiding, but Elijah beats him there, defensively holding a weapon in each of his hands.

   "Niklaus, so help me--" Elijah warned him as Audrey approached them again.

   "Are you really going to stand against me? And not with that pathetic blade." Klaus snapped, giving him a taunting look. "You'd just have to pull it out someday, and then I'd hate you as I do her, now. If you want to protect Rebekah, you'll need to use the white oak stake."

   Elijah merely rolled his eyes. "I don't have to listen to this nonsense."

   "Oh, don't pretend you haven't thought about it. You look at me, and you see everything you abhor in yourself. Sure, you dress it up with your fancy suits and your handkerchiefs. You, with your mask of civility and eloquence, you're every bit the abomination I am. Or worse." Klaus continued to bait him, stepping closer to his older brother. "Go on, Elijah. Go on. Use the white oak stake."

   Elijah throws the white oak stake far away and glares at Klaus. "I'm not so cowardly that I have to kill you, Niklaus, but if I have to make you suffer to protect Rebekah, that is what I will do."

   Klaus just smirked. "You see? I knew you couldn't do it. You still cling to the hope that I can be redeemed, and if the bastard can be saved, then maybe there's hope for you." Klaus rushes over to Elijah, grabs Papa Tunde's blade, and stabs it into Elijah's heart. "There. Now you know how it feels." 

   "NO!" Audrey screamed and ran toward Elijah, but Klaus grabbed her and held her back.

   "That blades stays exactly where it is." Klaus turned her to face him, holding her by the arms firmly. "Don't make me do something I don't want to."

   Elijah falls to the ground, gasping in agony and glaring at Klaus, as Audrey glared at Klaus with tearful eyes, pushing his hands off her. Suddenly, Rebekah appears behind him. "That was supposed to be my line." She holds up the white oak stake that she just picked up from where Elijah threw it, causing both Klaus and Audrey to look at her in surprise. "Now, I have this. So I decide who lives and who dies. I'm taking out that blade."

   Klaus stepped toward her, blocking her path to Elijah. "You'll have to kill me first, and now you hold the means to do so. Why not finish what you started a century ago?"

   "I did not want you dead. I wanted you to run." Rebekah stated.

   "Liar!" He snarled. "You wanted revenge."

   "You drove me to betray you, and now you want to twist it and make it worse so you can justify killing me instead of accepting your own fault?" She asked him, looking tired and emotional as she gripped the stake protectively. "All I did was love your friend! You could've been happy for us, but instead, in your paranoia, you feared losing us both. And, because of that, you did. There is no one else to blame, Nik. Only you."

   "Where is Marcel now, hmm? I thought he loved you, and yet he left you trapped in here with me." He asked her tauntingly. "You against me. It's hardly a fair fight, is it? I mean, perhaps, if Marcel were here, you'd stand a chance, but I expect he's already found another girl. No doubt younger and prettier."

   Rebekah's face faltered, swallowing hard at his words. "You take joy in other people's pain, and then you wonder why I hate you."

   "Yes, and that hatred led you to do what you did. Admit the truth. Admit you wanted me dead." He told her.

   Rebekah shook her head. "I wanted you to run, that is all-- despite your delusions."

   "Elijah lies suffering, and I will allow you to help him." He told her as he moved closer. "I will allow Audrey to help him. All you have to do is admit it."

   "You're insane." The female Mikaelson said as she moved back.

   "Yes! Yes! I am a vicious, heartless monster, and so you summoned Mikael to kill me." He shouted as he continued to approach her. "Admit it."

   "It's not true." She denied adamantly.

   But Klaus refused to listen to her answer. "You know what you did. Admit it."

   "Klaus, this has gone far enough!" Audrey let out as she watched. "Stop this!"

   But Audrey's words fell upon deaf ears, as Klaus stands right in front of his sister, still shouting her accusations. "You wanted me dead! Admit it."

   "Maybe I did." Rebekah let out, and her face fell at her own words. Audrey froze and her eyes fell onto Klaus, who'd she'd never seen more hurt than she did in that moment. "Nik--"

   Klaus, shocked that she actually admitted it, angrily stabs Rebekah with the white oak stake. Gasping, Rebekah fell to the ground, and he stood over her in a numb silence before he walked away. Pulling the stake out, he walks away from where his siblings lay on the ground, Audrey let out a shaky breath. Celeste had gotten exactly what had wanted, and pulled apart the vow just like she wanted to. 

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

   Audrey sat on the ground beside Elijah's body, having been sat there as the day slowly turned into night again, her attempts to pull the blade out useless. She knew she needed Klaus's help to do it, but she didn't dare ask. Taking a deep breath, she pushed to her feet and slowly made her way over to where Klaus sat on one the tombs, the broken expression he wore before still etched on his face. The stake laid on the tomb beside him, the end covered in blood from where he stabbed Rebekah, but the Gilbert girl knew she was okay. She saw the wound slowly healing when she checked on her.

   "Nik." She said, biting her lip.

   Walking closer, she took a seat beside him, neither of them saying anything as they looked at one another. Slowly, his head leaned and rested on her shoulder, and Audrey sighed as she wrapped her arms around him. Better than anyone, Audrey knew what is was like to have your heart broken by family. Especially by someone was close to you as a sibling. In that moment, she knew she didn't need to say anything to him, she just had to be there. Just like he had been for her so many times before.

   "You missed my heart." Rebekah said quietly as she approached them.

   Klaus glanced up at her. "Perhaps I did." He nodded. "Or, perhaps I never meant to kill you. Perhaps I just wanted you to feel a fraction the fear I felt when Father came for me."

   Rebekah bit her lip at that. "Do you yourself know the truth?"

   "I know this." Klaus looked at her honestly. "You accuse me of being evil, and yet you are the one who conspired to kill your own blood."

   "You made our lives a living hell. You tormented us."

   "I love my family-- You, Elijah, Audrey. I loved all of you." He walks toward Rebekah and looks her in the eyes. "I know I can be difficult, but I did not make myself this way. It was Mikael who ruined me."

   "He ruined me, too." Rebekah says in a whisper. "That's what you forget. Centuries later, each of us is broken. You with your anger and paranoia, me with my fear of abandonment. And poor Elijah." She looks over at where he's laying, Papa Tunde's blade still stuck in his chest. "He dedicates himself to everyone but himself. He almost gave Audrey up, the one person that makes him truly happy, for the sake of everyone else's happiness. We are the strongest creatures in the world, and yet, we are damaged beyond repair. We live without hope, but we will never die. We are the definition of "cursed." Always and forever." Her words hanging in the air, she turned and walked away, leaving Klaus to consider them. 

   After a moment, he let out a deep sigh and took Audrey's hand, walking her over to where Elijah lay. Letting her go, he bent down and pulled the blade from his chest, causing him to gasp in agony and relief. "Now, we're even." He muttered, and gave Audrey a nod before he walked away.

   Relief filling her eyes, she bent to her knees and pulled Elijah into her arms, who leaned against her weakly. Running her fingers through his hair, she kissed the top of his head, and held her wrist out to him. "Go on." She encouraged, and gave him a look as he shook his head. "You won't hurt me." She said knowingly, a gentle look in her eyes. "You need to feed, Elijah. Please." Reluctantly, he took her wrist and sunk his teeth into her skin, feeding from her hungrily to help himself heal. She gasped with a wince, but didn't show anymore pain as she held him close. 

   Everything was going to change now, both of them knew it. So when Elijah let go, feeding her his blood to heal the wound, the two just remained holding one another quietly. Just for a moment, they wanted to ignore the fact that everything felt broken beyond repair. And when they were together, it seemed possible, despite how dark everything else in their lives now were.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

   "Rey." 

   Audrey turned and her eyes met with Rebekah, who'd ask her to meet her away from the compound. In the end, Audrey made her way out to the road by the bayou, waiting while Rebekah spoke to Hayley who was still with the wolves. 

   "Hey." Audrey said softly, and after a moment, the two girls wrapped one another in a hug. "Do you really have to go?"

   Rebekah smiled as her sadly when they pulled apart, nodding. "I can't pass this chance up, and me and Niklaus can't both be here together. It's better this way." She said honestly. "I couldn't go without saying goodbye though. I asked Elijah if you'd both join me, but..."

   "I know." Audrey looked down sadly. "I'm going to miss you."

   "I'll miss you, too." Rebekah said, wiping her eyes as some tears fell. "You look after yourself, okay?" She told her firmly. "And I promise, you no matter what, I will be there to see you and Elijah get married." She took her hands, squeezing them gently. "But I need you make me a promise."

   With no hesitation, the Gilbert girl nodded. "Anything."

   "Look after them for me." Rebekah's voice cracked. "Things will be hard between my brothers once I'm gone, I know that. I need you to make sure they're okay. You, Audrey Gilbert, make Elijah the happiest he has been since we were human." She said wholeheartedly. "Don't let him push you away for the sake of anyone else again. Keep making him that happy. Build the life together I know you both crave, and never let it go." She said firmly, and tears forming in her own eyes, Audrey nodded. "And Nik...he trusts you like I've never seen him trust anyone before. You understand one another, and he listens to you. Continue to do that. He's going to need it now more than ever."

   "They'll be okay, Bekah." Audrey promised her, blinking back some tears. "I'll make sure of it. All of us will be okay, and one day, we're going to see you again. One day, we'll be together again, and all of this will just seem like some bad dream."

   "I hope so." Rebekah smiled and hugged her tightly once more, before she made her way toward her car. 

   Audrey let out a shaky breath, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched, her eyes not leaving the car until it disappeared from view.

It's nearly 2:33am for me, I should be asleep, but I finished this and had to post it. Now I am going to sleep, but damn, this chapter was hard to write. I hated saying goodbye to Rebekah.

But I hope you all enjoyed!