22. The Departed

"This isn't going to work" a frustrated Lily told Elijah, as the two walked down the street, "These people don't listen to reason, the only thing they listen to is violence".

"Violence is what got Niklaus into this mess in the first place" Elijah reminded the annoyed werewolf, "I'm hoping we can avoid that tonight and come to a peaceful agreement between us and Elena and the Salvatore brothers".

"And if we can't?" Lily asked.

"Then violence is always on the table" Elijah said.

"Good, keep it on the table Elijah, these people can't be trusted with their meaningless promises, they're known to break promises" Lily said, a bitter tone in her voice as she remembered Stefan and Tyler's betrayal, one of her best friend broke the promise of not attacking the guy she likes, while the other drugged her.

"I'm well aware of that" Elijah assured, as the two started walking up the Gilbert's porch.

Lily took a deep breath before turning to Elijah, "I might need your help in keeping my anger in control, I'm afraid the moment I come face to face with any of them, I'm going to rip them apart".

"Don't worry Lily, I won't let you hurt them" Elijah promised, knocking on the Gilbert's front door, "As long as they return my brother back to us".

"And if they don't?" a worried Lily asked.

Elijah looked at Lily, "Then they're all yours" he said, just as the front door was opened by the Gilbert doppelganger, whose eyes immediately went wide in fear seeing Elijah and Lily standing at her doorstep.

"Stefan" an afraid Elena called out, gaining the attention of her lover who was in the kitchen.

"Elijah, Lily" a shocked Stefan greeted, not expecting to see either of them here.

"Hello again" Elijah greeted.

Lily glared at the youngest Salvatore, the hatred in her eyes nearly made the youngest Salvatore flinch back, "Let's talk, Salvatore".

***

Elijah and Lily sat in the Gilbert's kitchen, making a deal with Stefan and Elena in exchange for Klaus's body.

"All we need is to take that stake away from him" Elijah explained, "Once he's been disarmed, the weapon's in my possession, my family will scatter to the ends of this earth and Alaric will follow us".

"And you'll just run?" a skeptical Stefan asked, taking a seat next to Elena.

"We've done it before" Elijah reminded, "Klaus and Rebekah spent the better part of a thousand years evading my father, what's another half-century while Elena's able to live out the rest of her natural life?".

"We finally stopped him, Elijah" Elena said, "After everything that he's done to us I can't just let you bring him back".

"I give you my word, Elena" Elijah said, "I will not revive Klaus within yours, nor even within your children's lifetimes, perhaps that'll finally teach him some manners".

Stefan looked at his awfully quiet best friend, "And when the originals leave, will you leave with them?".

Lily glared at the youngest Salvatore, "Don't tell me you expect me to stay back with people I can't trust".

Stefan let out a defeated sigh, "He had Elena, Lily".

Lily looked at Stefan, "You'd do anything for the woman you love, right?" she asked, Stefan nodded his head, "Then you can't blame me for doing everything I can to bring back the person I love".

Both Stefan and Elijah looked at Lily in shock, whether she had realised it or not, but Lily Forbes had just admitted to being in love with Klaus Mikaelson.

"Why should she trust you?" an angry Matt asked Elijah, taking his attention off of Lily, "All you've done is screw her over".

"And for that, I'm deeply ashamed" Elijah admitted, "But know this, she could've been dead the instant I walked through that door tonight, so, Elena, I leave it to you to make the decision whether to trust me or not".

"Not, hello?" Damon said over the phone, "Did that concussion give you brain damage? His lunatic siblings will kill you the first chance they get!".

"Rebekah and Kol will honor the terms" Elijah assured, "If you return Klaus' body to us Elena will come to no harm, do we have a deal?".

"No! No, no, no, did I mention no?" a frustrated Damon said.

"God, do you ever shut up!" an annoyed Lily said.

Stefan sighed, "Elena, it's up to you".

"Oh, come on!" Damon protested, knowing what Elena was like.

Elena looked at Elijah, "Why do you want Klaus' body?".

"He's my brother" Elijah replied, "We remain together".

Elena let out a sigh, before finally saying, "We have a deal".

***

Alaric sat on the bar at Mystic Grill, drinking a glass of bourbon, when his phone started ringing, grabbing it, he realised Jeremy Gilbert was calling him.

"Yes?" Alaric answered.

"I know where Klaus' body is" Jeremy immediately said.

"Good" Alaric said, "Tell me".

"Damon's on his way to bury him in the woods off route 12" Jeremy informed, "I'll text you with the specifics".

"Thank you, Jeremy" a grateful Alaric said, "You're doing the right thing for your sister".

"I know" Jeremey said, after Alaric hanged up the phone, Jeremy turned to Elijah, Lily, Matt, Elena and Stefan, who were still in the Gilbert's kitchen, "He bought it".

Elijah looked at Lily, who simply gave him a small nod, she knew what she had to do next.

***

While Elijah worked with everyone else to disarm Alaric, Rebekah and Lily were tasked with going to the storage place Damon was and retrieve Klaus's body from him.

"Damon" Rebekah called out, as her and Lily entered the storage place and started working forward.

"Damon, where the hell are you?!" an annoyed Lily asked, in no mood for the oldest Salvatore's games.

Rebekah looked at Lily, "Let's split up".

Lily nodded and while Rebekah turned one way, Lily turned the other, "If this is your definition of a joke, then it's not funny, Damon!".

As Lily turned the corner she was confused seeing a bunch of storage lockers opened, immediately causing suspicion to rise in her head, as she was walking forward she heard a rattle sound, confusing her even more but before she could investigate it, a hand was wrapped around her mouth and she was pulled behind a wall.

"Lily" Damon whispered, announcing his presence to the werewolf, knowing if he didn't she would definitely bite him, "Shh" Damon whispered into Lily's ear, hiding her from Alaric, who was also here.

***

Once the coast was clear, Damon and Lily quickly left to grab the casket Klaus was in and wheel him out of here, on the way they also met up with Rebekah.

As the trio was wheeling Klaus towards the car, Alaric suddenly showed up and blocked their way, he grabbed Rebekah by the back of her neck and slammed her head on to the car and then threw her on to the floor, Lily tried punching the original hunter but he quickly grabbed her wrist, broke it, and threw her into a wall, Damon stepped forward but Alaric simply kicked him to the ground.

Once the trio was down, Alaric went on to take the white oak stake out of his jacket pocket and open the casket Klaus was in.

"No!" Rebekah and Damon yelled.

"Please don't do this!" Lily begged, standing up and rushing towards Alaric.

Alaric ignored all their protests and stabbed Klaus in the heart.

"Klaus!" Lily yelled, trying to run to Klaus's now burning body but Damon quickly grabbed her, "No! Let go, Damon! I didn't get to tell him, I never got to tell him that I love him!".

Alaric looked at Rebekah, he then turned to Klaus's burning body and took out the indestructible stake, he then turned to a sobbing Rebekah, "Next".

Damon looked towards the original, "Rebekah, run, and take Lily with you", but Rebekah didn't listen, she kept crying, "Dammit Rebekah, look at her, you need to get her out of here!".

Rebekah looked at Lily and seeing her hysterical state and the look of murder in Alaric's eyes, Rebekah knew what she had to do, she knew what Klaus would have wanted her to do, so she grabbed Lily from Damon and speeded them out while Damon tried to hold Alaric back.

***

Elijah stood in the woods, when suddenly he felt a presence behind him, turning around, he saw both sobbing Rebekah and Lily.

"He's gone, Elijah" Rebekah cried, "There was nothing I could do to stop it".

Hearing Rebekah, Lily started crying harder and was about to fall to the ground but Elijah quickly speeded over to her and grabbed her in his arms, he wrapped his arms around the hysterical werewolf and let her cry it out before pulling Rebekah into the hug as well, all three crying for the person they probably loved most in this whole world.

While Rebekah broke the hug, Lily stood there still holding on to Elijah, she feared if she let go she would just fall.

"Tyler Lockwood is dead, but the rest survived" Elijah informed Rebekah, while running his hand through Lily's hair, in an attempt to calm her down, "You said that Niklaus turned their bloodline".

"I thought he did" Rebekah said.

"It wasn't me, it wasn't Kol" Elijah said.

"It wasn't me, Elijah" Rebekah added, "It was Niklaus, I'm sure of it".

Lily finally separated herself from Elijah and looked at the two siblings in confusion, "If Klaus sired them and now he's gone, how is his sireline still alive?".

***

Bonnie entered the Lockwood's underground cave, "I know you're here" she said.

Just as she said that, Tyler came out of the shadows, "I must say, you really did that spell brilliantly, I didn't think you had it in you".

"I did it to save my friends and my mother, Klaus" Bonnie snapped, "Not you".

"The spirits won't be happy with you" Klaus reminded.

"Spirits don't get to tell me what to do anymore" Bonnie retorted, "I'm done getting pushed around by all of you, I did it because I wanted to".

***

Presenting 2x22 of Fire & Flame!

LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, THIS CHAPTER MARKS THE END OF ACT TWO OF FIRE & FLAME!

How was this act? Did you like it or hate it? What were your favorite moments? What were your least favorite moments?

Any suggestions for next season?

Anyways, how was this chapter?

Thoughts on Elijah and Lily teaming up to get Klaus back?

Thoughts on Lily admitting she's in love with Klaus?

Thoughts on Lily's reaction to Alaric killing Klaus?

Thoughts on Elijah comforting Lily?