𝙲𝚞𝚛𝚜𝚎

The nightmares never seemed to end for Rosalice. One right after the other. This particular nightmare replayed the same scene that had happened moments before her and Rebekah had gotten to the safe house. Where she had stabbed Elijah in the neck. But this nightmare was located in a different area, a memory of when she was just fourteen years old rebelling against her parents, wanting more freedom than what was given to her. Walking down the same trail, heading the same way. Only for a vampire to stop in her tracks. But this vampire wasn't the same nomadic one but instead was Elijah. Elijah wanted to hurt her in the darkness. Rosalice, given a chance in this nightmare, was forced to attack him.

Her body lunged forward as she returned to her current reality, a reality where Elijah never wanted to hurt her, never wanted to kill her. Where he was left filled with his own torment that she couldn't handle to take at the moment.

Slipping off of the bed, heading down to the kitchen. The house silenced with no one awake. No vampire. No babies. No shifter. Absolutely no one but Rosalice. Mindlessly she grabs a hold of a cup, filling it with tap water. The water left running. She tilts her head back, taking every ounce of liquid barely allowing herself to have a simple breath of air. Her mind went numb, breathing heavily as she mindlessly filled up another cup and repeating the same actions as before. Once refilling the third cup she freezes, thinking back to what her uncle had to say. Stop it. She could hear his voice. Stop trying to drown yourself for those vampires. Because fuck them. They don't deserve your guilt. They deserve to burn in hell.

Taking in a shaky breath, her hand lifted up daring to break the cycle. But her hand stopped moving, tensing up in the middle of the air. Halfway there and she couldn't do it. It felt as if her arm weighed with every ounce of blood. Her blue eyes that held pure frozen ice in them could see the red crimson liquid spilling over her arm, a voice in the back of her mind telling her to continue this path, that she deserved it.

Lights flickered on, blinking harshly she dropped the filled cup into the sink, the contents spilling, falling out. Looking towards where the light switch was located she saw long bony fingers tapping just the bottom of it. Eyes trailing his fingers being guided by a trail of hand to wrist to arm taken to the perpetrator shoulder, briefly glancing at his neck the addams apple bobbing as he took in a huge gulp of bile that filled his mouth. All before connecting with his eyes.

Licking her lips, she waited, waited for him to say something, waited until his lips made a sound, a small noise, anything.

Yet they both knew by staring each other in the eyes of the pain that followed, that ridiculed and messed with them every chance it could get. Acting in their own discrete way. Elijah left tending to his suit, keeping them heavily identical with no change, keeping himself clean as inhumane as possible. Rosalice waterboarding herself until she was forced to cough the water up, damaging her own lungs that healed miraculously.

The two diminishing their pain and throwing it away as if it was nothing as if it didn't mold to how they are now. Threw it all away for the sake of protecting others or themselves from any harms way. One having a goal to continue living. The other now getting used to the fact that they were needed.

Lips parting. Eyes never moving themselves from the tight hold that contact had.

Both were reckless in their own way, their own version. Self destructing everything they could. And yet... they were both each other's savior. Each other's downfall. The reason why their heart and mind and body seemed to ignite when the two were in the same room no matter the distance.

Loving each other was a pure growing obsession that made them into addicts. Afraid to say the wrong thing to chase the other away. Handling everyone else teasing about their relationship. Not afraid that they could lose control. Never daring to let go.

Finally a noise left Elijah's lips, "I woke up and you weren't there."

Rosalice clears her throat, "I was thirsty and needed water." Her arms stiffly move towards her back, fingers clasping. "Had a really... a weird dream." Saying she was having nightmares felt childish—made her all too embarrassed to admit the real thing.

Raising an eyebrow, Elijah licks his lips, wanting to hear more but it was left to that. "What kind of dream?"

"The ones that aren't worth discussing."

"Everything's worth discussing," Elijah said, dragging his hand back to his side. Tapping against his leg. "You seem out of breath." He notes. "Your heart is racing too."

Rosalice tightens her hold. "Doesn't my heart race every time you enter a room?" She tried waving it off, flirting or tried ot.

Elijah's eyes didn't hold the same as months before. In fact they held no life as if time had finally caught up to him. The light slowly extinguishes. "Your heart naturally beats slow," He tells her. Rosalice jaw tenses, mentally cursing herself. It was the only difference between her and Reneesme. Renee being taken out first and before Bella's transition her heart beated just above the normal human heart rate. Rosalice taken second and moments after as Bella had come to start her transition ended up with the opposite effects. "So when your heart beats fast it's a normal human heart beat." Stepping towards Rosalice, closing the large gap between them. "Your heart sounds like you're in distress." He lifts his hands grasping the edge of the counter trapping her in between, caging her in.  "Why's that?"

Rosalice bites her lip, gulping. "I should check on the twins."

Elijah didn't move, didn't look away. "They're fine. Peacefully asleep." He only listened to them for a long moment before turning his attention back to her, hearing her heart racing, beating out of her own chest, shaking her ribcage, her breathing uneven trying to get some control over it.

The original tense as he heard someone enter the room, looking over his shoulder he relaxes.

Leah eyes widen as she stands by the doorway, staring at the two in her own bewilderment. Her mouth agape. "I'm sorry..." She says, taking a step back. "I didn't know-"

Elijah pulls away, standing straight up, releasing Rosalice. Quickly ducking away she grabs Leah by the arm leaving the Mikealson there to himself. "Did I just cockblock you?" Leah asks as the two finally made their way up the stairs.

Rosalice waves off, "I don't want to talk about it." It still felt as if her heart was racing a marathon making her breathing uneven. She could hear it beating, ringing within her own ears as blood rushed everywhere it could possibly go.

[Time Skip]

The morning finally came and Rosalice was helping Rebekah in creating a bonfire. Why? She didn't know. What she did know was that Leah was doing a perimeter check around the safe house, an old habit that was never going to die off.

Elijah located with the three babies, keeping a close eye on them. "It's alright, Elijah. They won't break." Rebekah assures. "Everything you did was in the name of protecting them. We're not worried." She gestures to her and Rosalice.

Elijah quietly hums, picking up a wide awake Salem, "Hi, sweetheart." He smiles softly at him. Taking notice of the two's actions he raises an eyebrow, "IS that what I think it is?"

Rebekah smiles in glee walking towards her older brother and nieces and nephew, Rosalice doing the same. "It's bonfire season! And I am reviving a family tradition!" She says proudly. "Especially since we're all going to be together."

"Only because we're fleeing from one of our deranged parents." Rosalice crosses her arms staring at the two in concern. "Another Mikealson tradition. It's a peculiar thing–never to be tired, yet forever exhausted by the sameness of things. Why is our family at war?"

Rebekah scoops up Hope in her own arms, with a smile. "I don't know. But, being away with her made me see things differently." She then lowers her voice, talking gently, "We're not so bad. We're not the monsters that our parents think we are." Rebekah then turns to the Cullen woman. "Do you have any family tradition you wish to carry on?"

"Baseball." Rosalice messes with her hands, not meeting Elijah's eyes.

"Baseball?" Rebekah voices.

Shrugging her shoulder she says, "When a thunderstorm hits my family goes out and plays in open land." Rebekah raises an eyebrow, silently questioning her. "It's because when they hit the baseball it sounds like thunder. When me and Renee play they have to hold back their super speed and strength."

"Interesting."

Suddenly a black SUV speeds down the driveway, Hayley instantly getting out before the car comes to a full stop. Rushing, running down. Barreling straight towards them. Her legs stopped on their own accord, stopping within her tracks as her eyes made contact with her daughter, Hope. Rebekah wastes no time in handing Hope over to her mother. A small sigh of relief left Hayley's lips as she greets, "Hi." Bringing her daughter close into her chest she hugs Hope.

Turning to Klaus who doesn't move from his spot overwhelmed to finally meet his daughter once again, be reunited with her. Hayley moves towards the original hybrid allowing him to get a better look at his daughter.

Hope coos at the both of them leaving them absolutely speechless, breaking out into huge smiles of their own.

[Time Skip]

Learning of a first-born curse, Rosalice stands right besides Leah and Hayley keeping her eyes off of Elijah. Rebekah placed more wood onto the bonfire as Leah helped not having anything better to do. "Curse on the first-born? What the blood hell is that supposed to mean?" Rebekah questions.

Niklaus answers, "Well, according to Finn, our sister Freya didn't die of plague. She was taken as payment by our aunt Dahlia, who then cursed all Mikealson first-borns for eternity."

Hayley asks, concerned, "Is any of this true?" 

Elijah speaks up, "It is if we are to believe Finn, who learned it from the bastion of truth–our mother."

"Well, no wonder Finn hates us. He lost the sister he adored, and instead got a judgy pack of siblings who found him unbearably dull." Rebekah comments.

Hayley crosses her arms, sarcastically saying, "Great. So, is there any chance of us running into your loony aunt Dahlia anytime soon?"

"The fable's over a thousand years old. Dahlia is long dead."

"Like Esther?" The werewolf and shifter both brought up.

The hybrid jumps in, "No one's going to hurt Hope or Salem, because no one's going to find them." Pausing for a moment, he says after a beat, "That's enough wood, Rebekah. You'll burn down the whole bloody state of Arkansas."

Rubbing her hands together, excitedly, she smirks, "Well, we're just missing a key ingredient!"

"No we're not," Klaus says right after her.

"Yes, we are, Nik!" She yells. "Back me up, Elijah!" She turns to her older brother with huge puppy dog eyes.

Elijah laughs out, "I suspect Niklaus would rather choke on the ashes."

"What are you all talking about?" Hayley can't help but to ask, confused at what's going on.

Rebekah happily explains, "Well, before we light it, we write down our wishes for each other to burn for luck. It was Kol's favorite parent when we were kids!" She looked ready to bounce up and down.

"It's further evidence as to why we should ignore it." Klaus states, flatly.

Hayley places her hands on her hips, thinking it over, "Hope and the twins' first bonfire season. I like it." Turning to Rosalice. "You like it too?" Rosalice slowly nods, not one to pass up on tradition. "We're doing it." With that Hayley rushes inside for paper leaving a pleased Rebekah, smugly smiling at her brothers.

[Time Skip]

Burning her wish, as the bonfire roars with fire. Rosalice wished for one thing and one thing only: for her twins to be filled with security and unconditional love. Standing closer to the wolves than vampires, Rebekah rushes outside lifting up a polaroid camera, "Hey! Look what I found!" The two boys groan at the sight of it. "I wonder if it'll work?"

"Oh bloody hell," Klaus turns away, placing his hands on hips.

Rebekah rushes over, handing the camera to her brother, "Come on, let's try it! Hey, Nik do you think you can cram us all into a selfie?"

Elijah smirks, "Oh, Niklaus is a virtuoso at cramming his siblings into confined spaces."

"Well, I'm just glad I traveled hundreds of miles to visit my mentally ill brother, only to have him insult me to my face!" Niklaus glares at his older brother.

Rosalice stands besides Hayley, placing Salem at her hip. "Would you rather he said it behind your back like how you dagger him?" She smirks to herself.

Klaus in turn glares at the hybrid, clicking his mouth, "And his little hybrid dares to insult my actions." He then says, "It was the front I stabbed."

Rebekah interrupts the bickering, "Oh, come on, just take the picture."

Klaus sighs but holds up the camera with everyone squeezing in all smiling excluding Klaus who remains blank-faced. A bright flash overcame them and whirring stirred up as the polaroid photo was pushed out, slowly developing. "Awe, see? I wish that it could always be like this." Rebekah says with a soft smile.

Elijah stares over Klaus' shoulder, murmuring, "If wishes were horses..."

Niklaus sighs ruefully, finishing the quote, "Beggars would ride." Klaus turns to his family. "You realize we'll have to burn it." Everyone's soft happy expression all turned sour or blank, understanding the situation at hand. "You want me to make a wish for the family, Rebeakh? I wish it didn't have to be like this. But, it does." Turning to the mother of his child, to his brother and his mate, "We can't risk it falling into the wrong hands."

Hayley grabs a hold of the photo, looking at Rosalice who in turn stares at it taking in everything that was there. Seeing the reluctant look in Hayley's eyes, Rosalice grabs a hold of it moving towards the bonfire. Dropping the photo into the fire watching as it engulfed and be eaten in the insatiable flames. A distant look appeared in her eyes.

"No!" Rebekah expresses. "This isn't right. We deserve this. We've earned this." Looking at the four individually. "I won't let it slip away. I know what to do to stop Esther."

Tensely Elijah says, "Rebekah, no."

"I'm going to take her deal. And, when I do, I'm taking her down with me." She says loudly, looking at her hybrid brother filled with pride.

[Time Skip]

Having the twins watching Barbie Life in the Dreamhouse. Rosalice joined the three Mikealson in their conversation, leaning against the wall beside a window occasionally glancing towards outside watching as Hayley fed Hope and talked with Leah.

Rebekah hopefully continued with her idea, "It'll work. She will be distracted during the spell. She'll be vulnerable."

Klaus shakes his head, disagreeing, "No. If we kill her, she body-jumps."

Thinking through it Rosalice carefully constructed a plan, learning very small amounts of Esther, knowing that she body-jumps every chance she gets. This was no different. "Then stop her from jumping!"

"If I knew how to bloody stop her from jumping, don't you think I would have happily murdered her ages ago?"

"Well, ages ago, you didn't have a Harvest girl or a Mikealson witch. Kol knows all of her tricks."

Their voices became mush, Rosalice knew a little about witches as well, they hated vampires and werewolves saw them as abominations that should have never been created. They value the order of things. They value their magic. Once becoming such one abomination of a creature their magic was stripped from them. "Now, you're both insane." Elijah scoffs.

"Hardly, Elijah." Rebekah shoots back. "It was your idea! You're the one who said she needed a win, and if we get this right, then she'll have one."

Elijah becomes visibly stressed, looking towards Rosalice who paid no mind to anyone in the room. "And we get it wrong, you're no longer in your own body." He points out, harshly.

She waves her arms, "Would that be the worst thing? You were ready to do it yourself."

Klaus looks at his brother with hidden surprise and concern hearing this news. "It was a foolish moment, and the one that you sagely dissuaded me from."

Rosalice speaks up, "Okay, hear me out." All eyes now on her. "You listen to Rebekah, let her do this body-jump." Rebekah gave Rosalice a soft look, nodding along. "All whilst entrapping your mother with something she's been trying to kill for ages: vampirism?" Klaus raises an eyebrow at the sound of this. "Boom! No more magic. She's left with the choice of vampirism or to fully die without her magic."

Rosalice smirks, proud of herself. "Hush, the adults are speaking." Her smirk drops as she gives Klaus a harsh glare.

Says' the one with fucking daddy issues. Rosalice said in his and everyone else's mind, growing a bit irritable.

Rebekah hops in, "Hopefully, we'll get lucky and stop the spell before I jump."

"And, if we're not, you'll get what you always wanted." The original female nervously gulped. "I mean, that's what you're saying, isn't it? You're willing to lose."

"I'm willing to risk losing, yes." Rebekah nods.

Sighing the original, "Well, we need to find someone for her to jump into. Someone anonymous. Someone who could disappear with Hope, Rosalice and the twins."

Elijah shakes his head, "Rebekah, we've been together for centuries. If you were human–"

Rebeakh rolls her eyes, "When I'm old and wrinkly, you can dump me back into my old body. Nik already has a coffin he can store me in."

Elijah crosses his arms, "But to trust Kol?"

Rosalice says, "You can always find a loophole." His eyes landed on her. "Find what he wants in return and use that as leverage."

Klaus growls, "I was thinking that." Dialing a phone number.

Rosalice smirks, "I know that's why I said it."

[Time Skip]

Leaning on the doorway, staring at a very distant man that she reads. "We need to talk." Elijah turns to her with a watchful gaze, raising an eyebrow, the two having yet to talk since the previous night. "About where you go when that happens."

Elijah tears his eyes away from her, "We should put Sage and Salem to bed." He states.

Stopping him before he could take a single step, Rosalice informs, "I put them to bed already." Her eyes followed, trailing right after him. "Which you heard." Taking a step towards him. "Show me... show me everything about you and I'll do the same." She says, trying to comfort him through it all. "I'll open to you if you open to me. I'll break my walls and let you see the things I did to our kind." Taking steps after steps. "Allow me to see everything that you keep secret and I won't judge."