Blood Will Tell (The Vampire Diaries 4.5)



© Ljane Smith (L. J. Smith)

This is a fantasy of a fantasy. The idea is : what might have happened at the end of Dark Reunion if Stefan had been persuaded to drink the blood of his three friends in order to be more powerful when he fought that night.

It might have happened something like this...

Please note that the text from the actual book, Dark Reunion, is paraphrased and condensed.

Rating: for mature people who enjoy vampire tales.

Bonnie

Stefan picked up the branch of white ash, took the knife out of his

pocket, and began to strip the smaller branches off, making it into a

spear. “Terrific! The knight is going off to combat,” Matt said. “Don’t you

see that you’re walking right into that monster’s trap?” He took a step

toward Stefan. “Right. You’re the vampire, but you don’t drink human

blood, so you’re almost as weak as a human . . .”

Stefan gave him a bleak smile. “You think so? Are you sure?”

“Well, I know that there are three of us and only one of you—”

“Stop it, Matt,” Meredith said quietly. “We can’t stop him from fighting this murderer.

All we can do is help him.” And without another word, she began unbuttoning the top button of her shirt.

Bonnie was shocked for an instant—although she’d had the same idea when Stefan had first arrived in Fell’s Church. She hadn’t been thinking of all three of them . . . but what did it matter? She nodded and unzipped her windbreaker.

Matt hesitated a moment and then took off his Tshirt. “All for one; one for all,” he said.

Stefan

That was how it had started. The three of them so determined, united, against him.

Insistent that he break his vow and take human blood. And Stefan had been walking out on it, despite the knowledge that it would help him to kill the monster preying on Fell’s Church, despite the danger to all of them if he failed. He had actually walked out the door when something else had sparked in his brain.

“Wait,” Bonnie had said authoritatively. “Can’t you feel it? It’s Elena. She wants you to do this. Can’t you tell?”

Stefan had looked at her blankly. If this was some new way of manipulating him. . . .

But Bonnie had been serious, her small head tilted as if listening to faraway music; her expression almost beatific.

And then he had felt it too. Like a benison from the heavens, a whisper from his goldenhaired angel. Do it, Stefan. Let them make their sacrifice for Fell’s Church, let them give what they can. As you are. It will be to their credit afterward, even if they don’t survive. As for breaking your vow; well, let the condemnation for that be weighed against the merit you’ve gained by staying to protect these humans who—many of them—hate and fear you. Beloved, you are very brave, but sometimes a little too stubborn to be practical.

Voices from beyond? But that was Elena; that was the way she spoke, and that was the way he felt when she spoke. The next words were not just for him, and something inside him watched Matt and Meredith as they heard the voice too, Matt astonished; Meredith with her usual composure.

This is our reunion and I give you to each other. I give my friends to you, Stefan, so that you can fight with all your combined strength. And to you, my friends, I give Stefan . . . who may be able to keep you alive. Take each other. . . and trust.

And then trust. Aye, there was the rub. How to trust even the beneficence of heaven after what that monsterinhumanform had done to this innocent little town.

But when Elena commanded, he listened. When Elena spoke, even from the afterlife, he obeyed. He’d promised her that in his heart, long ago.