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26、21. The Ball Esthe ...
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Esther: There is a way for me to undo the evil I created.
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跟Damon告别后，Stefan前往Lockwood地下石洞，却发现Bonnie和Abby都昏倒在一边，第四口棺材大敞开，而里面已经什么都没有了。
Angel宅。
没有了Klaus这个电灯泡，Damon跟Angel尽情在家厮磨了几日。
可是这天敲门声到底还是响了起来，Damon被Angel踹下了床，不情不愿的去应门。
门外并没有人，只有一个信封，用花体字写着Angel & Damon，后面还盖有印戳。
Damon打开一看，里面是一张请柬。
Please join the MIKAELSON FAMILY this evening at seven o’clock, for dancing, cocktails & celebration.
Gilbert宅。
Elena也收到了同样的请柬，只是背后用同样的花体字写着：
Elena,
I think it’s time we finally meet.
Esther.
Klaus宅。
偌大的厅堂被脖子上搭着软尺的裁缝、捧着绣垫的女仆、各种衣服架子和成排的手工皮鞋挤得满满的。
小帅哥Kol衣冠楚楚的站在穿衣镜前，洋洋得意的说: “Rebekah, tell me how handsome I am.”
沙发上Rebekah正在画指甲，闻言不屑的说: “Oh Kol,you know I can’t be compelled. And besides, I already met the most handsome man on the planet.”
Kol翻了个白眼，正想恶毒的喷回去，Klaus撞开门闯了进来，冲到Rebekah面前质问: “You went after Elena. What is wrong with you”
Damon跟Elijah的deal无法包括Elena，这几天Rebekah没少惊吓可怜的二重身。
Rebekah不耐的看着Klaus: “Here we go.”
Klaus: “Do you want another dagger in your heart”
Kol不屑的插话: “Again with the dagger threats Don’t you have any other tricks”
Klaus回头喷Kol: “Oh go back to staring at yourself.”
Kol: “And who are you, my father”
Klaus: “No, Kol, but you’re in my house…”
Kol毫不给面子的打断了他: “Then perhaps we should go outside.”
兄弟两人面对面站着，彼此较劲，直到Esther从另一边走过来，高声打断两人。
Esther: “Enough! Nicklaus, come.”
Klaus跟着Esther走进旁边的房间，迫不及待的告状: “Rebekah just tried to ruin my life. And did you say the way Kol speak to me… what happened to peace, acceptance, family”
Esther转过身，像每一个母亲一样语重心长的说: “You put daggers in their hearts. You want them to go down on their knees and kiss your feet for reuniting them”
Klaus: “So it’s a crime to want our family to be as we were”
Esther: “You need to give it time, Nicklaus. I’ve had a thousand years on the other side to be angry and to heal. I’m here to make sure this family does the same.”
Klaus看着自己的母亲，眼里有着自己都不知道的渴慕: “I just don’t understand. I killed you, and still you forgive me.”
Esther走近几步，直视着他的眼睛: “It’s been my dream for a thousand years that this family could be as one. Forgiveness is not a chore. It’s a gift.”随后她笑了，像所有母亲面对长大成人的男孩一样微笑着问, “Now, who are you bringing to the ball this evening”
想起那个小美人，Klaus低头笑了，却还是嘴硬的说: “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re lucky I’m even going.”
Esther: “Well, I wish you would reconsider. It’s going to be a magical evening.”意味深长。
Forbes宅。
Caroline又听了一遍Tyler的留言。
楼下门铃声响，Caroline打开门，门口放着一个礼盒，上面有一个白色的信封。
里面是同样的请柬，只不过她的背面，Klaus十分独特的字体写着：Save me a dance. Fondly, Klaus.
Caroline翻了个白眼: “Seriously”
她把请柬丢到一旁，垂下眼看了一眼系着缎带的大礼盒，抿了抿唇，又低头看了一眼。
最后还是抵挡不住好奇心，小心地打开了盒子。
礼盒里静静的躺着一件蓝色的华丽礼服，蚕丝外纱轻柔飘逸，腰部的碎钻与珍珠装饰结成古典雅致的图案。简直是每个小女孩心中的梦。
Caroline惊讶的微微长大了嘴，最后一个激灵，猛地又盖上了盒盖。
Salvatore宅。
“You sure you want to meet her”
“There is a reason why Bonnie opened that coffin.”
Angel宅。
“You sure you want to do this”
“Yes.”
始祖晚会，即将开始。
Klaus宅。
Klaus精心打造的豪华大宅装饰一新，男女宾客都盛装出席，穿着白衬衣的侍者送上香槟，马蹄形的楼梯下，古典乐队正在用提琴拉一首欢快的曲子。
Caroline把自己的衣橱翻了个遍，但跟Klaus送的华丽礼服一比哪一件都弱爆了，她烦躁的关上衣橱，深吸一口气，毅然决然的走向了礼盒。
Elena穿着黑色晚礼服，挽着Stefan到场。
Klaus正在跟一个美女聊天，眼光一转，就看到了门口迟疑的Caroline。
Caroline对上了Klaus的视线，走了过来。
Klaus微笑着说: “Good evening.”
Caroline: “I need a drink.”
Angel也与Damon一起入场。Esther的请柬当天才发出，时间比较紧，Angel从衣橱里翻出一套Dunhill的燕尾服就来了，但是正装出场前礼服居然没有最后量体校对一遍让他心里十分不自在，同时在心里计划什么时候从Savile Row拐回一个裁缝来。
Damon知道他在吐槽什么: “Oh please,you’re a vampire. Your body shape will never change.”
Angel: “That’s from your experience”
Damon: “Nah, observation from our bill for dessert.” Angel狠狠掐了他一把。
模特吹毛求疵的职业病先放在一边，Angel一进门Kol就眼前一亮，Rebekah看他眼睛都直了，得意的说: “Did I lie”
Kol喃喃道: “You are absolutely right. He is prefect…”
Rebekah优雅的耸肩: “Too bad. He’s spoken for. That’s Damon Salvatore, his date. And by date I mean…”
Kol打断了她: “Doesn’t stand out, doesn’t exist.”
可还不等他上前搭讪，Elijah示意要祝词了，Kol只能先走开。
同样被打扰的还有告诉Elena只能一个人去见Esther的Finn。
Elijah扬声说: “If everyone can gather please…”始祖家庭齐齐亮相，他们站在楼梯台阶上俯视客厅里的客人们，Elijah举起手中的香槟，致辞道, “Welcome. Thank you for joining us. You know, whenever my mother brings our family together like this, it’s tradition for us to commence the evening with a dance. Tonight’s pick is a centuries-old waltz. So if all of you could please find yourselves a partner, please join us in the ballroom.”
华尔兹开场，第一部分。
Damon & Angel
Klaus & Caroline
Matt & Rebekah
Stefan & Elena
一对对男女手牵着手开场，可想而知混在其中的两个男子多么显眼。不过Angel女步也跳得相当好，前进、后退、左旋、右旋都非常流畅自然。虽然没有女士们华丽的裙摆，但两人默契非常，每一个节拍间相视一笑，柔情蜜意的简直要闪瞎人眼。
除了丢给秀恩爱的两人几个白眼之外，Klaus几乎不错眼的看着自己的小舞伴。
Klaus: “I’m glad you came.”
Caroline: “Well, it was either caviar or sympathy casseroles.”
Klaus得意的说: “How ravishing you look in that dress.”
Caroline避开他的视线: “I didn’t really have time to shop.”
Klaus看看她的手腕: “And the bracelet I gave you, what’s your excuse for wearing that”看到Caroline无言以对，他又体贴的换了个话题, “You’re quite the dancer.”
Caroline: “Well, I’ve had training. I happen to be Miss Mystic Falls.”
Klaus低声说: “I know.”
最后三个旋转，换人。
华尔兹开场，第二部分。
Klaus & Angel
Matt & Caroline
Stefan & Rebekah
Damon & Elena
Damon递给Klaus一个仇恨的眼神，示意他把手从Angel身上拿开点，这才转过头来看着Elena。
Damon礼貌的微笑: “You look lovely tonight, Elena.”
Elena看着Damon: “Thank you.”看Damon没有交谈的意思她只能继续找话题, “This is our second dance, remember”
自从从自己弟弟那里听到一点Elena的小心思，Damon就不是很自在，此时就在心里不停地打小人：哥是有夫之夫了，注意点！
当然，面上还是礼貌的微笑着说: “Of course. And I remember that’s a fill in for Stefan.”
Elena: “…”
而Matt和Caroline之间的气氛就没有那么僵硬了。
Caroline质问Matt: “Why are you here with the she devil”
Matt: “She came to me with an invitation. What was I supposed to say, no And why the hell are you here with Klaus”
Caroline: “Don’t even get me started.”
互相质问完，两个老朋友又开始有说有笑起来，这让一直盯着的Rebekah十分不满。
Stefan无奈的说: “Don’t stare.”
Rebekah酸酸地说: “Of course she looks beautiful. Nic gave her everything she’s wearing.”
Stefan: “Well,you’re not so bad yourself.”
Rebekah终于把视线放到了Stefan身上: “Was that supposed to be a compliment”
Stefan: “You tried to hurt Elena last night. You don’t get compliment.”
Rebekah毫不在意的扬起下巴，高傲地说: “Caveman.”
跳舞的换成了Klaus和Angel，两人并不慌乱，Klaus典雅，Angel随意，搭配起来也不错。
Klaus挑衅的看了Damon一眼，故意把手放在Angel腰上。Angel感到Damon的视线顿时尖锐了起来，刚想闪开一点，Klaus立刻说: “I’m still mad.”
Angel: “For what You’re gonna face them anyway. Don’t think too much.”
Klaus不爽的哼哼两声，Angel扫视一圈，确认女巫始祖不在场，这才轻声说: “Is you and your mother worked the issue out”
Klaus骄傲地说: “Of course. She holds this ball to symbol us as family again.”
Angel: “En…”
Klaus敏感的问: “What”
Angel用嘴型说: “She wants to meet Elena.”
Klaus闭上了眼睛。
混血始祖的那个表情让Angel有些不忍，只能劝道: “That doesn’t mean…”
Klaus打断了他: “I believe I can count on you to have a plan for that.”
Angel: “Not my plan, someone volunteered.”
乐曲最后一小节，两人快速旋转，双手一触即分，各自后退一步，躬身。
舞曲结束。
聚会就是各种搭讪与被搭讪。
刚跳完舞Angel就被Damon拖走，Kol与Rebekah站在一边说话。
Rebekah嘲笑Kol搭讪不到Angel，Kol不爽的嘲笑Rebekah的Date在跟Klaus的Date调情。Rebekah不甘示弱，说自己请Matt来是要杀了他。Kol兴致勃勃的加入。
另一边，坚决要去见Esther的Elena在走廊里被Elijah拦住了。
Elijah: “I understand my mother requested to see you.”
Elena: “Yeah. Why Is something wrong”
Elijah: “Well, her ability to forgive my brother after everything he’s done to destroy this family strikes me as a little strange to say the least.”
Elena: “Do you think that it’s an act”
Elijah低声说: “It has me asking questions I never thought I’d ask. Can I depend on you to tell me what she says”
Elena想了想，还是回答说: “Of course.”
可惜Elena不会知道了，刚拐过一个拐角，她就被Angel捂住了嘴拖进了一个房间。
房间里，还有另一个卷发女子。
后院。
不知道始祖家庭哪一位的“复古”情节，在后院弄了一辆四轮马车，两匹高头大马温驯的挽着缰绳站着。
Caroline喜爱的看着它们，Klaus从她身后缓缓走来。
Klaus: “You like horses”
Caroline微微一怔，随即反应了过来: “I’m not talking to you until you tell me whyyou invited me here.”
Klaus毫不犹豫的说: “I fancyyou. Is that so hard to believe”
他的微笑简直冒犯了Caroline，她生气的说: “Yes.”
Klaus: “Why You’re beautiful. You’re strong. You’re full of light. I enjoyyou.”
Caroline: “Well, I’m spoken for.”
Klaus: “I thought you two ended things.”
Angel你出卖我！Caroline在心里磨牙: “Yeah, because of you and your freaky sire bond with him.”
Klaus的笑容有一点得意: “So you aren’t spoken for.”
Caroline白了他一眼，转过头去不看他。
Klaus看着马，给Caroline讲: “My father hunted me for a thousand years and the closet he ever came was the day he killed my favourite horse… he severed its neck with a sword as a warning.”
他哀戚的表情让Caroline不由转过头来: “Did you ever consider sitting down with your father and talking it out”
Klaus: “I’m afraid my relationship with my father was a little more complex than yours.”
Caroline耸耸肩: “Maybe so. But I leave him no regrets. To answer your early question yes, I like horses, but I also like people, and they actually like me. So I’ll be inside.”
Caroline转身走了，Klaus默默望着她的背影。
Ether的房间。
敲门声响起，Esther点燃草药，抬手挥起一缕青烟: “That’ll be the girl.”
站在门口的Finn打开门，对 Elena说: “You’re alone, wise choice.”
Elena疑惑的看着Esther手中的草药。
Esther: “It’s only sage. I’ve spelled it so we can speak freely without fear of being overheard. That will be all, Finn. Thank you.”
Finn礼貌的欠身，走出去关上了门。
Esther说: “You must have a million questions for me, Elena. Please.”
Elena顺着她指的方向坐到了沙发上。Esther坐到了沙发另一边。
Elena疑惑的问: “How are you alive Are you a ghost or…”
Esther: “Not exactly. When I died, the witch Ayana preserved my body with a spell. She was a close friend of mine, an ancestor of your fiend Bonnie.”
Elena: “So that’s why only Bonnie and her mother could open up the casket.”
Esther似乎是想获得Elena的信任，直言不讳道: “They complete the Bennett bloodline. I drew power from them and their ancestors who were with me on the other side.”
Elena简直难以置信: “So you’ve been on the other side for a thousand years”
Esther: “Nature’s way of punishing me for turning my family into vampires. But there is a way for me to undo the evil I created.”
Elena背后的寒毛根根竖起，Esther的话让她不寒而栗: “You’re here to kill Klaus, aren’t you”
而Esther只是清浅的一挑眉: “One thing at a time, Elena. For now, I simply need your help.”她转身走到桌前点燃了蜡烛, “I understand Rebekah shared the story of my family. How I upset the balance of nature by turning my children into vampires.”
Elena站在她身后: “She said you did it to protect them from the werewolves.”
Esther将不知名的水倒进杯子里: “It’s true. But in no time at all, they began to feed on human blood. They ravaged the town with no remorse. Eventually Nicklaus turned against me.”
Elena: “How are you gonna kill him He’s immortal.”
Esther从黑绒布中拿出一只细长的匕首: “It will take time, magic, and your assistance.”
Elena: “What do I have to do with this”
Esther转过身看着她: “My children believe I’m holding this ball to celebrate our reunion. But in truth I’ve gathered them together to perform a ritual. The first step requires blood from a doppelganger.” Elena惊得后退一步，Esther说, “Only a drop. Its essence will be in the champagne toast later on this evening.”
她转身拿起那只匕首，看着Elena: “Will you do it, or should I”
Elena看着面容平静的Esther和她手中漆黑的匕首，慌乱的后退几步，飞快的说: “I don’t want to do this…”然后推开房门跑了出去。
Katherine这个时候是真的吓坏了，始祖女巫竟然等了一千年来杀死自己的孩子，她的冷静更让Katherine看清她的决心。
她必须尽快离开这里，每一个人都有可能发现她是假的！
Katherine提起裙摆奔跑着，刚一转弯就撞上了一个人。
那个人穿着传统的三件套礼服，白色的背心与黑色的领结系的一丝不苟，正微微诧异的低头看着她。
Elijah: “Elena”
这太突然了，Katherine呆呆的看着他。
Elijah有些疑惑Elena的反常，随即眼神一变，身体都忍不住绷紧了。
这时Angel打开门，将两个人一同拉进了旁边的房间。
Katherine抓住Angel想说什么，Angel快步走过去打开窗户，低声说: “Text me later. Go now!”
Katherine一点头，回头看了Elijah一眼，闪身走了。
Angel关好窗，回头看Elijah，他还保持着同样的姿势，沉浸在刚才Katherine的最后一个眼神里。
Klaus的房间。
Caroline: “What do you want to show me”
Klaus将她领进一个房间，红砖砌出的高挑拱顶下，四壁都悬挂着一幅幅油画，都是大师之作。
“Impressive.” Klaus得意的神情让Caroline忍不住损他两句, “I take the curators at the Louvre aren’t on vervain”
Klaus笑了: “Yeah, well, that’s their mistake.”
Caroline翻了个白眼，低头一看，宽大的工作台上堆满了纸张，随手拿起一张，是一副素描，而画里的人物竟然是Angel。
画里的Angel站在窗前望着远方，这幅素描不仅画的极像，而且笔触圆润，将Angel沉静的面容和眼中淡淡的忧思勾勒的十分到位。
Caroline难以置信: “Did you do this”
Angel适合做模特，因为只要稍加打扮，他可以呈现出各种气质，而这张素描里他显得格外安详圣洁，也无怪Caroline惊讶了——能画出天使的人，怎么会是恶魔呢？
Klaus答道: “Yeah. This is a passion of my.”见Caroline又拿起一张风景画，便问道, “Have you been”
Caroline: “I’ve never really been anywhere.”
Klaus毫不迟疑地说: “I’ll take you, wherever you want.”他看着Caroline的反应猜她喜欢的地方， “Rome. Paris… Tokyo”
Caroline看他一眼，忍不住笑了，Klaus也笑起来。Caroline却说: “It must be very nice to just snap your finger and get whatever you want.”不等Klaus答话她又说, “Is that whyyou collect hybrids A private army to take your places, bring you things”
Klaus脸色一沉: “You are making assumptions.”
Caroline指责Klaus: “Then why do you need Tyler Stop controlling him. Give him his life back.”
Klaus: “You know, this has been a fun evening, but I think it’s time for you to leave.”
Caroline毫不畏惧的看着他的眼睛: “I get it. Your father didn’t love you, so you assume that no one else will either. And that’s whyyou compel people, or you sire them or you try to buy them off,”她愤怒的扯下手上Klaus送的手链，扔到了桌子上， “But that’s not how it works. You don’t connect with people, because you don’t even try to understand them.”
Caroline转身就走，Klaus张了张嘴，最后还是看着她离开。
一楼大厅。
Kol寻不到Angel反而被Damon奚落了一顿，不爽的很，将Rebekah拉到一边说要发泄一下。Rebekah同意将Matt引到外面。
Rebekah找到Matt，说要到院子里透透气，Matt不疑有他，只是说: “It’s freezing. Let me get my coat.”
Rebekah四下寻找Kol的身影，一转眼，两人已走到Matt的破卡车前，Rebekah睁大了眼睛说: “This is your car”
Matt毫不在意她的语气，从车里拿出一件自己的运动外套，笑着说: “Yep. If I could compel myself a Maserati, I would. But I can’t.”边说着，边给Rebekah披上。
Rebekah: “Oh, I’m a vampire. We don’t… Thanks.”
廉价的红外套当然配不上Rebekah华丽的晚礼服，她却始终没有脱下来。
二楼一个房间。
Elijah也不说话，只是静静的看着Angel。
Angel收起手机，耸了耸肩说: “She’s home, safe.”
Elijah不答话，仍旧看着Angel。
你个拽造型的千年老怨夫，Angel心里调侃一句也就算了，他对Elijah还是很钦佩的。
Angel正想解释，Klaus推门而入。
Klaus: “Any information.”
看你那张臭脸，“What Didn’t get any luck with Caroline”看Klaus要炸毛，Angel才收敛了嘲笑的语气, “Or with your mother.”
二楼另一个房间。
Damon领着Stefan来到Elena被打晕的房间。
Stefan焦急的将她唤醒，同时生气的问Damon: “Who did this!”
Damon东张西望一圈: “Uh…”
Elena揉着纤白的脖颈，低声说: “It’s Katherine…”
她怎么还在这里？Stefan一愣，又看向Damon，见他表情毫不意外，就知道一定是Angel安排的。
对Angel，Stefan的感觉真是太复杂了。
作为一个观念传统的老派绅士，他对Angel的“生活习惯”不那么接受；作为一个自我厌弃的吸血鬼，他痛恨Angel这种极度香甜的存在；作为一个完全客观的人，他对Angel这样杰出的人物充满好感；作为Damon的弟弟，他对Angel感到十分的感激并由衷的恭喜两人。
Stefan比Damon还精明得多，他早就看出Angel思虑周全，手腕绝对在一众吸血鬼之上，因此一听到Angel竟然跟Katherine联手心里就是一沉。
Katherine狠，Angel绝，这两个人凑到一起还有什么摆不平的？
Stefan一着急，阴阳怪气的说: “How great Angel is! Now even Katherine is his puppet.”
Stefan就是脑子短路了，敢当着Damon的面说Angel坏话？
Damon一下就急了，抓着Stefan的领子把他提起来，大声说: “You think he want to be in the middle! You think he enjoy play this game with all of you! No!!! He already had a life with all the skimming and manipulation. He already had it enough! He doesn’t want any of this but he has to!” Damon近距离看着Stefan黑色的眼珠，一字一顿的说, “He has to because you are in the middle. That means I am in the middle. You are my liability. All he ever wants is to be with me. He can just ask me to go with him, far away. All he has to do is ask and I will, leave with him. We can have our life, together, wherever he wants. But he didn’t. And he will never do. That’s who he is. You have no idea how much you own him.”
Damon话音刚落，房间门被推开了，门外正站着Klaus，Elijah和Angel，稍远的扶栏边还有Rebekah，Kol，Caroline，Matt和Finn。
Damon也不管他们，只是手一松把Stefan放开了。除了Elena和Matt，其余的吸血鬼对Damon那一番话听得可是一清二楚，此时都有些无言。
唯一能对这个状况做出反应的Angel快步上前，走到Damon身边，先对Stefan礼貌的微笑: “Please ignore everything he said. That’s just Damon’s balderdash. Except for one thing…”
他转过脸看着Damon，抬手抚摸他略显瘦削的下颌，手指竟有微微的颤抖。
Angel低声说: “All I ever want, is to be with you.”声音里竟然有一丝克制不住的哽咽。
我何其幸运，我的爱人，竟然如此的懂我。
淡淡的水汽弥漫的那双海蓝色的眼睛里，在水晶灯下如群星璀璨闪烁。Damon爱怜的握住Angel的手，露出一个浅淡笑容，虽然浅，可他脸上的每一条纹路，都写满了温柔。
Angel微微抬起脸，吻上Damon的唇。浅浅的一吻后，轻声对他说: “I love you…”
Damon笑容扩大了几分，只不过他可没有Angel那么恶劣，只是温柔回应道: “I love you too.”
两人视线纠缠的难分难舍，Angel吐出一句 “I can’t wait…”抓住Damon的衣领一闪身没影了。
只留下房间内外各怀心思的一群人和吸血鬼，面面相觑。
