Try {One | Alaric Saltzman}

Break On Through

The hospital lights illuminated Abigail's fears, they always had. They were an omen. And now they were pointing right at Alaric.

As a technician slid him into the MRI machine, she turned to Meredith. "What are you looking for?"

"I don't know. A tumor, vascular anomalies, anything physical that might explain his behavior." Meredith looked through the sheet of glass separating them. "If it's medical, I can treat it."

"And if it's not?"

"Then I will help you deal with that too. I don't like to see someone hurt by something they have no control over."

Elena looked up from the monitors. "When did you suspect him? That it was Alaric who was killing all of those people?"

"It was after he told me about his ring. I remembered a story my grandmother had told me about Samantha Gilbert and her secret journal." She held back a laugh. "I don't know if you know this, but we Fells are notorious busy-bodies."

Faintly, Abigail heard him say her name. It was only one time, but it was breathlessly and laced with fear. So, she reached for the microphone. "Everything okay in there, Ric?"

"Yeah, Bea." He took a calming breath. "Yeah, everything's okay."

It was good news, and it wasn't, he could tell. Especially by the way Abigail walked toward him.

"Meredith says that everything is normal."

"Yeah, well, everything is normal because there is nothing wrong with me. I didn't kill Brian Walters, I didn't kill Bill Forbes, and I sure as hell didn't shove a hunting knife into my stomach." Alaric looked down at the ring, the only thing he hadn't picked back up. "Or I did, and I've gone insane, just like your ancestor who wore that ring."

"I'm gonna call Bonnie." Elena already had her phone to her ear as she backed into the hallway. "The rings were made by a Bennett witch so maybe a witch can reverse the damage."

"Take it." He pushed the ring toward Abigail, avoiding her gaze. "I don't want it anymore."

"Ric, look at me."

"You ready to ditch this House of Horrors?" Damon floated into the room, stopping in his tracks as he took in Alaric's disheveled appearance. "Oof, you look terrible."

"Yeah, let me..." He ran a hand down his face. "Let me check outta here."

"Samantha was the first Gilbert I ever killed, not that she stayed dead," Damon announced. "You actually kinda look like her. Don't know how I never noticed that."

"Can you just, please..." Picking up the ring, she took a shaky breath. "Please, think about him? About how to help him?"

"Ah, don't worry about him." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Take him out for chicken soup, get him a martini, make sure he doesn't kill anybody."

The Wickery Bridge Restoration Project was close to completion, so the final fundraiser was taking place at the construction site. When they arrived, straight from the hospital, there were only a handful of townspeople there, most of whom were only staying long enough to be noted as an attendee. And, of course, there were the ones hovering around the mayor, including Rebekah.

"Rebekah's up to something." Suspicion was heavy in Damon's voice, but she didn't give in to it. "She's been snooping around in places she shouldn't be."

Alaric bowed his head. "Tell me again, why are we here?"

"Ric, the world can't stop just because you're an accidental psycho killer."