(Mystic Falls H.S. Girls bathroom)
"You didn't." Bonnie sighed.
"Yeah, I did." Caroline snapped,
"Why?" Bonnie frowned.
"They were up at the lake-house. Together." She emphasized.
"They were helping me with Jeremy," she frowned. "Nothing happened, he didn't even kiss her when she held the mistletoe over his head."
"What!" Shaking her head, she continued, "I don't even want to know! They weren't supposed to be together!" She growled, "Damon was supposed to have unsired her!"
"He set her free & sent her home. That's why we came back home." Bonnie confirmed softly. "Why did you tell Stefan?" she sighed.
Caroline frowned, "He wanted to know, how together they were," her eyes darted to Bonnie's. "He begged me. I didn't have to say anything, he knew."
"But, you promised, Caroline," she scolded.
"Stefan is my friend!" she snapped back. You don't lie to friends!"
"But, Elena's our friend," Bonnie retorted, "she has been longer than Stefan!"
"She didn't tell him. He asked. I couldn't lie!" she snapped.
"It wasn't your place," Bonnie frowned. "How'd he take it?"
"He was pretty pissed off! It's all Damon's fault, he made her have..."
Bonnie interrupted her, "Damon is a lot if things, but he wouldn't have.." peering at Caroline, "did he make you?"
"No," she confirmed, much to Bonnie's relief.
"Then, Elena has fallen in love with him."
Caroline looked at her, "She's sired. She belongs with Stefan."
Bonnie shook her head, "we don't know that," Looking at Caroline she continued, "Her feelings for Damon, have been culminating for a while now," she sighed, "and when she turned...well, you of all people knows what happens. That's why you hate Damon so much!"
A disappointed expression covered Caroline's face.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Elena was in her own bedroom at the Gilbert house. She stood in front of her mirror looking at her reflection. She had taken the pictures of her and Stefan down, that now sat in a pile on her dresser. The only pictures around the mirror were those of her parents, Aunt Jenna & her with Jeremy.
Pulling Damon's shirt, which she had put on, up to her nose, she breathed in his essence. Feelings for Damon came flooding in, as a tear crept out of her eye. Up at the lake house, he had told her she had to go home. He'd be staying with Jeremy. To help him complete the mark, teach him how to hunt. He promised he'd protect him & kill vampires. All, without her being there. He told her he was setting her free.
Physically, she had complied, by leaving. Because, this is what he told her wanted. What would make him happy. But, she was so confused, so miserable. The days before he sent her away, she had been so happy. They had been so happy. Now, her mind & body made her stay away. Yet, her heart ached for him.
Looking at her alarm clock, she knew she only had a few minutes to get to school. Taking off his shirt, she held it against her face, again, breathing in his aroma, and kissed it softly. Then carefully, as a most treasured possession, she placed it on her pillow. Hastily, she put on the outfit she had selected the night before. She took one last look at her sad reflection & left for school.
Elena took a deep breath & tried to 'put on a happy face' before entering the school hallway where she found Bonnie waiting for her.
"Where's Caroline?" she asked.
"Elena, there's something you need to know." a concerned look covering her face.
"Is it Jeremy? Damon?" Elena questioned anxiously.
"No. It's not them, they're fine," she assured her, "it's Stefan."
"What about Stefan?" she inquired.
"Caroline..." she blurted out.
"Caroline what?" Elena knitted her eyebrows.
"Stefan knows everything about you & Damon." Bonnie informed her.
"What?" Elena asked. Her mind racing. This was not, how she wanted Stefan finding out how far her relationship with Damon had gone. "Is he here?"
"I haven't seen him...or Caroline." she lied.
"I don't care about Caroline!" Elena snapped, feeling her cheeks flush, as she walked away.
"Elena!" Bonnie called out, trying to stop her. But, Elena moved too quickly through the crowd.
Elena found herself outside in the quad, pacing back & forth. Intertwining her fingers, she placed the backs of them on her forehead. Her mind racing with what Stefan must be thinking. Her thoughts were interrupted, when she overheard her history teacher commence the lesson. She dashed back inside & into the classroom. "Sorry," she said apologetically, to the man who had taken Ric's position. Making her way to her seat, she made eye contact with Stefan. He glared at her. As she got closer to where he was sitting, he turned away. Nestling herself in the desk next to him. She looked to him, but, he stared straight ahead, ignoring her.
The day pretty much continued the same way. Whatever classes they had together, he ignored her, to the point that it was very uncomfortable. She didn't blame him, she knew he was hurt. But, at the same time, she was angry. Angry that Caroline had taken it upon herself, to tell him.
She ran into Caroline, after her last morning class. And, had it not been for Bonnie, they would've exchanged words in the middle of the quad. After their near argument, Elena watched Caroline stroll over to Stefan. It was obvious. Caroline & Stefan were now best friends. It was no longer, Elena, Bonnie & Caroline, BFFs 4-ever.
After all the animosity Bonnie had witnessed, that morning, she knew she had to take action. They had to talk things out. Craftily, she convinced each one, that she needed help finding information for Shane. She told each one to meet her at the school library after hours.
(Gilbert Lake house)
Damon sat at the dock, awaiting Matt's arrival. He knew the quarterback was coming directly after school.
He had convinced Matt to come up to the lake house, to help train Jeremy. Since he was a football player, he knew offensive & defensive moves used to protect & attack.
From the house, he could hear Jeremy rustling in his bedroom drawers, getting ready for today's lesson.
The house noise was broken by the approach of a new truck.
Damon, looked up to see it was Matt, as the truck rolled towards the house & stopped. Emerging from the truck, he reached into the truck bed & pulled out a duffle bag.
Damon got up to make his presence known to Matt, "New truck?"
"Hey..." Matt greeted, somewhat awkwardly, "Rebekah. A peace offering."
"And, you of course accepted," Damon snarled.
"Well, didn't have full insurance on my truck, which got totaled out."
The front door opened & Jeremy yelled up to Matt, "Hey, man!'
Damon watched their friendly exchange of handshakes.
Proceeding into the house, "You take the room next to Jeremy." he commanded, as they followed him into the house.
"Elena's room?" Matt questioned, "you're not using it?" looking surprised at the vampire.
"I don't really sleep, hence, I don't need a room." Damon replied as he started back out the door, "I'll wait outside. You get situated, so we can start this."
Damon went back to where he had been sitting. Looking out at the water, he remembered Elena sitting next to him. He recalled her telling him, that the last time she had been there, she had been completely in love with Stefan, which was now barely a memory. She had wanted to know if this was because of the sire bond, or because she was truly happy to be there with him. He could feel her touching his face and her eyes looking at his for some kind of answer. An answer he wasn't even sure of, himself. The witch in Atlanta, had said, Elena had been sired to him, because she had human feelings for him before she turned. But, those feelings now were so intense, Damon, wasn't sure, how much of it was real. He had always felt that he & Elena had something. But she had shot him down so many times, choosing his brother over him, that he really wasn't sure, anymore. He just didn't know what the depth of her feelings were, prior to her turning, because she always chose Stefan.
He was brought out of his reverie, when Jeremy & Matt came out of the house, pumped up & ready to start.
Damon got up & walked over to the spot they had chosen for Jeremy's training.
This first part of training was without any weapons. Matt would be teaching Jeremy how to handle his opponent.
While this was going on, Damon observed them, while keeping a watchful eye for any intruders. His phone rang. Seeing who the caller was, he reluctantly, answered the phone.
"Klaus," he said unenthusiastically.
"I understand you're teaching young Jeremy how to kill vampires."
"That is the plan," Damon responded.
Klaus snarled, "And just where were you planning on obtaining your victims, hmm?"
Not waiting for a response, he continued, "Not to worry, I will be helping you out in that department." Pausing briefly, he then sneered into the phone, "And Damon, I want this training & killing to be done as swiftly as possible, or I'll be taking over!"
Not given a chance to respond, Damon, scowled at the phone after Klaus hung up on him.
This is not what they needed. To have the Original involved, pushing them towards the cure at record speed. Damon, could not allow anything to happen to Jeremy by accelerating his training to actually start the killing. It would be too risky. But, Klaus, was a malevolent being, not to be reckoned with.
Damon would have to figure out how to thwart Klaus, and fast, while protecting Jeremy.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
(6:26pm)
Caroline, Stefan & Elena arrived at the library, under false pretense. As soon as they were all in, they were shocked to find themselves together. Suddenly, the doors slammed shut, locking them up with a holding spell Bonnie had cast.
Stefan heard Bonnie from outside the door chanting something he couldn't understand, "What the hell...Bonnie!" Stefan demanded.
Elena looked briefly at him, then, turned towards Caroline, giving her a daunting glare, "Some best friend, how could you tell Stefan!"
"Best friends don't lie!" Caroline snapped back.
Elena lashed back, "I really thought you had changed, from that insecure, jealous little bitch you were as a human! Guess I was wrong, but, at least now I know where our friendship lies."
Stefan kept yanking on the door handles, trying to open them & yelling at the top of his lungs to let him out.
Caroline & Elena argued angrily about friendship, lies, promises, what was right, what was wrong & Damon.
Bonnie couldn't stand it anymore & commanded the doors to open as she stepped in. Shutting them quickly behind her, with the holding spell, she yelled at the top of her lungs, "Stop!"
Stefan had tried to get through the doors before she closed them, exclaiming, "Bonnie, I want out!"
"No," she responded with control in her voice. "You three need to iron out your problems!"
"Except for one thing, the actual problem to this whole thing, isn't here!" Stefan snarled.
"Right now Damon isn't the problem, Stefan. I brought you here, because you all have issues with where your friendships lie. Where do you stand with each other in your relationships."
"There is no relationship!" Stefan said as he looked towards Elena.
"I thought I could trust you," Elena continued arguing with Caroline. "You just had to tell him!"
"Damon lied! He promised to break the sire-bond & set you free!"
"He did, even when I begged him not to!" Her eyes glazed with tears.
"Why?" Caroline sneered, holding out her hands in quotes, "because you're falling in love with him?"
Stefan, had heard enough & walked past them, towards the rear of the library. Elena, knowing he had heard, followed behind him, trying to keep up.
"Stefan, please, can we just talk?" she implored.
Stefan turned around to face Elena, yelling, "What is there to talk about? How many ways can you rip my heart out?" Glaring as he continued, "We broke up & you immediately jump into bed with him!?"
She stood there, not being able to answer without hurting him more.
Taking a deep breath, "just tell me, that your sleeping with him, was a mistake." he demanded. "That he, somehow got you there, because, that's who Damon is. A selfish bastard, only thinking of himself!" he lashed out to cover his hurt.
"No, It's not what happened," she said softly. "I wanted to be with him." The tears were welling up on her eyes, "I'm in love with him."
"You're in love with him? He mocked. "After all the things he's done, you're in love with him?" he continued with disgust.
"He's changed...we've all changed." she defended watching him look up to the ceiling chuckling sarcastically.
"Stefan, I didn't...I don't want to hurt you," she implored.
Looking back at her he muttered "You already did."
Walking back he could hear Caroline & Bonnie argue about Caroline's disregard to Elena's request. And the repercussions this was now causing.
"He asked me. I'm his friend. I couldn't lie to him!" Caroline defended her decision.
"I thought you were my friend too, Bonnie." Stefan interrupted.
"I am!" she scowled. "Look, Elena has had feelings for Damon for some time now. We're not blind. You know this Stefan." Bonnie saw Elena walking towards them, "Talk it out," she motioned with her face, "I need a breather." With that she walked out the other door of the library to an adjacent room.
Elena walked gingerly towards Caroline & Stefan.
"What was it? You & Damon found out in New Orleans?" Elena inquired as she approached him & stopped a few feet away.
"Whatever Damon told you," Stefan growled.
"He said the Sire-bond, couldn't really be broken."
"Yes it can Elena, he lied to you!" Stefan snarled, stepping forward. "The witch told us exactly what had to be done!"
"Then, tell me," her eyes begged.
Stefan paused for a long moment. He couldn't lie to her. "You're bonded to Damon, because you had feelings, human feelings for him," he looked in her eyes, " Before you turned."
"They're real," she uttered softly.
From where she stood, Caroline gasped, as her theory that Elena's strong feelings for Damon, were caused by the sire bond was wrong.
Swallowing, Stefan continued, "But, Damon does have the power to break the sire bond."
"How?" she asked. Stefan eyed her intently. "Please," she implored.
"To set you free... He has to tell you to live your own life. Never think of him again. Stop caring about him." He immediately saw the sadness wash over her face, "And he has to leave you. Forever."
"No," she blurted, shaking her head. She wrapped her arms around her body, "why did he send me away? Why did he set me free? If my feelings are real?"
Suddenly, the doors burst open, revealing a very alive Rebekah.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
In the adjacent room, Bonnie had heard the door break open. As she started back, a figure stepped from the shadows.
"Ahhh, the resident witch." he smiled wickedly.
Bonnie stepped back, but stood in a confident stance, "Kol."
"Surprised I'm back?" he smiled wider taking a step towards her.
Bonnie did not retreat, "Just at how you appear at the most inopportune moment."
"Don't you mean, a perfect moment," taking a strand of her hair & twirling it around one finger.
Bonnie flinched, but, knew she had to be smart, on how to deal with the Original.
"Come," extending his arm towards the door, "let's see what my sister has done with the others."
Bonnie, looked at him & quickly passed him up as she went towards the door.
Rebekah paced back & forth in front of the trio, who now sat at a large table in the library.
"I want answers, Stefan!" She growled as she stuck her face in front of his. "What did you think you'd get, partnering with Nik?" she demanded.
Stefan pushed back on his seat & responded casually, "you already know."
She screamed, "I gave you all the information! I was helping you! I thought we had shared something in common! Yet you set me up to be daggered again!"
"Klaus & I, had an agreement." he responded, nonchalantly.
Laying a hand on her hip, she continued, "Even though you'd have your 'Elena' back." She turned her attention to Elena, "My brother only wants the cure for your blood," Stepping closer to where Elena was sitting, she placed her hands on the table, glared at her & whispered, "you being the doppelganger."
Elena's eyes widened at Rebekahs revelation.
Turning her face & glaring at Stefan, "So, not only would you have the old Elena back, but Klaus would have his blood source to keep creating his hybrids?" she scowled. "Gee, this is so much better than being sired!"
"Sired?" Rebekah asked with curiosity, "you?"
"Yeah, Sired," she snipped.
"Oh, I'm betting it's..." Rebekah smiled wickedly, "to one Damon Salvatore!" Laughing she went on, "just the cozy two-some, you all hate!" darting her eyes at Stefan & Caroline.
"Shut up," Caroline said under her breath.
"Why? She's telling the truth." Elena agreed with the Original. "All of you hate the fact that I want to be with Damon!"
"Because you've totally lost your mind!" Stefan turned to Elena & barked. "How could you have chosen me? Told me when we were locked up, that you had come back for me?" he demanded.
"Because," she said softly, "it was right, then...when I was still human..." Pausing briefly, "but, now...Damon is who I feel alive with, who I connect with. Who I'm in love with."
"I've heard enough," he growled. "Rebekah, it's been fun," he continued getting up from his chair & walking towards the door, "but, it's time to go."
In that moment, Kol, made his presence known. Gliding right past Bonnie, he grabbed Stefan.
"We're not finished here!" he snapped. "As a matter of fact, we've just started!" slamming Stefan back into his chair.
"I have every intention of stopping anyone from finding that cure." he snarled.
"I very much enjoy being a vampire. And that so called cure, renders vampires into humans." he emphasized, as he paced in front of them, "the hybrids to werewolves." Stopping suddenly, "I ask you, what kind of balance will there be with just one supernatural species?"
"What about Klaus?" Caroline chimed in, "Won't he go back to being...?"
"No!" Kol interrupted. "But he will remain a werewolf. And with the blood of his doppelgänger..." looking towards Elena, "he can once again become a hybrid."
He sashayed around them, "So, in the grand scheme of things, vampires are the only ones really affected. And I for one, am not willing to be human again!"
Suddenly & quickly, he snatched Elena & compelled her to stay put at his side.
Stefan tried to get her, but Kol immediately pulled out a stake. "I won't hesitate to use it on her." he threatened.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^