This story begins near the end of "Bring out the Dead" 3x13 when the Salvatore & Michaelson brothers are having their dinner and pretending to make civilised deals.
Damon was already over the dinner. Yeah sure he had organized it but that didn't stop him from hating it. Between Stefan's bitching about him kissing Elena (in his opinion still the best decision he has EVER made) and Klaus' usual bullshit he just wanted it to end! But of course, that would be too easy, instead he was stuck stalling a murderous hybrid with an unpleasant dinner because he'd been saddled with a pair of incompetent witches who can't get their shit together. Granted one of them could drop him in seconds and the other had once had enough juice to desiccate Mikael but that didn't appear to be helping them to open one bloody coffin.
And to add even more joy to his existence he was listening to Elijah tell the story of the original Petrova. Apparently, she started the whole deal of insinuating herself into the lives and beds of two brothers and fate just carried it along. Damon offered an imaginary middle finger to the universe for suckering him into its games, not once, but twice. He sighed at his own unwillingness to remove himself from Elena's tangled web and looked at his phone. His text box was lit up with a new message. Finally! It was about time he heard from Bonnie.
Text: Witchy
Plan B. So, huge surprise, my mother is an unreliable failure. We aren't getting this open. Too bad Grams is dead, isn't it?
He inwardly groaned and rolled his eyes at the not so veiled dig at him for her grandmother's death. Damon was all for taking responsibility for things he did but he hated copping it for things he didn't. The way Elena told him the story was that Sheila double crossed him and planned to leave him in there. She only agreed to take the barrier down to get Broody out, it was Elena that wanted Damon out. Even with all the pain of finding that Katherine was never there he still remembers Elena that night, begging him to leave the tomb and holding his shattered world together afterwards. How could he not fall in love with her?
Elijah has noticed Damon's absent mind and uses their planned cue to pull him back. Damon hears something about a proposal and quickly shifts back into game mode, "Well its very simple. Klaus gets his coffin back. In exchange, he, and the Original extended family leave Mystic Falls forever. Me, Stefan and Elena live happily ever after, No grudges." He almost laughs at this last part, Stefan constantly has a grudge with him for existing. And now for kissing Elena.
Elijah looks at Klaus and uses the prearranged response, "The deal sounds fair brother." Damon is not at all surprised by Klaus' expected response ranting about Elena's blood, hybrids, and other stuff he stopped listening to. Although he was a little taken aback by the intensity of the glares between the two younger brothers. He knew they were close after their feeding frenzies in the 20's and then again recently but the looks screamed of disappointment and betrayal; he began to wonder… just how close were they?
Klaus' continues his rant and interrupts Damon's train of thought for a moment, "Well say I do leave her here under your protection, what then? How long before one of you turns her into a vampire?" Damon looks completely guilty; of course, that is his plan. He's spent so long trying to keep her alive, how could he ever just watch her die?
"Or worse how long before she dies, caught between your feuding? You see, each one of you truly believes that you are the one that can protect her and that is simply a delusion. Gentlemen, the worst thing for Elena Gilbert is… the two of you." Damon starts internally fuming, he can't believe this is coming from the guy who wants to use her as a human blood bag until she becomes his brood mare and dies. He can barely control his temper and after offering a silent "Fuck you" to Klaus, he decides he has had enough. Damon initiates the final stage of the plan by standing and leaving the room, "I'm gonna go get some air."
Damon breathes a sigh of relief once Elijah followed him out. Everything from here on out relies on Elijah being as trustworthy as Elena believes him to be. He has to give her some credit as Elijah continues to prove himself to Damon. The unlikely companions head into the room where the coffins are and Damon holds up two fingers, indicating the unreliable witches have failed and Plan B needs to begin. Elijah raises his eyebrows at Damon who can only shrug in response. There isn't much point questioning what went wrong. At this point they just need to get on with it before it all crashes down around them. Elijah eventually holds up his two fingers in return indicating that everything is ready for Plan B once the daggers are removed.
Elijah gestures towards a coffin nearby and Damon opens the lid to find Rebekah inside it. He rolls his eyes and inwardly groans. With a one in three chance he got the one he'd rather kill than release. He understands that once she is let out she will go straight after Elena and there is little Damon can do to stop her. He hesitates and this catches Elijah's attention. He has already undaggered his brothers. Elijah moves to take over from Damon but he holds up his hand in a 'stop' motion. Damon knows he is responsible for the aftermath of tonight no matter who actually removes the dagger from her chest. He quickly yanks the metal from her corpse and hands it over to Elijah. He places it on a tray held by one of Klaus' slaves and gestures for them both to return to the table. There are now more slaves holding cards and moving into position beside each coffin. Elijah certainly seems to have planned his part thoroughly.
As they both return to their fighting younger brothers Damon engages Klaus, "What do you say Klaus? Time for you to put something on the table. We've made our offer, now you counter." Klaus looking smug and in control baits the brothers with his offer, "Okay. I offer Elena's future happiness. You see, what she needs now is to be rid of you lot." Damon feels the anger returning and tries to force it back down. He is still trying to control it when Klaus turns the knife further by suggesting Matt should be the one chosen to provide Elena's children. He can barely contain his outburst, "Matt Donovan? Really?" Everyone ignores him and then Klaus drives the final blow to Damon by asking, "What do you say? Stefan?" He knows it's not a real offer, or even a real option but he's just so pissed off that Stefan seems to be the only one who gets a say. His stomach drops with a dead weight as he watches his brother walk over to Klaus. "What are you doing?" He begins to panic as he sees Stefan takes Klaus' hand in his. He can't believe Stefan would stoop so low, making deals to hand Elena over to Klaus, just because Damon kissed her! Klaus grins. He thinks he has won until Stefan finally speaks, "Nice try Klaus. But no deal." Damon breathes for the first time in what feels like years. He thought his brother had finally lost it, but it seems he is in there somewhere and still cares about Elena. In response Klaus snaps Stefan's arm and holds it in the fire.
No matter how angry Damon has been with Stefan, he can't handle seeing him in so much pain. He tries to intervene but Elijah holds him against the wall. The rising panic at the spiralling situation causes Damon to think the worst of Elijah and he begins to argue until he sees the look on Elijah's face that no one else can see. He begins to calm and play his role yelling for Klaus to, "Stop!"
"Now bring me my coffin before I burn him alive." Damon slips into his cool, calm, don't give a fuck façade and sneers at Klaus, "I'll get it." He then shoves Elijah before leaving the room. Elijah follows at his brother's request and they find themselves faced with the rest of the Original siblings. Elijah puts his finger to his lips to keep their silence. Damon tries not to wonder at their healthy glow coupled with the absence of the slaves. He's not quite sure when Elena's influence actually made him consider things like this.
As the sound of the arguing in the other room increases Elijah gives the signal. He and Damon return to the room to Klaus' surprise. Upon hearing Elijah speak his siblings follow him into the room. First Kol, then Finn, and finally Rebekah. Klaus begins to cower as his family descend upon him. The Salvatores flee before anyone has a chance to turn the attention to them. In the peace of the forest Damon is hopeful this distraction gives them a window of relief. And at least now he feels he can trust Elijah enough to keep up his end of the deal once the coffin is handed over. Stefan's voice then breaks the silence, "Well you were right about Elijah, undaggering him was a smart move."
Damon can hardly believe it, "Wow. Actual acknowledgement of a job well done. Going soft Stefan."
"So, I guess I shouldn't thank you for saving me from Klaus?"
"Shut up. You don't get to thank me until I pay you back for all those times you've saved me."
The boys stop walking to address the situation, "You could've left me there. Klaus would've killed me and you could have had Elena all to yourself." Damon is shocked. How can his brother not understand? He would NEVER leave his brother. Besides Elena would never have forgiven him, he would have lost the two people he loves most in one go. Damon's phone lights up with an incoming call from Elena. Ordinarily he'd love her to be calling him but right now is possibly the worst timing ever. He rejects the call and turns to his brother, "I didn't do that on your account."
"I love her Damon."
Damon considers this for a moment before replying, "So do I." As he walks away he realises that he has never actually come right out and told his brother that before. It will be a few minutes more before he realises that his brother never followed him. He will continue his walk home assuming Stefan went to 'make up' with Elena. He couldn't be more wrong.
Watching Damon walk away after such a simple statement Stefan is left worried. He realises that his brother will never give up on Elena. Even if she never chooses him, he will always be there reminding her she has another option. He will always be there for her to run to when she wants to. He will always be her 'friend' and it did not matter what Stefan said about Damon and the evil he has done. He will always be a part of Elena's life. Perhaps Klaus was right. Or at least partially right. And Stefan has to wonder whether Klaus would be willing to make a different sort of deal. Maybe he will let Stefan stay with Elena if he hands her over. Damon could never get to her then. They would be surrounded by Originals. They would be safe and Damon could never even get close. Decision made, Stefan turns and heads back to see a hybrid about a new deal.
As he nears the mansion he hears the sounds of destruction. He hears Klaus being abandoned by his family. His family who will soon have the only thing Klaus fears, whatever is in that coffin. That must have been part of Damon's deal with Elijah. He must be handing over the coffin! Klaus will have nothing. No family. No freedom. And without Elena, no hybrids. Stefan pauses in the shadows to contemplate upping the ante on Klaus. As the Original siblings leave the mansion Elijah stops. "Stefan, I don't know why you have returned. We are leaving. We will soon have what Klaus fears most and he knows that if any harm comes to Elena we will unleash what is in that coffin. Damon has my number to give her. All she needs to do is call and Klaus will be put away where he cannot harm anyone."
Stefan remains still. He doesn't know how Elijah knows he is there but he will not give up that easily. The situation is worse than he thought. If he tries to hand Elena over and leave with them Damon will send Elijah after them. There is no protection. He needs a new plan. A plan that doesn't involve Damon having access to the Originals. "Oh, and Stefan… That deal does not include you. If you go back in there I will not guarantee your safety. I aided your brother in saving you once. My deal with him ended once you both left intact. If you go back in there now you are on your own."
Stefan waits until he can only hear the sounds of the forest. He enters the mansion slowly, the last thing he wants to do is startle the murderous hybrid who has just been abandoned. "Come to gloat Stefan?" Stefan turns to find a despondent Klaus slumped against a wall behind him.
"No. Actually I came to make you a deal."
"Ha. A deal. What deal could you possibly want to make now. I have no family now and they all want me to suffer so they are forbidding me Elena's blood. You won't give me Elena, and even if you did your brother only has to call them and they will descend upon me. So much for the will of an immortal hybrid. Maybe an army of compelled vampires will do until I can find a way around my idiot siblings."
"What if I could give you Elena?"
Klaus stops and looks stunned, "Have you not listened to a word I've said? One phone call and they will unleash what is in that coffin!" He pauses before continuing, "Besides you have no wish to give me the girl. What game are you trying to play?"
"It's no game Klaus. Just hear me out." He remains still waiting for a sign from Klaus to continue.
"Sure. Why not. I have nothing better to do with my time tonight anyway."
"Right. So, you need Elena's blood to create more hybrids."
"Stefan, I said I would hear you out but if you plan on boring me with pointlessly obvious statements then go away before I decide to kill you instead."
Stefan took a breath, composed himself and continued, "Just bear with me. You can't take Elena's blood because then she or Damon would call your siblings and you'd be on the run again. But what if Elena gave you her blood… voluntarily?"
"She wouldn't but please do go on."
"The way I see it, the main problem here is Damon. Any decision we make he would find a way to stop us. And he has a direct line to Elijah. We remove Damon from the picture and a whole world of possibilities open up." Stefan waits while this sinks in. He is impatient to continue but he knows rushing Klaus would be playing his hand too early right now.
"Now Stefan… I know you and your brother have had your differences, what with both falling in love with the same girl… twice. But you can't expect me to believe you want to kill your brother?"
"Not kill. No. That would raise too many questions. Just send him away. Compel him to leave and stay away."
"Fine. But what is to stop him going directly to my siblings? Or getting word to Elena? Your brother has an annoying habit of finding the fine print in a compulsion." This was Stefan's big play, he tried not to seem excited, tried to play it cool like his brother would but Klaus could see right through him. "Come on now Stefan, spit it out. I haven't got an eternity." A sly smile appears on Klaus' face at his own joke.
"We compel him to forget."
Klaus looks thoughtful. For the first time since his family betrayed him he could see a tiny speck of light, "I can see the merit in your plan. Obviously, we need to be careful with the specifics but I can see how it could work. You are however forgetting one thing."
"What is that?"
"Elena. She would never allow you to send your brother away. And she would never believe he would abandon her. She knows full well how ensnared your poor brother is and would do everything in her power to bring him back."
"Which is why we make her forget too. She must forget she ever met Damon."
"No, no, no Stefan. That kind of meddling is tedious and has a habit of coming undone. Do you realise how much reprogramming is involved in removing the memory of one person? From two years of her life? We'd have to replace him in every memory she has! Do you even know what they all are Stefan? And if we were to miss one the memories could come back! No, it won't work."
Stefan can feel everything slipping away. He had thought of this plan so quickly he never really had the time to work out logistics. He just wanted Damon away from Elena. "Okay. I've got it. What if we just blank out everything since she met Damon?"
"Now you are getting ridiculous Stefan! How could you even explain this?"
"Think about it. Humans have accidents, right? And they get amnesia. What if she had an 'accident' and was missing her memory? That would solve the issue of just removing Damon, right?"
"Yes. Sure. But you still haven't explained one thing." Klaus pauses and looks at Stefan, the intensity making Stefan feel like he is about to go in the fire again, "Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why would you do all this? Betray your brother? Offer up your girl?"
"Well it's not the end of my deal Klaus. I want to be there, with her. If we do this I get the chance to start over with her. Before she met Damon, she loved me and only me. She didn't even know what I was back then. I get the chance to do it right. And if the price of that is an occasional donation of blood well so be it."
"So why not just compel her yourself? Why even bother with me? You could easily tell her to forget all by yourself."
"Elena, yes. Damon, no. And he would notice immediately. We need to do them both at the same time."
"I do quite like your idea Stefan. The sibling betrayal is fantastic by itself. However, what is to stop me from doing all this to them AND you and just taking what I want anyway?"
"Your siblings Klaus. You told me yourself they won't hesitate to unleash that coffin on you at any hint of harm to Elena. I'm the one they trust. Keeping me onside will sell the story Klaus. And think about it, who will all of Elena's friends trust when she gets amnesia? Me! They all know I'm better for her than Damon. They'll be glad to see him go and won't ask questions. But if something happened to all three of us they'd immediately blame you." Stefan looked smugly to Klaus as if he really were the hero he pretended to be.
"Fair enough Stefan. I'm almost sold on your little idea. But one last problem… offspring. I can't see you knocking up your little girlfriend anytime soon and even if you don't turn her like your brother surely would, she will eventually die leaving me without a supply of doppelgänger blood. How do you suppose I fix that? Neither of you seems particularly keen on my Matt idea."
"I'll convince her to have a family with me." Stefan begins to sound desperate again, if he can't convince Klaus that this will work he will lose her forever, "To have a donor so they can still be hers. She'll have no idea about Petrovas or doppelgängers so I'm sure she'll love the idea."
"And then?"
"And then, after a few years she can turn if she wants. We'll have you stocked up with a supply of blood to last until the next one arrives." Klaus is looking doubtfully at Stefan. He wants to believe but can't help thinking this is a lot for Stefan to pull off, even with his help. Stefan scrambles for one last effort in convincing Klaus, "and I haven't even told you what I bring to the table."
"What might that be Stefan?"
"Me. You will be giving me the future I've always wanted with Elena. It is only fair that I return the favour and provide you with my companionship."
"I will not be your charity case Stefan! Do you think I need you to survive? I will always survive! I'm the hybrid, I can't be killed!"
Stefan, realising his mistake attempts to placate the raging hybrid, "No! That's not what I meant at all. I was thinking we could go back to being brothers again. Like it once was. You and me against the world Klaus. Our own families have forsaken us, let's make our own."
Klaus is silent and still. The silence drags on and Stefan begins to panic. Maybe he pushed Klaus too far, maybe it felt like one more betrayal on a night of betrayals. As Stefan looks up he sees Klaus walk across the room still silent. He could never get a good read on his friend when he got like this, and he could kill so quickly if he thought he was being played. Stefan could see Klaus pouring from a decanter and as he turned back to face Stefan he was smiling. He held out a glass to Stefan, "Let's drink shall we?"
"To brothers?"
"Yes. To brothers of our own choosing."