December 23
Christmas was always my favorite time of year. The snow drifted to the ground like a delicate dancer, and the lights on the houses reflected off the ice. People were just now getting Christmas trees, even though it was December 23, and the remaining Lockwood's were throwing their annual Christmas party. The generosity this time of year was incredible; people were eager to give to the needy in any way that they could, which was perfect for Stefan and I. Generosity in donating blood meant more blood for us.
My younger brother Stefan and I had been in Mystic Falls now for a year and a half. Last year, we hadn't celebrated Christmas (Stefan and Elena drama), and I was actually looking forward to decorating a tree this year. Despite what Elena thinks, I do not have a heart made of stone; I actually enjoy the Christmas season. But through all of the dazzling lights and shiny Christmas wrapping paper, there was only one thing on my mind: Elena.
How could this insignificant human girl have this much power over me? I am Damon Salvatore, for heaven's sake. Elena was just a girl: tall, slender, beautiful, kind brown eyes…..If Stefan knew what I was thinking right now, my head would be on a platter. But I had other things on my mind. Stefan had tasked me with finding a large Christmas tree for the house, but all of the ones I had been finding so far were useless pieces of firewood. I needed a REAL tree, something that would impress not only Stefan but Elena as well. After all that Stefan and I had done since we'd come back, after all the pain we'd caused her, she deserved a perfectly good Christmas. And I was going to be the one to give it to her.
I ran quickly back through town until I got to the forest, sure that I would find a tree here. I started to walk, looking at every tree on my way and seeing if it was the one. I kept going, hopeful that I would find one soon, but I found something that I did not expect. A tall man was standing in my path, looking directly at me in a harsh, evil way. His eyes were black, his hair was spiked up like the average American boy, and he was wearing an all-black suit. I looked him up and down once more before approaching.
"Hello, Damon Salvatore. It is nice to make your acquaintance. Katherine has told me so much about you," the man smiled at me, and I did not smile back.
"Who are you and what do you want?" I barked at him. He continued smiling at me, like he already knew what I was going to say. I didn't like this, not one little bit.
"You will take me to Elena, Salvatore. If you don't, I will kill her entire family. You are powerless to stop me, so don't even try," his smile faded, and became serious.
"You're Klaus, aren't you? Well, even if I am powerless against you, you will not touch Elena, not while I live," I started to crouch, ready to attack at any moment.
"Why must you make it difficult for yourself, Salvatore? If I wanted to kill you, I would have but I will if I have to. You and your weak brother," Klaus appeared to have moved closer to me, and I was getting uncomfortable.
"Leave Stefan out of this!" I shouted. Bringing Elena into this had started the fire, but bringing Stefan into this created an explosion. I may hate Stefan, but the only person who was going to torture and kill him was me.
Klaus laughed again, "You really do not want to mess with me, Salvatore. Bring the girl to me by Christmas Day or You, Stefan, and Mystic Falls will be destroyed. Think it over, will you?" and with that, he disappeared.
He left me standing in the middle of the forest, petrified. Klaus was an original, and had been after Elena for weeks. But this time, he had come into my town. This time, he had spoken to me himself and had threatened Elena. He was not going to get away with this.
I ran quickly through the forest, forgetting about the tree, back to the boardinghouse. When I got there, Stefan and Elena were sitting together on the couch, and Elena was frowning at me.
"Where is the tree, Damon?" asked Stefan, seeing how sad that Elena was and needing to figure out why.
"The tree isn't important. Klaus is here," I replied, slumping onto the couch beside them and wiping my sweating brow.
"What! What does he want?" asked Elena.
"You. He said if he doesn't have you by Christmas Day, he will destroy us and Mystic Falls."
"We have to stop him, Damon, before he gets to her!" exclaimed Stefan. He looked angry, no, pissed. I had never seen Stefan this mad before, and frankly, it frightened me.
"Stefan, are you totally insane? He is an original, you know that. Nothing can kill them!"
"I realize that, Damon, but do you really think that I am going to allow him to kill the woman I love? Do you think I am going to allow him to use her ? I don't think so. We have to protect her!"
"I know that, Stefan. But we can't do it alone. We need…."
"Don't even say her name! We can't let her out, not now. She is a danger to the town."
"What if it means the difference between keeping Elena alive and her being dead? What then, little brother?"
"ENOUGH! You two need to stop fighting! I'm sick of it!"Elena screamed.
"Elena, please…." Stefan said quietly.
"No Stefan, you just be quiet. If letting Katherine out means Mystic Falls being saved, then you do it. I don't care what she does after, because we can just have Bonnie spell her into the tomb."
"That is not an option, Elena."
"Then what is? Are we going to use Tyler and Caroline? What about Bonnie? I won't risk anyone else for this. If Katherine dies, then we have another problem taken off our hands as well as taking care of Klaus. Please Stefan, it's the only way…." Elena pleaded with my stubborn brother, but even I know that it does no good. Once Stefan has his mind on something, you can't change it.
"She's right, Stefan. We need her. Just listen to someone besides yourself for once, ok?"
"What makes you think she won't just run as soon as we let her out?" asked Stefan.
"She won't, or she dies. If she's that weak, then it would be an easy kill."
" It's settled then. We let Katherine out of the tomb. Tonight," Elena exclaimed.
Stefan ran to get Bonnie and I ran with Elena and Caroline to the tomb. I set Elena down across the room from the door of the tomb, and slowly slid the stone out of the way. Katherine was waiting, looking starved and bony, and staring hungrily at Elena. Caroline stepped in front of Elena then, ready to protect her friend.
"Don't even think about it, Katherine. There are 2 of us, and one weak little you," I teased her.
"What do you want, Damon?"
"Well, Katherine, I want your help, believe it or not."
"Ha-ha. The great Damon Salvatore asking me for help? Now, that's a first!"
"Shut up, Katherine. You are the only one who knows anything about Klaus, and if you don't help us kill him, then we will kill you. You can sit and rot in here for the rest of eternity."
"Anything would be better than this. I'm sssttttaaarrrvvviiinnnggg!"
"Well then wait until Bonnie gets here and then you can come out. But only if you promise to help. You are way stronger than Caroline, and we'd be lucky to even survive this with your help. "
"Hey!" shouted Caroline, offended.
"Relax, Caroline. I just mean that since you aren't a human drinker, you won't be as strong as Katherine and I will be, and Stefan, to a certain extent."
Caroline sulked as we waited for Bonnie and Stefan to arrive. Stefan was unnecessarily slow, even for a vampire. Formalities such as greetings and well wishes were his downfall when it came to being somewhere; his politeness made him late. I almost wondered if he and Bonnie were still chatting in her doorway or window ledge or whichever entrance to her house that he chose.
"I don't think this is a good idea, Stefan. Katherine is dangerous," Bonnie whispered, afraid that Katherine would hear her. Katherine could always hear what people were saying or thinking.
"Relax Bonnie, I'm sure Damon has already threatened to kill her if she tries anything. Besides, she is weak and frail. She can't hurt us now."
Stefan helped Bonnie over to the door of the tomb, and Bonnie sat on the ground. She took a small book out of her pocket, flipped a few pages, and started rocking back and forth, muttering in some incomprehensible language. Her nose started to bleed, but before we knew it, the spell was done.
"It will be easier to get her back in once this is over," Bonnie said, smiling, as she wiped the blood from her face.
Katherine stepped slowly and surely out of the tomb, holding onto the wall as she did. She was quite weak, and would definitely need something, or someone, to drink. Elena stepped closer, reaching into her purse cautiously as she did, and pulled out a bottle of what appeared to be blood. She tossed it into Katherine's waiting hands, and without hesitating, Katherine opened the bottle and drank the whole thing in under a minute.
Stefan and I quickly jumped in front of Elena, preparing for the attack. We knew Katherine too well to suspect that she wouldn't do anything other than betray us. But she just stood there, bottle in hand, looking at us.
"I want Klaus gone just as much as you do. If it means cooperating with you guys and tolerating Elena for a few days, I'm ok with that," Katherine smiled weakly at us. Stefan and I looked at each other and nodded, deciding that Katherine was telling the truth. We stepped away from Elena, and made our way out of the tomb with Bonnie, Caroline, Katherine, and Elena.
Once we were back at the boardinghouse, I ushered all of our guests into the sitting room.
"We need to discuss the best way to handle this. We can't draw suspicion; the town needs to have some element of normalcy this holiday season," Stefan was the first to speak.
"Ok, I know I haven't exactly earned your trust in the past, but you need to trust me now. If we are going to take Klaus down, we are going to need to train, we need to load up on vervain and make it the strongest ever made, and we will need cherry wood. Klaus may be strong, but it will be an easy kill if we can do these things. The wood, once plunged through his heart, will start to kill him. Then, we weaken him further with vervain. Finally, we tear him to pieces and burn him," Katherine stated as we all listened carefully.
"Ok, there is only one problem with this. Cherry wood had not grown around here, or anywhere in Virginia, for more than 200 years. Where are we going to find it?" I asked.
"Canada. Just north of the Quebec border. There is a small forest that still has a few cherry trees growing in it. Besides, these cherry trees aren't like others. They've been spelled by a witch in case Klaus ever came back," Katherine said.
"Exactly how powerful is this wood?" Elena asked.
"Powerful enough that if stabbed through Klaus' heart, it will shrivel slowly. That is what the vervain is for. Once we've staked him, we pour the vervain over his skin to weaken him even more. That is when Damon and I rip him apart and we burn the pieces," Katherine's skin started to look more colorful as the blood sunk into to her tissues.
"It's settled then. We get the materials tomorrow and finish him off. A quick run to Canadian territory should be easy" I jumped up from the couch and headed for the door. I left immediately for the border, grabbing a blood bag as I left, and headed to Canada.