"Did you forget to put on your hero hair today, brother? Usually it's you who insists on saving little red and grandma from the big bad wolf."
Stefan's nostrils flared as he exhaled audibly. "I'm not saying we do nothing, Damon. I'm glad we found the little girl and her grandmother alive. But we were lucky- there wasn't a bite on either of them, which means these vampires aren't the usual run of the mill feeders. It could have been a trap, and we walked right into it. If they're up to something else, we need to find out more before we run in and get everybody killed."

"Stefan is right, Damon," Alaric spoke up from behind his desk. His relaxed posture as he sat back in his chair was completely juxtaposed to the dire scenario they were discussing. "There is no point rushing into a situation we know nothing about just because you're bored and looking for a fight."
"Has anyone considered that maybe I just want to prevent this from happening to other innocent townsfolk?" The older Salvatore brother feigned offence, throwing up his hands in faux exasperation.
The other two men rolled their eyes.

Without warning, the classroom door swung open as they all quickly dropped their tense facial expressions to adopt ones of a concerned student, older brother and teacher.
"Oh, it's only you," Damon muttered as Bonnie rushed into the room, shutting the door behind her.
"Nice to see you too, Damon!" She spat back, catching her breath.
Stefan's brows furrowed as he studied the Bennet witch's dishevelled appearance. "What's wrong?"
She wiped her hair off her face, leaning her back against the door as she tried to calm herself. "I just found out what they want."
Both brothers spoke in unison, one voice less patient than the other: "What?"
Bonnie inhaled deeply. "Me."

Damon poked mindlessly at the logs in the fireplace, watching the flames engulf and grow. The Salvatore residence was once again the meeting place to discuss town catastrophes of the supernatural variety. Alaric, Stefan, Bonnie and Caroline were scattered across the living room.

The heaviness in the air was lifted as Elena opened the door, the icy breeze which travelled in with her broke everyone from their own vacancies. Concern was etched across her features. "Bonnie, are you okay?! Did they hurt you?! What happened?!"
Caroline interjected before Bonnie could answer. "She's fine, just freaked. They had Andrew go after her."
Elena looked confused which prompted Caroline to continue. "Andrew from the football team. Big guy. He sometimes asks Bonnie for help with his chemistry homework. They did the mind control thingy and got him to lure her over to his car before trying to grab her and throw her in. She had to use her magic on him- the witch kind, not the flirtatious kind."
Sarcasm flew out through Bonnie's lips. "Thanks, Caroline… Andrew's okay. Damon compelled him to forget and Stefan vervain'd him."

Elena's confusion and worry remained evident as she moved her gaze to the brothers and Alaric. "Why Bonnie?"
"They probably need a witch. Or a flirtatious brunette," Damon smirked, glancing over at an irked Bonnie.
"Bite me."
He wrinkled his nose. "No thanks. Witches' blood is my least favourite meal- excluding werewolves."
"Damon." Alaric chastised.

Caroline piped up. "But I don't get it."
"Well there's a surprise."
It was Elena who snapped at Damon this time.
Caroline continued thinking aloud unfazed. "If they want Bonnie, why kidnap a little girl and her grandmother? Are they witches too?"
Alaric shook his head. "They were testing us."
All of their curious gazes shot to Alaric.
"Well, testing Bonnie. The locator spell you used to find them, they wanted to make sure you could do it and they know we're all working together. When Damon and Stefan showed up outside the old factory, they knew Bonnie's spell is the reason we found them so fast. They must have been watching us."
Stefan mused aloud. "So once they knew you were capable, they sent someone after you in the daylight when we least expected it."
"So they want her to find something for them?" Caroline asked, much to the surprise of those around her.
"Exactly." Alaric opened an old leather-bound book, now mostly speaking to himself. "And soon. They're moving fast, panicked. Maybe it's correlating with the upcoming comet..."

Elena settled on the seat beside Bonnie. "Did the old lady or little girl remember anything that would help us figure out who they are?"
"Their memory was wiped," Stefan spoke, his voice sounding distant as his mind was as consumed as Alaric's.
"So we use Bonnie as bait."
"Damon-"
He interrupted Elena. "Enticing them out is the only way to get them."
Caroline rolled her eyes. "Except they didn't do it themselves last time. They just sent Andrew." After a few seconds, her eyes lit up, almost as though a light bulb switched on within her skull. "Oh! What about a locator spell? Use what they want against them!"
"I'd need something personal of theirs to even try."
Elena gave her friend a small, reassuring smile. "Bonnie, don't worry. We'll figure this out- without putting you at risk. You can stay at mine in the meantime."

Alaric looked up from his book at the Salvatore brothers. "One of you will have to stay with them."
"I ain't babysitting-".
Stefan quickly interjected his brother. "I will."
Alaric continued. "I'll do some digging and see if I can figure out if there are any mystic events coming up that might be prompting all of this."
"And I'll ask my mom if anything weird has been going on in town lately." Caroline stood up, determined.
Damon poured himself a glass of bourbon. "And I'll sit back and relax until you all come to your senses and do things my way."

"Where on earth is Mystic Falls? And why would they give a place such an obvious name? Did all the supernatural baddies come together and decide 'ooh let's make this our stomping ground since no one let us officially name Sunnydale the Hellmouth'?"
"Buffy, you need to take this seriously. We could be facing-"
"I know: another apocalypse yada yada."
Giles removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Admittedly we've been fortunate so far but one lapse in concentration, one small misstep is all it takes to-"
"Die? Been there, remember? I don't plan on going back. Trust me, Giles, I am in full slayer mode. It's just... I was finally caught up on my classes and had mom off my back and now you're telling me I need to leave town."

The Watcher's voice grew more exasperated. "Your grades are the least of our worries if these succeed in acquiring a witch for their plans. Which is why-" He turned to Buffy's friends, who were faithfully sitting beside her. Stacks of books from Giles' personal collection were scattered on the table in front of them. "Willow, no spells of any kind. No practising, no visiting magic shops. Especially when we get to Virginia."
The red head made no effort to hide her disappointment.

After a moment, Xander closed a book emphatically and perked up in his seat. "Cool, road trip. And all my teachers said I'd never make it out of Sunnydale".
The slayer sighed. "I'll go break the news to mom and gather up my weapons. When are we leaving?"
Giles began stacking his books into a large cardboard box. "Preferably yesterday."
Xander and the others stood up to leave. "I don't know what to pack. What does one wear to the end of the world?"
Willow grinned. "Maybe something dark and ominous would be fitting, like that heavy metal band shirt you own? The one with all the skulls on it."

Giles shook his head as the library doors swung closed behind them.