AN: This story has been boiling in my head since the last TVD episode (S4E12). I don't know if it's good, if it is believable or even worth writing it, but I just had to.

The first chapter is basically setting the tone by retelling the last scene in TVD S4E12.

As usual, no copyright breach intended. I just need to air my demons out. xoxo

Jeremy, Bonnie and Elena sat in the Boarding House living room by fireplace. The flames illuminated the younger Gilbert's worried face as Bonnie tried to reassure him that the hunter's mark was going to grow, that it took a while for Kole's descendants to die.

"Where is that Gilbert optimism?" – Damon's voice interrupted their gloomy conversation and musings.

Elena stood up immediately. The sound of his voice and his presence, were to her the most welcomed things in yet another exhausting day battling evil. Elena's shy smile was betrayed by the gleam in her eyes - she was so happy to see him.

"Hi" - Damon drawled as he approached her.

The baby vamp went willingly into his arms hugging him tightly as Jeremy looked away to give them some privacy. Damon welcomed this sincere show of affection from Elena never having been at the receiving end of such an emotion. He had been starved of love for so long that he basked in this feeling of being wanted and welcomed and missed. He leaned into the hug and rubbed his hand soothingly on her back.

"Sorry I missed all the excitement" – Damon smirked looking at Jeremy.

"I'm just happy to see you."- Elena offered as she pushed herself from the embrace to look at his beautiful face.

Damon looked at her, his expression caught between wonder and amusement as Elena beamed at him.

The front door opening interrupted the emotional moment and Elena looked over Damon's shoulder to see who was coming in.

A broody Stefan walked in. He took one look at the scene in front of him; at Elena's suddenly downcast eyes; at Damon's tense stance; at her proximity to his brother and he could practically taste "the luuuv". Stefan's jaw tightened subtly and he raised an eyebrow as he closed the door behind him.

"Looks like I didn't miss much." - he quipped.

Elena looked crestfallen and contrite.

"I've got the Sillus' headstone." – Stefan continued as he approached them.

"We are just waiting for, erm, for Jeremy's mark to grow." – Elena offered without managing to hold Stefan's gaze.

Stefan placed the headstone down under the inquisitive eyes of his brother. Stefan's stance was clearly defiant.

"Klaus is trapped in our living room." – Elena continued.

"Temporarily" – Bonnie added –" I ah, I drew on the new moon to bind the spell." – she explained – "We have three days to find that cure, four max."

"If we don't, we might as well look up Katherine Pierce and see if she wants some company in hiding. For he will come after us." – Jeremy added.

Feeling the need to reassure her brother Elena found back her positive streak.

"We'll find it!" – she said to Jeremy – "Now that we've got Rebecca taken care off," –she quickly smiled at Stefan before turning back to reassure the younger Gilbert, completely missing the fact that in the background Stefan shifted uncomfortably –"all we need is professor Shane and we will have everything we need." – Elena finished cheerfully.

"Yeah…I didn't, I didn't dagger her."- Stefan admitted looking down at the floor and feeling contrite.

"What?" – Elena barked out as Damon narrowed his eyes and the tension in the room grew tenfold –"Why not?" – she asked bewildered.

"I didn't need to. She is on our side."

"On our side?" – Elena asked incredulous as Damon suddenly realized what was going on –"D-did you really just say that?"

"Yeah, she handed over the headstone. I mean, she wants to find this cure more than any of us."

"Why would you possibly think you could trust her?" – Elena asked aghast.

Damon's sarcastic voice intervened.

"Let me guess. She pledged her allegiance to you whilst you were naked in the sack." – he drawled.

Elena looked at Damon with an unfathomable expression. Stefan looked away, his lips dry all of a sudden as he finally managed to gather the courage to look up at the accusing eyes honing on him. Bonnie was clearly shocked, but Elena looked affronted or confused. Stefan could't really tell but concluded that the best form of defense is always offense.

"I bet you were just dying to get that out weren't you Damon?" – he challenged as he paced towards his brother.

"Oh, was that supposed to be a secret?"- Damon asked with feigned innocence –" Maybe you should have made that a little clearer when you were bleeding me dry in our cellar."

"Yeah, to keep you from killing Jeremy."- Stefan bit back crowding Damon's space.

"Stop it the both of you." – Elena ordered.

"Now, you know, why don't you tell her to come down Damon." – Damon turned his furious eyes on Stefan –"You managed to use that sire bond pretty well so far, haven't you?" – Stefan challenged.

Elena looked at Stefan with disgust as Bonnie braced herself for what was coming.

Damon gave his brother a tight smile and then punched him hard on the face so fast and hard that he caught Stefan off guard. Stefan landed on the floor as Elena watched with an open mouth, a part of her wishing that she had been the one to throw the punch.

Stefan got up, ready for round two as Jeremy's agonizing screams caught their attention as he started ripping his shirt off.

"It's happening." – Jeremy announced out of breath.

"Oh my god"- Elena whispered in awe as she watched the hunter's mark form across Jeremy's skin.

"You can see it?" – Jeremy asked his sister and she nodded.

Stefan, Bonnie, Elena and Damon watched enthralled as the inky lines appeared all the way across Jeremy's chest with "x" marking the spot.

"Here we go." – Damon breathed.

"Finally." – Bonnie exhaled relieved. Until now she wasn't sure that killing Kole was really going to work.

Elena wet her dry lips and turned to her friend.

"This is good. We need to interpret this map."- she nodded –"Bonnie, Jeremy can you start on that? I need a moment."

Bonnie nodded but Jeremy opened his mouth to protest. The witch shot him a warning glance and shook her head as she tugged him immediately out of the room. As Bonnie passed the front door Caroline came in only to be also unceremoniously tugged away by the small Bennet witch.

Stefan started moving to the door to give Damon and Elena their moment. He was rudely stopped on his tracks by Elena blurring in front of him with a murderous gaze. Stefan froze at the look in her eyes, the girl was clearly seething.

"And where do you think you are going?" - she asked as she stabbed a dainty finger in his chest with the same sharpness her eyes bore - "Sit. Down. Now." - she barked in a menacing tone.

Damon quietly chuckled at how quickly his brother obeyed only to have the brunette's angry eyes pin him down in turn.

"Sit." – she ordered crossing her arms.

Damon dared to raise an eyebrow but seconds later he was seated too. Elena was clearly not in the mood to be trifled with.

An: Ok, now let the real story begin :)