Author's Note: Thank you to all of you who have been reading and to all of you who have been reviewing! You guys are amazing, and I am so happy that you're enjoying the story and coming back to keep reading! Thank you so much!


"Jer?" Elena asked, frowning at the sight of her little brother. "Are you okay?"

He flashed her a bright grin, as if trying to force down the exhausted look on his face. "Fine," he reassured her. "Go. Have fun."

Elena hesitated, nodding, and gave him a quick squeeze on the arm as she stepped past him and out the front door.

"You guys behave!" Caroline yelled down the hall, to the living room. "We'll be back with food soon, so don't do anything drastic while we're gone. Like resort to cannibalism. It's gross."

Elena and Bonnie exchanged a look and turned to Caroline, who pulled the door shut behind her. At their faces a sheepish grin broke out on her face and the three burst into giggles, heading to Caroline's car.

They were about half-way to the Mystic Grill when from the front seat, Bonnie turned around to look back at Elena. "So what really happened when you connected with Stefan?" she asked, her face serious and full of concern.

Elena's heart plummeted into her stomach. She nervously darted a look up in the rearview at Caroline, whose wide blue eyes met hers in surprise. Elena looked back at Bonnie. "I told you guys, I don't remember—"

"That's not how it works, Elena," Bonnie told her quietly, her voice firm. "I didn't say anything yesterday since it seemed like you didn't want the others to know. But I know you remember."

Caroline's voice was full of disbelief. "Did you find him?" Caroline asked, stunned. "Elena, why wouldn't you tell us about that? What happened? Is he okay?"

Elena tried to control the churning in her stomach. "He was… with Klaus," she finally admitted. "I think… I think Klaus is using him to torture people." She looked up quickly at Bonnie, then into the mirror at Caroline's horrified eyes. "We can't tell Damon!" she rushed on. "If he finds out what Stefan is doing, he's going to track down Klaus and he's going to get himself killed trying to save Stefan because he feels like this is his fault."

"But we have to save Stefan," Caroline objected, frowning. She looked over at Bonnie, as if seeking support.

"I know we do," Elena agreed, her stomach twisting. "But I needed time to think of what to say that wouldn't make Damon charge across the world hunting Klaus in the state he's in to try to save Stefan. It wouldn't save Stefan and it would only get him killed in the process."

Caroline's perfectly-shaped eyebrows drew together in a frown. "What if you just said you heard Klaus talking to Stefan about what he was going to have Stefan do?"

"Damon would still go chase Klaus down," Elena told her, trying not to cry. "At the end, Klaus told Stefan they were leaving to go conquer the world." She shuddered at the memory of the surge of triumph that had run through Stefan. "Damon thinks they're somewhere in Europe, but they could be gone by now."

"Can't we just do a locator spell?" Caroline asked, looking over at Bonnie.

"I already tried," Bonnie explained. "The witch they have with them is blocking them. That's why we had to do the connection in the first place." She turned to the backseat and lightly squeezed Elena's leg. "We'll find him," she promised. "I'm sorry for asking. It's just… The stories of humans who connect with vampires aren't good. Sometimes they're fine, but sometimes the primal urge inside the vampire's mind nearly consumes the person's mind."

Elena tried not to shudder at the thought. She could almost understand that. She didn't know if she would ever be able to forget the horrific thoughts she had overheard in Stefan's mind.

She forced herself to smile. "I'm fine," she lied.

Bonnie smiled in response. "I should have trusted you would be. This is Stefan, right?"

"Right," Elena echoed. She turned and stared out the window, trying not to cry.


"I have an idea," Bonnie announced, a resolved look on her face as she surveyed the occupants of the room.

Elena studied her with a frown. "An idea?" she repeated, uneasy. As much as she loved Bonnie, Bonnie's ideas were usually life-endangering to herself, and she was usually nearly impossible to reason with.

"I can borrow some of the witches' powers," Bonnie declared. "It might give me enough strength to break through the barrier his witch created around them."

"No," Jeremy objected, shaking his head emphatically. They all turned to look at him as he turned to her. "The last time you walked out of that house, you were covered in blood. You said they were mad at you."

"I'll be fine—" Bonnie insisted, smiling encouragingly, as she reached for his hands.

"No," Jeremy stated adamantly. He lowered his voice, his eyes burning into hers intently. "You're going to get yourself killed, Bonnie."

Elena's heart ached at the sight—at watching her little brother plead with his girlfriend to save herself. Bonnie's mouth opened to fight back, to argue her point further. "Jeremy's right, Bonnie," Elena agreed, shaking her head at her best friend. "It's too dangerous. You can't keep using their powers."

"Besides," Jeremy continued, turning from Elena and back to Bonnie, who looked unhappy that they were disagreeing with her, "They probably wouldn't like you using their powers to find a vampire. You know how they feel about them."

"Maybe they won't want to help me find Stefan," she conceded. Elena felt herself start to relax for a second until Bonnie straightened. "But they will want to help me find Klaus." She looked around the room, seeking support from the others. "He's unnatural. If the witches sealed his werewolf side to keep balance in nature, then now that it's been released, nature is out of balance. They'll help me if I offer to help seal his werewolf side back up."

"Bonnie—" Jeremy started.

"Bonnie, no!" Elena objected immediately, a spark of terror running through her. She knew it. She knew all of Bonnie's ideas would lead to Bonnie's demise. She lowered her voice. "Using that kind of power… It would kill you."

"It's the only way, Elena," Bonnie argued quietly. "Balance must be restored. It's not just about Stefan. I'm a witch. It's my responsibility to restore harmony."

Bonnie's logic was infallible. Except for one thing. One important thing. "It will kill you," Elena reminded desperately. "Bonnie, you can't."

"I have to do what's right," Bonnie countered firmly. She looked around the room, then back at her, finally standing and approaching. Elena looked pleadingly into Bonnie's warm brown eyes as her friend stared back with her cool, intelligent gaze. "Elena, this is our chance to find Stefan. And for me to pay back the witches who have lent me their power. By fulfilling their wishes."

"Their wishes aren't for you to die," Elena begged, knowing she was losing the battle.

"Then they'll protect me," Bonnie returned simply. She stood again, determined and calm, and began gathering her things.

The others slowly began doing the same, an uneasy hush around the room. As the group began to filter out of the room, Elena caught sight of Damon at the serving table, throwing back the last few drops of blood from his glass. He was still disturbingly pale, a sickly look about him that just seemed to be getting worse by the hour. He was still sick. Too sick to enter the witches resting place. Elena looked between him and the hallway, hesitantly approaching his side. As much as he would hate being left behind, Damon would have to wait for them to come back.

He looked up at her, and to her surprise, offered a slight, reassuring smile. The tender look on his face was so jarring, so unexpected, she unconsciously sucked in a breath, unable to look away from him. "Don't worry," he said, his voice gentle. "She'll be fine. She's right. The witches will want Klaus' werewolf side sealed back up as much as we want Stefan back. They won't hurt her."

She stared at him as she tried to process his words, trying to figure out what he was talking about. What did the witches wanting Klaus' werewolf side sealed back up have to do with Damon needing to stay at home? Needing to get some rest?

And then a sickened jolt went through her. He was referring to Bonnie. He thought her look of concern was for Bonnie. For Bonnie's safety. Bonnie's health.

Damon would never think of her worrying about him.

She steeled herself—her fluttering nerves, which felt like firecrackers snapping inside of her. "You should stay here," she told him, trying to keep her voice firm.

He returned her words with a blank stare. "What?" he asked back, a brief look of confusion crossing his features. "Why?"

She pointed at the nearly-empty pitcher of blood he had filled only an hour earlier. "That's why." He followed her finger, then started to turn away, a frown on his face. "Damon!" she tried quickly, reaching for his arm to stop him. He stopped, a scowl marring his striking features. "You're not strong enough to go in there," she all-but begged. "Even at full-strength it was difficult for you. You stayed up all night trying to figure out where Stefan is, and you can't do that to yourself yet. You need to rest."

He frowned down at her. "Elena, I'm fine," he objected unhappily. It was so unlike him, speaking in such a subdued, arguable tone, that she felt something inside of her tug with a yearning she almost didn't recognize.

But then, in her mind's eye, she saw his flirtatious grin and sparkling eyes. His voice in her head said, "I'll stay if you do."

And then she flashed back to reality, and saw Damon's face, staring back at her in something akin to a scolded child, and realized what was wrong.

She missed Damon.

"Stay," she ordered, her voice trembling. And then she spun on her heel and all-but ran for the door.