Damon eyes were locked on Elena. She sat helpless on the floor gripping her side, a small trickle of blood rolled down her forehead from just below her hairline. She stared at him with agony in her eyes, crying silently. She took the sleeve of her sweater and wiped them away. He couldn't see Stefan but he could hear him coming closer. He had to do something but wondered how.

"I must say your plans have improved quite a bit since the twenties, Stefan. I'm impressed," Klaus said, clearly being sarcastic.

"Well, it was actually a group effort planning this," Alaric said.

"And I'm sure the witch I tried so hard to kill had something to do with it," Klaus added.

"You better believe it," Bonnie responded.

"Nice spell by the way, sorry it didn't work on the right guy," Klaus said.

"Let my brother go, Klaus," Stefan repeated.

Damon felt something release inside him. He was slowly regaining control of his body. He could shift his eyes and feel the tips of his fingers move. The stake he took from Alaric's supply and put in his back pocket was still there. Thank god for tight jeans, he thought. If he had worn the baggy pants Stefan did, it would have fallen out when he was thrown.

"Come closer then," Klaus said.

"What are you after anyway?" Alaric said.

"My family, you idiot. Haven't you been paying attention?... And they let you teach young minds, such a shame."

"OK and then what?" Bonnie said coming closer. "You already have your minions- I mean, hybrids. Mikael is dead. Once you kill Stefan, then you get your family back. What else do you want?"

Damon could feel his feet and legs gain sensation followed by his shoulders. He was still weakened by the spell and having Klaus's hand wrapped around his heart didn't help.

"Let my brother go." Stefan added.

"Oh stop being such a broken bloody record Stefan. If I told you what I wanted it would ruin the surprise. Here's your stupid brother," Klaus said releasing his hold on Damon, pitching him forward with one hand as he grabbed Stefan with the other.

Parts of Damon's arms were still numb but he willed himself to grab the stake from his back pocket, turn around, and sink it into Klaus's groin. Stefan, seeing that his brother had regained control, threw an upper cut punch beneath Klaus's jaw sending his head backward.

"Ahhhhhhh," Klaus moaned as he fell to the floor.

"Everyone run!" Bonnie cried and put her hands out as she began muttering a spell under her breath. "Akunum barakata ohedum denait osku loka comis sa-"

Damon lost his balance and dropped to the floor. Alaric and Elena rushed to him and taking an arm each, hoisted him up, and made for the stairs.

As they ascended the stairs, Bonnie's voice grew louder. "ZONA MALAKI TIGUM USHTU..."

They kept running, and made it as far as the tree line. The three collapsed in a tall patch of grass, breathing heavily. Stefan stayed at the top of the stairs to ensure Bonnie got out.

"Elena, are you okay?" Damon moaned still on his back staring up at the night sky, reaching for her. "This was all my fault; I let Klaus get to me."

She gripped his hand tight and turned on her side to look at his face. "I'm OK Damon, I hit my head but I'll be fine."

Alaric rolled over to face the two, "Damon, if Klaus had threatened to let my brother die and rape Elena, I would have gone postal too. He figured out a hole in our plan, you were doing what you thought was best."

"What spell do you think Bonnie was using? Why is taking so long?" Elena asked. The three stared at the barn waiting for their friends to appear. After a few minutes they did. Stefan and Bonnie ran across the field. About twenty yards away, Bonnie yelled, "WE DID IT!"

"WHAT?" Damon yelled completely shocked. Bonnie and Stefan closed in and collapsed in front of them.

"Damon staking him and Stefan punching him incapacitated Klaus long enough so I could perform the stunning spell. Once he was paralyzed I did the containment and invisibility spell. We did it!"

"Oh my god!" Elena cried crushing her friend with a giant hug and landing on top of her. Stefan sat up on his knees and laughed. Everyone stopped and looked at him oddly as he bent over laughing. Seeing and hearing Stefan laugh was contagious, a moment later Damon cracked and put his arm around his brother and join in.

"They say that some people have inappropriate reactions to stress," Alaric said who couldn't help but crack up too.

"Yeah nothing stressful about Mystic Falls," Bonnie said as she howled, making Elena start giggling.

After they had composed themselves, they set the next stage of their plan in motion agreeing to meet again in two days' time to strategize about how to kill Klaus. Alaric agreed to be on Klaus duty for the evening. Stefan took off to check on the coffins and make sure Klaus's minions hadn't found his hiding spot while their master was away. Bonnie insisted Elena go home to take care of herself after being thrown around. Bonnie and Damon would load up all the stakes, crossbows, and grenades into her car and take it back to the Salvatore Boarding House.


"Good job Bonnie with the spells," Damon said to the witch he was often too hard on.

"Thanks Damon," she said throwing the last of the stakes into the back of her Prius. Damon hoisted a box of Vervain grenades into the backseat and got in the passenger seat. Bonnie started the engine and accelerated down the unpaved road.

"Do you think Elena's OK?" Bonnie asked.

"I think so. She fell hard; you should probably go check on her after we drop everything off at my house."

"Check on her yourself," she responded smiling, shifting the car into another drive.

"Definitely not the right thing to do. I just got her friendship back; I have the tendency to act out when she's vulnerable. I misinterpret things. Bonnie, check on her," Damon said firmly. "She fell so hard, you should have seen it. I can't believe she jumped on his back, what was she thinking?"

"She was probably thinking that she would do anything to save the man she loves," Bonnie said letting the cat out of the bag.

"WHAT?" Damon yelled. Bonnie laughed, slowed the car and pulled it to the side of the road before stopping it.

"She loves you Damon. She told me. She told me all about the kiss and what has been going on between you two these last few months," Bonnie said undoing her seatbelt and turning her body to face him. Damon was stunned, his mouth hung open. "She's over Stefan. I mean, she's still confused about how to help him…But you're the guy."

"Why didn't she just tell me this? Why are YOU telling me this?"

"She was terrified Damon that you would get hurt. Remember what happened last time? Stefan got compelled to attack her and then lost his humanity. I think that justifies her lie. Doesn't make it right but nothing is easy in this town, especially love. She didn't want your love for her to get used against you, like it did with Stefan. She thought that if you knew she loved you, it would weaken you and distract you...," Bonnie let what she said sink in. Damon smiled, really smiled.

"... And I'm telling you this because... I don't hate you Damon... You're not my favorite, I can promise you that... You have your issues and you need to work on them but... Elena is my best friend and you make her happy... I told her this and I'm going to tell you this too. She's different when she's around you, you challenge her, she tries harder, and she really lives when she's with you. It's like having the pre-vampiregeddon Elena back."

"Bonnie "The Witch" Bennett, are you saying you approve of me?"

"Hardly but yes and if you do anything to lose my approval, like hurt my best friend, I WILL de-spell your daylight ring. I know how to do that now. "

"Point duly noted."