Elijah Mikaelson, oldest of the remaining Original Vampires, looked down at the lake house his intended target had been hiding in for the past few days. He had yet to inform his younger brother, Niklaus, that he had found the doppelganger, if only because he wanted to be the one to deliver her to Niklaus in return for the remaining members of their family.

Surrounded by trees in the dead of night, he wondered if this was the best course of action. The Doppelganger and her companions had already staked him twice, once with a wooden stake and a second time with the White Ash Oak Dagger, if it hadn't been for the hunter's lack of knowledge on how to properly use the weapon, Elijah would have still been neutralized. Pulling it out had been their mistake, for more than one reason.

As much as Elijah despised his brother for what he had done to their siblings, discarded them in the ocean like common trash, Elijah had all of eternity to find them, and then they could live the life they should have had all along. The life Niklaus had taken from them in fear of betrayal from any one of them. Ironic really, considering Rebekah had never once considered betraying him, nor Elijah. Circumstance had led Rebekah astray and the original doppelganger had come between the Elijah and Niklaus. And as he observed the trio in the house, he could clearly see that she had come in between the Salvatore brother's as well, although the sexual tension radiating off of them didn't seem solely focused on the girl.

Katerina had toyed with the boys; she had even been the one to turn them over a hundred years ago. That she had returned to this backwater town that vaguely knew of vampires made Elijah wonder if it was out of stupidity or necessity. Either way, she had to have known that Klaus would be gunning for her… again. Yet she had gathered the aid of her descendant, the new doppelganger's mother. The woman, Isobel Flemming, though was nowhere to be seen and Katerina hid in the night, always skirting the edge of the shadows.

Klaus would want her, if only to kill her for forcing him to wait five long centuries to break his curse. The woman, even as a human, knew how to toy with the emotions of men, and yet Elijah still felt something for her. Why, he didn't know, but if she were here as well, not only did she know about the doppelganger, but she undoubtedly still had the moonstone, which she had stolen years ago, in her possession. Klaus needed it, which meant Elijah had to get it first. Fear of reprisal from his brother meant nothing to Elijah, as he truly only wanted to be with his family again… Niklaus included.

It had been centuries since they had crossed paths, but Elijah knew that his younger brother had resurfaced. The rumors of his return had already reached the ears of his inner circle and that of vampires everywhere whom hid from Niklaus out of fear. One of those vampires in particular, Rose, had called him here to this town. He had almost had the doppelganger in his hands, when those annoying Salvatore Brothers had staked him in an attempt to get rid of him. Their gross misconduct had led Elijah to the decision of simply biding his time, they still had a weapon that could neutralize him, and he had to use caution. Otherwise he would never get the chance to capture the doppelganger; he'd simply be a desiccated corpse until someone was negligent enough to remove the dagger.

His lips curved into a dark smile at that, as the duo had never had the pleasure of truly knowing an original vampire, which they remembered of course. Elijah might not have travelled with his younger brother, but he had watched his brother from a distance over the years. His tour of New Orleans in the 20's had brought back old memories, and that was how Elijah had recognized Stefan Salvatore, tall and brooding as ever, having fallen for the only female original vampire of Elijah's family.

Elijah stood tall and firm in his resolve to be the one to retrieve the doppelganger. Elijah was a tall young man, who looked as if he were in his late twenties, with a full head of short brown hair that he kept lightly combed, and deep enthralling hazel eyes set in an angular face, Elijah knew he was attractive, and he wasn't above using his appearance to coax the dark side of people he intended to feed on. He wore a tight black button down dress shirt, and tailored black khakis which accentuated his backside. His feet were in comfortable black dress shoes that had been scuffed by the tree branch he had climbed over slowly to arrive here in secret.

His family had been divided for far too long, and he wasn't going to let another doppelganger tear it apart again. His brother wanted the woman for a dark spell, one that would allow him to break the curse put on him long ago. The curse that had bound his werewolf side, and had caused him to lash out at those he called family for perceived infractions. Klaus couldn't be killed, and as much as finding a way might solve Elijah's problems, he desperately wanted his family to be as whole as it could be.

If that meant a doppelganger had to die, then so be it. He would let Niklaus pass judgment on all of the others involved in keeping her hidden in this town. All Elijah had to do was get her away from her vampiric protectors, which truly wasn't a problem, and bring her to a safe hiding place. He had the power to compel them, an advantage they lacked against him, and one he would take the first opportunity he received.

They had insulted him and humiliated him, but he wasn't going to let anger rule him. So as he watched the lights turn off inside the house, Elijah turned to leave. He didn't have to wait for her to leave the house willingly. If she took too long… well he could always set it on fire and force them outside.

Elijah sped away, knowing he had time to come up with a plan he both felt comfortable with, and would result in little to no damage towards the doppelganger. It would be counterproductive to offer his brother a corpse.

'Elijah, always a pleasure,' Elijah heard the sensual tone of a woman say within his mind, bringing him to an abrupt stop. Telepathy… he couldn't sense the presence of a witch anywhere near him, which ruled out that possibility, and having lived for longer than most vampires ever dreamed, Elijah knew that there were many possibilities of who could be using such a coveted gift. 'I mean you no ill will; in fact I have to say I'm surprised you're here. That you are means I'm close to finding the doppelganger for Niklaus, should you wish to… combine our forces, I'd be more than willing to do so.'

'A woman who hides in the shadows to contact an Original Vampire by way of telepathy,' Elijah thought casually as he looked over his shoulder up towards the top of the Mystic Grill, past the lit up sign of the bar that most of the group he was stalking frequented. 'Why should I consider working with you?'

"Because your brother as," the same woman said out loud, from a distance, giving her location away without a fight. "Lurking in the shadows for days won't get you anywhere with Niklaus. I've already promised him the doppelganger… and I don't mind sharing."

Elijah turned around fully to see the origin of the sensual voice sashaying towards him. She had long flowing blonde hair, a curvy figure, large supple breasts which were barely contained by her mostly undone button-down blouse, tight white pants, and matching stiletto heels. "My powers are a perfect match for a vampire on the prowl. You don't have to compel your target to come to you when you have a telepath willing to bring them out seemingly of their own volition.

A tall man with wavy brown hair and red-black eyes appeared behind her, keeping his distance in a supposed show of peace. But Elijah could see the tall muscular man clench his fist around a bo-staff, a weapon that was completely useless against Elijah. Elijah had the inkling that he had seen the man before, and yet he couldn't place his finger on how. But the odor that now filled the air told Elijah exactly what he was dealing with… mutants.

But Elijah recognized this one in particular much more easily than the man, if only because she had worked with Klaus once before. It didn't really matter if she spoke the truth or not, Elijah would get the doppelganger with or without Miss Emma Frost's help and deliver the girl to his brother in due time. But Elijah couldn't deny the distinct advantage that she did provide, and if she spoke the truth… Klaus did not trust easily, and very few people actually knew of doppelgangers.

Even though he had no reason to distrust her, that didn't mean he had any reason to trust her either.

Elijah's lips curved into a sly grin as he tilted his head to the side. "Emma Frost," his eyes flickered over towards her companion, seeing something interesting about the young man. He had a distinct scent about him, one that was hard to get rid of even after months of being away from where it would have originated. "How ever did you find this place, with me in it?"

"Either my reputation precedes me, or you've been a naughty Original." Emma said with a seductive smile as she traced a finger along his cheek before gently tapping his chin. "Klaus gave me the name Katerina Petrova; I simply backtracked through records for the past few centuries. Or rather a friend did. Not that it matters much, what I'm getting out of this deal is the same desire you're looking for, just of a different relationship."

"You want immunity from whatever has brought Niklaus back into the fray." Elijah said simply as he looked into the woman's icy blue eyes. He had had his share of women in the past, and it had been one in particular that had damaged his relationship with his brother. The original Petrova Doppelganger, Katerina, whom he had fallen in love with at the same time his brother had become obsessed with utilizing her to break the curse on him. "And I want my family. I think we might be able to… accommodate one another. You know that he intends to sacrifice the doppelganger."

"I assumed as much," Emma said as she maintained her calm and collected demeanor. The man behind her didn't flinch at the mention of sacrifice, leading Elijah to realize something about him. New Orleans… even though Elijah didn't know the man personally, he knew that that was where he had seen him. Elijah and his family had practically built that city, and their father had run them out of it. But Elijah had returned there, a few times in fact, and he could almost taste the Cajun spice that permeated the air around him. "Life is fleeting, and if this life can give meaning in death…"

She hesitated briefly, catching Elijah's immediate attention. The woman did have some trouble coming to terms with what would be necessary of her. But after a mere second of internal deliberation, Elijah arched a brow as he regained her composure. "Then who am I to stand in the way."

"Well then, let's go discuss our plans in a more… private setting." Elijah said as he gestured for them to follow. Niklaus had put some trust in the woman. He had given the name of a vampire who had been reported dead over five hundred years ago to Emma Frost. If anything, Elijah could utilize her towards his own advantage in capturing the doppelganger.

"Yes, let's," Emma said in a seductive tone as she gestured for her companion to follow. "This is my dear friend Remy, and as of this moment, your best chance at getting the doppelganger without harming her."

"We shall see about that." Elijah said simply as he led the duo across the street. He needed a place to hide them all, something he hadn't considered earlier when he had arrived. Had he planned on staying longer than a day, he might have considered that. Elijah sighed in annoyance as he twisted his Day-light ring around his left middle finger.

He was going to get that damned doppelganger, and nothing and no one would stand in his way. His family was held by Klaus, and the only way to get them was to give Klaus the one thing that no one else could, before he got it himself. The doppelganger was his only hope, his only option, his only choice.

"She's hiding out in her family's lake cabin." Elijah said as they started crossing through the town square. The scent of freshly cut grass flowed through his nostrils, sullied by the burning sensation that vervain brought to all vampires of his kind. Vervain was a plant that had grown at the base of the tree with which their vampiric life had been born from… one of the few things that could harm him and his siblings, although only a stake forged from said tree could kill them. That was exactly why it was a pile of ash, and nothing more than a distant memory of a time when fear mattered to them.

"Well then," Remy said as he twirled his bo-staff around. "Let's go fishing." Elijah smirked at that, actually glad that he had someone to talk to. In the years that he had been on the run from his brother, talking with others hadn't been a luxury he could afford himself. Spending too much time in one place had been an unwise decision as well. Klaus had almost found him once before… Elijah hadn't made the same mistake again. He had very few vampires in his inner circle, those whom he trusted, but only from a distance. The less they knew about him… the better for all of them.

Elijah parted his lips to say something when a sudden and sharp pain coursed through his body, sending him to his knees. "Elijah," Emma breathed as she rushed to his side, while Remy swung his staff out, igniting it with some sort of energy.

"Emma, best if you stand back," Remy hissed under his breath, while Elijah felt the pain increase with each passing second. A witch was attacking him, and as he craned his head forward so he could catch a glimpse of who had been stupid enough to attack him, Elijah's eyes went wide with shock.

He was an African-American man of average height with closely shaven black hair and dark colored eyes. A man Elijah had trusted a warlock that he had promised to help find the daughter of. Jonas Martin now stood before him, holding his hand out towards Elijah, attacking Elijah's mind with his potent magic.

"You let those bastards kill my son!" Jonas roared as he stalked towards them. "He saved your life and lost his in the process and you've done nothing to bring my daughter back."

"You just made a big mistake, mon ami." Remy said callously as he lunged for the traitorous witch, and prepared to slam his staff down upon his head. Remy gargled as he was caught midair, only to thrust his hand forward and send glowing cards towards Jonas. The witch moved to catch them, but the speed with which they moved and their numbers prevented the witch from successfully dividing his magic. Blood trickled from his nose and down his cheek, and Elijah could feel the weight levied against him was lessening. Remy was soon cast aside, his staff crashing loudly on the street several feet away from him.

Pushing himself onto his feet, Elijah watched as the lone card that had escaped Jonas's magic struck him the chest, exploded, and sent him stumbling backward. Adjusting his blazer, Elijah sped towards him, prepared to end the life of a man he had allowed to work with him. Elijah valued human life, treasured it really, but he despised being betrayed by those whom he had put his faith in.

"Wait," Emma called out, causing Elijah to falter in reaching for the man's neck. "The daughter he speaks of..." Emma began as she moved to stand next to Elijah. Remy slowly began to pull himself up onto his feet, allowing Elijah the ability to not worry about him. "I know who she is; she attacked Bruce Wayne's party last week with a warlock named Maddox."

"I could sense something in their minds, something that forced me not to attack them." Emma said in an annoyed tone. "I agreed to help Klaus, and when I read their minds to take them down… they're working for Klaus."

"This man's daughter…" Elijah said as he moved his hand back towards his side and raised a perplexed brow. "He and his son, the girl's brother, were under the distinct impression that she had been kidnapped by Klaus. I figured I could use them to find the doppelganger in the first place and promised to retrieve their loved one before reuniting with my brother. And now you're saying she's willingly working for my brother."

"She didn't seem compelled," Emma said slowly and carefully, before she circled around the man to place her hands on either side of his temple. Emma closed her eyes softly and leaned her head back; allowing her long blonde hair to sway from side to side as a gust of cool wind flowed by, sending her enticing scent directly towards Elijah. Elijah shifted where he stood as the thin soft material of his pants grew tighter was an erection formed. Everything about the woman was designed to lure men and possibly some women, in to her clutches. "What he thinks and what she thinks are two very different stories."

"No!" Jonas roared as he thrust his head back and struck Emma in the chest, knocking her towards the ground. Elijah moved to strike, only to scream out in pain as the witch once again unleashed his magic upon the Original vampire. The man clearly didn't want to believe his daughter had willingly gone with Klaus, which meant the witch was going to perform the ritual Klaus needed to break the curse.

He knew who he had to target next to prevent Klaus from succeeding, but Jonas was obviously not going to let that happen. Elijah looked into the man's eyes, knowing that he could overpower him; he just had to push through the pain. His vision was blurring, and a loud ringing reverberated through his ears, disorienting him further.

Elijah tried to move, but as he did, he soon found that Jonas had already taken down Emma and Remy both, leaving Elijah on his own. So he fought through Jonas's magic, knowing that he was stronger than the traitor. There were very few witches or warlocks in this world that could actually harm him, and as he struggled onto his feet, he knew Jonas wasn't one of them.

Elijah ground his teeth when he felt the added pressure of telekinesis, sending him crashing to his knees before Jonas began crushing him into the ground. He was getting tired of this nonsense, but Jonas's anger was increasing his power, and all Elijah could muster was the strength to turn his head.

He could see black spots forming in his eye as the pain from the man's magic began to dig deeper into his body, cutting and slicing at him everywhere around his body. His clothes were in shreds, and as he leaned his head back further, he could feel his consciousness slipping away. And then the pain suddenly vanished.

The sound of a body hitting the ground reverberated through Elijah's ears, and as he began to shake off the effects, he knew exactly what had happened. Elijah gasped in pain as he felt hands circling around his head; he moved to defend himself, only to-!


"Do you think it was a good idea to save him?" Stefan Salvatore heard the woman he loved, Elena Gilbert, ask softly. He looked over at her from where he leaned against a wood support beam close to the front door of her family's lake house. He could see that she was afraid, even though she was masking it behind courage. She was a tall girl, seventeen years old, with beautifully smooth olive-skin. Her long pin straight hair glowed when the fire from the fireplace hit it at an angle, casting glittering lights in her almond shaped brown eyes. She wore a denim jacket over a pink tank top, a tight pair of jeans and form fitting white and pink low riding shoes.

"I don't know, but we can't risk pissing him off any more than we already have." Stefan said as he adjusted his black leather jacket in an attempt to cover his erection, knowing that his form fitting black jeans weren't going to cut it. He was a tall man who was physically seventeen, but biologically one hundred and sixty-three years old. He had heard others describe him as classically handsome with a brooding and mysterious aura about him. He had a strong muscular physique, which accentuated his ass and legs that he knew how to use to draw women and men alike in. His skin was pale; his forehead broad, his short dark brown hair was styled up and back with gel, and his deep set intense forest green eyes were tools he had learned to do the same thing when he had been the Ripper. His brow was large and almost always furrowed as he observed his environment. He knew was attractive, alluring… some would even call him a hunk, but it was his brother that was the tall, dark, and handsome stud women seemed to go for.

The sound of Damon jogging down the stairs didn't help matters any either, and when his older brother stopped at the landing to check out Elena, he found it only enhanced his dilemma. Damon's skin complexion was light with olive undertones, his eyes were blue end encapsulated all whom he directed them towards, even without compulsion. Strong yet subtle cheekbones, Damon had a much more square jaw in comparison to Stefan's angular one, alongside a strong and thick neck. With a mess of darker brown hair that was regularly attended to in order to keep its uncared for appearance, Damon always wore tight black, or similarly dark colored, clothes that his hair would melt into if it were any shorter. And today was no exception.

As if the situation wasn't bad enough, now incest was creeping into the back of his mind. Stefan licked his lips as he watched Damon enter the room, only mildly concerned that he was thinking about his brother in such a way. As he looked his brother over, Stefan said, "Staking him twice… he's already going to hate us."

"Whether or not he's pissed at us doesn't matter," Damon said in a dry tone as he glanced over at Stefan and waggled his eyebrows suggestively. Stefan rolled his eyes in exasperation, all the while wondering where these thoughts were coming from. The way his brother's shirt hugged his muscles… something was going on, he just didn't know what. Stefan found himself grinning when Damon tugged at the crotch of his dark brown pants before turning back towards Elena.

"It's the blonde bitch prowling around outside just waiting to chomp her teeth in us that we should think about dealing with." Damon went on as he pressed his back against the wall next to the fireplace and crossed his arms over his chest before crossing his legs at the ankle. "She doesn't need an invitation to come in here, not that I should have to be reminding any of you about that. She killed Rose with her damn werewolf bite, and she's gunning for us all now. Although I have to say, Elijah is packing heat, and I don't mean in the fang department."

"But you heard them, they wanted to join him in an effort to kidnap me and take me to Klaus," Elena countered as she pushed herself onto her feet. "He literally told us what he's going to do to me, Damon, and you're more concerned about his body than our lives?"

"You still have the dagger, if need be you can dagger him again," Stefan said as he looked over towards the window again. He couldn't use it, nor could his brother, if either of them did, they would succeed in neutralizing Elijah, but they would be forfeiting their lives at the same time. "Just don't invite him into the house and you'll be safe."

Stefan was getting damn tired of these Originals, and this was only the first of five. Although, Stefan had looked the man over long and hard on the way in, and as the image of his completely naked body burned in his mind, he began to wonder if it was Elijah giving him an erection or Elena. The man lay unconscious just outside the house, completely in view from where Stefan stood, delectably so.

Stefan shook his head, truly surprised at himself. For over a hundred years he had craved only one woman, and now an Original vampire, male at that, had pulled his affections astray. What the hell was wrong with him? And as he looked over towards his brother, he started wondering what was wrong with him too.

"I still can't believe that you're more interested in his prick than the fact that he wants to offer me up on a silver platter to another prick." Elena said in an exasperated tone, before she leaned forward in her chair and ran her hand through her hair. "After all this time of trying to keep me safe…"

"What can I say, I'm a vampire, Elena," Damon said, putting emphasis on her name as he arched his brow in a seductive manner, before he threw his arms out in an exaggerated one. "Feed, fuck, kill, it's what I do best. Why change it if it's not broken. And if our other guests are as… entertaining as they dress, who knows, I might only try two of the three."

Elena parted her lips to respond to that, but at the sound of her phone ringing, she chose not to. "Hello," Elena said into the receiver, now actively ignoring Damon. Stefan listened closely, without even having to try really, after over a century of being a vampire some skills just became automatic.

"Tyler and I are on our way to the lake house," Caroline said in a soft, sweet tone, the sound of an engine revving in the background was faint but there. "We should be there in an hour, Bonnie's got Jeremy and they aren't leaving your house until Elijah's been contained. She's still reeling from Jonas's unprecedented attack."

"Well you can tell them he has been and Jonas is dead," Elena said simply as she leaned back in her seat, and let sighed heavily. "Stefan took them down twenty minutes ago and chained Elijah up out front with vervain soaked chain links."

"Really, how'd he do that?" Caroline asked in a cheerful tone that she quickly dropped when she added, "I mean, the last time they fought Elijah almost killed them both. And with the whole daggering thing, I thought only a human could use it against him."

"He broke his neck before he could fully recuperate." Elena said as she looked over at Damon. "Although I'm starting to think Damon's the biggest problem." Damon simply rolled his eyes before speeding out of the room, leaving Stefan alone with Elena and technically Caroline.

"What'd he do this time?" Caroline asked in a dry tone. She was adjusting fairly well with being a vampire, and at times she truly seemed to enjoy it. Stefan could understand the allure of being a vampire, the power, the sensations, the freedom; everything could be yours with little to no cost. That vampires had been revealed to the world hadn't fazed them much, they tried to keep their activities shrouded in the shadows, for their own safety and privacy. At times, though, Stefan wondered what it would be like to out himself as the vampire he was. "Don't tell me he tried to kiss you again."

Stefan stiffened at that, having not known about that little detail. He looked over his shoulder, wearing a hurt expression. He had thought Elena was the one, the one woman in his life who would never lie, betray, or hurt him in any way. To find out from, as Damon so affectionately referred to her as 'Vampire Barbie,' happened to hit all three simultaneously. "I mean, if we're talking which brother is better for you, Stefan all the way. Oh and Matt should be there soon too."

Elena hadn't moved from the second the word 'kiss' had been brought up, but as soon as she defrosted her gaze fell upon Stefan's recomposed expression. Even if Damon had kissed her, even if Elena had let him, he couldn't claim her as his own. That didn't mean he hadn't hoped she would have loved him and only him.

All this time of wanting a normal life with Elena, even though he was a vampire and she a human, Stefan could feel that life shattering all around him. Stefan had been wondering, only a minute earlier what it would be like if the world knew he was a vampire. A time in his life, during the twenties when he had been a sadistic vampire who killed and feed freely, perhaps being the good boy was what drove Elena towards the much more… nefarious Damon.

Stefan had pledged to protect, love, and honor Elena from the second he had met her. Maybe he had made a hasty decision that had led him down this path. Maybe being the good boyfriend wasn't something he wanted. What if he wanted to be as feared and revered as Damon was among the vampires of their kind. Audacious and sensual but not letting emotions like love and guilt weigh him down. Maybe he just had to turn of the emotional switch and be whoever the fuck he wanted to be.

He could take whatever he wanted, whether it was women or men for their company, their blood, and even their lives. Maybe he was just wasting his time trying to fit into a world he hadn't been a part of for over a century. He had been ignoring his better half for just a few human pleasures, when he could have all that and more if he just gave into his true self. He was a vampire… and maybe he didn't need a normal human companion to fulfill his inner desires.

Elena had stood by, as had her friend Bonnie and judged them for what they were, for what they had been turned into against their will. As if they were better than him. A human and a witch tried to control him as if he were unnatural. Maybe it was they who needed to be controlled. He was strongly considering tossing Elena straight towards Klaus; he might even get something out of it other than judgmental ingrates.

Stefan froze in that instant, utterly confused about where those thoughts had flooded in from. He had always cared about humans, had always wanted to be a human and live out his life like everyone else. Why was he so suddenly against them, especially the woman he thought he loved?

Love was supposed to be his anchor, Elena was his anchor. And yet he wanted to give her up without a fight to a man who wanted to sacrifice her so he could break some ancient curse binding his werewolf side.

Yet… that was Klaus wanting the exact same thing Stefan was beginning to crave. To be accepted for what he was and who he was and not some stereotypical cardboard cutout of what a young naïve girl thought vampires should be like. Pacifistic and willing to bend over backward towards their will and not his own, that was all he could gather from their treatment of him and his brother Damon.

He looked back out through the window towards Elijah's handsome, nude form. A voice whispered in the back of his mind, ensnaring him to be with the man and to simply forget about Elena, but to bring Damon along for the ride. Images of himself being intimate with his brother and the Original vampire flooded his mind, stirring something deep down inside of him he had never even begun to image was there. It felt supernaturally charged, almost certainly magical, but he didn't give a damn.

Or… he didn't think he did.

Stefan licked is lips in anticipation, for lust, sex, blood, violence. All the things that vampires could easily take from whomever they wanted without fear of reprisal… for the most part. If Elena truly wanted to be with him, then it was she who should give up her human life and become a vampire at his side. An equal of literal proportions, was how it would have to be.

"It seems lust has reached this part of the country already," came from the staircase as the beautiful woman he had taken back to the cabin when he had saved Elijah descended it slowly and seductively. "I can't say I'm surprised, witches and demons are notoriously unprepared for consistent dispelling."

"Why didn't you warn me she was coming down here?" Elena breathed as she looked over towards the woman as she adjusted her blouse before running both hands through her long blonde hair.

"Because darling, not even vampires are immune to my telepathy." She said with an amused smile as she leaned against the staircase, only a few feet away from Stefan. Her eyes travelled up and down Stefan's body, while he did the same. She was absolutely stunning in just her physical appearance. With large supple breasts barely contained even after altering the placement of her top, long cascading blonde hair that caught the light in a brilliant fashion, strong and shapely legs barely hidden by her pants and an ass that deserved its own equation. "I didn't want them to hear my descent, and so they didn't. Not even vampires are immune to the powers of mutants, they might not all be able to kill them, but they'll make them think twice about testing the boundaries."

"A telepathic mutant," Damon said in a surly tone as he appeared before them, the bulge in his pants having increased in girth. "Why didn't you just escape, you had the chance. Why test those boundaries."

"Because," she said in a wry tone as her body swiftly turned to a glittering diamond form. "My friend has kinetically charged this house to explode should he be forced to lose contact with it, killing him insures that. Killing me doubly insures it. Now, from the pattern of your thoughts I'd much prefer to leave such virile, eternal men alive." Her gaze flickered past them towards Elena, as she said, "All we desire is the doppelganger."

"Blowing up the house only kills her," Damon countered with an amused smile of his own which he emphasized by crossing his arms over his chest to appear bigger. "Vampires, pesky little things are a bitch to kill. Now what's say a pretty little thing like you hit the road before I think of something much more fun to do than killing you."

"No one ever said I was against bondage and submission," she said smoothly as she moved towards Damon to run her finger along his chin, cutting him just the tiniest bit. She brought her finger towards her lips, and smiled darkly before she blinked slowly and enticingly. "I might dress in white but don't for a second think I'm not willing to break your minds, lock you up, and bring you out every couple of days to please my selfish little desires."

Stefan adjusted himself where he sat; knowing that at any moment Elena could be taken, and thus considered a nonissue. The worst that could come of it really was her death and Klaus's rise as a hybrid. And for some reason that just didn't seem so bad. In fact, he felt as if there was something else in the back of his mind, something he had long since forgotten. And it was something he knew that was making the decision to let Elena go all the easier. But it was that particular line of thought that brought an important question to the forefront of his mind.

"What did you mean about lust coming to this part of the country?" Stefan asked as he took a cautious step forward, earning her leer for a few moments. "You said something about witches and demons being unable to consistently break one another's spells. What did you mean by that?"

"A demon cast a spell some time ago to incite lust in people," She said simply as she rolled her eyes. She looked over at Elena as the girl tried to act invisible to the room, but it was useless. Stefan could hear Elijah moving freely in the front yard of the lake house now, the sounds of chains cracking only a few seconds behind it. "But it can only draw upon a line of strong emotion that already existed in the being affected by it. So your inklings towards Elijah and your adorable bad boy brother Damon are overpowering your natural feelings towards the doppelganger. The knowledge won't help you much, though. Supernatural beings are affected by it with distressing ease, I myself am finding it hard not knock the both of you to the ground and have my way with you. Business, however takes precedence over pleasure."

"Is that why I want to throw Elena to the wolves, pun possibly intended?" Even as he asked the question, Stefan found that it was becoming increasingly apparent that that was what he wanted to do. Knowing it was a side effect of a spell hadn't helped, like she had made a point of bringing to light.

"What, Stefan?" Elena breathed her shocked confusion as she pushed herself up onto her feet and took a fearful step back. Stefan looked at her, deep down knowing he shouldn't do it. But there was a thick gap between what he should and shouldn't do and what he would and wanted to do.

"I really have to say, all our problems would be solved if we just handed you over to her." Damon said as he shrugged his shoulders. Stefan could feel his past creeping up on him. When he had been the Ripper he hadn't cared or worried about what he had done to other people, Damon never really had either. No one had held him back in those days as no one had ever held Damon back. They had a lot more in common than Stefan had ever wanted to admit, but as his brother turned towards Elena, Stefan's gaze travelled down his brother's muscular back towards his tight, firm, supple butt.

Something had always drawn Stefan to Damon, perhaps Katherine and Elena had only been distractions for what they really wanted but could never admit to or go for. Perhaps they were more than just brothers without ever having truly realized it. The Lust spell the woman had mentioned, it was almost certainly the cause of the emergence of these feelings to such a degree, but Stefan couldn't deny it any longer.

He didn't want Elena anymore. He wanted Damon.

"Sorry to interrupt this lovely display of brotherly love," the woman said slyly as she eyed both Stefan and Damon, prompting him to wonder if Damon was having similar thoughts about Stefan. "But we're about to have company, and even though I have every intention of giving the girl to Klaus I have a plan to bring her back to life. They, unfortunately do not."

Stefan sped away from the door, feeling his desire for his brother dissipate as the need to protect himself and his brother… and Elena at that, from whatever was about to come through the door. "Emma Frost, by the way, and I should like to remind you both that Remy has the house ready to blow."

"Anything that causes him to lose contact with it blows whatever plan any one has to hell and back." Damon said as he rolled his eyes and waggled his eyebrows sarcastically. "Well then, let's kill the competition and go with your plan. At least you get to live with this one Elena."

"Say we believe you." Stefan relented, knowing he had no way to know the full truth without being a telepath as she was. Even if it was true, if all of it was true, he owed Elena her life. But after this time… he had no intention of owing her anything ever again if he could help it. "Why should we trust you?"

"My allegiances are flexible," she said with a sly smile as her body reverted to its natural form. Her long blonde hair cascaded around her far more naturally like this, and as she straightened up and strode towards Stefan, he found himself grinning. "It never hurts to have an Original Vampire on your side. That doesn't mean I'd turn a blind eye to other partnerships along the way."

"Can you guarantee Elena can be revived?" Stefan countered as he turned his gaze towards the door, knowing that at any moment they were going to be under attack. Elijah had already broken through his bindings and was now stalking around the house, but Stefan couldn't figure out what it was he wanted to do at the moment. He could hear the werewolf, Jules, out there too, and as he listened harder to his surroundings, he could hear the footsteps of the two Emma had obviously been talking about.

"Elena will live again," Emma said as she looked over her shoulder towards the girl. "Something tells me her destiny is anything but fulfilled. And that her life will not be short-lived."

Stefan watched as Emma pressed two fingers against her forehead and closed her eyes gently. Twenty minutes ago, they had been enemies; Elena had been the love of his life, and Damon a thorn in his side. Now he was about to fight alongside Emma, willing to give Elena up to Klaus, and sleep with his brother… He had to wonder what this lust spell would make him want to do if he ever shut down his emotions.

"Give us the doppelganger, and we'll make your deaths quick," Stefan heard a woman say, seconds before the front door ignited in flames. "Resist us and… well you'll soon find out what true pain is."


Emma frowned at the sound of Greta Martin's voice, which only grew when the statuesque African-American beauty stepped through the burning door unharmed. She and the other one, Maddox, both worked for Klaus. But their presence in the town irked Emma no end. She had found the doppelganger before them, and they thought they could take the girl away from her and circumvent her deal with Klaus. They had another thing coming.

Emma pressed her fingers against her temple much more firmly than she had been a moment ago when she had been talking to Elijah. The man was circling the house, waiting for a moment to strike the witches, but now that they were in the house he couldn't help them. Unless the doppelganger invited him in of her own accord, or of her own simulated accord.

She found the Salvatore brothers to be quite entertaining, which had prompted her to alter her deal with Elijah to allow them to live. Vampires were dangerous foes but wondrous allies. The fact that they had begun questioning their choices towards Elena, due in part mostly to the damn lust spell that she was finding harder and harder to ignore, hadn't hurt the decision making process.

"So what do you say?" Greta asked as she placed one hand on her hip and summoned a ball of fire within her palm. Emma had already attempted piercing her mind, and Maddox's for that matter, but their magic gave them some semblance of protection from her. Mind control was a bitch, and that they could use it to protect their own minds was more than just annoying. They had to be sufficiently weakened for her to use her most potent weapon against them.

A cursory glance towards Damon, however, told her she might not have to worry about that avenue. The vampire clearly had no qualms about killing the witches, and Emma had no problem letting him. If the witches intended to kill them, they had every right to defend themselves. Klaus might have to find a few more witches to perform his ritual.

Emma took a step forward, at the same time implanting an unconscious command within Elena's mind. When Elijah asked for an invitation, she was going to give it to him, whether she wanted to or not. Emma had been concerned about her choices when she had made a deal with Klaus, but after careful consideration, she knew she had done the right thing. Klaus was better as an ally than an enemy, because if he was an enemy there was no telling what he would do when he found out what Adam could do. At least if they were on the same side Emma could keep a closer eye on him.

Greta frowned as the ball of fire jumped into a stream that soon formed into a circle which floated a foot before her body. "I guess it's the hard way then," Greta grumbled before sending the fiery circle spiraling towards them. Emma leapt forward, using her diamond form to withstand the power of the heat and protect the vampires from it.

Damon sped around her at a blinding speed, only to appear behind Greta a split-second later. "Goodbye, witch," Damon hissed before sinking his fangs into her neck. Her scream was loud and painful, and as Emma began to think the woman was a nonissue, fire erupted around her body and knocked Damon into the doorjamb where Maddox stood.

Maddox twisted his hand around, at the same time snapping Damon's neck and sending him tumbling forward. "Damon!" Elena cried as she surged forward, only for Stefan to hold her back while Emma moved towards the duo. She'd already been taken down by one witch today, and she had no intention of letting this become a habit.

The sudden appearance of a werewolf, however, derailed those intentions quickly. "What the hell?" Maddox ground out as the wolf whacked him aside with a paw before lunging towards Stefan and Elena. "I don't think so bitch," Maddox said in a slithery voice as he flung his hand out in an arc and sent the wolf crashing into the staircase and subsequently through it with the amount of force he had exerted. "You picked the wrong time to show yourself, and now you've made my list of three."

Greta chuckled as Emma felt her body begin to work against herself. Emma let out a small scream as she was sent stumbling backward, onto the couch. Why they hadn't simply killed her yet hadn't made any sense to her, they were clearly after the doppelganger, had made the threat, now why weren't they upholding it? "Maddox it looks like these vamps know where the moonstone is."

Emma held her composure as she realized what it was that they were after. She couldn't be certain, not without putting her body in danger by returning to her normal self, as long as she was diamond she was mostly safe from them. But that didn't mean she couldn't use common sense. Klaus was going to perform a ritual to break the curse; the two witches were clearly working for him as well toward that end. Emma pushed through the woman's telekinesis as her focus was split between holding Emma and Stefan and Elena.

Maddox had traveled through the hole in the staircase, busy collecting the werewolf no doubt. As he reappeared, Emma saw that he had done enough damage to her to force her to revert to her human form. She was a petite blonde, pretty at that. Her ruffled hair was splotched with mud and dirt, as was her naked body. Whatever she had been through to get here, it had been hell. But Emma was able to piece together another piece of the puzzle based on their desire to take her with them.

Klaus wanted to specifically break a curse that kept him from being a hybrid between a werewolf and a vampire. Whatever the moonstone was had to be the focus of the spell, and he definitely needed a witch to cast it, the doppelganger was a sacrifice in the end. To connect him to the spell though, so that it did what it was supposed to. Klaus needed more than just one sacrifice, specifically that of a werewolf and a vampire.

"Katherine Pierce has it and lucky for us they trapped her in the tombs but you'll never guess who she is." Greta said over her shoulder as she increased her hold on them. "She's Kat-!" a shot rang out, silencing the room immediately.

Maddox clutched his chest, the werewolf's hand falling from his in the process. He stumbled forward as Greta's face contorted with hatred. "You son of a bitch," Greta roared as she thrust her hand forward, completely ignoring the others as she turned her fires upon a young, handsome blonde man with light blue eyes, and a muscular and toned body barely hidden beneath the tank top he wore. Emma released her diamond form swiftly and rushed towards Stefan and Elena.

"Matt, look out," Elena cried out as she tried to protect her friend. Greta laughed darkly as the fires seemed to sear him, but Emma could still feel his presence. He hadn't been harmed, though she wasn't about to let the witch know that.

"Invite Elijah in, now," Emma hissed as she opened up her mind to try and stall Greta. Maddox was on the ground, bleeding profusely from the wound the brave human had given him, but he was still alive enough to fight them.

"What?" Elena breathed as she looked at Emma as if she were insane; her thoughts were along that line as well. But Emma knew it was the only way to eliminate the threat quickly enough. "Why can't you just blow her up?"

"Sorry honey, that's not my power set." Emma responded and rolled her eyes in exasperation. The girl was afraid of Elijah, Emma couldn't blame her, after all the vampire intended to present her to his brother and have her killed. Greta knelt down beside Maddox and pressed her hand against his wound, her other hand pointed towards the trio to hold them still. So Emma resorted to her more lucrative form of communication. 'Elijah can kill them faster than they can blink, and with her focused on us, she won't notice until it's too late.'

'That'll give him every chance to take me prisoner,' Elena retaliated as she tried to eye the front door to check on Matt. Emma knew that it had been Elijah who had saved him, and from her vantage point she could see he had whisked the boy away. Stefan flinched at something Emma had yet to hear, but after several moments, she and the other humans in the room noted the sound of a car driving up the dirt road. The one Damon had so lovingly referred to as 'Vampire Barbie' was here, and she wasn't alone it seemed.

Emma could sense the feral disposition within the young man who was driving the car. Much like the unconscious blonde beside a dying Maddox, he was a werewolf. That he was thinking such… delicious things about the blonde next to him caused Emma to smirk in her mind. The best part about their arrival was that only one of them needed an invitation, the werewolf was free to come and go as he pleased. The third member, another male was entirely human and yet he knew far more about the supernatural than even the media had released on them, most specifically vampires. 'A vampire hunter, a vampire, and a werewolf in the same car… insert bad joke there.' Emma thought to herself.

It was in that moment, though, that Emma registered a fourth mind within the truck. This particular one was unconsciously hiding herself from mental probing. She was a witch much like Maddox and Greta, but at the sight of the two witches stiffening when they sensed her presence was enough to give Emma pause. The vampires had a witch friend, which meant whatever epiphanies they might have had wouldn't matter much. She could alter their line of thought in a moment's notice.

Emma watched Stefan's expression turn sour as he sensed her presence through his own vampiric manner. It seemed that he didn't particularly care for the woman; his thoughts screamed that quite clearly. Perhaps her presence wouldn't be too much of a nuisance after all.

As the cold and calculating White Queen, she could feel their strain as they used their powers. Emma knew she could overcome them, which was not the issue at hand. She needed to learn more about their plans, and that of the people associated with the doppelganger and the Salvatore brothers. Manipulation through misinformation was far more easily done when your enemies mistook you for the weaker party. Which was she was underselling her attacks, and allowing them to think they could best her. Once she had what she needed, Klaus would have the perfect opportunity to coerce the doppelganger into complying without much fuss. And then Emma would do whatever she could to see to it that she was brought back to life.

Emma might be a cold, heartless bitch at times, but children were precious to her. It was one of the reasons she had started her own school, that and to provide herself with an army dedicated to her own ideals. Emma knew that deep down mutants were superior to humans, but this wasn't just a world populated with mutants and humans. Witches, vampires, aliens, and metahumans roamed the planet as well. All those who housed preternatural powers held a special place in her heart. It was only by combining their forces that they could prove to the humans who had become the apex predator species in the world.

Unfortunately for these two witches, they had come between Emma and her particular goals. Once Klaus no longer needed them… accidents happened every day. Klaus was her ally, along with Elijah. They were superfluous at best.

"Come on Maddox, you can make it through this we're almost done with our mission." Greta whined as she moved to help him up onto his feet. The man obliged quickly, but he soon paid for his haste when he doubled over in pain.

"Get the werewolf and go for the moonstone," Maddox breathed as he clutched at this chest again, this time much more firmly. "I'll handle them. Now go before their reinforcements arrive!"

Greta eyed him in fear as she slung the arm of the blonde werewolf over her shoulder. Emma could see clearly that the woman didn't want to abandon her associate, but as her telekinetic hold pushed the trio down into the ground, Emma also knew that Greta was going to anyway. That she was taking the werewolf at all only served to prove Emma's theory. A werewolf and a vampire were needed in conjunction with the doppelganger for sacrifices and a witch to perform the ritual.

Emma watched as Greta surged through the front door with the werewolf in tow, fire trailing around her and the woman to protect them from any supernatural threat. Maddox turned towards them then and raised his hand high above his head. "Klaus is just going to have to do without your help, Emma Frost."

Emma looked up, the lingering effect of Greta's telekinesis soon replaced by Maddox's. The man was getting on her nerves, and as the ball of fire increased in size, Emma felt the cool but protective sensation of her diamond organic form cover the entirety of her body. "Go ahead and try, the doppelganger will be your only casualty."

Maddox hissed his annoyance and took a step towards them, the fires dying down as he did. He pressed his hand against his temple and then-!

A loud snap hit Emma's eardrums like thunder, as Damon broke Maddox's neck. The man fell to his knees as a limp, lifeless body. His hold on them had ended immediately, allowing Stefan to surge to his feet and out the door to try and catch up to Greta. But Emma couldn't sense the woman's presence any longer, which meant she had either cloaked her mind or had left Emma's range. Whichever it had been, Emma knew what she had to do next.

"Elijah," Elena said softly as she looked up towards the doorway while Damon let Maddox's body fall forward completely. She had a way to save Elena's life after it was sacrificed, and only hers at that. She had to get a hold of Klaus as quickly as possible, now that she knew where the doppelganger was. Her plan was about to fall apart, at least, plan A was going to fall apart.

'Elijah, work with the Salvatore brothers, I was able to convince them to give up the doppelganger,' Emma sent out first as she felt around for her cellphone, having lost it at some point during the brawl.

'Remy, contact the Winchesters,' Emma sent out, knowing exactly what was amount to happen to her as she finally found her cellphone across the room. Emma rushed towards it, leaving Elena alone as she felt Elijah reach out toward her mind.

'If you think they can be trusted, why not let them save you,' Elijah questioned as Emma ducked behind the staircase and grabbed her cellphone. She quickly pulled up Klaus's number, knowing she had to let him know that she had found the doppelganger. He might be her way out of the stupid plan she was coming up with.

'Because, I'm going to find out everything I can about this young witch coming for us,' Emma replied in a nonchalant tone as she began typing her text. She could hear the footsteps of the witch, as Damon ducked behind the staircase with her. 'She's far more powerful than any one witch should be, lest she be a Charmed One. And most certainly is not, so further investigation is required and what better way than putting oneself in mortal danger?'

'Emma, don't do this,' Elijah cajoled, but Emma knew she had to do something. There were many different kinds of threats in the world. A witch who might have enough power to harm an Original vampire was near the top of that list, especially if Emma was going to be working with them. 'There are other ways!'

'Not soon enough,' Emma replied as the witch's companions entered the house. Emma could feel her probing at her mind with her magic, and as she typed the second line of her text Emma let out a guttural scream as the witch began to infiltrate her mind. "Damon get out of here," Emma breathed as the pain subsided for a moment.

Emma knew that the Salvatore brothers were on her side, it was the other three that were going to be the problem. Rather than waste a moment, Emma connected her mind with Damon's and forged a mental shield around his mind at the first sign of the witch attempting to break into it. Emma knew she had a bad habit of making promise and hasty decisions, but her shining character trait was that she always came out on top. Whoever sided with her did as well, and if Elijah could work with the Salvatore brothers long enough for Klaus to get there…!

Emma clenched her hand around her phone as she fell forward in agony. The witch had no intention of letting Klaus take Elena, even if the vampires were more than willing. Emma writhed in pain as she felt Remy's presence dash away from the house, leaving it intact and giving him a way out to warn the others.

Emma cried out as she felt Remy come to a sudden stop, the witch had caught him before he could escape. 'Damon, work with Elijah and Remy to save me, I'm going into the lion's den to gather some information.' Emma sent towards Damon as the man reached over his head to grab a piece of the staircase to use against the witch. 'Sam and Dean Winchester are your best bet when it comes to supernatural forces, have Remy call them but don't let them-!'

Emma pressed her hands against her head as pain seared through her mind, locking her out of Damon's mind. She wasn't even in the house yet and she was already attacking, royally pissing Emma off that she had to let the girl win so easily. Emma increased her shield around Damon's mind, and hurriedly gestured for him to get out of building. Damon pushed himself onto his feet at her insistence and made a run for the kitchen.

"I'm not going to let you hurt my friends or pervert their minds," The witch said with pride as she held her hand out towards Emma, sending another more painful psychic attack against her. Emma's entire body began to spasm as the woman began to tear through her mind into Emma's most private thoughts. But not before Emma pierced her mind and returned the favor.

Her two companions lunged for Damon, only to trip over one another as he sped out of the way. Emma threw her head back in order to whip her hair out of the way as he increased the amount of psychic shock she was funneling into the girl's mind while still seeming weak enough to be taken captive. If all else failed, she could dispose of the witch and bring the vampire and werewolf to Klaus as the sacrifices. Though something about the particular werewolf turned Emma against that, she couldn't quite place her finger on it, but she knew there was something.

Emma breathed heavily as the witch stumbled backward when pain grew to be too much for her, giving Damon the chance to escape long before she could turn her self-righteous anger against him. A moment later Emma felt Remy push his battered body into motion, and then he vanished completely as Damon scooped him up and dashed away faster than Emma could read them.

Emma rolled over onto her side to ease some of her pain, and catch a glimpse of the beautiful blonde woman in stylish clothes stalking towards her. 'Vampire Barbie to the not-rescue,' Emma thought derisively right before she delivered a swift kick to the gut, sending Emma crashing into the bottom of the couch.

Emma gasped as the wind was knocked out of her, but before she could even register the amount of pain she was in…!


"Again," Storm heard Wolverine say from where they stood on top of the simulated Cliffside, overlooking Berzerker and Jubilee and Iceman and Shadowcat. Rogue and Colossus were quick to start, phasing through a giant boulder long before a beam of ice from Iceman could stop them.

Storm looked over at Wolverine as a cool breeze rustled the cape of her black leather uniform and her long white hair. Logan looked absolutely enthralling in his X-uniform, with every inch of it tailored to fit him to perfection, as the same had been done with hers and all of the others. The expression he wore, though, as the teams began to circle one another, was anything but pleased. Each member could improve on at least one thing, some less than others, but there was always room for improvement. He wore a gruff, almost impenetrable suit of metaphorical armor when it came to anything other than Jean, but Storm could sense his desire for their companions to pull through and overcome their limitations.

Storm looked up towards the control room where Professor Xavier sat beside Beast and Cyclops. Although she couldn't see his lower half, Storm knew that Beast wore his leather underwear uniform, having preferred to allow as much movement for the majority of his body as he could. Cyclops wore his with the zipper partway undone, allowing a portion of his chest to be seen, but even with his ruby-quartz visor covering his eyes, Storm could see that it had nothing to do with being unprepared. Professor Xavier glanced over towards them, before looking over his shoulder to smile at Nightcrawler and their temporary guest Ms. Marvel as the two entered the room to watch the training session. Tabitha and Eric were up for a later training session with a few of the other students, if only because Jubilee and Berzerker were the two New Mutants closest to qualifying for a junior position on the X-Men.

Jubilee and Berzerker eyed one another wearily, before extending their arms toward Iceman and Shadowcat. Electricity arced from the tall, blonde mutant's hands, clad in black leather and boots, Berzerker directed the attack towards Iceman without hesitation. Jubilee dashed to the side and clasped her hands together to form several energy plasmoids that she soon sent hurtling towards Shadowcat.

With Shadowcat being one of the newest additions to the X-men, they were hoping to see some major improvement in her hand to hand combat skills. But when Shadowcat phased through Jubilee's power and made a mad-dash for the girl, Storm she was capable of taking those steps towards improvement. Storm cringed as Rogue and Colossus phased up through the ground, only for Rogue to easily reach through Shadowcat's phased body and pull her out of it.

Shadowcat gasped in surprise as Rogue once again moved to place her bare hand against Shadowcat's exposed face. "Not this time," Iceman called out, as a slick, sharp icicle surged past, hitting rogue's hand and knocking her back into Colossus. Shadowcat shrieked as she fell backward, only to activate her power out of fear and fall through the ground.

Rogue glared at Iceman, as the tension between the two grew to be more than just subtle commentary as it had been every now and again. The two needed to work through their issues, if not for their sake, than for the teams'. Any harbored resentments and repressed anger could lead to disastrous results on a mission… even fatal ones. Rogue didn't need to get over her anger, and Bobby didn't have to give up his damaged pride, but if the two couldn't come to some reconciliation soon...

Jubilee kicked herself into the air and grabbed onto a protruding rock at the same time Berzerker sent two electrical attacks towards Iceman, one straightforward and the other in half-arc just out of eyesight. Iceman spun around to send a constant stream of ice, only to let out a guttural scream as the second bolt struck him and sent him crashing onto the ground beside him.

Jubilee swung out and around, all the while forming energy plasmoids that she clearly intended to use on Rogue and Colossus. "Here you go big boy!" Jubilee exclaimed as she neared them, causing Storm to arch a brow in annoyance as she watched Colossus spin around in time to catch Jubilee midair and stop her cold.

Jubilee let out a small scream as she was sent flying towards her team partner, Berzerker. Berzerker caught the girl, but the sudden shift in his center of gravity sent the two flailing backward. "Simulation Complete," Cerebro announced without preamble, a mere second before Shadowcat resurfaced ready to strike.

"Dammit," Shadowcat said under her breath as Colossus moved in to help her up. She smiled her appreciation and accepted his help, and as she stood up she was able to catch sight of Rogue stalking out of the Danger Room. "What's got her down?"

"Same thing as always," Colossus said with a small frown as his body began to revert to its natural fleshy self. Storm turned to leave at that, and let them have their own private conversation. "She'll work through it eventually."

Lifting herself into the air on a current of wind, Storm flew across the now bland metallic danger room towards the double door exit. The sound of her heels hitting the metal ground were loud but as the doors slid open, making their usual whoosh sound, Storm found herself thinking about Adam.

Wolverine had cancelled all of his training sessions for the next week, and the young man seemed more than just a little distressed. Xavier had already convened with Clark Kent and Chloe Sullivan on the situation, the latter more personally involved with it. Her husband, the Green Arrow, had been taken captive by the two witches who had assailed the party, and the second Adam had returned to the mansion he had wanted to train his powers so he could help others more effectively.

Storm sighed as she reached the faculty/X-men locker room for women and began to unbutton her cape, making the first official step towards being just Ororo. Unzipping the front of her costume, Ororo knew why it was that Logan, Charles, and Scott were all worried about him training his powers. But the benefits far outweighed the consequences in her opinion.

Ororo sat down on the bench, as thoughts about what they should do and what they could do began to clash. The power he had burning inside him, much like her powers, could be lethal if left untrained and uncontrolled. Rather than worrying about what he could do with them, Ororo worried about what we might do with them without even realizing it. More than just his sanity could be lost if the power Adam held consumed him. That was why they had to teach him everything they could in controlling his emotions, his powers, and himself.

Ororo looked over her shoulder at the sound of the door opening, revealing Carol Danvers in the midst of removing her gloves. "They're doing pretty well out there," she said with an amused smile as she strode into the room, letting the doors close behind her and cutting the women off from the remaining members of the team.

"Yeah, they really are." Ororo responded as she unzipped her left boot from her foot and set it next to her on the bench. "All they really have to work on is their teamwork. Learning to put your trust into another person when you're out in the field… it's not just important."

"It could mean the difference between life and death." Carol finished for Ororo. But it was true, fatally so. Their trust had been compromised a few times before in Ororo's tenure as an X-man, Jean Grey had been at the center of one of those instances. The Phoenix had consumed her, and in a moment of weakness the X-men had made the wrong decision, one that hadn't been the best for her wellbeing.

Now they had no idea where she was, if she was even still alive. Jean had been Ororo's best friend for so long; it still pained her whenever something brought her up in her mind. And although Adam was of a different breed, literally, the situation was excruciatingly similar and Ororo didn't want the team to make the same mistake twice. Adam could be shown a better path, the path he had asked for. He could use his powers to help the X-men, to help the world.

"They'll get there," Carol said as she slipped her leotard off and strode over towards her locker to grab a change of clothes. Ororo nodded her agreement, fully believing in her students capabilities. It didn't keep her from wondering if they had promoted Colossus, Rogue, Shadowcat, and Iceman too soon.

Sure it had only been Ororo, Logan, and Scott for a while as the active team of X-men, but they were still just children… Ororo also knew that Xavier's original team had only been little more than children as well, aside from a few members. Now there were fewer members on the team, despite the invitation of Xavier towards Beast, Nightcrawler, and Psylocke to rejoin. Ororo knew they could depend on them, but that didn't mean they were obligated to stay here.

The X-men needed to rebuild, and soon. Magneto's Brotherhood grew with each and every mutant that joined him on Genosha; the same couldn't be said for the X-Men. Yes more and more students were joining the facility, but they were coming to learn how to control their powers, not how to use them to fight off Sentinels or rogue mutants bent on world domination or worse.

Jubilee, Tabitha Smith, Samuel Guthrie, and Ray Carter all aspired to join the X-men; Ororo knew that about them quite well. Kitty, Rogue, Piotr and Bobby had already made the cut, but even with them and the three Xavier had invited back, even with Carol Danvers on their side, it was only a team of eleven field members. Eleven people, granted they were mutants, against the entire world. It seemed like impossible odds when she thought about it.

Intrigue had been used against them in the form of Emma Frost and the Hellfire Club, direct battle by Magneto and the Brotherhood of Mutants, and a myriad of other tactics by new enemies like Lex Luthor. Ororo slipped on her ankle boots, having completely dressed aside from that without even realizing it.

"I'll see you downstairs," Ororo said to Carol as she pushed herself onto her feet and made her way towards the door. She needed to get her mind off of the depressing state their lives seemed to be spiraling into and onto something far more satisfying. What that might be, though, she had absolutely no clue. Ororo pulled her short grey jacket firmly to let it flow more smoothly over her low collar pink t-shirt which just reached past her midriff. A pair of tight jeans covered her lower half, and showed it off spectacularly when she moved.

"Don't have too much fun without me." Carol said with a sly smile that Ororo returned. There were other things out there for her to worry about, things which paled in comparison but were nonetheless important. If all else failed, Ororo would train Adam in the use of his powers, to control his powers. It was what he wanted out of his powers. It was the right thing to do.

"Hey, Ororo," Scott said as he strolled up alongside her, his cologne sending a pleasurable tingling sensation throughout her core. Ororo smiled as she looked over towards him, taking in his handsome form. With medium length hair, a strong angular face, and dazzling eyes hidden behind a pair of ruby-quartz sunglasses, he was the image of male beauty. He had large muscles that his uniform accentuated, at the same time showing off his tight ass and something Ororo presumed Jean had enjoyed in the bedroom. He had on a long sleeved brown shirt which conformed to every curve of his arms and chest, showing them off beautifully. A pair of pants did the same for his lower half, and for a brief moment Ororo thought she could see the outline of his cock, causing her to lick her lips in desire.

"Hello," Ororo frowned as he wondered where that had come from, seemingly from nowhere really. Sure she had always found Scott attractive, but never anything past that had occurred to her before. At least not that she knew of. Yet now she couldn't take her eyes off of his arms, or stop herself from stealing glances at his… backside.

They stepped into the elevator together, and for a moment Ororo considered entertaining her thoughts. She tentatively reached out towards his butt, wanting to feel it in her hand, the doors were almost closed and he was almost in her hands.

"Hey wait for us!" Kitty called out as she and Bobby phased through the closed doors, seconds before the elevator was to begin its ascension. Ororo quickly pushed her hand toward the railing behind her, as if that had been her intention the whole time. Something had hit her; it was as if she couldn't control her thoughts, or her desires. It was almost like she couldn't keep herself from thinking about Scott and what she now desperately wanted to do with him… to him.

"Did you see Rogue out there, I thought she was gonna take my head off." Bobby said as he scratched the back of his head with an uneasy expression clearly viewable in the freshly cleaned metal door. He wore a black muscle shirt underneath a jean jacket, low riding sneakers, and a pair of tight blue jeans. "Leave it to her to make this personal."

"Can you blame her?" Kitty said as she slipped her hands into the pockets of her white capris. She had a light blue tank top on underneath a pale pink sweater which had off-the-shoulder sleeves and a pair of low heeled platform sandals. Her shoulder length brunette hair was allowed to cascade down her back and moved whenever she moved her head. "We basically broke her heart together. I wouldn't blame her if she never forgave us."

"I guess you're right." Bobby said under his breath as he cast his head downward in shame. Ororo didn't know the specifics between the three of them, but it had brought about a large rift in the team. If the ever hoped to be an effective team out on a real mission, the rift had to be mended. "I'll try talking to her later."

"Do you think that's the best idea?" Scott chimed in with raised brows, prompting Bobby and Kitty to look over at him with confused expressions. "I just mean, Rogue might need some time to process through this on her own. You can't force her to accept your relationship any more than she wants. In the end you guys will find some common ground again, just remember that this is as hard on her as it is on you, possibly even more so than."

"What makes you think that?" Bobby asked as he turned around fully, his eyes telling Ororo that he truly wanted to know the answer. Ororo could already guess the reason behind it, and as Scott looked over at him with a momentary expression of pity, he said, "She can't physically touch anyone without running the risk of killing them. You were the first real person to show any interest in her, and now you've set your sights on a lovely young woman that you can touch. Whether or not that's the reason, it might be what Rogue believes. In time she'll come to understand the truth, but no one can force her to accept it."

"Rogue will come around eventually," Ororo said warmly, matching her words with a maternal smile. "Friendships take work as you both have learned over the years through your own personal experiences and by watching others and how they coexist. Acceptance is what we strive to imbue on you here at the school. Not just to have it, but to understand it. Just as there are humans who don't accept us for what we are or vampires for what they are, or metahumans even, there are still those humans out there that do. Whether or not that is because they have a relative or a loved one who is of a different species, or they simply understand that genetic differences are no different than the color of our skin. Mutants can be just as unaccepting at times."

"I guess I never looked at it that way." Kitty said under her breath seconds before the doors slid open. "Thanks Ororo, Scott, we'll see you at dinner!" Kitty said energetically as she pulled Bobby along after her and down the hallway.

Ororo chuckled at their youthful innocence. It was fleeting at times, but when it was there you had to claim it. Ororo let out a small sigh of relief and pressed her back against the elevator, wanting instead to simply go to her room and rest… and think and dream about Scott.

"I hope you like what you see," Scott said in a husky tone as he stepped off the elevator, his lips curved into a sly grin that disappeared the second he turned his head back around to walk down the hallway.

Ororo gasped her surprise as the doors shut before she could even think to move after him. Had that just happened… or had it been her imagination.

Ororo shook her head as she seriously pondered where the thoughts had come from. The Charmed Ones had mentioned a demon casting a lust spell. Was that where these feelings sprang from… a spell that she had no ability to defend against? But then, as she felt her breathing grow heavy, she wondered if she really cared.


It had been three weeks since Gotham City, and I had done little in the way of actually training my powers. I could feel the unease radiating off of Xavier whenever I entered the room, and I was beginning to wonder if staying here was my best choice. Emma had offered to train me in the use of my powers on the flight back, and if I had to be honest with myself… I felt more at home with them in the few days I had spent there, than in the entire time I had been here.

Sure I got along with a few of the others, but after the incident in Central Park I had sensed them distancing themselves from me. I couldn't blame them, when I lost control boy did I lose control. Of my emotions and my powers, and if I let them rule me I would never have a normal life. Whatever that was, I didn't know.

I grabbed a black sleeveless shirt and pulled it over my head before pulling my wavy hair into a loose ponytail. I hadn't heard from Emma or Remy in three weeks, Sam on the other hand had been texting me off and on for the entirety of that time. I was still reeling from the discovery that Sam was the one I thought of when I was afraid and felt like I was losing control of myself and my powers and not Remy.

His profession to fight for my attentions had been almost archaic or straight out of a movie… and I loved it. I felt wanted, desired, and strong. My powers didn't concern me when I thought of Sam. I smiled as I reached for my phone and slipped it into the right pocket of my tan cargo pants.

I knew that wasn't entirely true, as my thoughts centered on Rogue and how kind she had been to me. She had befriended me, and I her. As had Ororo. They were the two that seemed to like me the most, which meant they would be the reason I stayed… if I chose to stay.

I opened the door to my bedroom and started down the hallway towards the front kitchen. I could practically feel the power being used several stories below me, underground in the Danger Room. Logan and Ororo were training several of the others for missions… X-men level missions. I appreciated what they did; it was what I wanted to do with my powers.

But would I be doing it with them… or with Emma Frost?

I didn't know the answer to that, but I knew it was my choice in the end. I felt drawn to Emma and Remy and Sam and Dean… Selina Kyle was just damn fun at that. I felt safe here too, but it was more the place than the people that made me feel safe. Sam, and occasionally Remy, made me feel as if I were invincible. I felt like I could do anything and that I could be anything and I knew that I would never have to worry about my powers. That was how I felt when I was there with him... with them?

Was Remy as much of a pillar as I seemed to think Sam was? Or was I just kidding myself that he was interested in me despite what he had said. The lust spell, I could feel it lingering within me, causing me to feel things, to think things, to dream things. Things that I didn't know if I wanted on my own, or because the spell caused me to think I did. Sam… was enticingly handsome, breathtakingly attentive, protectively tall and big, and the things he had said.

Even the glimpses I could see Dean and Sam giving one another, the decidedly seductive ones. No one ever said I wasn't above sharing….

It was that line of thought, that specific thought which cast doubt in my mind. Brothers together… and yet I felt as if that that was what they wanted in how they treated one another. I chuckled at that, wondering who would ever see such a thing in two brothers, especially the Winchesters. Strong and handsome and entirely unreal at times… I could see the allure which drew them together.

I strode down the hallway, enjoying my thoughts and the images that they brought forth in my wildest imaginations. Every caress, every gentle kiss, every sensual nibble, every damn enjoyable moment was at the tip of my tongue. Lust didn't seem all that bad… really.

"Hey Rogue," I said as the skunk-striped redheaded beauty rounded the corner, looking rather annoyed. She looked up towards me and gave a frail smile as she came to a stop so she could lean against the wall. I could feel her pain, but I wasn't proficient enough to know why she was in pain. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing really," Rogue said as she brought her gloved hand up towards her face to wipe a tear away. She rolled her eyes as she chuckled sarcastically. I couldn't help but place my hand on her shoulder, glad that she had almost every inch of her covered so I could show some semblance of support in her time of need. My powers scared me at times, but I could at least try to turn them off. Rogue couldn't, and it had a far more damaging effect on her personally. "Sometimes you just have to wonder who your real friends are, ya know."

"It doesn't mean it won't hurt you," I said softly as I tried to look into her eyes. Rogue had been kind to me, in a time when I had been afraid of my own shadow. She deserved someone who would treat her like the jewel she was. And Bobby and Kitty definitely hadn't been doing that. Flaunting their relationship before Rogue's very eyes… it was heartbreaking. "You don't have to depend on them, Rogue." I smiled lightly. "I'm your friend, you know that right?"

"Yeah," Rogue sniffled as she wiped a tear aside. "I'll be fine. Besides, there's no use in crying over spilt milk, right?" I laughed with her, glad that she was feeling at least the tiniest bit better. I couldn't fix her, I could only be there to listen and offer some advice. Whatever happened after that was up to her, but it would still be painful regardless of what happened.

There were times when I wished life would just go my way. Pain wouldn't be an issue, wouldn't even be present if I could help it. My friends could be happy, I could be happy. My thoughts travelled towards Sam and Remy, and tangentially towards Dean as I dug down deep. I liked them; two of them seemed to reciprocate those feelings, whereas the last seemed only interested in his brother. Love, lust, power, security, power, they were all within reach, and yet I couldn't see myself simply going for them. But then… what kind of a life would that be like.

I smiled again and wrapped my arm around Rogue and pulled her in close, careful not to brush my skin against her face. Having the life drained out of me would make for poor comforting protocol. Right now, Rogue didn't need deadweight, she needed a friend. And that was something I could offer her.

"What do you say about eating lunch out?" I asked as we started walking down the hallway together. "Definitely my treat…" I started to say, only to stop at the sound and sensation of my phone vibrating. I slipped it out of my pocket as I said, "I hear there's a," I smiled as I saw it was from Sam, "A great deli down by central… oh my god."

I froze instantly as I reread the text, certain I had misread it, or that a key word had been left out of it. 'Have to go to Virginia, Emma's been taken.' That didn't make sense… not in the least. How could someone have just taken…? "Emma." I breathed as I felt my knees grow weak. She was one of the strongest psychic mutants I knew… possibly beaten only by Professor Xavier. And now… someone had just taken her.

"Adam what's wrong?" Rogue asked as she looked over at me with worry in her eyes, her face having contorted with confusion and concern. "Adam, come on you can't make such a big speech like that and not spill. What happened?"

"Someone's taken Emma Frost…" I said without really thinking, without really caring any more. 'I want to go with!' I sent back, knowing I owed her a debt of gratitude. She had taken me into a world I could have never imagined, shared it with me without any expectation of being repaid. Someone had kidnapped her, someone who had to be pretty powerful.

"What," Rogue breathed in disbelief as she took a cautious step forward to look over my phone. I couldn't believe it either, but it had to be true. Sam wouldn't lie to me. I had to help them get her back. I wanted to help them and not just because I wanted to be near Sam again and possibly feel his hand brush against my cheek. Emma needed help, and I was going to do everything I could to provide that help.

I wanted to use my powers to help people, to save people. And now I had the chance to do just that. I might not be able to orb effectively on command, but fear was the trigger for that power and telekinetic orbing, something I was certain there would be plenty of. Going on this trip to save Emma, however, would do a lot more for me as well. I would find out the limits to what I could with what power I had, and learn to control it. I had to learn how to control it.

"I know that look," Rogue said suspiciously as she placed her hands on either of my shoulders. I looked her in the eye, all thoughts of lust for Sam, Dean, and Remy having dissipated… for the most part. "You're thinking about going with them to save her."

"I have to do something," I said simply, having made up my mind about the situation. "Emma gave me something I never really thought I could have something I thought I would get here. I know it'll take time, good things always do, but she and I clicked on some level. She opened up a whole new world to me; I'm not going to let it be shut down so quickly."

My phone sounded off in my hand, and I quickly read the text to find that Sam and Dean were outside the front gate. I rushed passed Rogue, knowing that I had to do this. Even if Emma hadn't done the things she had for me, no one deserved to have their entire life uprooted and torn asunder. At least not if they were my friend, they wouldn't.

I reached the staircase in record time, knowing I could make it out of there before it was too late. I dodged several loose groups of students, ducked around Scott as he reprimanded someone and gave a longer than normal glance towards a bending over Bobby, and reached the front door.

I pressed my hand against the handle and moved to pull it open, only to yelp in surprise when Logan wrapped his hand around mine and held it firm. "Where do you think you're going, bub?"

"Out..." I breathed as I felt his hand flinch away from mine. I watched as his blood dripped on my hand where it hovered for a few seconds, only for him to gently pull it off of the door. A warm sensation rolled over me as I felt a connection between us surge into existence. He could heal himself naturally, and as I had been learning a lot lately, my power of mimicry only activated when a power was directly used on me. Apparently self-help powers didn't work the same way,

"Be careful, the both of you," Logan said in a husky tone as he took a step back. I blinked in sudden confusion, having absolutely no idea what he was talking about. I parted my lips to say just that, only to stop when I saw Rogue rushing up towards the door, with a backpack slung over one shoulder and a duffel bag on the other. "The X-men work in teams, always. Sometimes there are better matches than others, and I'd be a jackass if I let you go out all by yourself… again."

"Thanks…" I said as Rogue reached us and shoved the duffel bag towards me. I hesitated before accepting it and watched as Rogue bent forward to catch her breath. I had never truly sensed Logan had accepted me, or even liked me. Then again, from how he treated the others I figured that was just his natural cheery self. But the look in his eyes, even if he didn't much care for you, you could always tell he worried about you. It felt fatherly… in a step-father who could claw you to death and not even flinch after or during, kind of way.

"When you get back, Danger Room first thing," Was all he said before he stalked off to leave the two of us alone in the grand foyer. I smiled as I looked over at Rogue, and slipped my arm through the strap of the duffel bag.

"You didn't really think I was going to pass up the adventure of a life time, did you?" Rogue asked with a half-smile and an ached brow as she straightened up and rolled her shoulders. "After all, things can get a little boring around here."

"Things get a little hectic out there," I said as I pulled the door open and let the late morning sun flow into the room. I could see the impala sitting across the street, down the driveway and passed the large foreboding gates that stood between us and a decision that could turn deadly if we weren't prepared for it.

I could do this, not because I was arrogant or thought I was the strongest mutant or witch in the world. No, I knew I could do this because I was doing it with my friends. Even though it had only been a short while, even though we were only just getting to know one another, friendship was what I believed was the strongest force in the world if only second to that of love.

The gates creaked open slowly, as a warm breeze rustled my loose ponytail out of its form to fly around wildly. I had no idea where my hair tie had gone, but I knew it was gone. I felt the weight of my decision begin to evaporate as we neared the impala, with Dean in the driver's seat as I had come to expect.

Although he was the shorter of the brothers, although at six foot one he was more than made up for it as the oldest in his physical appearance and overall demeanor. For all intents and purposes Dean's handsomeness could best be described as smoldering. Hot, yet dark in its appearance with mystery waiting inside every crevice, and that was what his personality oozed for him. With a strong, muscular frame, that he wasn't afraid to show off in tight t-shirts under a plaid shirt, Dean had weapon between his legs that even the loosest pair of jeans couldn't hide on a bad day, although it was his ass that was far more impressive, how that was possible… I didn't know. With short cut light brown hair and daring green eyes that lured me in towards his dashing smile. That he was scarred from all the hunting he had done over the years did absolutely nothing to turn me off of him, in fact… it made him all the more enticing.

Sam was the taller of the two brothers, standing at six feet and four inches with broader shoulders and a toned muscular frame that slid down into a strong, firm ass. For Sam, though, almost always in tight jeans, he was as endowed as his brother was, possibly even a little more so. His face was framed by medium length wavy light brown hair and smooth sideburns; the top of his hair was parted to show off his large forehead. All that did was draw me into his hazel eyes, supple, kissable lips, and strong square jaw. His face was clean shaven, aside from the aforementioned sideburns, accentuating everything about him that I knew drew women in to his warm embrace. His body was scarred as well, but they weren't as noticeable or as numerous. Why that was, I didn't know, and I didn't quite feel comfortable asking about it. If they wanted me to know, then I probably would.

"Who's the tagalong kid?" Dean asked in a gruff tone as he draped his arm outside the window, a hard uncompromising expression on his face. Rogue smirked as she leaned forward, bringing her face mere inches from him. Her hair draped down her head to frame her face as she pursed her lips.

"Can't a southern girl get a break every now and again?" Rogue asked in a sensual tone as she brought her gloved hand towards Dean's lips, to gently flick it. I felt a surge of jealousy hit me, at the same time seeing something similar spark in Sam. "The name's Rogue and I want to know what all the fuss is about."

"Well little lady, hop on in to the dream machine and we'll see about that," Dean said dryly as he patted her hand in a deprecating fashion and gave her an immaturely amused smirk that caused Sam to chuckle before pushing the car door open. "Hey, I'm kidding. You never can tell what's going to happen out there, just warnin' you about that now. Sometimes we don't make it back, so if you want to stay behind, no one will blame you."

"Honey, danger is my middle name." Rogue said with a sly smirk as she pushed herself away from the car and took a half step back. I hadn't ever seen this side of Rogue before. She was sly and seductive, and definitely a lot more sexual than I had ever pegged her for. It was almost like she had been keeping this part of her down and out of the way around the others, and why she was… I could only fathom a guess.

"Leave her be Dean," Sam said with a small laugh as he popped the trunk open. I walked around the car first while Rogue looked down the road before tilting her head up towards the sky. I smiled as she took a deep breath of the fresh humid air. She wanted to be free too. Didn't we all? "She's a friend of Adam's which means she's a friend of ours."

"Thanks, sugar," Rogue said in a sultry tone as she sauntered around the car to hand off her backpack. She blew Sam a kiss before retracing her steps so she could sit behind Dean. I shook my head and laughed softly, enjoying the new Rogue, knowing intrinsically that it was what I wanted to be like. Carefree and seductive was only the beginning.

"No problem," Sam said with a sly smile as he looked me over, a favor I quickly returned. "I just want you to know beforehand, even if we end up having to save Remy too, I'm not going to give up."

"What," I breathed, but before I could even begin to add to that, Sam leaned in close and pressed his lips against mine. Our transgression was completely hidden from view by the raised trunk, but I could still hear Rogue and Dean carrying on a conversation inside the car. My duffel bag fell off of my shoulder as I felt my hand slide up his arm to cup his cheek, allowing his arms to encircle mine.

Fiery passion had been the result of my kiss with Remy in the hotel room back at Gotham. I could feel all that and more as Sam's hand cupped the back of my head and rustled my hair. It was more controlled and yet chaotic at the same time… I loved it. And I knew that unlike with Remy, I didn't want this kiss to end just there.

I could feel tendrils of darkness circling around me, as if night had fallen upon us without my even realizing it. This kiss felt far more mischievous and desirable, dare I say it… frighteningly addictive. Remy's had felt light and serene in comparison. This was far more… enticing than that, and as thoughts of Dean joining in on the escapade flitted through my mind I knew that it was more than just enticing. It was breathtaking.

The kiss ended then and there, but our gazes held one another ensnared for several long seconds. Our chests moved in unison as our breathing became labored, and the erection in my pants seemed to not want to stop growing, nor did the snake in Sam's pants that I could feel pressing against my leg, warm and ready to play.

"Now let's go save our friends" Sam breathed with a cool smile, flashing his teeth in a charming fashion that caused me to laugh under my breath. From sensual kissing to dangerous missions, lust and power and fear all rolled into one. He caressed my cheek lightly before crouching down to collect the duffel bag Rogue had packed for me. I smiled as I ran my hand through his hair before he skyrocketed onto his feet, towering above me.

I definitely didn't feel the same with Remy, and yet I found Remy just as enticing. Ironically the Cajun thief who had stolen my heart from the second I had laid eyes on him seemed to be the much lighter of the two. Perhaps it wasn't men in general that were my Achilles heel, but bad boys.

Was it wrong to want everything in the world? It wasn't as if I was going to take it by force….

Sam cocked a dark smirk as he set my bag in the trunk and shut it firmly before pulling my hand into his to lead me around the car the few short feet it took. Desire filled me, but not just me. I could feel it within Sam for me and for Dean, and in Dean for Sam. Rogue seemed to have desire burning inside her, but not for the Winchesters. For adventure and what they were about to embark on.

I smiled as Sam held the door open for me before climbing inside and settling in. I had no intention of stealing anything from the world that I couldn't get of my own merit or ability. I recalled my earlier train of thought, and found that I truly wouldn't mind sharing Sam, if it was Dean whom I would be doing the sharing with. I wouldn't stand back and break up something so… good and desirable. Especially if I could simply enjoy it right along with them.

"So, where are we headed?" I asked as excitement overflowed my desire for Sam and his brother. Dean eyed me through the rearview mirror before he turned the key in the ignition and hit the clutch while Rogue ran her hand alongside the door on her side. I could see something etched in it but as Dean cracked a shit-eating grin I found it to be much more entertaining.

"Mystic Falls, Virginia," Dean said in a sly tone as the car surged forward off of the side of the road. Dean laughed and cheered as he spun the car around to head in the opposite direction, giving me some insight into why it was I now knew I preferred Sam's driving. Dean was crazy and reckless but as we sped down the street, I felt as safe with him behind the wheel as I did in Sam's embrace. "Otherwise known as vampire central, that is."

Perhaps sharing wasn't the only thing I might be interested in…

Rock n' roll blared in the background as I leaned back in my seat and took a deep, satisfying breath. "So, vampires took Emma, huh?" Rogue asked as she crossed her arms over her chest, and tilted her head back in intrigue. "That doesn't sound like it's gotta be that bad, especially with wood being their fatal weakness."

"Don't get ahead of yourself babe," Dean said as he pulled the car into a wide arc to make a turn onto the highway. The windows were down, letting the wind blow around our hair wildly, while at the same time allowing the music to flow out of the car with ease to send birds everywhere flying in shocked surprise. "Before Remy got cut off, he said there are a couple of… friendly vamps who Emma wants us to work with in order to save her, because that always works out so well for us."

"They can't be all that bad," Rogue said as she brought her hand up to her head to keep her hair out of her face for longer than a few seconds at a time. "Emma seemed like quite the fighter back in Central Park. She had a couple of vamp friends there too. What makes these ones any different?"

"Their species," Sam said simply as he turned around partially in his seat so he could look at Rogue and me. "They're a different kind than the ones we're used to dealing with; first off they aren't demons which put things in an entirely different light. The ones we usually gank are… well let's just say unpleasant."

"We have found some of that kind that could be considered… different, salvageable even." Sam went on as he looked over towards me for several seconds. "The kind Emma worked with; they were the ones who broke the secret of the entire species, subsets included. Their kind I mean. In total there are seven known species of vampire all of which seem to follow different rules and norms. The only shared traits, which themselves vary, are a weakness in the sun, for some it is fatal, and a wooden stake to the heart, to most it's fatal. The ones we usually deal with require decapitation to be killed permanently."

"That sounds like a lot of work and forethought to even begin to handle vampires." Rogue said as she leaned forward to contemplate what was being said. I hadn't really considered it all that much, other than it being glossed over occasionally. When Dean had said there was a strong possibility of not coming back alive… I gulped as I realized he hadn't meant it ironically.

"Hah," Dean exclaimed as he sped up. "That doesn't even come close to the forces we've had to fight over the years, Djinns, demons, ghosts, zombies, even angels." Dean said as he peered over at Rogue in the mirror, before waggling his eyebrows suggestively towards Sam. "I could go on and on and never reach the end of the list. What we do is a thankless job that most people never even realize. Sometimes it sucks and sometimes it gets people we care about killed."

"If these vamps are Emma's friends then they aren't on my list of things to kill this week," Dean went on as he clenched his hands around the steering wheel. "Whatever has got her better pray for forgiveness because we're gonna be busting in guns blazing."

I suddenly felt bad for whatever, or whoever had taken Emma and subsequently Remy captive. I didn't know why they had taken Emma, and I wondered if the reason really mattered. They had taken my friend, were there ever any good reasons to kidnap someone, hold them hostage, and do only God knew what to them.

What would I do if it turned out there was a good reason for them taking Emma…?

I didn't know if I could even face that possibility. Emma was a good person with a kind heart. There had to be a plausible explanation for their having taken her. Could that reason, whatever it might be, cast both sides in a good light. Or was Emma not the good person I believed her to be?

I leaned back in my seat, soaking it all in as the warm humid, wind of autumn rolled in through the window. I closed my eyes softly, wondering what I would have to do if Emma had been taken by someone who was doing something morally good. Would I be able to justify saving Emma if she had done something horrible. Would I be able to live with myself if that was the case?

I didn't want to think like that, Emma was a friend, she was my friend. Whether or not she had done something wrong didn't matter. I was going to save my friend, and then deal with the repercussions of that choice later.

I shivered as I felt something cool brush against my neck, opening my eyes, though I saw that there wasn't anything there. Dean was driving at a consistent speed, Sam was reading through a journal and Rogue had fallen asleep. At some point night had fallen and I hadn't even realized it.

I looked out the window at the dark night, hearing nothing of it as the glass created an effective barrier. I could see my reflection, but through that I felt as if there was something more. It was something… darker that I didn't want to accept as existing. I couldn't quite figure out what it was though, why I didn't want to see it or why it wasn't letting me see it as I decided I wanted to.

I blinked several times, and stifled a yawn before leaning my head against the headrest. The strange reflection, though, vanished entirely when I glanced over at the rearview mirror and saw Sam's charming smile. I returned the smile, feeling safe and warm once more. I closed my eyes again, and let sleep claim me in those moments, knowing I was going to need my strength for when we got to Mystic Falls.

Emma was going to need us at our best.