Chapter 10

Alaric watched Buffy as she paced the small stone patio and talked on her cell phone. She was animated and looked quiet annoyed. She hung up the phone and sat down hard on the stone step. Alaric thought twice then pushed the door open. Buffy looked up at him.

"Ok if I sit?" he asked.

"Yeah. Sure." she said. Alaric sat next to her, he leaned forward and rested his forearms on his knees.

"How are you friends with Damon really?" she asked. "After everything he has put you through."

"I don't know." he said. And it was the truth. After everything and the real reason Alaric came to Mystic Falls he and Damon became friends.

Buffy stretched her neck and looked up to the sky. The stars and moon shone above. Alaric turned his head and looked at her.

"I didn't realize how hard this was going to be." she said and looked back down at the circle pattern in the stone patio.

"What?" he asked.

"This job."

"What do you mean?"

"I never expected it to be this difficult. You now I just come to a town kill the bad guy and go. Thats my job. Thats what I do. And now this."

"And this is different than most jobs?"

"Yeah." she said "There are so many new things to consider. Too many people to keep safe. And then there is you." she said. She instantly felt her face heat up. "And Elena and Jeremy and well you know. Trying to keep you all out of harms way so I can get the job done."

"And you can use all of us to get he job done."

"NO! No way." Buffy said and stood up. "There is no way that any of you are getting involved in this."

"But Buffy we are already involved. We all want Klaus dead. He has affected everyone of us here. Everyone in that house will gladly sacrifice everything to help and dance on his corpse when he is dead."

"NO. NO. I won't risk it. I can't have you getting hurt." she said. She looked up into his eyes. "Any of you." she tried to cover.

"Its nothing we haven't been through before." he said. A tendril of hair fell in her face and it took everything Alaric had inside to not reach out and smooth it back. To touch her face.

He took a breath and stepped back from her turning to face the house. Buffy exhaled and placed her hand on her stomach to try and quiet the butterflies.

He turned back to her.

"I trust you Buffy. Some of them do too. Damon will come around but I am sure he won't try anything like before on you again."

"I need Elena's trust Alaric. There is so much there that reminds me of myself."

He looked at her and furrowed his brow.

"Too much to explain." she said and grimaced.

"Then talk to her. Make her understand. She is still devastated from losing Jenna and Stefan. She will be receptive." he said

Buffy looked down he was holding her hand. She looked back up to his eyes.

"I am sorry Alaric. I know how tough it is to loose people that are close to you." she gripped his hand harder then let go. Buffy walked up the steps to the door and walked through. Alaric followed after her.

Elena sat on the couch watching the flames of the roaring fire in the fireplace. Buffy walked over to her and stood at the side of the leather couch.

"Can I sit?' she said . elena looked up at Buffy and nodded. Alaric walked past and glanced at Buffy. She caught his eyes and they smiled at each other.

"I wanted to tell you how sorry I am about everything. Your parents, your Aunt, Stefan… " she shrugged. She really had nothing else to say.

"Yeah Thanks."

"I can relate. I lost my mother a few years ago. And a bunch of friends and a boyfriend or two." Elena sighed and looked towards Buffy.

"Sorry about your Mom." Elena said.

They sat quietly for a few minutes watching the flames.

"And I can understand how you can like them both too." Buffy turned her head and looked at Elena. She was staring at her.

"I was in love with 2 vampires too." said Buffy.

"What?" Elena could not believe her ears.

Buffy looked back into the flames. She smiled absentmindedly.

"From what I have heard of Stefan he reminds me of Angel. That was a learning experience."

"Angel?" asked Elena.

"Oh Angel. He was my first love. Really. And he was over 200 years old when we met. I loved him so much." Buffy told Elena about Angel and Angelus. Elena sat quietly and listened.

"So he had a gypsy spell on him and after you guys…. well…. he turned evil?"

"Yeah."

"Wow. OK." Elena shook her head.

"And Damon reminds me of Spike. Rough and reckless. But always came from the heart." Elena shifted in her seat uncomfortable with how much Buffy understood.

"So I do get it. You know." she turned her body towards Elena. "I can help you. I can kill Klaus and free you all of his hold on you. I can save Stefan I just need you to trust me."

Elena looked at the floor and swallowed hard. She looked up into Buffy's eyes. She felt a kinship with her. She felt a sisterly bond like she had with Jenna, even though she was her aunt. She missed it and she welcomed it.

"OK." she said. "Where do we start?'