Chapter Ten: Homecoming

Holly, Damon, Stefan, Elena, and now apparently Mikael, Klaus' stepfather were in the living room trying to make up a lie that Klaus would actually believe so that they could lure him back to Mystic Falls. "We could say that he tried to kidnap Elena for leverage?" Holly suggested. "That has worked before."

Elena nodded. "And then what, I vervain him?"

"No, we vervain him, he's an Original we have to make it believable," Damon bit his lip. "And then we can say that he had a dagger and he was planning on using it on Rebekah, but-"

"-We used it on him instead." Stefan concluded. "Perfect."

Holly frowned. "Wait, what if he asks to see a body?" she looked at Stefan. "You're compelled by Klaus, one wrong question and everything falls into pieces and we end up dead."

"Don't look at me," Stefan shook his head. "I'm just in charge of getting him here."

Elena frowned. "Klaus would want proof that Mikael is dead."

"Then I shall be dead," Mikael finally spoke up. "Klaus will want to see my body, you will lure him here and I will kill him."

"With what?" Stefan asked. "The daggers won't work on him."

"I plan to make his dead quite permanent," Mikael said. "You see I have made a stake made of the white oak, but I will not tell you where it is so that you don't leave the dagger inside me. Deal?"

After a while Damon said. "Deal, but if Stefan tells the truth, he's going to have to need to watch the whole show."

"Not a problem, a human needs to dagger me," Mikael turned to Elena and placed the dagger in her hand. "Then I guess the task falls to you dear."

Elena bit her lip as she daggered Mikael. Mikael let out a soft whimper as he fell to the floor.

"Good," Damon turned to Stefan. "Now call him."

"He won't trust us," Holly still wasn't sure. "He won't trust our word."

"I'll do it," Rebekah said as she came into the room, her eyes were still swollen from crying. "He won't trust you word, but he will trust mine. That bastard killed my mother and I will finally get my revenge."

"I have nothing to wear to homecoming," Holly complained to Bonnie as she looked at her closet, it was mostly filled with jeans and cute boots and a couple of old dresses. "Do you think that Caroline would get piss if I show up in jeans?"

"Probably," Bonnie laughed. "So why don't we order take out and study the images in the cave?"

"I wish I could, but Caroline would kill us."

Bonnie sighed. "Caroline actually has a date."

The smile faded from Holly's lips when she realized that Bonnie was still upset over the fact that Jeremy had cheated on her with Anna. "Look, I know I was absent during the summer, but I'm here now and you can talk to me about anything, about you, or Jeremy, or Anna. I'm here to listen."

"Thanks Holly," Bonnie forced a smile. "But you wouldn't understand, he's your little brother, you can't be mad at him like I am."

"Bonnie-"

"Don't," Bonnie interrupted. "He's your little brother, you shouldn't be mad at him, but no I can't talk to you about it."

"Why are you all twitchy?" Damon asked Holly, they were in Damon's room cleaning the weapons while Holly tapped her foot nervously. "You're making me nervous."

"There are just so many things that could go wrong," Holly bit her lip. "Klaus treated Rebekah like crap for ages, but at the end of the day he's still her brother, call it a gut feeling or that I'm paranoid, but I don't think that we can trust her."

"Oh, really cause those Original brothers are usually so reliable," Damon said sarcastically. "Wolfsbane's ready and don't worry your pretty little head, I have a secret backup plan."

"What?" Holly frowned. "What is it?"

"Well if it told you then it wouldn't be secret," Damon groaned. "Come on Holly, don't give me those puppy dog eyes, and just trust me."

Holly sighed. "Fine, but we still need to do something about Rebekah."

"What are you proposing?"

"That we dagger her." She bit her lip. "At least until all of this is over and Klaus is dead."

"Will you stop looking so guilty?" Damon sighed as he put a blanket over Rebekah's desiccated body. "Technically Elena was the one that stabbed Rebekah in the back, literally. Thought I have to hand it to her, two originals in one day."

"Yes, but I asked her to do it," Holly crossed her arms over her chest. "I feel terrible and she was so excited about homecoming-"

"Holly," Damon grasped her arm. "Don't worry about it, you're not like Katherine or Klaus because you stabbed someone in the back once."

Holly shook her head. "That doesn't exactly make me feel better, Damon." She sighed. "Do you trust him, Mikael? Rebekah and Klaus didn't exactly run because he was trustworthy."

"No."

"What about Stefan?"

"Nope."

She sighed. "Then we need a better plan."

"I have a plan, trust me Holly." He cupped her chin.

"Then why won't you tell me?"

"Because I don't want you to get hurt if something goes wrong."

"Well, that made me feel better."

Damon pushed back a piece of dark hair from her face. "Do you trust me?"

Holly's face softened. "You know I do."

Since the high school gym was flooded, Tyler following Klaus' orders had thrown the party at his house with a live band. The place was packed with people and Holly, dressed in a short navy blue dress was drinking more than usual to calm her nerves. She saw Katherine (pretending to be Elena) throw her a glare as if warning her not to be so nervous. What if the plan failed? What if they screwed up? What if-

"Hello, Holly," Klaus said as he came towards her. "Long time no see, you look lovely in that dress."

"If that's your lame way of apologizing for blaming me for your wasted summer and throwing me against a truck I'm not buying it." Holly said.

"Come on, Holly." Klaus smiled. "Don't be like that, you made me angry last time, but that doesn't mean we can't be friends?"

"You tried to kill me," Holly elaborated. "That doesn't qualify you as friend's material."

Klaus shook his head. "Very well, be stubborn, but a word of warning, Holly I have no idea what you and your little friends are up too, but if you try to destroy me you will fail."

"God," she forced a smile. "Paranoid much?"

"Just a little precaution." Klaus said, "Enjoy your homecoming."

Klaus was watching a beer pong competition when one his hybrids informed him that he had a visitor, his father Mikael. Klaus stiffen, but made him way towards the entrance where Mikael couldn't enter as long as he wasn't invited in. "Hello, Niklaus."

"Hello Mikael," he responded. "Why don't you come in? Oh, that's right you can't Perhaps you will enjoy being ripped apart by my hybrids."

"They can't kill me," Mikael scoffed. "The big bad wolf and yet you're still hiding behind closed doors, you're pathetic boy!"

A female hybrid pushed Katherine forward. "Come out and face me Niklaus or I will kill her."

"Go ahead and kill her!"

Katherine bit her lip. "He will, Klaus, he's not bluffing."

"If I kill her there will be no more hybrids for you," Mikael grabbed Katherine by the neck. "You will be forever alone so come and face me you little coward."

"I'm calling your bluff father." Klaus said. "Kill her!"

"Your impulse Niklaus is the one thing that will keep you from being great," he stabbed a stake in Katherine's stomach and Katherine fell to the floor. Damon came from behind Klaus and stabbed the stake in his stomach.

Katherine stood up and held up two wolfsbane grenades. "Kaboom!"

"Katherine," Mikael choked out.

Damon had managed to push Klaus into the ground and was just about to jab the white oak stake in his heart when Stefan pushed him away.

"What are you doing?" Damon hissed.

Klaus grabbed the white oak stake and stabbed it through Mikael's heart. Mikael screamed as he burst into flames.

"What the hell did you do?" Damon hissed.

"He earned his freedom," Klaus said as he looked at Stefan. "Thank you my friend, you no longer have to do as I say. You're free."

Damon angrily threw his whisky glass against the wall and Holly flinched. "We thought of everything Holly, Klaus bringing hybrids, Mikael turning on us, we brought in Katherine to keep Elena safe. We blew it."

"I don't understand, Stefan wanted Klaus dead more than anything." She paused. "Where's Katherine?"

"She ran for the hills like she always does and who could blame her, Klaus would have crushed her. I had him Holly, I had Klaus, and this could all have been over."

"Damon, relax." Holly gripped his arm. "This is not your fault, we'll figure something else."

His phone rang and he answered it. "Not really interested in a recap of our failure Katherine."

"I just called to say goodbye Damon," Katherine said. "I don't know what to tell you, you had a good plan Damon and that's high praise coming from me."

"That's not very comforting at the moment. You're going back into hiding?"

Katherine smirked. "At least my life is not boring, goodbye Damon."

"Take care of yourself, Katherine."

"Where is she?" Klaus demanded as he kicked the door open as he pinned Holly against the wall, he digged his fingers in her throat. "This was your plan all along? Where are they? Where's Stefan?"

"What are you talking about?" Holly choked out.

Damon pushed Klaus away. "Leave her alone, we don't know what you're talking about, and what does Stefan have to do with this?"

"He stole my coffins." Klaus snarled. "The ones that held my family, now where is he?"

"We don't know!" Holly hissed.

"Find Stefan and bring me back my coffins," Klaus said in a deadly voice. "Or I can assure you that all of you will be dead."

-End of Chapter Ten-