A/N: I can't sleep, so I decided to write instead, which is good for the readers, right? Anyway, thanks again to all the reviewers and I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 10: The Fool

It should have felt good to be home; back in Mystic Falls where I belonged. Instead I was terrified. Elijah sat beside me in the driver's seat, ghosting through the path in the woods until the trees were too close together. And then we waited.

The plan was simple. Elijah would present me to Klaus and then the witches would take over. Once he was dead, Damon would take me home, and all our problems would be over. While we waited, I allowed my eyes to close, to simply focus on that beautiful future. I imagined the look on Jeremy's face when I came through the front door; how I would hug him until all the worries were gone. I'd get to see Caroline and Matt and Bonnie – as soon as we dealt Katherine. Grams already knew just how to handle her.

And Damon. All the uninterrupted time with Damon. No one coming after us, or trying to kill us. Just the two of us together with all the time in the world. Just now I could feel his kisses on my throat, my chin, my lips… and his hands were everywhere.

Elijah must have noticed the change in my breathing because he cleared his throat in attempt to regain my attention.

"Sorry. I was just thinking about how great it will be when all this is over."

"And Damon, I assume."

A blush ran up my cheeks and I avoided his eyes, gazing out at the surrounding woods instead.

"You said all of us had a stake in this, so what's yours? Why do you want Klaus dead so bad," I asked. He had been a mystery since I'd met him.

"Klaus took my family from me. All of them."

"What? You're whole family?"

Elijah just nodded and underneath the stern exterior, I could see the real hurt. But this didn't seem like it was purely revenge.

"You're not just killing him to make him suffer, are you?"

"There might be a way for me to get them back. But if I fail, I'll lose them forever."

There was the hint of hope in his voice, and I remembered feeling the same way right after I was kidnapped. Just the thought that my parents may have been alive and well made the fight in me that much stronger. And I could see it in him now, the fight to get his family back. I didn't think; I just took his hand in mine.

"I know what it's like to lose your family. I'm sorry."

Something passed through his eyes… confusion? But then the confusion faded and a sadness came into them, and then he couldn't look at me anymore. When he pulled his hand away, I wanted to ask him what I'd said – why he seemed so upset – but then I noticed his posture go rigid and his mouth was mashed into a stern line.

"He's here."

I followed his eyes through the trees and saw a man moving through them gracefully. Elijah stepped out and was at my side of the car almost instantaneously. As we approached Klaus, Elijah's arm around me the whole way, I noticed the same man there that had been at the old ship yard. Maddox, I think? Katherine had accused him of being a witch.

"It's been too long, brother," Klaus greeted in a silky British accent. His eyes, though a lovely blue, where deadly, and there was an arrogance to his walk, as if he knew just how invincible he was.

I stiffened at the word "brother." Did he mean that literally?

"I'm here to apologize for my actions, Niklaus. And I've brought a gift." At this, Elijah pushed me out in front of him, but still kept a firm grip on my shoulders. But as soon as Klaus started moving closer, Elijah pulled me back until I was flush with his chest.

"Not yet, brother. There still the issue of our family."

"Ah, yes. Such a backstabbing bunch. You want to know where they are, I take it."

"No matter how angry you were at them, they didn't deserve what they got. You take me to them, and you get the girl. Otherwise, I break her neck right now."

"Do it and I'll kill you," Klaus threatened, as if the concept didn't upset him in the least.

"If I never get to see my family again, I don't care."

The two stared daggers at each other for a long time before a devilish smile broke across Klaus' face, revealing a set of perfect white teeth. Although his face was just as beautiful as Damon's or Elijah's there was a menace in his features that they didn't possess. This was truly a vampire with no conscience.

"Alright, Elijah. Enough theatrics. I'll take you to them as soon as I have the girl."

"I'm afraid that is not an option. I don't trust you."

Klaus chuckled, but I could see the annoyance in his eyes.

"Alright, you and the girl can meet me at the old lumber yard. But if she's not there with you, you will be dead before you can blink."

Elijah just nodded and escorted me to his car.

"What now," I asked once we were in motion.

"Now we do what he says."

"What about the others; were they listening?"

"Jonas is linked to me by a spell. He can follow us wherever Niklaus leads us."

I nodded, but the sadness was there again in his eyes. He was about to be reunited with his family, what reason would he have to be sad.

"You don't think this will work?"

"Oh, I'm sure it will. I'm just not sure it's worth it."

"Worth it? You mean to kill your brother."

Of course; no matter what Klaus has done to him, they're still family. I could see that even through the hostility of the confrontation.

"Klaus deserves what he has coming to him. I'll feel no regret about killing him. In fact, I'll be doing the world a favor."

"Then what else are you risking?" I just didn't understand the sorrow he felt. It didn't make any sense.

But he never answered me and as the silence drug on, I knew he never would. Mystic Falls flew past us as he drove and I tried to pick out people I knew on the sidewalk. Sometimes, a random face from school would pop out at me and I was astonished to think that these people had no idea what was happening in their town tonight. They had no idea of the monsters that walked among their quiet little streets. To them it was just another day; go to school, go to work, go to sleep. Just a normal day.

I wondered briefly how the town had handled the death of my parents. I'm sure I've missed the funeral. Did they have one for me, or was I still considered missing?

This town held so many memories for me, but as I looked at it now, it felt foreign to me, like I didn't fit this life anymore. I just couldn't see myself walking into the grill and ordering a burger, or going to the bonfire and hanging out like a normal teenager. That stuff just didn't seem important anymore, and it seemed silly to think that it used to. This town was the center of my life.

But then my parents had driven off of Wickery Bridge and nothing would feel like it was before. This wasn't my life… not anymore. But there were still things from my old life that were important and I vowed to keep them safe. I would make it back to Jeremy and I would save Bonnie. Now that we had a plan to kill Klaus, that seemed more real than ever.

We were out of town now and the old lumber yard was only a few miles down the road. This was it! Once Elijah had his family back, Jonas, Sheila, and Luka would kill Klaus and this would all be over. Surely Lexi, Damon and Elijah could take down Maddox and any other minion Klaus had protecting him. Victory was so close and every nerve ending in my body was a live wire.

Elijah finally pulled in to the abandoned lumber yard with all the deserted machinery standing eerily tall and foreboding around us. Klaus and Maddox were already there, waiting for us to step out.

"Shall we get this over with? I could use a bite to eat," Klaus taunted, flashing his perfect teeth again for clarity. A chill ran down my spine and I carefully avoided his eyes. Elijah once again had his arm around me, ensuring that Klaus didn't get to me and run.

We followed the two black jackets through the overgrown parking lot until we came to a plain eighteen wheeler in the back attached to a plain gray trailer. This couldn't be it, could it? Did he really expect us to believe he just carted his family around in that?

"Is this a joke, Niklaus," Elijah asked, echoing my thoughts.

"Now, why would I fool you? Did you think I'd buried them? Or maybe thrown them in the Atlantic?"

Elijah stood with me by his side, waiting for Klaus to open the trailer, but just as his hand grasped the lever, he turned.

"You know Elijah, you're not the most trustworthy person either. If you want to see your family, hand over the girl. She's all I want."

"No."

"I will take her by force if necessary." Klaus nodded and in response, a girl stepped out from the surrounding trees, her long blond hair flowing over her shoulders. Behind her was a man, probably no older that I was with dark hair and a smug smile on his face. There was something familiar about the man. At certain angles, the lines in his face reminded me of Damon; the dark brow and fiery eyes, though these were a different color.

"Rebekah," Elijah called out to the girl. She smirked in response.

"You didn't think my own brother would kill me, now did you," she replied. Brother? Was this Elijah's sister?

"The girl, Elijah," Klaus ordered once again.

Elijah seemed to be deep in thought, searching between Rebekah and the trailer. I understood why he hesitated; if Klaus was bluffing and we killed him, he'd never know the true location of his family. But he might not have a choice.

As he decided, I noticed the mystery man looking me over with the strangest expression. The smugness had faded and I could feel his eyes roving every inch of my body, studying it. His expression made me want to blush or at least cover myself.

"I just want to see them myself. I won't go inside. Open the trailer and I'll hand her over," Elijah compromised.

I waited with bated breath for Klaus' response and finally, he smiled once more.

"Very well."

In one swift motion, he through the door to the trailer open and inside lay three coffins. It was so morbid to think that he carried the dead bodies of his family with him at all times. Didn't they smell? Or maybe they were so old that there were only bones left. Elijah had never disclosed his age. Of course, Elijah had said there was a way to get them back, so maybe they weren't really dead. It was still creepy.

I heard Elijah's sudden intake of breath and looked up to see him staring longingly at the coffins. This was what he'd been waiting for.

"There they are. The entire bloody lot of betrayers. Now, it's your turn to keep your word."

Klaus extended his hand out to me with a smile he'd probably intended to be warm, though it turned my stomach. But I turned my gaze to the woods, waiting for Jonas and Sheila to walk out and begin the attack. I wanted to throw Klaus a smug smile myself, but as I stared, the excitement of the coming attack faded.

Nobody was coming. But why? Where were they? This was the moment! Elijah had seen where his family was being kept; there was nothing else to wait for. The plan was to lure him out so the witches could kill him. We'd done that! What were they waiting for?

I was pulled from my fierce thoughts by Elijah giving me a rough shove straight into Klaus' arms.

But what was he doing? They were supposed to attack him before he got me! I turned to look back at Elijah, but the apologetic look in his eyes told me everything I needed to know.

There was no attack coming. Elijah had gotten what he came here for, why kill his brother when he didn't have to. But what about Jonas and Luka; they'd explained how Klaus had Jonas' daughter, Greta. And Miss Sheila; would Elijah still help her save Bonnie from Katherine's grasp? I just didn't understand.

Damon! Where was Damon? He would never let me be taken, of that I was sure. So where was he? I scanned the woods looking for that beautiful face, but there was no one there. I wanted to scream for help, but it wouldn't do any good if there was no one to hear it.

Klaus passed me off to Maddox just as Elijah stepped forward to enter the trailer. I watched him lift the lid and I saw the joy pass over his face as he stared inside.

And then in a second, Elijah was screaming out in pain.

The attack had happened so fast that I never saw it coming. Klaus was standing behind Elijah stabbing a dagger deep into his back. Before my eyes, Elijah's skin turned ashen and he took on a vein-like, shriveled look before collapsing on the floor of the trailer.

"And now, you are reunited with our family, brother," Klaus spoke softly.

I could feel the hot tears leak from my eyes and I all I wanted in that moment was to charge Klaus myself; to beat him until he was dead. It was as if all the rage that had been building since the death of my parents had boiled over and was all being pointed at him. It was all his fault in the end anyway. But I'd never stand a chance against him.

"Are you ready to go now, Love," Klaus asked, looking me over with the kindest face, as if he hadn't just killed his brother.

Futilely, I cast one more glance into the woods, hoping to see Jonas or Sheila, or Damon. But there was no one, no help. Klaus wrapped his arm around my shoulders and started to pull me forward, but I recoiled from his touch.

"I could always tie you up and gag you, but you'll be a lot more comfortable if you don't put up a fight."

I'm sure he's completely serious, but something in me wants to make this as hard as possible for him, like maybe if I buy enough time, the others will make it before he leaves. They had to be held up somewhere, right?

But when I don't move, Klaus grips my arm roughly and urges me forward.

"I trust you'll take care of our dear brother," Klaus asked Rebekah who nodded and moved towards the trailer with the mystery man – the one that looked a little like Damon – following her wordlessly, though he did throw one last fleeting glance towards me.

I was forced into the back seat of a very luxurious Audi with smooth leather seats and to my disgust, Klaus slid in next to me. In a single nod of his head, Maddox started the car and we pulled off, filling my stomach with dread.

I afforded one last glance behind us, noting nothing except the piercing eyes of the mystery man.

A/N: Poor Elena. Any guesses who the mystery man that looks a little like Damon is? (Like it's really a mystery)