Hostage Control

by LittleHandGernade

:::Complete:::Addie's agreed to be Klaus' hostage in order to keep everyone she loves safe. She's left her boyfriend in charge of watching her sister, despite his lingering feelings for Elena and her feelings for him. Damon's jealousy and everyone's expectations are becoming too much to bear. Can they find their way back to each other or is one summer too long apart? Sequel Coming!

10. Chapter 9

Addie groaned when Damon shifted his arm from under her. Resting with her back against his arm and her legs stretched out on the couch had been perfectly comfortable.

"Relax, grumpy," he chuckled. Pressing his arm between her and the couch he curled it around her waist, nudging her elbows out of the way. "I just had to move a little. My arm was starting to fall asleep." His fingertips lightly stroked up and down her side as he returned to reading Don Quixote. Cervantes' works were so much better in their original language, Spanish, than in translation.

"Fine," she retorted. Addie shifted so her head rested against the arm of the couch, trapping his arm under her neck. When she brought up her copy of Homer's The Iliad, she knew she was slightly obscuring Damon's view of his book.

Rolling his eyes, Damon just repositioned his novel. His small grin turned into a grimace when his gaze flickered from the text and to her face. Her eyebrows were knitted together and her mouth set in a slight bought. He recognized that look. Wondering if he would regret his inquiry, he asked, "You've read that book twenty times; I know you're not having a problem understanding it. So what, pray tell, has you thinking so hard?"

"Languages," she scowled.

Cryptic. Addie had an annoying quirk of either using too many words and never making her point clear or not fully explaining her point or reasoning but expecting everyone else to still understand her.

"Yes, languages are so horrible. Can you believe people were awful enough to craft words, assign them meaning, make sentences?" Conspiratorially he whispered, "Do you know what is the worst part? They had the nerve to put them down on paper and make stories!" He shook his book in mock anger. "It's shear madness, I tell you! I don't see why we need language to communicate at all. Sex is a much more effective form."

"Dick," she grinned, playfully pushing his face away. "I was thinking about the languages they teach in school: Spanish, German, French and Latin. Why those languages? I get Spanish; it's the second most widely spoken language. If they're teaching us things for practical purposes it doesn't make sense. German ranks 11th and French as 18th in the list of most commonly spoken languages. And Latin is a dead language!"

Damon had to make sure he kept a serious face. While Addie's little quirks could get tedious, he couldn't help but love them. Finding something to talk about was rarely an issue. Trying not to sound amused he reminded her, "You take Latin, love. I don't think you get to use the practicality argument."

"Well, of course I do!" she chided. "Where do the majority of English words have their root? When I take the SAT and come up on a word that means nothing to me, I can likely deduce the meaning if I know the root. And I didn't take Latin to talk with people; I took it to read some of the world's greatest pieces of literature in their original language. Something always gets lost in translation. I just wish I could take ancient Greek so I could read this," she waved her book in his face, "in it's proper form."

Leaning over her, Damon tossed his book onto the coffee table. "You are so not normal," he declared, turning his arm to run his fingers through her hair.

Addie gave him a look that clearly said he was needlessly pointing out a well known fact. She sighed, closing The Iliad and resting it on her stomach, "Damon, date night constitutes sitting by the fire in the library reading our own separate books, not talking to each other. Neither of us are normal."

Damon was quick to defend himself, "I said we could do whatever you wanted. You picked this. I suggested more exciting things but this is what you said you wanted."

"And it was! It is! A moment of peace and quiet and not worrying or thinking about all the problems loom over us is a nice break." Shaking her head, Addie moved his arm from around her waist and sat up. She stared into the log fire burning in the huge open grate. Its light danced over the walls and furniture, amber and warming, accompanied by crackling and popping as the oak logs slowly turned to ash.

"What did I do?" he asked warily after letting her stew for a minute or two.

"Nothing," she mumbled bitterly as she leaned forward, her elbows resting on her knees, "it's just that now all I can think about is those problems."

His arm looped around her shoulders, pulling her back towards him. "No, no, no, no. We're not doing any of that tonight."

She snorted slightly as her lips pressed together in a hard line. "You think that I can stop stressing over those things now that they've entered my mind?"

"It's simple. Just build a brick wall between you and those obsessive thoughts."

"Says the guy who obsessed with the same woman for over 145 years."

His fingers rapped on the arm of the couch in the awkward silence that stretched out. Damon wasn't sure if he imagined it or if was true but Addie seemed to be more jealous since she'd been back. He wasn't sure if that was typical girl behavior or if something more was going on. When Katherine had been around after being freed from the tomb Addie had been physically possessive of him and she had never been fond of him being around Elena but he understood both those things. Katherine had been trying to sleep with him and Elena he'd had wanted at one point and Elena had sort of led him on. One of the things he had liked about her was how little she got jealous, though.

"What are you thinking about?" Damon asked as he got up to pour a measure of bourbon.

Addie turned around and snatched the filled tumbler off the table before Damon could say anything. He gave her a challenging look which she returned with one that dared him to say something. Instead he fetched another glass from in the cabinet. She watched him pour another for himself as she answered, "Right now I'm wondering if Rebekah is off with Tyler considering she's not here."

"Why does that matter?"

Her head fell onto his shoulder when he sat down next to her. Heavily she sighed, "It all matters. If she's bonding with Tyler and honing the hybrid in him that means she's still doing what Klaus wants."

"Drink," he ordered.

"Huh?"

"Drink," he repeated. "We're not thinking about that stuff tonight. Every time you do, you drink."

"We're turning this into a drinking game?" she scoffed in disbelief. None the less she took a sip from the glass, the liquid sweeter and stronger than she had expected.

Damon nodded as he swallowed some of his own. "Until you learn to think about something else. I already told you we're not thinking about that tonight. Tonight we are a normal abnormal couple. We can only think about normal, relationship-y things. For example, we could discuss how amazing I am." Addie drank. "What was that for?"

She smirked coyly at him. "Just thinking about the amazing things my boyfriend has done recently. They're definitely on the 'do no think about' list."

Fair enough. She still wasn't happy about him recruiting Mikael. "We can discuss homecoming and-"

"Nothing to discuss," Addie declared firmly. "I don't like social gatherings. Last school dance I went to was crashed by Klaus. As far as the world is concerned, we're not together so I'm lacking date. And I really don't want to get sucked into going dress shopping with Caroline." She drank again. At Damon's questioning look she said, "My good friend is a vampire and her date is a brainwashed hybrid."

Damon's lips pursed. This was harder than he had thought. Addie took another sip. He gave her incredulous, defensive look. "I didn't even say anything!"

"In the silence my mind turned to Stefan and now I'm kinda worried about where he is and what trouble he might be creating."

"That is… a disturbing thought," he admitted.

She finished her glass. Dryly Addie laughed, "And that was because it's terrifying when you don't have any words of comfort about what Stefan might be doing because it means you have no clue and if you don't know then that…." She trailed off as she stared into her glass. Suddenly she cocked her head at him in confusion. "Are you trying to get me drunk?"

"What? Why would I be trying to do that?" Damon scoffed defensively. "I'm not trying to sleep with you. I'm not trying to trick you. I don't see why I would be trying to do that."

"Well, you're you and that drinking game was kind of rigged. I don't see why either but I figured I should ask."

He chuckled, "No, I just thought coming up with a distracting topic would be a lot easier."

Addie eyed him suspiciously when he grinned at her mischievously. "What?"

"I just realized," he said slowly, taking her glass and sitting it next to his empty one on the table, "That we have the house all to ourselves."

"I don't think so," she giggled, shaking her head. That gleam in his eye was never a good sign.

Damon inhaled loudly, scrunched his face up as he pretended to think and let out a long sigh. "Yeah," he concluded, fegein sympathy as he nodded his head, "I'm afraid so."

"Damon," she warned as he angled himself to face her better, his hand settling on her hip.

"You know, this is a really big house," he murmured, brushing the hair off her neck. He leaned in close, his breath a warm breeze against her neck as he spoke, "There are many places besides my bedroom."

The fabric of his navy button up bunched under her fingers as she made to push him away until Addie felt his lips barely brush over her pulse point, speeding up her heart. "Damon," she repeated, her voice still firm but quieter. "Rebekah and Stefan, they could come home."

His mouth hovered just below her ear as he tsked softly and lightly chastised, "We're not supposed to be thinking about them tonight."

"That doesn't mean-" her breath caught as his teeth skimmed her earlobe, "doesn't mean they stop existing." .

"No," Damon agreed, his lips a hair's width apart from hers, "but I promised you a night of without those dark thoughts and I intend on delivering." She gave a hesitant, wary sound as their mouths met. Quickly he pulled away, swearing under his breath. "I'm sorry," he breathed urgently. "I thought - Ads, you know I would stop with a single word. I just-"

Addie shushed him, placing a single finger over his lips. When she was sure he wasn't going to talk her hand slipped behind his head and pulled him back to her. It was barely a kiss, just the slightest touching of lips. From the back of his neck to over his shoulder her hand traveled, squeezing the firm muscle beneath his sleeves as she moved towards his hand. Slowly her fingers encircled his wrist, gently tugging and guiding him until his hand was holding her hip again.

"I trust you," she whispered. "I just…"

Damon kissed her forehead and reassured her, "It's ok. Love, I've always told you that you don't have to explain yourself to me."

She shook her head, her cheeks coloring. "It's not that; it's just, um, you'll be able to hear them coming, right?"

"Of course but I don't want you to-"

"You can keep talking or you can shut up and kiss me before I change my mind."

Smirking, Damon pressed a light kiss to her lips. He was surprised when he felt her tugging at his collar, wanting him closer. His hand twisted in her hair as her lips mold and moved in perfect synchronization with his. Her mouth easily parted under his. His tongue briefly toyed with the piercing in hers causing her to shiver. Addie could feel his smug smile. Taking that as a challenge, she took control of the kiss. Damon stifled a groan when her teeth snapped at his bottom lip. He realized that as she was still tugging him by the collar, her head was pressing back into his palm. Over the curve of her hip and under her shirt he found the small of her back. Trying to figure out if he was reading her correctly he gently pushed and her back arched. Trusting his instincts he slowly guided her to laying on the couch, giving her every chance to stop him. Though she was the one with her hand around his neck, trying to move him faster.

Addie whined in protest when Damon broke the kiss. He laughed as he reached back and grabbed the throw pillow from behind him.

"Excuse me for considering your comfort," he snickered, motioning for her to lift her head so he could put the pillow in place. "I can assure you I'm not denying your advances."

"You're a dick," Addie replied matter of factly, a light blush coloring her cheeks.

"And yet you still love me," Damon smirked, leaning back in to kiss her.

"No," she retorted sharply, turning her face so he got her cheek.

Right. She could only almost admit that when he was on his deathbed. "Ok. You still really, really like me," he corrected, trying again for a kiss.

Addie shook her head and shrugged innocently, a teasing smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. "No. Truth is that I'm just not that into you anymore."

"Liar," he accused. He gently caught her chin and swiftly pressed his lips to hers before letting her turn away again.

She bit her lip as his brushed along the column of her throat. Fighting to keep her voice steady Addie quipped back, "I know it's a shock but not everyone falls for that bad boy charm and those piercing baby blues."

"Oh, I know," Damon replied smugly, He began placing tepid kisses and nips along her neck, in between them saying, "You fell for me. Not my style. Not my charm. Not my good looks. Nor my unflinching ability to listen to Taylor Swift."

Humming she rubbed at the toned forearms exposed by his pushed up sleeves. "No but all those did make falling for you easier," she considered.

"So that Taylor Swift concert you blackmailed me into, I got bonus points for that? I didn't spend eight hours waiting in line and another three losing my hearing for no reason?" he asked curiously.

"Blackmailed? You owed me for dragging your ass out of that fire," scoffed Addie.

"Which you were partially responsible for!"

Damon groaned when her lips pursed, smug and knowing; her victory smile. Her tone reflected her face as she questioned, "Did you or did you not benefit from that concert? It's where you finally figured out I liked you."

"Which didn't do me very much good since, you know, you didn't trust me and we still couldn't be together and blah, blah, blah. Though I do remember something like this." The tips of his fingers danced along her jaw as he met Addie in a passionate kiss. He took full advantage of her soft gasp, starting a fast dance between their tongues focused on touch, sensation, and the shared hints of caramel from the bourbon. Damon could sense her hands moving but he couldn't discern to where. It didn't matter, though; that wasn't how the kiss had gone. In a flash he had her wrist pinned next to her head.

Eventually she turned from him, her chest rapidly rising and falling. "And I," she recollected breathily, "said something about human lung capacity." Damon hummed in agreement as he placed featherlight kisses across her jaw, chin and the corners of her mouth. Victoriously, Addie concluded, "You benefitted."

"Benefitted? That just triggered my desperate, pathetic obsession over you," he countered, his teeth grazing the shell of her ear.

She broke free of his hold to slip her hands in his hair, gently tugging because he liked it and generally dishevelling it since having it out of place annoyed him and she liked it that way. "So, you admit you're obsessed?" Addie revelled, her breathing catching slightly.

"Of course." He nibbled lightly at her earlobe. "I've told you all love is desperate, pathetic and obsessive. Now, stop sounding so cavalier. This relationship can barely handle the strain of my ego. We don't need to be adding yours." Damon nipped just below her ear, making sure his canines gently scraped against the tender skin. "Understood?"

"You're such a -" Addie moaned as he snapped hard at the center of her neck.

"A dick," Damon finished for her with a smug sense of satisfaction. "I know," he murmured, blowing a steady stream of cool air over the damp skin.

Her chin tilted up, allowing him easier access to her throat. Softly he bit up and down the length of it. A lazy grin played at his lips as she began to tug at his hair. He couldn't resist himself when she huffed in frustration.

"What's wrong?" he asked sweetly, nuzzling where her neck and shoulder met.

Addie's lips pursed; two could play his game. His breathing increased as her nails lightly scratched at him as they moved down the back of neck, under the collar of his shirt, over his shoulders, and around to the to the top most button closed. Toying with the button she pouted, "You're not being very nice."

Damon sharply closed his teeth around he nuzzled, eliciting a soft gasp as he worried at the tender area. Innocently he mused, "Considering I'm a dick I thought I was being extremely nice."

"That was nicer," she blushed, flicking open the button and moving down to the next.

"So, I'm nice when I leave you with a bruise and I'm being mean if I don't leave a mark," he reflected. Higher on her neck he sharply nipped and suckled. His hiss reverberated through her when she undid the button and scraped down his sternum and the top of his abs to the next; she wasn't supposed to be teasing him. With a smirk he taunted, "That simply doesn't sound healthy, Ads."

Intent on blatantly ignoring him being a pain in the pain, Addie popped the remaining buttons out of their holes. She tried to remove his shirt but he somehow squared his shoulders so that she couldn't even get it off of them. Her eyes flickered to his amused ones in exasperation and she knew nothing was happening until she acknowledged what he had said.

"You know it's not like that," she muttered, her cheeks coloring.

In laughter Damon challenged, "It's exactly like that."

Addie glared at him. "What game are you playing? What do you want to hear?"

"The truth," he baited, a broad, toothy grin plastered on his face.

"It's not like hickeys are from you hurting me and when you don't leave them you're just being a dick," she rushed out in a single breath, her eyes focused on his chest. "Happy?"

"Why do you say I am being a dick?" badgered Damon.

Bastard knew exactly how. Annoyed, she demanded, "Why are you doing this?"

He gave her a genuine smile and wink at this. "You're really cute when you turn all red and bashful. Unfortunately, it's becoming a lot harder to embarrass you."

After a minute of consideration Addie declared, "I'm done."

"What?" Damon asked blankly.

"Your game. This. I'm done," she shrugged, pushing at his chest.

"No," he begged. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. No more games," he promised, kissing at the other side of her neck. "I'll be nice."

She hummed in consideration. The soft material of his shirt glided down to his elbows when she tried to remove it again. "Take this off."

"Bossy," Damon snickered, still tugging off his shirt and draping it over the back of the couch.

"Shut up," admonished Addie, grabbing at his bicep, trying to bring him back down to her.

He shook his head, smirking, "See what I mean?"

"Stop being mean and kiss me."

"That still sounds like an order," he contended as he slowly rolled her shirt up to expose her stomach. Gently he tugged at the stars and moon charm that dangled from her bellybutton ring.

She gave him a challenging look as she took a nail and rake it through the dusting of hair from the bottom of his bellybutton and down to the top of his jeans. Damon watched her coolly as she bit at her lip. Addie didn't have the nerve. It was a test to see who'd blink first and he wasn't concerned.

"Damon," Addie drew out as she pushed at his jeans until she reached the top of his boxers.

The corners of his lips twitched. He wasn't sure if that was meant as a warning or a plea; either way she was rather adorable when she didn't get her way. Damon brushed her hand away; having a power struggle with words when there was a far more entertaining option was stupid. In a flash his lips were skimming over her stomach. He grinned when, rather than snap at him for his speed, she gasped, tensed and buried her fingers in his hair.

"I love you so much," Damon murmured between heated kisses. He circled around her bellybutton until he pulled at the dangling charms with his teeth. Satisfaction prickled through him as her fingers clutched at his dark locks. Right over her hipbone he nipped and worried the thin layer of skin until there was a bright red mark. It was a shame that one would disappear when he healed up all the love bites he left on her neck. Not that he was having any possessive ideas of marking her as his.

"Damon," she trembled as his lips pressed in a line just above her pants.

"Too far, I know. I apologize," he said quickly. Chastely he kissed her cheek and rested his weight on his forearm as he squeezed next to her on the couch. Just because he was thinking of moving things along and believed that to be what she wanted, didn't mean they shouldn't discuss it first.

Addie shook her head insistently. "No, no, that was… nice," she flushed.

"Good," he whispered. "But what is wrong?"

She huffed in annoyance, "It's just this whole couch thing. It makes for a really crappy power structure."

"Happy now?" asked Damon once he used his speed to lay down and sit Addie just above his waist.

Her deep blue eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What are you up to?"

He shrugged in confusion, "You wanted control."

"Yeah and you don't like that," she retorted, jabbing him the chest. "So why are you giving it up?"

His brows furrowed as he realized, "If I didn't switch positions with you then you'd just get moody. I did what you wanted and now you're questioning my motives. This seems rigged."

"It's really confusing when you do something without some kind of," she raised a shoulder, at a lost for words, "you know."

"Or," Damon muttered as he pressed his thumbnail into his index finger, making it bleed slightly, "that's just how it always seems because we make everything too damn complicated."

Addie pushed his offered finger away as she took on one of his mischievous grins. "We still have the house to ourselves."

"Oh," he hummed appreciatively.

His bottom lip was drawn between his teeth as he watched the heels of her hands push into his abdominals and up his chest, leaving a wake of fire in her path. Growling softly he pushed himself onto his elbows and caught her chin between his index finger and thumb. Addie let him guide her into a kiss but she quickly took control of it. Her teeth caught his lower lip, tugging and snipping until he became completely pliant and relaxed under the hands that explored his bared chest and arms. The most control Addie gave Damon was letting him pull her down as he laid back on the couch. Smirking, she broke off the kiss and tilted his chin up with her finger. His breathing caught as her teeth lightly grazed over his adam's apple; it bobbed as he swallowed hard. As she nibbled along his collarbone his fingers clenched at her hips.

"Fucking hell," growled Damon as Addie suddenly and sharply bit at his neck. She briefly tensed and he thought he was going to have to remind her again that it would take a lot more than that to hurt him but she relaxed and her teeth dug further into his skin. His hands found their way into her back pockets. Taken aback by this action Addie gasped softly; that was breaking his first rule of physical boundaries - hands above the belt.

Encouragingly, experimentally Damon gently squeezed. Again Addie's teeth snapped around the cords of muscle straining in his neck, muffling her moan. He groaned, the volume increasing as her nails dug into his side and shoulder.

"What the hell are you two if you aren't dating?" interrupted a snide, familiar voice.

Both Addie and Damon sat up in surprise. Already blushing from being caught, Addie colored further when she brushed against Damon as she shifted in his lap.

"I don't see how that's any of your business," he sneered at Rebekah.

"I don't see why you two are hiding the fact that you're together," she retorted, casually leaning against the door, arms crossed.

Addie's arms wound around Damon's neck, blocking as much of his bared torso from the blonde's view as possible. Watching Rebekah over her shoulder she casually lied, "We're not together."

"Then what are you?"

"We were busy before you oh so rudely interrupted," snapped Damon.

"Obviously. Also obvious proof that you are together," the Original snickered.

Addie rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically, "No, it's not. Rebekah, I've told you that we're over numerous times. Damon makes for a crappy boyfriend. But, really, I'd have to be brain dead if I gave up the physical benefits. Why do you think I don't have a problem sharing his bed?"

"Addie," Rebekah said, mildly scandalized and equally impressed, "I didn't take you for the type."

"Oh, please. Just because you think I'm a nun because we weren't fucking doesn't mean I can't still have him as a boy toy."

Damon raised an eyebrow at Addie. Boy toy? Really? He was in a monogamous, non-sexual, non-relationship arrangement? That was the least believable thing he had ever heard. What was Addie thinking? He somehow doubt she actually wanted people to believe they were just having a physical relationship.

Rebekah raised her hands in surrender and winked as she backed out of the library. "I knew you weren't completely stupid."

Addie waited about thirty seconds before smacking Damon in the chest with the back of her hand.

"Ow!" he complained, despite it not even hurting. "What was that for?"

"You were supposed to be listening for her or Stefan," she hissed quietly.

"It's not my fault my ears were filled with a different sound," he retorted defensively.

She rolled her eyes and scoffed, "Oh, yes, I suppose it's mine." Damon shrugged. She huffed indignantly, "It is not!"

"I wasn't the one-"

"You're breaking your own rule," flushed Addie as Damon's hands, still in her back pockets, gently squeezed and kneaded.

His hands froze as he cocked his head at her, suddenly feeling slightly anxious. "Does it bother you?"

She shook her head, coloring further. "No."

"Good," he grinned, resuming his ministrations, "because I find I quite like it."

---

Without knocking Addie strolled into the bedroom Rebekah was using, letting the door slam shut behind her. The hot pink decor was almost enough to make her gag. None the less, she flung herself across the bed and stared at the ceiling, ignoring the pointed look from the other girl sitting at a desk.

"Don't you know how to be considerate?" Rebekah scowled, returning to painting her nails red.

"You definitely weren't when you interrupted Damon and me," Addie quickly countered. She was still annoyed at both vampires for that.

"Fair enough. What do you want?"

Sighing, she rolled onto her stomach and rested her chin in her hand. "You're the only one who didn't roll out the welcome wagon when Mikael showed up. I figure you're the only sane person in the house."

The blonde eyed her skeptically; knowing Addie that wasn't necessarily a good thing. "How do you connect the two?"

"You've got two vampires conspiring with a vampire vampire hunter and a human in love with both of the two idiotic vampires, one of whom has no humanity. And I live here which obviously makes my already questionable sanity an impossibility. You rationally fear the vampire hunter and have sworn off Stefan until he learns how to play nice, making you the sanest one in this house," Addie reasoned.

"So, they're going to kill Nik?" asked Rebekah, trying to sound casual.

Addie shrugged and then nodded. "That's the plan but I don't know if they will be able to."

"Why not? They have Mikael."

"They do but Klaus is smart," she reasoned. "Their plan to get Klaus here is to have Stefan tell him that Mikael's been daggered, which my sister is actually going to do since Stefan can't lie to , your brother is… well, their whole plan is contingent on Klaus believing just Stefan. I just can't see him not seconding guessing Stefan or suspecting a trap. They think they've got this all covered but everyone is walking around with rose colored glasses."

Addie studied Rebekah carefully as she watched the other girl gently blow at her freshly painted nails. Rebekah had to think this was her own idea. Addie just wasn't sure that she was mad enough at him for killing their mother to want to help bring about his demise.

"Klaus will suspect something but I can make him think otherwise," the Original sister finally said haughtily.

---

Damon sat on the arm of the couch, curling a strand of Addie's blue hair around his finger. She batted at his hand without looking up from her copy of The Iliad and scoot closer towards the center of the couch. She'd had quite an attitude with him since Mikael had shown up on the doorstep that afternoon, ready to kill Klaus. First of all, she had very little confidence in his plan and was certain either Mikael or Klaus was going to kill him. Second, when she'd found out that he'd invited Elena to get involved on the plan she went off on a bit of a rant about how everyone she cared about was going to end up dead. Even if she was pissed at him, he at least knew she still cared about him.

Addie's focus was drawn from her book as Stefan spoke into the phone saying, "Your father is dead." A heartbeat passed. "Oh, my mistake. Not your actual father and not dead. Mikael. Daggered. What do you want me to do with the body?" he asked flatly. Addie rolled her eyes as Stefan launched into the stupid story that they had actually had to act out in order for Stefan to tell Klaus the truth.

"Mikael showed up at the house. He tried to grab Elena so he could use her as bait. Damon and I startled with some vervain. We found a dagger he planned to use on Rebekah but instead Elena drove it into his heart." Stefan fell quiet for a second. "Well, he is here. Come by whenever." Another pause. "It's true I saw it with my own eyes." His brows furrowed. "That's not a problem. She is right here."

Addie looked up from her book when she felt the silence had stretched a little too long and was surprised to find everyone staring at her, Stefan holding the phone towards her. She eyed them all skeptically as they looked at her expectantly. What the hell? Why did Klaus want to talk to her? She had made it very clear and obvious that she wanted nothing to do with their half baked plan. Her arms crossed stubbornly as she looked away from the phone.

Sighing, Damon snatched the cell from his brother and shoved it into his girlfriend's hand. She glowered at him but he just mimed talking into a phone. He knew she disagreed with this idea but that didn't mean she had to go and wreck it!

"Niklaus," she snapped into the phone warily.

"Addison!" he replied brightly. "How are you doing?"

"What do you want?"

"Fine; I'll skip the pleasantries. What scheming is going on?" demanded Klaus.

Addie shook her head, even though he couldn't see her. "I have no idea. See, unlike everyone else, I'm not an idiot. When a vampire vampire hunter that you have the sense to fear shows up I'm smart enough to run and not return until he's gone or taken care of. Really, it's not like me to take on the role of the hero."

"Oh, but that's exactly like you. Isn't that why you agreed to our summer arrangement? To protect everyone you love? So you understand if I get the sense you're lying to me," he replied glibly.

She exhaled long and loudly, "I ended up with you because I could reason with you. I'm not stupid enough to believe that I could reason with Mikael." Addie glared pointedly at Damon."If I lied to you, you'd just kill everyone I love or, you know, order someone to do that if I was stupid enough to double cross you. So, tell me, why would I scheme against you?"

"Perhaps you're smart enough not to but what about your friends?"

"Do you think I would let them do something as stupid as sign their own death wish and just watch? I don't know what you want me to tell you because that's the truth. I apologize that the world isn't one big ball of paranoia. Is there anything else I can do for you?" she asked curtly, her voice steady with false confidence.

"Let me speak to Rebekah," he glowered.

Addie passed the phone to the other girl on her way out of the study and into the kitchen. From the cupboard she got a glass and filled it with ice water from the fridge. She finished the water in one take and refilled her cup.

"What the hell was that?" Damon asked, making Addie jump, water sloshing out the side of her glass.

"That was a death threat," she muttered, grabbing a few paper towels to clean up what had spilled on to the floor.

Damon took the napkins from her trembling hands and shook his head. "No, I mean, why did Klaus want to talk to you?"

She rolled her eyes as she watched him wipe at the floor. "You heard both ends of the conversation. We both know you did."

Sighing in frustration, he tossed the paper towels away. "I guess I just thought his obsession with you would be over after this summer."

"I thought you wanted him dead because of his obsession."

"I, well, yes. He's a threat to you. He's the hunter and you're his prey. It's one of the many reason he has to be taken out," shrugged Damon, running a twitching hand through his hair.

Addie stared at him, shaking her head and whispered, "You're going to get killed."

Cupping her cheeks he rested his forehead against hers and reassured her, "I'm going to be fine."

"Look at who, what you're trusting. Look at who you're trying to kill. One way or the other, you end up dead," she muttered.

"There are risk and it is dangerous," he conceded, "and that's why you are going to have nothing to do with any of this, just like you told Klaus."

She took a step away from him, brushing his hands off her face and scowling, "If you think that I'm going to let my sist-"

"Please stop talking," Damon interjected as he went to the junk drawer and found a piece of paper and pen. He pointed to his ear and then pretended to write on the paper. When she nodded that she understood he leaned against the counter and scribbled out his note.

I'm not letting Elena have anything to do with the plan either. Just letting her believe until the last minute. I'm forming a secret back-up plan. Katherine is going to be filling in for Elena.

"What?"

He gave her a look mischievous look before writing again.

Wouldn't be a secret if I told you.

"Mature."

"Extremely. I could be all childish and giddy and say everything and then it could be tortured out of you but no, I'm being mature," he said, sticking his tongue.

"You're gonna get screwed."

Damon pulled her into a hug, kissing her forehead. "It will all be fine. Everyone wants the same thing. We've got the advantage. You just do absolutely nothing and don't worry about a thing."

---

Addie scowled as she sat on Damon's bathroom sink and read the same line for the fifth time. It was hard to pay attention to Homer when her sister and boyfriend were flirting right in front of her. Well, they weren't really flirting but they were still talking and she didn't like it. Ugh! They had actually done this all summer with actual flirting? She was so not pleased with either one of them.

"Jealousy really doesn't look good on you," Damon muttered as he stirred the wolfsbane mixture for the grenades.

"I'm not," she replied coolly.

He rolled his eyes. "You can lie to the rest of the world but not me."

She closed her book, marking her page with her finger. With a daring look she challenged, "So it's ok for you to be jealous over Elijah and Klaus, for absolutely no reason, but I can't be jealous over my sister, who you will always have feelings for and spent all summer flirting with?"

"My emotions are magnified ten times, yours are not. A little bit of jealousy is healthy. What you're feeling is-"

"You really wanna finish that sentence?" warned Addie.

"No," Damon decided. "You're the one I love, though, now and forever. Whatever happened never meant anything."

"We can't trust Rebekah not to turn on us," Elena called from the bedroom, interrupting their hushed conversation.

"Oh really? Cause these Original vampires are usually so reliable," Damon replied sardonically as he pulled out the grenade bottles.

Elena carried on as if he hadn't said anything, "Bonnie was right. Rebekah may be mad at Klaus now but he is her brother."

"Hey lying, mama-killing, dagger-happy brother. Wolfsbane is ready," he informed Elena as she joined them in the bathroom.

"There are too many things that can go wrong with this plan. Too many people that can make it go wrong."

Damon smirked knowingly as he filled a grenade. "Well, I am formulating a secret contingency plan."

"Really? What is it?" Elena implored eagerly.

"Don't you know the definition of a secret?" Addie said dryly, not looking up from her book. If she couldn't know the plan, Elena better not get to know the plan either.

"I need to borrow a tie," Stefan said, his head appearing around the door frame.

Damon barely gave his brother any attention as he replied, "You have your own times."

"I'm 162 years old and I'm going to a homecoming dance. I need better ties."

Addie raised her eyebrows at Stefan as she teased, "You've got that backwards. You're going to a high school dance. You don't need a $300 Stefano Ricci tie. You need a $15 tie from Wal-Mart if you want to blend in."

"Your sense of fashion is limited to Converse. How do you know anything about my ties?" wondered Damon, genuinely perplexed.

"Trust me, you would love to know the answer to that," she replied, a secret smile playing at her lips.

"Yes, that's why I -," Damon interrupted himself as he caught Elena messing with one of the vervain grenades out of the corner of his eyes. He smacked her hand lightly and gingerly took it from her. "Ah- ah! No."

Elena glared at him, "I know how to do it! Alaric taught me!"

"Elena, if thing blows up in our faces, just remember: only one of us heals quickly."

Addie grinned as Stefan reappeared. Without his humanity he was actually not so boring.

"Ah, please tell me that you have a better plan than wolfsbane grenades," he muttered skeptically.

She couldn't resist snickering, "When is there ever a plan that is actually halfway decent, Stefan?"

"I know," he grimaced. "My freedom from Klaus rest entirely upon you guys executing your plan perfectly. So, excuse me if I'm a bit cynical and would rather put my faith in something a little more guaranteed than wolfsbane grenades."

"You're the one that we should be worried about," Elena said defensively. "If Klaus ask you one wrong question the whole thing falls apart."

"Like I said, 'when is there even a plan that is actually halfway decent?'" repeated Addie.

"You do have reason to worry, but if I look back in our history of epic plan failures, it's usually because one of us lets our humanity get in the way," Stefan pointed out smugly.

Addie's lips pursed as she reviewed their plans. "I think it could be argued that I am severely lacking in the humanity department. I've pretty much maintained being cold, calculated and calloused."

"That's one of the most illogical things you have ever said. You may not interfere with plans but your humanity is a complicated and tangled little web that no one will ever understand," Damon declared quietly.

"Upon taking odds," continued Stefan, as if he hadn't been interrupted, "on how this thing goes down, it's certainly not gonna be me who screws it up." He turned on his heel and headed towards the door, calling over his shoulder, "I'll see you at homecoming. I can't wait."

"Am I the only one who finds Stefan more entertaining without his humanity?"

Elena scowled at her sister and snapped, "Shut up."

"Why do you find the bad vampires amusing? Do you enjoy playing with fire?" Damon asked wearily.

"I don't think my taste in vampires is related to my fascination with fire," Addie deflected.

"Are you obtuse on purpose? Do you get something out of annoying me?"

"Those are the most ridiculous questions I've ever heard. Since when have I not enjoyed antagonizing you?" she grinned sweetly, innocently kissing him on the cheek.

---

"Why aren't you coming to this dance?" Rebekah asked for the tenth time as she pulled on her strappy high heels.

For the tenth time Addie answered, "Big group of people, I don't dig the whole dress look, and some drama always happens."

"Won't you come? For me?" the blonde pleaded.

"As your dearest friend, no. Trust me, Caroline has been bitching at me all week to go. I'm not changing my mind."

Rebekah studied her and hesitantly asked, "Is it because you're going to help Damon and my father with their plan?"

"No, I will have no part in Klaus' demise. Even if I wanted in on the plan, Damon wouldn't let me in on it," she answered truthfully.

"Damon," the Original mused, drawing out his name as she thought. "He's very protective of you." Addie nodded. "And he cares for you a great deal; it's obvious in the way he moves, watches, and treats you."

"Is there a point?" asked Addie, shifting uncomfortably.

"I don't understand why," she answered pointedly. "I mean, I care for you as a friend and I get that but the way he feels goes so much deeper. That, I don't understand."

Addie laughed as she spun in Rebekah's desk chair. "I'd be lying if I said I understood it. Frankly, I don't know what he gets out of it."

"Well, what do you get out of your feelings for him?" The vampire asked as she looked into the mirror and carefully applied mascara.

"I don't-"

"I know you have feelings for him."

Her fingers drummed rhythmically on the desk as Addie tried to think of how she most benefitted from being with Damon; the singular reason she was with him if she had to pick one. Finally she decided, "Acceptance, I get acceptance for who I am from him. I never have to explain why I may act so irrational, he just puts up with it. He rarely lets my annoying quirks and habits get to him and when they do, he still does his best to patient. A lot of people have put up with all my bullshit before but I just walked all over them. While Damon accepts everything about me, he's not afraid to call me out on my shit. And I call out his. It makes things a challenges when we both can be full of crap sometimes but there's just something about knowing that I can't fool him that's nice. Why are we discussing Damon? I feel like we spent the entire summer discussing Damon."

"We did spend the entire summer discussing Damon," Rebekah muttered as she kept her hand steady as she applied her eyeliner. "However the topics up for discussion are my father, my brother, and Damon. I pick Damon."

"I know I'm not the warmest, cuddliest person," Addie admitted hesitantly, "but you can discuss those other things with me."

"I'm worried about what happens after Mikael kills Klaus," she said quietly.

Addie snorted humorlessly, "Well, then he kills the next vampire in closet range, probably Damon, and works his way out, you know, continuing to be a vampire vampire hunter."

"I have a dreadful feeling you're right."

Inspiration suddenly striking her, Addie walked out of the room without any warning. She diverted her eyes as she passed Elena in the hall. Silently, she opened and closed Damon's door, slipping into his room.

"You know, you could knock," Damon muttered, not looking up from his cell phone as he sat propped up against his headboard.

"Everyone else knocks; I don't knock," she said firmly, moving towards him.

He caught her hand as she made to open the draw to his nightstand and cocked his head at her. His eyebrow waggled suggestively as he snickered, "Why? Because you're special?"

She smiled at him innocently and replied sweetly, "No, I'm just the only one who isn't afraid of your temper."

"I would have a fit if anyone barged in here the way you do," he acknowledged.

"And yet you don't when I do it."

Damon heaved in exasperation, "Would it do me any good? No. You'd just argue right back at me about how I started showing up in your room unannounced first. You're the only one foolish enough to argue with me."

"I like to live on the edge," she smirked, echoing his own words.

"If arguing with me is all you need to get your thrill, then you've got it any time, any place," he murmured, sliding his hand around the back of her neck and pulling her in for a teasing kiss.

"You're in an amiable mood," Addie observed, opening the drawer

"Not particularly; I just rather you fight with me than do something reckless. What do you want in there?"

She huffed, closing the drawer. It wasn't in there anymore. Her eyes narrowed at Damon as she demanded, "The birthday present from Klaus that you keep conveniently forgetting to give me, where is it?"

He shook his head. "I don't think so. See, the idea of him giving you jewelry kinda pisses me off and if you actually like it, well, then I'm going to be really angry and I might just say 'screw the plan' and try and rip out his heart on my own."

"You're jealous enough to kill Klaus and I can't be jealous enough to be annoyed with my sister. That sounds totally fair."

"There's a difference. Elena wants Stefan. Klaus wants you," Damon shrugged simply.

Addie scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Elena wants both of you. Klaus wants to torment you and by getting jealous, you're letting him win."

"Yes, well, after tonight he won't be winning anything."

"Where is the gift?" she huffed impatiently.

He scowled, "Why do you want it? If you want jewelry, I will get it for you."

"If you do that, we're going to have a serious fight," she warned. "It's not for me. It's for Rebekah."

"The name tag clearly has your name on it."

"For her to wear and have and remember him by and whatever. If you were going to die tonight, I'd wear something to remember you by," she sneered. That reminded her. Addie went over to his dresser and in the second drawer down pulled out one of the smaller shirts she borrowed for sleep and exchanged it with her own.

Rolling his eyes Damon over enunciated, "You're being dramatic."

"And you're being a reckless idiot," Addie shot back. "Do you really want to argue about this or are you just going to tell me where the gift is?"

"Top drawer," he mumbled.

Sure enough Addie found the small rectangular box wrapped in blue paper in there. She removed it and quickly unwrapped the box.

"What is it?" Damon questioned jealously.

Addie shook her head; he could see she hadn't even opened it. The hinge lid snapped opened. A gorgeous bracelet with large, brilliant square diamonds. With a sigh she passed it to Damon, who she knew was watching her closely.

"A diamond tennis bracelet. Unoriginal and unimpressive," she informed him uninterested.

"Princess cut and at least 10 carats in platinum with excellent clarity. Easily a $35,000 bracelet," he growled bitterly.

"At least your $150,000 watch told the time," Addie muttered, snatching the box back. "What a waste of money. It's so gaudy. You can find a piece of costume jewelry that looks exactly the same for $5, I'm sure."

Damon squeezed his eyes shut. Sometimes he was really unsure whether Addie being oblivious to Klaus' intentions was for the better or worse. His eyes flashed open as he heard the noise.

"Rebekah's not wearing that," he muttered. His mouth pressed into a thin line as she looked at him in confusion. Thinking fast, he swiftly blocked the door. "Before you do anything stupid or go on the offensive, can we take a moment to be rational?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Your sister just daggered Rebekah."

Addie's eye went wide as she roared, "What?"

Damon angled himself in front of the doorknob as she tried to reach for it. "Ads. Addie. Addison!" he snapped as she struggled to get past him. Finally she glared up at him and he tried to reason with her, "You can't undagger her. You want to know the first thing she's going to do? Kill your sister!"

"I'm ok with that."

"No, you're not," he reminded her forcefully as he grabbed her shoulders and pushed her an arm's length away from him.

"Pretty sure I am. I like Rebekah; I don't like my sister," she retorted snidely.

An internal war plagued Damon. He needed to go deal with Elena and Rebekah before Mikael came back from getting the stake. Addie, however, was livid and he didn't trust her not to be extremely short sighted and decide to undagger Rebekah if he left her alone or let her out of his sight. Putting her in the same room as Elena was definitely not an option. If he thought Addie would just yell and scream, possibly, but with her temper already short with her sister it seemed more likely that she might simply punch Elena. What he needed to do was make Addie see the logical aspect, make her think it outweighed the emotional aspect, and then she might calm down. That could take several hours; he didn't have several hours.

What he could do… but he really shouldn't do that. It was so wrong. And potentially , based on his research as a slightly overprotective protective boyfriend, he had basically been reassured that at the right levels, it was harmless. But he'd be such a hypocrite. How many times had he gotten on to her about drinking and her medication. God, he'd done a lot of terrible things but he'd never drugged a woman in his life. Was he seriously considering drugging his girlfriend?

If he didn't, what were his options? Try and keep Addie from pulling out the dagger. There was a 50/50 chance she might try that. Let her and Elena fight it, physically or with words. That would definitely happen. He glanced at his clock. If it was with words, it was highly unlikely they would be done before Mikael got back and then he would find out that Elena had daggered his daughter and, somehow, Damon didn't think that would go over too well. Addie had only ever gotten into one physical fight with Elena and it had been after their parents had died. He was fairly certain he'd seen her more pissed at her sister without Addie hitting her. Chancing a physical fight might be hoping for too much. Making Addie calm down seemed like a ridiculous idea as she grew redder and redder.

Dear God. Grabbing her wrist, Damon dragged her over to his dresser. He opened his top drawer and pulled out a tumbler and a crystal decanter of scotch. Quicker than she had seen, though, before he had taken out the glass he had popped open a bottle of her anti-anxiety medication and crushed one tablet into the cup. He poured two fingers and held it out to her.

"I don't want a drink. I want to go-" Undagger Rebekah? Beat Elena senseless? Throw a tantrum about the whole damn situation with Klaus and Mikael? Addie wasn't exactly sure what she wanted to do. She just knew standing there, doing nothing was making her more pissed off.

"Drink," insisted Damon.

"I'm not you!" Addie snapped. "Alcohol is not going to magically solve my problems."

"Drink and if in ten minutes you still think whatever you want to do is a good idea I will help you," he bargained.

Scowling at him, Addie snatched the glass and downed the contents in one gulp. She winced and hissed at the burn. Coughing slight, she grumbled, "Happy?"

"We'll see in ten minutes."

Sighing dramatically, she flung herself onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. More gracefully Damon laid down next to her. His fingers intertwined with hers as her heavy breathing became less audible.

"I still think your ceiling is perfect for glow-in-the-dark stars," Addie grumbled, trying not to focus on her sister or Rebekah or the looming night ahead. His ceiling was smooth while hers was popcorn-ed, making installation a pain in the butt.

"And while I still like the sets that have the planets and think setting up a solar system on the ceiling and a space theme would be a really cool idea for a child's room, I'm still not putting them up. How many times do I have to tell you that is not what they mean when they say 'doing it under the stars?'" Damon snickered as he recalled the first conversation he'd had with Addie about sex. They weren't even thinking of having it with each other at the time.

She propped herself up on one elbow to peer down at Damon as she demanded, "What's your excuse for not putting them up now?"

"It's like I said, 'it's not the smoothest move when you bring a girl home,'" he shrugged innocently.

"I know what you said. However, this girl," she emphasized, pointing to herself with both her thumbs, "thinks it could be fun to try. What other girls are you bringing home?"

"No-wh-ho," Damon stammered, trying to figure out how a joke came around to him cheating on her. "I'm confused as to when we even started having sex," he said defensively. "I certainly don't remember being there for that."

Addie gave him a highly suggestive smile. "In reality we may be limited by your physical boundaries; unfortunately, you can't control my dreams."

"Addison Gilbert," he gasped scandalized. Yeah, the drink and the medication had definitely kicked in. She would have never told him that. Brushing his thumb softly over her cheek he asked, "You ok here while I go take care of some stuff?"

Her eyes narrowed skeptically at him. So, she hadn't forgotten about the entire night. "How long until you come back?"

Damon frowned. He didn't know how long he would take with Elena. And he would of course have to deal with Katherine or Mikael if they showed up. He did his best and promised, "I'll be back before I go anywhere."

This seemed to be good enough for Addie because she simply nodded and opened a chess game on her phone.

---

Addie cursed to herself as the computer bested her again in another game of chess. She had already switched from 'Intermediate' to 'Beginner.' For some reason she just wasn't seeing and anticipating the moves; it was like her brain was in a fog.

Her grimace increased as her phone began to ring. She stuck her tongue out at the caller ID before curtly answering, "What?"

"Where are you? You're missing the celebration," Klaus cried over pounding music.

"I don't do school dances. I thought you killed my best friend at the last one, remember?" she cut back harshly.

Klaus paused for a moment, interpreting and remembering. "Homecoming was cancelled, dear. Gym was flooded. Tragic. Lucky for everyone Tyler managed to through together the most fantastic wake for my father."

A sense of dread settled in Addie's stomach. She had no idea what Damon was planning but she doubted he had planned on this. "Lucky for everyone who wanted to go to homecoming and likes big parties. I like my peace and quiet and don't care either way. Congratulations on the dagger death, though."

"Thank you. I can't help but notice that in addition to you, my sister isn't here. I can't believe she would miss this."

Addie's fist clenched as a sense of rage coursed through her. Elena. Truthfully, she answered, "I don't know where Rebekah is. I was with her getting ready for the dance. She was really excited about it. Are you sure you haven't just missed her? It sounds like a lot of people."

"It's possible," he muttered.

"You're seriously throwing a wake before you've gotten to dance on your father's grave? That's the first thing I'd do if I'd finally get to stop running after a thousand years," she mused, wondering exactly when they planned to attack Klaus.

Addie could almost hear his wicked grin. "Oh, I've sent Stefan to fetch him so I can do just that."

"Addison," Klaus said seriously. He must have moved somewhere quiet because she could no longer hear any background noise. "I trust that you're not stupid. I trust that your friends are extremely stupid. Whatever it is they're think of trying, they won't succeed. And, dear, I can assure you that you don't want them to succeed. There happen to be a few dozen of my hybrid friends here tonight and even in death they will follow my orders. If I die, Damon dies too. I'm giving you the chance to stop them, Addison."

"Niklaus, I have no idea what they're planning or if they're even planning anything at all," she sighed in exasperation, a trembling hand running through her hair.

"If they're planning nothing then you have no concerns. If they are… consider this mutually assured destruction."

"You're operating on the premise that people actually like Damon," Addie muttered.

Klaus tsked and sounded almost apologetic as he replied, "Not people, you. My destruction will bring about the destruction of the thing that brings you the most happiness, Damon. If I'm going down, so are you. Hopefully that's enough of incentive to stop your friends." And with that he hung up.

She might be able to talk Damon out of whatever he was planning but that would mean he'd be crossing Mikael, which would wind up with him still being dead. The room was spinning and her head was pounding. She needed to discuss this with Damon; maybe he'd have a solution.

An acute wave of nausea hit her as she stood up accompanied by a bang of dizziness. She grabbed at the poster of the bed until the world was a little more stable. Still, she had to hold on the rail as she made her way down the stairs. She didn't see him in the living room but heard the sounds of a fire coming from the library.

"Whoa," Damon muttered, dropping the glass and blood bag onto the liquor cabinet and rushing to Addie's side as she staggered into the room.

"I will get sick all over your precious rug if you screw up my orientation and view by picking me up," she hissed, feeling his arm at the back of her knees.

Point effectively made, still that didn't mean he couldn't help steer her to the couch. "You're pretty much the only person who can get away with getting sick on anything. Your health ranks above any possessions. That being said, are you going to be sick?" he asked, his stomach twisting guilty. She felt like shit because of him.

"No. Damon-" Her hand clenched reflexively around his as Mikael walked into the room. Wonderful.

"Did my daughter go to the dance?"

"Yep," Damon replied, popping the 'puh' sound. "You missed the photo op. Did you get the stake?"

Addie's eyes narrowed at him. No, she hadn't. Where was Rebekah?

Mikael nodded in confirmation, "I did."

"I'm not gonna take your word for it," scoffed Damon. "No offense to your honor and all."

"None take," replied the vampire hunter as he withdrew an ornately carved wooden stake from inside his jacket.

"Fancy. May I?"

Mikael smirked as he tucked the piece of wood away, "It's the only weapon on this earth that can kill an original. So I think I'll hold on to it. No offense."

It could kill an original, any original. If Klaus died, Damon died. If Klaus didn't die, Damon died. Either Klaus's hybrids were going to kill Damon or Mikael was going to kill Damon. Klaus could be reasoned with, the hybrids could be controlled. Mikael was probably going to kill Damon no matter what. Addie rubbed at her aching head. The answer was right in front of her. She knew she was staring at it she just couldn't see it.

"I'd offer you a drink but Katherine tells me you're more of a "vampire on the rocks" kind of guy."

"Technically you could still offer," Addie snickered.

Leave it to Addie to still be a smart ass when she fucking drugged. Damon pressed the back of his hand to her forehead, as if checking for fever, and grumbled, "You're sick and delusional."

"Wanna know why vampires?" she whispered conspiratorially.

"Shut up, Addie," he muttered. She, well, he, since he drugged her, was going to get them killed.

"It's the bloodlust. Vampires were never supposed to be insatiable predators. Right?" Addie said, looking to Mikael for validation.

Damon had never been so relieved to see his brother enter a room, even if he looked annoyed. "Change of plans. Klaus is back. He is at the Lockwood's and he wants your body delivered to his doorstep."

"I'm afraid he's in for a colossal disappointment," Mikael replied with a smile.

"Well, he's certainly not gonna come here. I hope your plan didn't depend on that."

Damon shook his head, "Didn't depend on that."

"But you do have a plan, right?" Stefan asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

He nodded at his brother. "Oh, yeah. We have a plan. Just doesn't involve you."

Addie gasped as Mikael flashed forward, tearing into Stefan's throat and feeding. Mikael! They had to kill Mikael! Then Damon wouldn't die for crossing Mikael and he wouldn't die because Klaus died. Eventually Stefan fell unconscious and Mikael dropped him to the floor. Addie couldn't help but giggle.

"It's a about time someone did that after all he's done," she shrugged defensively.

"I'm gonna take you back upstairs," Damon decided. When he moved to collect her, Addie scurried to the other end of the couch.

If Damon took her upstairs she would just have to come back down again. She couldn't talk to Damon about killing Mikael with him standing right there. It was all up to convincing Stefan, who had no humanity and didn't care about his brother. Maybe she should go directly to Klaus.

"I wanna stay down here," she protested.

Glancing between his brother and his drugged girlfriend Damon groaned quietly. He had a feeling she was going to do whatever she wanted, no matter what countermeasures he took. "Fine," he sighed reluctantly. "Just stay here, ok?" Addie nodded and he kissed her on the forehead goodbye.

---

Addie blinked several times and the road flattened out again. Stefan had been a waste of time; she'd spent as much time as she dared trying to wake him up but to no avail. There was no way of telling how soon after reaching the Lockwood's Mikael and Damon would enact their plan. Her thirteen calls to Klaus had gone unanswered. Despite feeling like hell, she'd been left with only one option.

Any other time she welcomed the rough ride of her 4x4 Jeep but now it just made her feel like she was going to be sick. She gave a shuddering groan as she parked behind someone in the mansion's circular driveway. She wouldn't be long. Shaking, Addie got out of the car and unsteadily headed for the house. The world began to spin with the thumping bass from the band. The place was packed, which should make it easier to avoid anyone she knew but would make it nearly impossible to find a single person.

Her lips pinched as she came upon a fallen body and a heart discarded next to it outside the front door. Damon found a hybrid and had gone inside. So, she'd stay outside and find her own hybrid. Addie walked along the side of the house, occasionally using it for support. Every face she passed she studied it for familiarity. If she had never seen it before, she tried to judge if the person looked significantly older than a high school student, signalling they didn't belong. Ha! Take that whatever fucked up vertigo, migraine crap. Even sick she could still be logical.

That didn't mean her plan would actually work, she had to admit, once she had made her way around to the back of the house. Addie was about to try calling Klaus again when she saw him playing beerpong. She couldn't figure out which she found more bizarre - him playing beerpong while people plotted against his life or the fact that Klaus Mikaelson was playing beerpong. A sense of relief filled her as she made her way over to him, slightly stumbling over her feet.

"Addison, glad you could make it!" Klaus beamed, throwing an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into his side. He looked down at her more critically as she almost fell into him. Quickly righting her he asked, "What's wrong?"

"We need to talk," she mumbled, trying to focus her eyes on him. "In private."

He nodded and passed the ping pong ball he was holding to someone else. Addie tugged gently at the side of his shirt as he tried to steer her into the house. She mumbled something about the side and so they went there instead.

"You're ill," Klaus noted as she rested against the building. With two fingers he lifted her chin. She groaned and swatted when he shined his cell phone in her eyes. "No, you're drugged!" he proclaimed. "What the hell?"

"I'm not drugged," she spat. "I've got, like, the migraine from hell or something."

"What did you drink? Who gave it to you?" he demanded angrily.

Addie groaned and smacked the wall behind her. The sting that radiated through her hand made her whimper. "Nothing! No one," she mumbled. "God, Klaus, I can't," she inhaled sharply as he tilted from left to right.

"Somehow you got drugged!"

"Shut up!" Addie snapped. "I'm trying to focus and you repeating that isn't helping."

Klaus raised his eyebrows in mild surprise. Slowly he nodded, "Ok. What do we need to talk about."

Tears began to slowly fall down her cheeks as she whispered, "Mikael and Damon, I can't stop them. I don't know their plan."

"Well that's unfortunate for you."

"They are confident," she hissed. "Mikael fed on Stefan until he passed out to make sure he stays out of the way."

"Well that's not very helpful." The anger was increasing in his voice. "Do you have any useful information?"

Addie squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to think but that only made that only made her dizzier. "Elena, I think they're going to use her as bait or something. I don't- I don't know. They brought Katherine in to pretend to be Elena."

His cool fingers made her shiver as he brushed away her tears. "What else?"

"You have to kill Mikael. With his stake. You have to kill him."

"And why should I do that?"

"You want him dead," she muttered.

Klaus frowned and scooted closer to her, making her back up until she was standing up better. She'd practically been about to slide down to the floor. He was going to figure out who drugged her and slowly kill them.

"Why do you want him dead, Addison?"

She sighed, leaning her head back against the house. Why did Klaus have to hear that she needed his help? "Mikael and Damon kill you, Damon dies. I convinces Damon to stop, Mikael kills him. Mikael's death is the only way to keep Damon safe."

"That option where you convince Damon to stop is intriguing," he smirked.

"Klaus," Addie pleaded, rubbing at her face.

While he didn't like Damon, he did an adequate job of keeping Addie safe. Though, if he was so distracted that he'd let some idiot roofie her they needed to have a serious conversation. Klaus liked to protect his investments. "I'll tell you what, I'll do what I can to save Damon if you tell me how you got all fucked up."

"I just got sick. I was playing some chess on my phone and I must have been staring at the screen too long. When I stood up I just felt sick and dizzy," she whined.

"What did you eat or drink while-"

"Oh, my god. I'm not some idiot freshman. This happened while I was at home," stressed Addie, growing impatient.

His lips pressed into a thin white line as he demanded, "How did you get here?"

"You wouldn't answer your phone," she said defensively.

"You dr-"

"Don't yell," Addie barked, covering her hands over her ears. The sound of her own voice was making her head spin.

Klaus pulled out his ringing phone and smirked at the caller ID. Stefan, just the person he needed to screw up whatever Damon had planned.

"Just stay here until everything goes down. Wait for Damon or someone to take you home," he instructed, waiting for her nod before he left.

Like hell she would stay and let Damon catch her here. She didn't have a death wish.

---

Addie groaned and pulled the covers over her head as Damon's bedroom door slammed. She'd already heard the steady stream of colorful words when he got home. All that really mattered was that he was safe. The details were something she could be interested in on a night she hadn't spent half an hour heaving up bile that burned at her throat. Her shower had been like ice water since anything warmer made the tiles on the wall start to dance.

"You're not going to believe who fucked us," he growled. Addie could hear the opening and closing of his dresser drawer and the sound of liquid pouring.

Huh. Considering he wasn't yelling at her, it was probably someone besides her. Two traitors in one night? If she could care, that would be quite interesting.

"We thought of everything, Ads. Klaus having hybrids. Mikael turning on us. I brought in Katherine so Elena wasn't in danger. I made sure to keep you far away from it. Anything that could have gone wrong we were prepared for!" he suddenly snapped.

She wondered how long he would go on if she just ignored him.

"What do you mean you made sure to keep me far away from it?" mumbled Addie, wondering if he would even hear her.

His pacing stopped; he'd heard her. His voice was tight with restraint as he replied, "I told you fro the start I didn't want you involved."

Addie couldn't help the nagging feeling in her stomach and Klaus' words playing over and over in her head. "Yeah. How did you make sure I wasn't?"

"Are you implying something?" he asked abruptly.

"I don't know. Is there something to imply?"

"What would there be to imply?!"

Addie scoffed and tried to roll her eyes but stopped when the whole room started to roll. "You're the one who asked if I was implying something."

Damon's eyes narrowed at her as he challenged, "Why don't you just ask me what you want to know?"

"That drink earlier, did… did you…," she trailed off and laid back down. She couldn't believe she was actually going to accuse Damon of drugging her. He would never do that. Damon might try and pull a lot of shit but he was above that.

He was so glad she didn't finish that question. If he answered with the truth, things would turn nasty. If he lied, well, he was already feeling so guilty and had done a horrible thing.

"Do you feel bad or something?" he winced. She gave him a look that told him she felt worse than miserable. A hand raked through his hair and he forced himself to take a steadying breath. "I'm sorry," Damon muttered, sitting next to her on the bed. "I should be asking you how you've been. You weren't doing so hot when I left."

"It's all been downhill. The best part was the cold shower after the unsuccessful vomiting." She grabbed his hand and placed it over her forehead and sighed, "That at least makes it stop feeling like I'm in a waterbed on a cruise ship in the middle of a hurricane."

There was an actual pang of discomfort in his chest. "Are you at least feeling a little better?"

Addie gave him a tiny smile, a small shrug and confessed, "A little now that you're back. When you left I was about 95% certain you were going to die tonight. Knowing I'll get to wake up to you tomorrow is a pretty good feeling." As she cupped his cheek her thumb swept over his slight frown. "What went wrong? Why are you so…"

"Pissed off?" he suggested.

She stared at him in realization as she sat up. Hesitantly, Addie hugged him. He stiffened briefly before relaxing, running a hand through her hair.

"You're hurt," she murmured, brushing at their at the nape of his neck.

"I shouldn't be," he muttered bitterly.

"But you are and that's what's important. What happened?"

"I trusted that there was a shred of humanity in my brother. I was so sure he wanted Klaus dead after everything. Instead, he's happy getting his freedom from Klaus by saving him. If I expected him to do that I would locked him in the fucking basement. I had him, Addie! I had Klaus! This could have all been over!" he snarled.

Addie reached for Damon's hand that had tugged harder and harder at her hair as he got worked up and loosened his grip and wiggled her fingers between his. She'd prefer her hand be crushed than he accidentally rip out her hair.

She bit at her lip guiltily. Stefan had been her first option in saving Damon. She had planned on trying to convince him to care about Damon enough to save his life. Apparently Klaus had a similar idea except he promised Stefan his freedom in exchange for saving his life, which Addie had requested when she asked for Klaus' help in saving Damon's.

"There's something you haven't said," she said gently as she squeezed his hand encouragingly.

Damon grimaced, "How do you know these things? How do you know when I'm…."

"You get all tense and surly. And when you're hurting your eyes give you away."

"No, they don't," he glowered defensively.

Addie gave him an apologetic smile as her hand rested on his cheek. She tried to comfort him by explaining, "When you look at me, it's your open expression that let's me know how you feel. You look at the rest of the world with this cold, hard stare. The only time you ever put that guard up around me is when you don't want to seem weak. And for the record, having emotions doesn't make you weak. What are you so scared or ashamed to admit?"

He sighed and rested his forehead against hers. There was no point in trying to hide something when she caught him. Reluctantly Damon mumbled, "I'm never getting Stefan back. The brother I knew is gone."

"Damon," Addie uttered urgently, "if you know that, then you know you have to let him go. You have to really let him go this time."

"He's still my brother."

"And he sold you out. He sold Elena out. You are not his brother in his book. He's not going to care if he kills you. But I'm going to care. I'm going to care a lot," she whispered, looking deep into to his eyes, hoping to reach him in his pit of despair.

Damon's lips pursed. He didn't care what Stefan did to him. It was who Stefan might use against him if he did try to reach out to him. With no humanity Stefan would have no qualms about hurting Addie. It was only for her that he would let his brother go without a fight.

"For you, I'll let him go," he murmured, leaning in to kiss her.

Addie pulled away quickly, a hand on Damon's ribbed shirt keeping him away. "Don't do this because of me. You're not going to be happy if you let go of your brother for some girl," she insisted.

"You're not just some girl, Addie," retorted Damon. He carried on before she could argue with him about that, "Why, what reason is good enough cause to let Stefan go, in your book?"

"Your life and your happiness. Letting him go has to be about not letting him ruin those things."

He bounced up off the bed like a spring and laughed humorlessly as he started to pace. Did she not get that she was his life? As he turned around to walk back across the room he eyed her warily, noticing she had gotten out of bed and was moving closer to him. Feeling frustrated he raised his hands helplessly and exclaimed, "Do I seem happy now? Because I am most definitely not."

"That's because you refuse to accept that when Klaus compelled Stefan to shut off his humanity, it all shut off. He screwed you over because the entire point of the plan for him was to gain his freedom from Klaus. Saving Klaus guaranteed that. As much as you may have had Klaus and been about to kill him, that wasn't a guarantee. That wasn't something Stefan could control. He had the power to stop you and make sure he earned his freedom. Stefan wanted his freedom more than he wanted to kill Klaus. Trusting in you and Mikael was just a means to an end. Then he found his own method and, well, the fewer people involved in a plan the less likely it is to get screwed up," Addie reasoned through a lot of generalizations and assumptions. It didn't matter if it was true; she just had to convince Damon to believe it. As long as she sounded confident, talking nonsense usually worked.

Damon's fingers curled around the sides of his old grey shirt she wore and tugged Addie flush against him. Leaning into her ear he softly growled, "Do you have any idea how aggravating you are when you're all rational and making sense and I just want to have a fit?"

Addie squeezed reassuringly at the flexed muscles in his uppers and tried to step away but his hold on her was too tight. "If you let me go, you can throw a giant temper tantrum if you want."

"I really can't," he grumbled, his hands slipping to the small of her back. "I'm supposed to be the mature, stable one in this and I'm already seriously questioning which one of us has lived more lifetimes."

"So, you're annoyed because I'm being rational? Do you realize how mercurial you are? I don't exactly think either one of us can claim the title of stable."

"I'm annoyed because you're right, which means I'm… less right and I don't like that. I shouldn't need my teenage girlfriend to reason out tonight's event for me," he scowled.

The stubble along his jaw prickled at her fingers as she angled his head to look her in the eye. "You're angry and in pain," she told him understandingly. "Eventually all that would calm down and you would work out the reasoning. I'm not as emotionally invested as you and that's why I can see it all now and I want you to accept the truth for what it is because it upsets me to see you so hurt and angry."

A grimace crossed Damon's features as he closed his eyes and he whined, "Can't I just be upset and pissed off for awhile?"

"Can you do that without feeling like you were betrayed?"

"Stefan has no conscious and was just acting in his best interest," he eventually spat out through gritted teeth.

"As long as you keep repeating that to yourself, you can be as angry and as pissed off about failing to kill Klaus as you want," Addie approved. The whole story worked out for her; Damon would never know she had betrayed him to Klaus.

Damon shook his head in dismay. He knew if he tried to reason with Addie about Elena having daggered Rebekah she wouldn't listen to a word he said. For all her talk of rationality and logic, the concepts seemed to fly out the door when her sister became involved. At some point he was going to have make her understand that she couldn't go and undagger Rebekah, though, he had a feeling she already knew on some level.

He frowned as he felt her slightly swaying in his arms. "Addie, how are you feeling?" he asked seriously, holding her chin and not allowing her to divert her eyes.

"I feel tired," she admitted quietly as she slumped into him, her arms twisting around his neck, "really, really, really tired. I'm still a little dizzy but, mostly, I just want to sleep. My head feels like it went three rounds with Mike Tyson."

Damon's insides clenched uncomfortably; it was all his fault. Everyone online had said they hadn't had any problems taking one dose of her anxiety medication and mixing it with one drink. However, none of them were probably five feet and 110 pounds of mostly muscle soaking wet. Addie was tiny. He should have given her half a dose. No! Fuck! Why did he try to keep rationalizing his actions as ok? He shouldn't have drugged his girlfriend to begin with. She trusted him and this was so much of a step in the other direction. The reaction she'd had when he compelled her to improve her life was nothing to the reaction she was going to have when he admitted to doing this to make his life easier.

What the hell was he thinking? He couldn't tell her. Addie might literally try and kill him for it; and she was getting good enough at fighting that that was an actual possibility. It wasn't right that she could read and soothe him so easily and yet when it came to dealing with her, he was so lost that he had to drug her to keep her from doing anything reckless or intervening in critical plans. She was so hard to predict when her personality was split so many ways it drove him ten types of crazy.

"Damon," Addie whined, finally getting his attention. At his confused look she exhaustedly repeated, "I wanna go to bed."

Not certain he wanted her walking if she was still dizzy and tired, his hands dropped to the backs of her thighs, encouraging her to wrap her legs around his waist. He was surprised when she didn't protest; she either really didn't feel good or really was tired. Damon carried Addie as he moved to turn off the light before gently setting her down on her side of the bed. She whimpered and clutched tighter at him as he made to pull away.

"Love, I have to take a shower," he insisted, unwrapping her arms from around his neck. His lips softly brushed against her pout. A hand ran through his hair as he thought, "Maybe you should wait until the morning to take the rest of your medication if you've already been sick and are feeling dizzy. Eight hours isn't going to change anything in the grand scheme of things but I don't want you getting ill again."

Addie nodded in agreement, curling back under the soft black cover. "Promise to come to bed after your shower?" She didn't want him sulking around the house and brooding.

Damon said he did and twenty minutes later she felt his arm around her waist as he gently tugged her back against his chest. It was a challenge not to react and to pretend as if she was asleep. Part of why she felt so bad was because she had been the reason Damon's plan had messed up but she was lying to him about it. She was scared about how he would react if she found out she had worked with Klaus, even if it was to save his life. Addie knew he placed her own safety over his and for her sake, he would have rather seen Klaus dead even if it meant he died. The jealousy, oh, that was something she didn't even want to think about.

The scent of cucumber melon shampoo tickled his nose as Damon buried his face in her hair and murmured an almost silent apology. He was in real physical discomfort for the pain he had put her through. He had no idea what he would have done if something would have happened to her. An internal war over whether or not to tell her kept him up most of the night. A dreadful feeling told him that if he didn't come clean, they were headed down a dark path.

---

A/N: Who thinks guilt, or common sense, is going to get the better of them and the truth will be told versus who thinks they're going to screw each other over some more? It's pretty obvious since they love each other, right? (If it is, somebody tell me because I don't know.)

Thank you sooooooo much to everyone who reviewed on the last chapter! You've really helped me focus where this story is going.