Chapter 11: New Alliances
The Sunken Monkey, Richmond
Late Evening, 2011
Damon had been sitting at the bar for fifteen minutes now, a glass of bourbon half filled with the bottle nearby sate in front of him at the bar. After Klaus had called Damon, he had requested a meeting with him for an update on how the cure was going and the quest for Katherine was going. Damon had asked if he could meet up in person to discuss the issue further, Klaus had agreed and given Damon the same meeting place as last time. This time he was alone, Enzo wasn't outside waiting to tear in and back him up; in fact he hadn't even told Elena or Bonnie where he was going. Suddenly the scrapping of the bar stool next to him caused him to turn his head, Klaus was already seated and was signalling the bartender down.
"Scotch please leave the bottle" Klaus said to the young blonde, she nodded at him as he turned to face Damon.
"I don't see Katerina anywhere around, or what about this mythical cure. Do you have it?" Klaus asked as Damon looked at him, picking up the scotch and swirling it around once before swallowing it in one go.
"I want to change the deal Klaus" Damon said pouring another glass as Klaus laughed and picked up his own.
"Look you gave me your word you would give me a human Katerina and take your brothers place. Considering that you woke up my 'father', I would like to think I am being quite reasonable" Klaus said taking Damon's bottle of bourbon and pouring himself a glass.
"What do you think is going to happen if you make all these hybrids? Do you think your going to get the family you always wanted?" Damon asked causing Klaus to growl softly toward Damon, his hybrid nature nearly coming out.
"Be careful what you say next Damon…your not as useful to me as you think you are" Klaus growled at Damon who straightened up for a second before he turned to Klaus.
"Look…you're a dick but you're not pure evil so I am trying to help you. The hybrids that you turn, do you really think people are going to like their free will taken away?" Damon replied in a low voice, making sure no-one in the bar could overheard them. Klaus frowned at him, clearly not have thought this himself. Damon just shook his head, he couldn't quite believe he was about to do this but they needed to make Klaus an ally.
"Klaus what I am about to tell you I don't think you're going to believe me but I know it is the one thing you want more than an army of hybrids" Damon replied raising his glass and taking a sip of his bourbon.
"What is it that I want Damon?" Klaus asked causing Damon to turn and look at him straight in the eye.
"You want a family, and I know a way for you to have one" Damon replied as Klaus raised his eyebrow at him.
"If you mean my brothers and sisters, well that's not exactly the type of family I want" Klaus responded.
"No Klaus, I mean I know of a way for you to have children. I know a way for a hybrid to have children" Damon retorted causing Klaus to freeze and look at Damon, a dangerous glint in his eye.
"It's not possible…witches wouldn't allow it for starters it would go against nature" Klaus replied which caused Damon to shake his head at the other man.
"Witches don't have the final say when it comes to nature, you know that. What I'm proposing is this; for Elena and Stefan's freedom I will tell you exactly how you can have a child. And I will help you to stop running; I will help you kill Mikael" Damon responded as answer to the other mans unasked question.
"You wake my father and you think I am going to trust you in killing him?" Klaus asked, turning so he can look at Damon again. Damon sighed in response and turned his back to the bar and looked out across the room.
"That was a…mistake, in our desperation we turned to Mikael. Look if circumstances were different, I think we might, I stress the word might, have been friends. If you leave the people, I love alone I will help you give you the family you want and kill the man who has been trying to kill you your whole life" Damon replied, he turned his head so he could look at Klaus who was currently staring into the mirror that was behind the bar.
"If you can help me kill my father within the next three days, I will consider the new deal. But if you can't we stick with our original agreement; which means you will owe me a human doppelganger and a decade of service" Klaus said looking at him, he held out his hand which Damon took without hesitation.
"Deal now meet me at the Salvatore Family Crypt in two days, we will kill your father" Damon responded. They shook hands, Klaus finished his drink before he got back up and walked out without saying a word.
Damon finished off the last of his drink, throwing money down for both his and Klaus drinks. As he walked out the door and towards his car he breathed a sigh of relief; that had gone a lot better than he had thought it would. As Damon go into his car the phone rang, looking down he saw it was Elena who was calling. Damon smiled and picked the phone up.
"Hey, I'm on my way back now. I'll be home in a couple of hours" Damon spoke into the phone as he started the engine and pulled out onto the street.
Gilbert Residence, Mystical Falls
Late Evening, Same Day, 2011
Damon pulled up to Elena's house, it was well past midnight and he fully expected for the house lights to be out and to feel Elena deep in sleep. Instead what he found made him smile, he could hear Elena, Bonnie and Jeremy in the lounge room arguing about what movie to watch next and he could hear the rustling of papers and the scraping of pen indicating that Alaric was still in the kitchen grading papers. Damon walked inside and as he did, he let himself relax fully now that he was here. It had been a long drive back with a quick pit stop at Wickery Bridge to grab the white oak sign which was now tucked safely away in the trunk of his car.
"Hey Damon, you took a while" Jeremy said gaining the attention of the two ladies causing their heads to swing around and look at Damon who had been standing in the hallway just watching the scene play out. Elena was on one couch with Jeremy and Bonnie sharing the other one. If Damon's eyes didn't deceive him, he swore those two were sitting closer than needed.
"Hey mini Gilbert" Damon replied jumping over the couch that Elena was sitting on causing her to fall into him and erupt in laughter as he play fought for space with Elena. After a few moments Elena gave in and snuggled herself into his side.
"What are we watching?" Damon asked which caused Jeremy to groan and Elena and Bonnie to laugh at him.
"Chick flicks man chick flicks get out while you can" Jeremy replied, Damon faked being freaked out and went to get up when Elena threw herself into his lap and refused to budge.
"Hey now as part of standard boyfriend obligations you have to watch chick flicks as Jeremy called it and pretend to like the movies" Elena replied sticking her tongue out playfully at him from her sprawl across his lap. Damon growled and starting to tickle Elena, as she burst into laughter and squirmed away from Damon, Alaric entered from the kitchen and shook his head.
"Was wondering when you were going to turn up" Alaric spoke as Damon pinned Elena to the couch and was mercilessly tickling her sides.
"Just getting some future revenge for movies I'm going to have to watch in the future" Damon spoke as Alaric cringed when Damon stopped and pulled Elena up.
He was softly stroking her cheek when Ric pretended to fake vomit making the pair realise that still had an audience. Damon stopped and settled beside Elena, after a few moments Elena raised Damon's arm from around her shoulders moving in closer to him. Finally, she was snuggled in as close as possible and they all settled in for the movie. After less than fifteen minutes in he felt Elena drift off, he moved and softly kissed the top of her head causing her to sigh happily.
"I think she needs to go to bed" Ric spoke from the kitchen from where he was standing. Damon nodded, picked her up bridal style. Her arm snaked around his neck and her face instantly found her spot in the crook of his neck. He felt her wake up but also her contentment in her position and she allowed Damon to carry her. As he placed her in her bed, he softly stroked her before moving to leave the room. Her hand shot out and grabbed his stopping him before he could leave.
"Stay?" Elena asked softly causing Damon to smile her, he leaned down and softly kissed her lips.
"Ric wants to have a talk, I'll come up once we're done" Damon murmured kissing her lips again, then leaving a trail of kisses from the corner of her mouth to her neck.
She sighed softly before pulling him back up for a soft kiss. Slowly he could feel her start to fall asleep once more and pulled back kissing her forehead once more. Damon got up and walked out of her room, taking one last look at Elena before closing the door behind him. As Damon came down the stairs, he spotted Bonnie and Jeremy heading out the front door. Damon said goodbye to Bonnie then made his way into the kitchen where he knew his friend was waiting for him. And as Damon predicted Alaric was there, the papers he had been grading earlier were gone, replaced by a bottle of bourbon and two glasses. One of them was being held by his friend, the other sat filled on the table beside the bourbon. Alaric was sitting at the table, looking down into his glass lost in thought.
"This might be hypocritical for me to say but you're not going to find the answer at the bottom of that glass" Damon spoke walking to the table and sitting by his friend. He took a sip from the glass Ric had prepared for him earlier.
"You're right, that is hypocritical of you to say" Ric replied raising a glass and clinking it with Damon's.
As they were drinking Damon took a closer look at his friend, he noticed the three-day stubble and blood shot eyes. In the excitement in his new relationship with Elena he had neglected his friend.
"It wasn't your fault Ric, it was Hunter who killed those people" Damon murmured causing Ric to snort out a laugh in self-pity.
"They died by my hand Damon" Ric replied raking his free hand through his hair. Damon sighed and took another drink as Alaric continued to speak.
"Have you found a way to get rid of Hunter yet?" Ric asked causing Damon to smile and think back on the bonding session he'd had with Bonnie.
"Maybe, we found the spell…I think. Just need the finish the translation" Damon said to his friend. Alaric looked at Damon again, a conflicted expression on his face and Damon knew wanted to speak to him about his new relationship with Elena.
"Look Ric…I love Elena. I would do anything for her and I'm not going to take advantage of her. You don't have anything to worry about so please trust me when I say she's safe with me" Damon murmured, he tried to believe the words, but self-doubt had started to creep into his mind as he was talking to Ric.
"I knew you do Damon, and when it comes to Elena, I can't help but worry. She's been through a lot and I don't want you taking advantage of her" Ric replied causing Damon to shake his head.
"I'm not going to do anything she doesn't want to do" Damon replied which caused Ric to sigh and whisper out "that's what I'm afraidd of"
Damon stood up and clapped his friend on the back before saying goodnight and making his way up to the room. He softly opened the door and entered making as little noise as possible, he softly clicked it and leaned back against it looking at the occupant of the bed. Elena had rolled over onto her side, as soon as he entered the room, she turned towards him and let out another sigh. Damon walked over and sat on the bed, he removed his boots and socks before laying back in the bed still dressed in his jeans and shirt. He didn't want Ric getting any idea's and honestly it would probably help Damon's self-control since as Elena decided to roll into his shoulder, he realised her shirt had ridden up and his hand was now on her small sliver of skin that was now exposed.
Damon sighed, softly stroking the skin of her back and feeling her breathing softly against his chest it finally hit him. He had Elena in his arms once more and as he tightened his hold on her he swore he would kill anything that tried hurt her. When Elena woke up next morning Damon feigned to be asleep and when he dropped her off to school, he lied and said he would go do research when in fact he was going home to sleep for a couple of hours. He didn't want to tell he had spent the night memorising every line of her face and the sound of her breathing. He didn't tell he spent the whole night awake by her side watching the window preparing himself for what was about to come.
Two Days Later, Evening, 2011
Salvatore Crypt- Mystic Falls
Damon stood inside of the crypt, looking at the place where he and Stefan thought they had moved their mother. Damon knew the coffin was empty and he knew she was currently in a 1903 prison world version of Mystic Falls. But he was unsure of how to tell his brother, their relationship was fragile at best. Over the last two days Damon had spent it planning with Klaus on the phone (outside of anyone's hearing range). He had brought with him the white oak stake's he had created from the Wickery Bridge sign. He had to admit, he took some pleasure in cutting that sign into pieces. After which he had placed eleven of the stakes in the bag and had hidden one at the old witch's house.
Damon hadn't told anyone that he had already implemented the plan; they had agreed to do this as a group, but Damon knew this was the riskiest part of the plan. He and Klaus could handle Mikael if Klaus followed Damon's lead. Now that he thought about it maybe he should have at least brought Alaric as back-up, but he had been busy with Bonnie preparing for the next full moon. They had translated the spell and gathered the required ingredients, now all that was needed was the next full moon which was in four days' time.
"Punctual as always Damon, I like that" Klaus voice broke Damon out of his reverie. Damon turned and looked at Klaus who was now walking inside the crypt.
"You know I always thought about you Klaus, I mean with your obsession with Stefan and everything. But I have to tell you I don't swing that way" Damon snarked at him hoping to get a rise out of the original. It was his default setting with Klaus; piss him off as much as possible and it was hard to turn off.
"Funny Damon, very funny…what's in the bag?" Klaus asked, pointing to the bag at his feet.
"A peace offering, these are the white oak stakes…the only thing capable of killing an original. All of them" Damon said kicking the bag over to Klaus whose eyebrows were raised at Damon. He bent down and opened the bag, taking a quick look then zipped in back and threw it over his shoulder.
"All of them?" Klaus asked sceptically looking at Damon with his eyebrows raised. Damon kept the poker face, nodding his head and didn't give anything away, and after a starting contest happened between the two Klaus broke it.
"Well I tracked my father. You were right he has been busy compelling my Hybrids. I did as you said, and my father is aware of where are siblings are. He's on his way" Klaus replied gesturing for Damon to follow him out of the crypt.
A heartbeat to the left suddenly made Damon realise they weren't alone anymore. This wasn't the steady of thump of a human heart, or the accelerated heartbeats of werewolf and hybrids. No, it was the heart beat of a vampire and suddenly Mikael walked out of the trees surrounding the cemetery and suddenly another eight rapid heart beats filled the air. Klaus and Damon were soon surrounded what Damon would have guessed to be the Hybrid army Klaus had built up so far.
"Hello Niklaus…surprised?" Mikael asked walking towards the surrounded Hybrid and vampire. Damon saw the fear in Klaus's eyes; this was one of the few people who Klaus feared, and he had just sprung the trap. He felt a sudden spike of fear rise up in him before he squashed it down, he had to focus he had been in worse situations.
"Hello, Mikael" Klaus replied a sharp edge entering his tone. He wasn't expecting this and it just made Damon shake his head. Just like last time, his plan to kill an original was not going well. Only this time around he was trying to kill Mikael and not Klaus.
"Do you know what I'm thinking Klaus?" Michael asked taking a step toward Damon and Klaus, the circle of hybrids closed ranks ensuring there was no escape.
"What's that Mikael?" Klaus snarled at his father, getting lower and preparing for the attack.
"Of whether I should tear you to pieces. Or I could watch your hybrids tear you limb from limb" Michael continued to speak to Klaus.
"They can't kill me. I created them I can destroy them just as easily" Klaus replied looking around at them. Damon was also scanning the crowd hoping he wouldn't see the face he would see.
But there standing just behind Mikael was Tyler Lockwood. Damn it Damon thought, Caroline was supposed to be helping Tyler break the sire bond. And yet here he stood compelled like the rest of the hybrids to do his bidding.
"True" Mikael laughed before he stopped, pulling his own white oak stake from his pocket "But it'll make a hell of a party game. All I have to do is rub these two fingers together and they'll pounce"
"The big bad wolf. You haven't changed. Still hiding behind your playthings like a coward" Mikael stated, before he clicked his fingers and suddenly Damon felt the last person, he wanted to walk into the clearing…Elena.
Damon went to rush forward but Klaus shot his arm out, he indicated for Damon to wait. One of female hybrids walks up behind Mikael and pushes Elena to Mikael roughly who takes her by the throat. Damon had a stake launcher up his sleeve, all he needed was Klaus to make a break for him and he would move.
"Damon…I didn't mean to. They blindsided me coming out of school" Elena said, tears in her eyes as she took in the situation, they were currently in.
"It's ok Elena, I'm going to get you out of here love. Just trust me ok?" Damon said softly for a moment forgetting about their audience. Mikael started to laugh from behind Elena making the rage build in Damon and suddenly his fangs descended, the veins crinkling under his eyes and turning his iris a dark black.
I trust you Elena's thoughts suddenly travelled down the bond. Suddenly Klaus made his move, throwing a hidden knife and rushing Mikael. This gave Damon the opportunity to shoot the stake from under his arm, hitting Mikael in his shoulder. Mikael cried out and released Elena, Damon moved suddenly. He grabbed Elena and pushed her behind him, five of the hybrids, including Tyler had formed a semi-circle around Elena and Damon. The other three were suddenly fighting against Klaus whilst Mikael growled on the ground recovering from his injuries.
"If she dies, this lot will be last of your abominations" Mikael spat getting up, surprised as Klaus ripped two his hybrids hears out and ripped the last one head off causing Elena to scream. The brutality of the fight suddenly made his realise Elena hadn't seen this level of brutality between two supernatural creatures truly battling to the death. Damon stood several metres in front of Elena keeping all of hybrids in his eyesight when suddenly he moved grabbing Tyler and holding him in front of him.
"I'm going to snap your neck, stay down when you come to until Klaus leave if we survive. If I don't, get Elena out of here" Damon murmured barely audible, the sounds of the fight from Mikael drowning out his voice. Tyler nodded and suddenly Damon twisted his hands, a snap breaking though the hair and suddenly Tyler went down, temporarily dead and safe from the rest of the fight.
"I don't need them. I just need to be rid of you and besides Damon will apart any hybrid who goes near her" Klaus snarled as Mikael stood up. Mikael rushed him taking a left swipe then a right, following it up with a kick connecting Klaus chest.
At the moment Damon had his own hands full, two of the hybrids rushed him and Elena forcing him to reach out and rip the one on the left heart out. The right snarled the grabbing him, snarling and trying to bite him. Damon flipped him over and pounded him twice in the face blood spurting out before he ripped his heart out snarling and looking at the final two hybrids. Damon had devolved to almost pure instinct, all he knew was that these animals were threatening his mate and he was going to rip all their hears out. Suddenly the conversation between the two originals floated over to the combatants and Damon saw that Klaus was going to need help soon.
"To what end, Niklaus? So, you can live forever, with no one at your side? Nobody cares about you any more, boy! What do you have other than those whose loyalty you forced? No one. No one" Mikael screamed Klaus's eyes start tearing before he screamed out in rage, throwing his 'father' across the clearing
"My whole life you've underestimated me. Well no more, I am going to kill you and then rip what's left into pieces" Klaus rushing his father in rage, Mikael moved and grabbed Klaus in a headlock, their backs to Damon and Elena.
Damon kicked of the hybrids out to his knees and snapped his neck, and finally ripped the other ones heart out before he moved in to help Klaus when suddenly Klaus was trapped underneath Mikael. He pulled the stake out and suddenly Mikael laughs raising it to deliver the killing blow.
"Your impulse, Niklaus. It has and will forever be the one thing that keeps you from truly being great" Mikael said as Damon raced across the clearing, picking up a white oak stake from the bag as he passed. At the last moment Mikael shoots out, stabbing the white oak stake into Damon's stomach causing him to cry out and Elena to scream his name. Damon threw the white oak stake on Klaus chest and before Mikael knew what was happening
Klaus had taken the stake, jumped up behind Mikael and driven it through his heart. There was a shocked look on his face as he slowly turned to face Klaus, Damon fell to the forest floor on the ground released as Mikael slowly burst into flames and fell to the floor a few feet away from Damon.
The flames slowly spread from the stake and quickly spread across his whole body was consumed by the fire. Elena had rushed forward, raising her arm and shoving her wrist into Damon's mouth. Her other one pulled the stake out of his stomach as Damon's teeth softly broke through her olive skin causing her to let out a small moan of pleasure. She pulled him so his head was on her lap, she was softly cooing to him as his wounds healed. Suddenly a shadow fell over them causing Elena to shoot her head up; but it was only Tyler having recovered from his broken neck.
"Is he ok?" Tyler asked kneeling down beside the couple as Damon slowly released Elena's wrist. He stood up shakily as Klaus came over and stood looking at Damon who was unsteadily getting to his feet. He faced Klaus, the pair looking at each other for a moments before Klaus raised his hand to Damon.
"You kept up your end of the bargain. Elena is free and as for the second term, well you showed me today that you are a man of your word. I'll be back" Klaus shaking his hand, a new respect forming for Damon.
He had shown both a ferocious and control that was rare for a vampire of his age and he wondered not for the first time whether he had taken the wrong Salvatore out of Mystic Falls. Klaus nodded at Elena once before he turned and walked out of the cemetery into the woods, thoughts of undaggering his siblings crossing his mind as now they were free from Mikael. Back in the clearing a furious Elena smacked Damon on the chest causing him to cringe slightly in pain.
"What the hell were you thinking? We were supposed to do this together and you run off behind everyone's backs and take Mikael and an army of hybrids on between the two of you" Elena screamed, slightly hysterical at almost losing Damon again for the third time in the last week. Damon wrapped an arm around Elena and pulled her in for a hug. She thought for a moment before she buried herself in his chest.
"Can you scream at me once we get home, I need blood and rest" Damon murmured looking down at her. She nodded once, Damon unwrapped himself from her and went to take several steps towards the entrance of the cemetery before he nearly collapsed. The gaping hole in his stomach was barely healed, Elena was his arm around her shoulder and taking his weight. Tyler was there on the other side helping Elena move Damon towards his car that was parked just outside the gates to the graveyard.
"This isn't over" Elena told Damon sternly getting the look in her eyes that often meant he would be sleeping the couch. Tyler helped place Damon in the passenger side of the car as Elena got into the driver's side. Elena comment had caused Damon to start laughing…he had missed the fire that burned in her and even though she was furious at him…Damon wouldn't change a thing about her.
Author's Note: So, what did everyone think of the chapter, I wanted to settle the Mikael thing and move forward with the story. As it continues old faces will pop and wreak havoc in Mystic Falls. Now I really am torn between Bonnie with Jeremy or Enzo. But I am leaning towards Enzo because I really like them in season 8 but I haven't made up my mind so I'm planting a hope for the future of Jeremy and Bonnie's relationship.
Now the second thing I wanted to ask everyone was whether I should do a slow build Steroline storyline in the background or should I have Damon play match maker between the two. Let me know with a review both what you think of the story and the possible ideas for shipping between the other couples but remember at the heart of this story it will be a Delena story.