Two updates in the same year. It must be Christmas! ;)

Thanks to Swurve, WearRedTonight, and the two 'guests' who reviewed the last chapter. Comments are always welcome.

Holding her breath, Bonnie opened the coffin, half-expecting it to be empty. But Elijah was still there, as motionless as any corpse. So far, so good. She pulled out the sage bundle she'd tucked into her waistband and lit it, reciting the muting spell under her breath. Though Tom was her ally, she couldn't risk anyone knowing that she'd talked to Elijah. Once the sage was smouldering, she dropped it on the concrete floor.

After a moment's hesitation, Bonnie extracted a makeup brush from her pocket and bent over Elijah. She brushed the thyme leaves from his face, muttered a few words in latin, and straightened. Though she was expecting it, she couldn't help but jump when his eyes popped open.

His gaze fixed on her, no doubt homing in on her heartbeat. "Bonnie?"

"Hi there."

Slowly, he scanned the cellar walls. "Let me guess, Klaus's basement?"

"Not the first time, huh?"

"Far from it," Elijah said with a rueful look. He tried to rise and his brow furrowed when he realised that he was effectively paralysed from the neck down. "What is this?"

"Relax, it's temporary. I wanted us to talk without worrying about you doing something I'd regret. As soon as we're done, I'll be putting this," she reached into the coffin and picked up the dagger, waving it before his eyes, "back where it belongs. But don't worry, you won't feel a thing."

Elijah studied her, his eyes wary. "What are you doing here? With Klaus?"

"Well, he decided to pick up a souvenir before leaving Mystic Falls. A couple of souvenirs, actually. Stefan's here, too."

"I see."

Bonnie waited, but he said nothing else. She glared at him. "Are you seriously not going to apologise?"

"Would there be any point?" he said, looking way too complacent for Bonnie's liking. "I can't change the past. Besides, I assume you didn't undagger me merely for an apology."

She nibbled her lip. "You're right. I need your help."

"To kill Klaus?"

"Yes."

His gaze drifted to the ceiling. "My answer is no."

"Great. Now what I need is...wait, what?"

"I'm sorry, Bonnie. I'm afraid I can't do as you ask."

"Are you kidding me? Do I have to remind you that you're lying in a coffin? That he put you in!"

"Regardless, the circumstances have changed. My family is alive and, I assume," his gaze swept the cellar, although he couldn't possibly see the other coffins above the edge of his own, "in this very room."

Bonnie shook her head. "You're unbelievable." She snatched up the dagger.

"Bonnie, wait."

"For what? If you're not going to help me, then we have nothing else to talk about."

"I didn't say I wouldn't help you, only that I wouldn't help you kill Klaus."

She narrowed her eyes. "What exactly are you proposing?"

"You release me and my family. Together, we will keep him in check-"

"No way."

"Bonnie-"

"I may be a gazillion years younger than you, but that doesn't mean I'm stupid enough to take that deal. I don't trust you. You think I'm gonna trust your family?"

"Then release me, and I'll help you find a way to neutralise Klaus."

"Sure you will." She positioned the dagger over his chest. "Look, nothing personal, but if you're not willing to give me what I want, then you're pretty much useless to me."

He lifted his head and looked her right in the eye. "That won't work."

"Excuse me?"

"The dagger. Replacing it won't stop me from reviving."

Bonnie froze.

"You need the white oak ash," Elijah added helpfully.

Deflated, she lurched away from the coffin. This wasn't exactly going according to plan. Bonnie brought a hand up to cover her eyes, realising that she was going to have to reinforce the paralysis spell on Elijah. Only she hadn't brought the herb that she needed. It had never even occurred to her that the dagger might not work.

"Bonnie?"

"Shut up," she said, but it was more of a plea than a command.

"Bonnie, let me help you."

"How?"

"I know Klaus better than anyone. I know his strengths and his weaknesses. I can help you gain your freedom."

"That's not enough." Pulling herself together, Bonnie returned to Elijah's side and looked down at him. "You know how your brother works. You must know what he's holding over my head."

"Yes. But as you said," he quirked his mouth, "I'm a gazillion years older than you. Surely the two of us can find a way to defeat Klaus."

She held his gaze. "Without killing him."

"Without killing him."

Bonnie exhaled a long breath. Elijah seemed sincere enough and for all she knew he might even intend to keep his side of the bargain, but she'd been down this road before. She'd trusted him and paid dearly for it when he'd betrayed that trust. This time, it was going to take more than his word.

"And what if you don't?"

"I beg your pardon."

"What if you don't find a way to stop Klaus?"

"I will."

Bonnie tilted her head. "Just out of curiosity, how long have you been trying to 'neutralise' Klaus?"

He didn't answer.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," she said.

"Bonnie, I understand that you're wary, but you can trust me."

She snorted.

Elijah sighed. "I didn't have to tell you that the dagger wouldn't work. I could've let you walk away none the wiser and made my escape when your spell wore off."

"So why didn't you?"

He smiled a little. "Call it an act of faith."

Bonnie studied him. "Okay. I'll let you out, I'll even agree to work with you. But I want the spell that created you, the spell that made you a vampire."

Elijah's smile vanished. "Why?"

"Call it my insurance policy. Just in case things go really, really wrong. Which, let's face it, isn't totally out of the realm of possibility."

"I believe I made myself clear just now. I won't help you kill Klaus."

"Who said anything about killing him?"

"You take away his vampirism and he's as good as dead."

"Okay, firstly, I don't even know if I'm strong enough to pull that off. And second..." Resting her arms on the edge of the coffin, she leaned closer. "I'd only try it as a last resort."

Elijah searched her face. "And what's to stop you using the spell against me, or my family?"

Bonnie shrugged. "Hey, as long as you and your family don't threaten me or mine, or do anything stupid like try to take over the world, we're good."

He stared at her for so long she was sure he was going to refuse, but eventually he nodded. "Very well, we have a deal."

"Great."

"Naturally, I don't have the spell on me at this very moment."

"I figured." She straightened. "You name a time and place. Damon will meet you and you'll hand the spell over to him."

"Fine." Elijah glanced down at his paralysed body. "Release me now, please."

Bonnie hesitated. "One more thing, your family stays here until Klaus is...no longer a threat."

He frowned and opened his mouth as if to protest.

Quickly, she said, "This whole situation is messy enough as it is."

Once again his gaze swept the cellar walls. In a low, tense voice, he said, "Can you assure me that they will be safe?"

She couldn't, of course, not with Klaus's penchant for unpredictability. And she knew better than to promise something she couldn't deliver. But she also knew that she couldn't afford to let Elijah abscond with his family. Carefully, she said, "I think if Klaus was going to hurt any of you, he would have done it already."

Elijah closed his eyes. "Yes, I suppose you're right."

"So...you agree, then?"

He looked at her, his expression unreadable. "Yes."

"I have your word?"

"Yes. Everything we've discussed, you have my word."

"Okay, then."

Bonnie fished the makeup brush out of her pocket. It occurred to her that she was placing a whole lot of faith in Elijah's word, which ironically was what had gotten her into this predicament to begin with. But the deal was done. There was no going back now.

Using the brush, she removed the thyme leaves from his body. Then, closing her eyes, she uttered the words that would free Elijah. A gust of wind lifted her hair, and when she opened her eyes again, the coffin was empty. She whirled to find Elijah standing behind her, adjusting his tie.

"Thank you," he said.

She nodded and moved towards the door. "I'll go up to the kitchen first. If you hear me start talking, then stay put. Otherwise you can assume that the coast is clear and," she made a whooshing sound, "do your thing. Now where should Damon meet you?"

Staring at the closed coffins, Elijah said, "Which city?"

"What?"

He turned to look at her. "Where are we?"

"Oh. L.A."

"Hmm, there's a restaurant in the downtown area called Angelica's. Noon in two days."

"Okay." Bonnie put a hand on the doorknob. "Once I open the door, the muting spell will be broken, so...any last words?"

"Just a few." His mouth twitched. "I need blood."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm not yet at full strength and I assume there are vampires upstairs. If I'm to make it out of this house undetected, I need blood."

She had to admit that he was looking a bit corpse-like, what with his hollow cheeks and grey skin. Not that she felt particularly sympathetic.

"I think I saw a rat in the hallway," she said flatly.

Elijah pursed his mouth in distaste. "Bonnie, I don't ask this of you lightly."

She couldn't quite believe his nerve. "Oh, I'm sorry. Have I not already done enough for you today?" She started to turn away, but Elijah grasped her wrist.

"Klaus cannot know that I am free or we will lose our only advantage."

The warmth of his fingers seemed to ignite her blood. Her arm tingled from his touch and she had to fight the urge to move closer to him. Annoyed with herself, Bonnie jerked her arm free.

"You don't think I know what's at stake here? I'm sorry, I just...I can't do it."

After a long uncomfortable silence, Elijah stepped back.

"Very well," he said with a shrug. "It does seem a shame to have gone to all this trouble for nothing, but if your mind is set, then there's nothing more to be said." He wandered over to his empty coffin. "I suppose I'll just stay here in the cellar, mouldering away in my coffin while Klaus puts his plans to take over the world in mot-"

"All right! Enough with the off-broadway production." And she'd thought Klaus was a drama queen. Sheesh, what a family.

Elijah smiled, just a trifle smug. "You needn't worry, I won't take much."

"FYI, I'm always worried when there are fangs involved."

"Then let's leave my fangs out of this."

He reached into his jacket and pulled out the dagger as he returned to her side. Taking her hand in his, he drew the blade across her palm. The searing pain was more than she'd bargained for. She bit her lip to keep from crying out and watched, fascinated, as bright red blood oozed out of the wound and pooled in her hand.

Unexpectedly, Elijah swiped the blade across his own palm and held his hand out to her. Dazed, she looked up at him.

"The vampires will know if you're bleeding," he said. "My blood will heal your wound."

Bonnie suddenly wondered what she'd got herself into. Exchanging blood with Elijah was definitely not part of the plan, and her first instinct was to refuse. Yes, her hand stung like hell, but she could take the pain. The problem was that Elijah was right; Mrs Gerhardt would sniff her out in a second.

Still, she hesitated. Willingly sharing blood with a vampire, and an Original no less, felt like crossing some kind of line, even if she wasn't sure where that line was anymore. Elijah didn't move, waiting patiently, until eventually she shuffled closer to him. Tentatively, she reached up to hold his hand. His palm had already healed, leaving about a tablespoon of rich, dark red blood.

She glanced at his face, but he merely watched her impassively. Tilting his hand, she awkwardly slurped the blood into her mouth. It tasted much the same as Klaus's had, like ordinary blood, but its effect on her was vastly different.

Elijah's blood slid down her throat like fine brandy, but the heat didn't fade away. Instead it pulsed through her body like ripples in a pond. She gasped as she felt the fire of his blood surge through her veins until it reached her wounded hand. Then came a furious itch as her skin and blood vessels knit back together. In a matter of seconds, the pain was gone.

Bonnie lifted her gaze to find Elijah watching her, a small furrow between his eyebrows.

"That was...interesting," she managed.

"Yes, it was," he said, his eyes curious.

Feeling self-conscious, she raised her bloody palm. "Um, your turn."

Cradling her hand in his, he bent and sipped her blood as delicately as if he were drinking from a porcelain cup. When he had drunken most of her blood, he tipped her hand and licked the residue off her palm. The warmth of his hand on hers combined with the sensation of his wet tongue on her skin made Bonnie's head spin and it took every ounce of willpower she had not to wrench her hand away. Instead, she clenched her jaw and waited for Elijah to finish.

Unfortunately, he seemed to be in no particular hurry. After what felt like a lifetime he finally released her hand. She swallowed hard as she watched him lick his lips.

His slightly glazed eyes found hers. "Thank you, Bonnie."

Unsure of what to say, she bobbed her head in a gesture that was halfway between a nod and a shrug.

Elijah returned the nod, then turned and looked at the other coffins. Bonnie tensed, preparing herself to unleash her magic, though she knew that if Elijah was determined to free his family, there was little she could do to stop him. But after a long moment, he faced her again.

"Shall we go?"

Bonnie let out a breath. "Yes." She moved to the exit, but as her fingers touched the doorknob, Elijah put his hand on her wrist. She glanced up at him.

"Bonnie, I promise I'll do all that I can to rid you of Klaus, but if you try to kill him, I will stop you."

Her gaze remained steady. "I know."

After a pause, Elijah removed his hand, and she opened the door.

Bonnie wandered along the hallway, confused and a tad disappointed. She'd expected Disneyland or a tropical island, heck, a shopping mall at least, but Caroline's dreamscape turned out to be her...house. Her very ordinary and empty house. Which was odd, because the dreamscape couldn't exist unless Caroline was asleep. So where was she? Bonnie peeked into the living room.

"Caroline?"

A loud thump came from upstairs, making her start. Okay, so maybe Caroline was taking a nap...while she was sleeping. Bonnie's temple began to throb. Sighing, she turned and trudged up the stairs and across the landing.

Bonnie was about to knock on the bedroom door when she heard a moan, followed by a grunt. A distinctly masculine grunt. Heat engulfed her face as Bonnie realised exactly what Caroline was dreaming about. She backed away, hand still raised, and turned to flee back downstairs. But she came to an abrupt halt as she realised that she didn't have time to hang around while Caroline finished her...business.

Reluctantly, she retraced her steps. From the noises coming out of the bedroom, it didn't seem like Caroline would be done any time soon. Bonnie's face was so hot, she wouldn't have been surprised to see steam coming out of her mouth. Steeling herself, she tapped on the door.

"Caroline?"

There was no answer. Cursing under her breath, Bonnie knocked harder...and harder. Pretty soon, she was banging on the door with her fist.

The door flew open. "What!" Caroline was clutching a sheet to her body, her hair fluffed up about her head.

"Hi," Bonnie said weakly.

"Oh!" Caroline's annoyance vanished. "Oh, Bonnie, I'm sorry. I kinda got caught up in..." The flush of her cheeks deepened. "Well, you know."

"Yeah, believe me, I know. Uh, I guess I'll wait for you downstairs."

"Yeah, sure. I'll be down in a sec." The door closed, then opened again. "I really am sorry."

"Don't be. At least one of us is having some fun."

Caroline flashed her a grin before shutting the door. Relieved, Bonnie trotted downstairs and made her way back to the living room. Only a minute later, she heard footsteps running down the stairs. Caroline breezed in, wearing a tank top and track pants. She came over and hugged Bonnie.

"You made it."

"Yeah," Bonnie said, smiling. "Hey, I'm sorry I had to interrupt you and Matt."

"Matt?" Caroline said blankly. "Oh yeah, Matt." She giggled. "Who else would it be? Matt, of course."

Amused, Bonnie watched Caroline's gaze wander the room.

"Care?"

"Yeah?"

"Not Matt?"

Caroline turned pink. "Tyler."

Bonnie raised her eyebrows. "That's new."

"Tell me about it." Caroline shook herself. "But enough about that. I wanna know what's going on with you. Why couldn't you come with me yesterday?"

Okay, confession time. She could do this. Caroline was one of her best friends. She'd understand, right? Bonnie took a deep breath.

"So...here's the thing. I undag-"

"Is this a private party or can anyone join in?"

Startled, Bonnie looked over to see a much-loved face. "Grams!" Bursting with joy, she rushed over to hug her grandmother. Tears stung her eyes as she felt Grams's arms encircle her, something she never thought she'd ever feel again.

"Aw!" Caroline launched herself at them, grabbing both women in a fierce hug. Bonnie smiled through her tears. Caroline never could resist a group hug.

"Oh, great. The gang's all here."

The trio separated to find Damon smirking from the doorway. Caroline gasped and sped over to shove him in the chest.

"Oh no. No way. Get out of my head, Damon."

He easily pushed her away. "No can do, Barbie. If there's plotting going on, than I'm staying." Damon's gaze shifted to Grams and he nodded. "Sheila. Long time, no see."

"For you, maybe," Grams said. "I've seen you plenty."

"Oh." Damon grimaced. "Well, that's not creepy at all."

"Damon, I'm not kidding," Caroline said, planting her hands on her hips. "I want you out of here."

"Caroline," Bonnie said, "it's okay. Let him stay." She knew that Damon was going to react badly and she didn't want him taking it out on Caroline. Better that he heard the news directly from her.

"See," Damon said, "Bon-Bon wants me here."

Caroline huffed. "Well, that makes one of her."

"You know, you're not a very gracious hostess. You should work on that."

"Damon, why don't you kiss my-"

Grams cleared her throat. "Caroline, dear, why don't you lead the way to the dining room? So we can all sit down and talk."

Caroline looked torn, and Damon's grin wasn't helping, but in the end her Miss Mystic Falls training won out. "Yes, Miss Sheila."

Deliberately bumping shoulders with Damon as she moved to the doorway, Caroline led them across the hall and into the dining room. Bonnie took a seat at one end of the polished oak table, with Damon opposite and Grams beside her, while Caroline ducked into the kitchen.

Bonnie gripped her grandmother's hand. "Grams, where have you been? I've been calling and calling."

"I know, baby, and I'm sorry I couldn't come to you sooner. I've been communing with the witches, trying to convince them not to abandon you."

Damon stiffened. "Why would they abandon her now? She's still trying to kill Klaus."

Grams glanced at him, then clasped Bonnie's hand in both of hers. "The witches are divided. Some believe that you cannot be trusted with so much power, not after Jeremy's resurrection. Others believe that you're too close to Klaus, that you're on the verge of being corrupted."

"Witches," Damon muttered. "Always so judgy."

"Well, that's just crazy." Caroline emerged from the kitchen with a tray of glasses and a pitcher of iced tea. "Anyone who knows Bonnie would never believe that." She took a seat opposite Grams and started pouring out the tea.

Bonnie shot her a grateful smile, but she was shaken nonetheless. She'd assumed that the witches would be on her side, that they wanted Klaus dead as much as she did. She couldn't do this without them.

She gave Grams a hopeful look. "Are any of them on my side?"

Grams hesitated. "Not many. Emily and...well, actually it's just Emily."

"That's it?" Bonnie felt a chill wash over her. "If the witches have given up on me, then it's over. I can't-"

"You listen to me. No one's given up on you, least of all me."

"But...do you really think I can do this?"

"Of course I do, but..." Grams got a stern look on her face that Bonnie knew all too well. "Klaus has had a lot of practice seducing witches. He's gotten very good at it. You need to be careful, Bonnie. I won't always be there to protect you.

"What do you mean?" Damon said, his sharp gaze moving from Grams to Bonnie. "What happened?"

Bonnie's face was aflame. "Nothing happened." But she couldn't even look at Damon and Caroline.

Damon narrowed his eyes. "Don't tell me you're falling for that smarmy British accent?"

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Cause you know he's just using you for your magic."

"I'm not an idiot, Damon. Of course I know." She gave him a pointed look. "It's not like this is the first time someone's tried to use me."

"Oh, come on, you're still holding a grudge?" Damon clicked his fingers several times, in a way that was guaranteed to piss her off. "Get with the program, Bonnie. We've got bigger problems to deal with."

"You know what, Damon? How about you-"

"Bonnie, honey, you don't have time for this," Grams said, giving her a warning look.

Reminded that her time here was limited, Bonnie took a deep breath and looked away from Damon's smirk. She knew better than to let him rile her, but he was so damn good at it.

"Grams is right. There's something I need to tell you guys." She braced herself and said, "I undaggered Elijah."

"You did what?" Damon said, his voice frigid.

"Damon, I needed-"

"Have you completely lost your mind? Like one Original isn't enough. Now Elijah's in the mix. What the hell were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that I don't wanna spend the rest of my life running from Klaus!"

"We can't trust Elijah!" Damon said. "He screwed us over once. He'll do it again."

"Damon, I didn't have a choice, okay. I need him."

He stared at her. "What are you talking about? Need him for what?"

Bonnie closed her eyes, but opened them again when she felt Grams squeeze her hand. She hadn't expected this to be so hard. Glancing from Damon to Caroline, she said, "Look, I've been trying, but I don't know how to kill Klaus."

Caroline anxiously leaned towards her. "But, Bonnie, all those grimoires..."

"I've been searching through those books since I got to L.A. and I've come up empty."

Damon rolled his eyes. "Hello, you're a witch, aren't you? Why don't you just use the same spell you used at the Martins?"

"That spell only works if you know exactly what you're looking for." Bonnie grimaced. "Turns out that no one ever created a spell to specifically kill Klaus."

"With his sunny personality? That's hard to believe."

"But you said you were close," Caroline said, staring at Bonnie. "That's what you said. There's no way I would've left you in that house otherwise."

"I meant Elijah," Bonnie said gently.

"So you lied to me?"

Bonnie lowered her gaze. "Let's just say I told you what you needed to hear."

"Bonnie-"

"I'm sorry, Caroline, I did what I had to." Bonnie tried to placate her with a smile, but Caroline didn't look any less hurt. "Well, anyway, Elijah and I made a deal. He's gonna work with us to stop Klaus."

Damon twisted his mouth. "Well, problem solved, then."

She ignored his sarcasm. "He's also agreed to give me, or rather, you, the spell that created the Originals."

"Why would he be stupid enough to do that?"

"Cause I asked him nicely."

"Huh." Damon cocked his head, and if she hadn't known better, she would've thought he actually looked impressed. "Backup plan?"

"Pretty much," she said. "I figure Elijah's our best shot - he probably knows a few witches who wouldn't mind taking out Klaus - but if he doesn't come through, then this is our last hope."

"Hey!" Caroline said, waving her hand in the air. "Someone wanna explain what the hell you're talking about?"

Bonnie looked at her. "If I know the exact spell that made Klaus into a vampire, then there's a chance I could break it."

"You mean..."

"Yeah."

"Wow." Caroline glanced at Grams. "Is that doable?"

Grams hesitated. "It depends."

Bonnie smiled at her. "It's okay, Grams. I know it's a long shot. No need to sugarcoat it."

After a moment, Grams said, "Klaus has been a vampire for a thousand years, and he's only gotten stronger. Even if the witches are with you, I just don't know."

Damon groaned. "Way to be supportive, Sheila."

"She needs to know the risks, Damon."

"Risks?" Caroline said. "What risks?"

"Bonnie could lose her magic, or worse."

"Worse?" Caroline's eyes widened. "How worse?"

"It doesn't matter," Bonnie said firmly, "because I'm not gonna have to do it." She looked at Damon. "You need to meet with Elijah, try to formulate some kind of plan with him. Oh, and you'll have to find a way to get the spell to me."

"Sure," Damon said. "If Elijah doesn't kill me on sight, I'll get right on that."

Bonnie just sighed. "There's a downtown restaurant called Angelica's. You're to meet him there the day after tomorrow, at noon."

"We'll be there," Caroline chirped.

"No, we won't," Damon said, scowling at her. "I will meet up with the unkillable, backstabbing Original on my own. You won't be anywhere near us."

"Damon, you can't stop me from going. And you know Elena's gonna wanna go too."

"I don't give a damn what she wants, she's not-"

"Guys?" Bonnie slapped the table to get their attention. "There's something else you need to know. Elijah won't-"

The room went black for a split second. Bonnie glanced round at the others, but no one else seemed to have noticed. Must have been her imagination.

"Elijah won't what?" Damon said.

"He won't-"

Without warning, something tightened around her throat. She clawed at her neck, but there was nothing there.

"Bon, are you okay?" Caroline said.

It was the strangest thing. She knew Caroline was next to her, but all she could see was a blonde blur. "Can't...breathe," she gasped.

"You don't need to breathe," Damon said. "You're dreaming, remember?"

"Shut up, Damon." With a surprisingly strong grip, Grams grabbed her by the shoulders and scrutinised her face. "Baby, you need to get back to your body. Right now."

"What's happening?" Bonnie croaked.

Grams shook her. "No time for explanations. You need to focus and go. Now, Bonnie!"

She responded instinctively to her grandmother's command, closing her eyes and letting the tug of her physical body draw her back. Caroline's panicked voice faded as her consciousness left the dreamscape and sped through the ether.

She got a glimpse of the bedroom just before she felt the snap of her astral self reuniting with her body. The lights were on, though she could've sworn she'd left them off, and when she forced her eyes open she realised why.

A stranger was straddling her, his hands wrapped around her throat. She struggled to clear her mind, to summon her magic, but her body had been deprived of oxygen for too long. Her vision was already going fuzzy, and all she could see was a pair of yellow eyes glaring down at her...

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