Chapter 11

WI

Damon could sense the intruder wasn't trying to be quiet and that made him assume it was Benjamin but regardless of his note, Damon wasn't going to take any unnecessary risks with Elena. He quickly jumped up and out the trap door climbing into the wine cellar a stake gripped firmly in hand and a vervain dart tucked in his pocket.

"I'm not going to hurt you." A voice said from the darkness.

Damon's eyes found the figure in the corner of the room. Benjamin was dressed in dark jeans and a hooded sweatshirt. He looked any average teenage you would see hanging out outside the mall or a school somewhere. He had his dark now short hair tucked under a baseball hat. It used to be shoulder length and curly. He actually looked thinner than he had when Damon knew him. He looked to be of Latin descent but his dark skin had paled slightly from when Damon knew him as a human. His eyes were different too they were still large and brown but held a certain power behind them, something that told you not to stare into the dark orbs for too long.

"But you're not worried about you." Benjamin continued. "I won't hurt her either. I give you my word on that."

"Why should I trust you?" Damon asked.

"You can't kill me Damon so trusting me is your only other choice." Benjamin said.

"Don't make assumptions Benjamin. I'm not the freshly turned man you met back then." Damon said.

"I realize that, however I'm not a seventeen year old warlock anymore either. My powers far exceed anything you have ever witnessed and unlike humans. I can keep going and going I don't wear out easily." Benjamin said. "When I said you can't kill me I meant it quite literally. I am not only faster, stronger, smarter but I have magical abilities not to mention a magic shield around my heart preventing a stake from being able to penetrate it."

"What, wait you mean...so the original witch/ vamp..." Damon mumbled.

"No he's dead and he was a warlock/vamp, watch that. You call me a witch and I'll start calling you a succubus." Benjamin said cracking a grin.

"But you said…"

"I put the shield around my heart, what does a warlock vampire in hiding do with 145 years? I decided to practice spells." Benjamin smiled. "Protection spells are my specialty and that's why Elijah hasn't found you here. No one will."

"I killed Elijah." Damon said his eyes wide.

"No you didn't." Benjamin said. "Now should we go downstairs and talk? I hear wood cracking I think your mate is trying to make a stake. Allow me to put her and your mind at ease. I'm not an enemy Damon. I'm here to help you."

Damon craned his ears and did indeed hear Elena trying to break something.

"I need to know I can trust you around her." Damon said not moving from near the trap door the led downstairs.

"I'm here. I turned because I knew she was going to be born." Benjamin said. "I'm here to make sure she is not sacrificed. I refuse to let my ancestors promise be broken."

Damon studied the man carefully his face and eyes were sincere he nodded at Damon. Memories of Benjamin pulling him out of that room, bloody and half conscious, bringing him to safety filled his Damon's mind. He was the first person that ever stood up for him and helped him. He wanted to trust him, and something told him he could.

"You let me believe I killed you." Damon said shaking his head. "You used my blood and my bloodlust to turn yourself knowing it marked both of us."

"I didn't have a choice Damon; I'll explain everything to both of you. I don't want to tell the story twice." Benjamin sighed.

Damon stared at him for a moment somehow he knew he could believe Benjamin but he was still angry about all of this. The idea that someone used his blood and turned themselves was irritating it made him feel sort of violated. He believed that Benjamin somehow knew about Elena and the doppelganger curse back then and he believed his turning was about some bigger plan. But he didn't like the fact that he had been kept in the dark about everything. What if Benjamin just kept making his own plans and Elena got hurt in the cross fire? When it came to her and her protection he needed to know everything.

"I get that you aren't going to trust me…you're pissed that I exist and why I exist and that I did it behind your back, but you can trust me with your mate's life. That is a promise and we're both from the 19th century promises still mean something to me. I know they do to you to." Benjamin said his eyes pleading.

"Alright we'll talk." Damon said. "Her name is Elena, btw."

"I know her name." Benjamin said with a grin as he followed him down.

Damon narrowed his eyes towards him before jumping down into the room.

"You can come out Elena, it's okay." Damon said.

She crept out from the bathroom a hand behind her back.

"I'm not going to hurt you, I promise." Benjamin said holding his hands up and smiling at her.

She looked at him for a few moments and then at Damon who nodded at her. She set the piece of ragged wood down and Damon started laughing despite the tension in the room.

"Is that the plunger handle?" He managed to ask in between fits of laughter.

"Give her points for creativity." Benjamin chuckled.

"I didn't realize you guys weren't in here." She flushed a pretty little shade of red and Damon just chuckled again and ruffled her hair.

"So you're..." She started.

"Benjamin, but call me Ben." He said extending a hand.

She stared at him her eyes narrowed and didn't offer her hand.

"You're upset because you feel as if I marked your mate for death. I understand, but I'll explain everything." Benjamin said calmly. Damon suddenly felt a wave of calm wash over him and narrowed his eyes he glanced at Elena who sat at the table appearing very relaxed all the sudden.

"Did you do something to her?" Damon said his eyes wide with accusation. "Her moods don't switch that drastically."

"I just calmed her." Benjamin said holding his hands up.

"Don't mess with my mind." Elena said but she still remained calm lying back in the seat and staring at him curiously.

"I apologize. I was simply trying to ease the tension and anger in the room so will be open to hearing what I have to say." Benjamin said. "It's just a vibe of calm I sent over you, I didn't mess with your mind...it's kind of like giving you a few drinks."

"I'm sure you've had some good times with that trick." Damon muttered.

Elena gasped and swatted at him crossing her arms.

"I am a man." Ben smirked.

"Why did you call Damon my mate?" Elena asked curiously.

"Because he is," Benjamin smiled at her and this time she returned his smile.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Why don't we get to that later?" He offered. "Let me explain why I'm here and why I exist as well as why you do." He pointed at Elena and she nodded.

"So it all starts who knows when or where, everything I know is passed down from generation to generation, but what I do know is at one time many supernatural beings walked the earth. Fights and battles took place but there was a balance. They say shamans or witches and warlocks were the glue that held that balance together. But overtime supernatural entities started fighting more and more. Humans were fruitful in attempts to fight back. Vampires were always the most envied because they have eternal life what every creature on earth desires. Then one day a warlock decided he wanted that everything went to hell so to speak." Benjamin started.

"We read this much online." Damon said.

"Well it basically all comes down to love." Ben said. "The warlock that turned him, he had been going down a rough path for a long time. He was a part of arguably the most powerful witch coven of all time. They fought for him. Then finally one day a young girl came into his life from nowhere. Charlotte Petrova, she was like a light in all the darkness... It was said her smile could light up a room; her touch could calm even the deepest rage. She was truly a special girl. He fell in love with her fast and hard and according to legends she had turned him around. He had given up his quest for enteral life and his dabbling on the dark side ended. She had even moved in with the large coven and they all protected her. After only weeks she was engaged to marry him. So when out of nowhere Micah the young warlock ended up missing and came back as a vampire. It was assumed Klaus forced his hand. Klaus denied this claim of course and a war started."

"Oh my gosh," Elena gasped. "What did Charlotte do?"

"She was heartbroken; the second Micah returned as a vampire his family had no choice but to stake him. She cried so hard legends say it rained for weeks straight. But it was Micah's powerful sister Oksana that reacted the hardest; she refused to ever let this happen again. And so she prepared herself to cast the biggest spell any witch had ever attempted and to do it she needed the blood of a heart stricken girl." Ben said.

"Charlotte?" Elena gasped. "Oksana killed her brother's finance?"

"Charlotte offered herself up. She had no desire to live without Micah." Ben explained.

"The spell was a success and the werewolves and vampires powers were restricted. A treaty of peace was somewhat established as well a new balance created. Originals agreed to stop turning humans and it was also cemented that no vampire could ever turn another supernatural being again. "

Elena threw him a pointed look.

He smirked sheepishly. "Oops… anyways this is where the doppelganger loophole comes in. It was the only way to get the originals to agree to the terms as long as the Petrova bloodline continued it was possible for a doppelganger to be born which could undo the sun and moon and curse. If this is to happen it would be the beginning of the end of the world. I can promise you that." Ben finished by pacing the room and letting out a deep breath.

"Oh my…" Elena breathed. "So are you a descendent of Oksana?"

"No I'm not, but your best friend is." Ben said.

"How do you know so much about her life?" Damon asked his eyes narrowing.

"I checked in from time to time, from a distance. Like I said I know a lot of spells." Ben said. "I cannot let the curse be broken."

"What do you mean about Bonnie?" Elena asked.

"Oksana created a protection spell with her love for her friend Charlotte, as long as her blood line continued every time a doppelganger was born one of her descendants would be born soon after and that witch would and will do anything to protect the doppelganger whether she wants to or not..." Ben said.

"So where do you come in?" Damon asked raising an eyebrow. He hadn't realized how important Bonnie was to Elena's life. He wondered if taking Elena away from Bonnie was the right thing to do now. He had his pride but when it came to her he would take whatever help he could get in saving her.

He could see by Elena's relieved face expression that her thoughts were traveling in the opposite direction she didn't like at all that Bonnie's purpose was to protect her. Elena didn't want to drag Bonnie or any of her friends into this. He guessed Elena would do everything she could to keep this information from reaching her best friend.

"I am a descendant of the warlock that loved Oksana and swore to do anything to protect her and her descendants. He promised her his descendants would keep the curse in place, he kept the story in the family through the centuries so we would never forget it. When it was my time to learn the truth it was 1864 right after everything happened in Mystic Falls. It seemed the doppelganger that turned herself was dead and it was all over." Ben explained.

"But?" Damon prompted.

"But I didn't believe that. I wanted to keep the promise and the story, but I felt like a more direct action needed to be taken. I was the last of my blood line and…I had a choice. I debated with it for a long time. Then I had a vision a vision of you Elena. I knew it wasn't Katerina and I knew it was in a later time, it was short and fuzzy but Damon was in it too. You were in grave danger and he was desperate to save you … When it registered with me that it was the Salvatore brother Damon who supposedly died. I knew at that point something big was telling me to do something big." Ben sat down at the table and took a drink from the wine bottle left there.

"So you decided to turn yourself?" Damon asked.

"It made more sense to prepare myself to face off against Klaus then hope one of many descendants can get it right." Ben said. "It made even more sense to use your blood and stay close in a way to you; as you would clearly lead me to her someday."

"But it's strictly forbidden. It's the reason this whole thing happened to begin with." Elena said quietly her face furrowed.

"So I broke the one and probably only vampire law?" Damon offered looking slightly amused.

"Damon it's not funny." Elena sighed.

"I know but he's got a point and clearly being a warlock vampire makes you almost as strong as Klaus doesn't it?" Damon asked.

"I don't know. I've never faced off against an original. I've kept a low profile, but I doubt it. Klaus has been around since the beginning of time. I do however know of two ways to kill an original vampire, so what I'm proposing is we work together we'll come up with a plan to kill Klaus and Elijah and then I will destroy the moonstone." Ben said. "After that it's over."

"It sounds too easy." Elena said doubtfully. "Wait did you say Elijah?"

"Only two ways to kill them huh?" Damon scoffed. He was amazed at the uncanny luck he had when it came to with people staying dead when he killed them.

"Unfortunately." Ben shrugged. "Nether way is exactly easy…either."

"Of course it isn't." Damon muttered.

"So you have been waiting all this time for me, to plan to kill Klaus? Why not have just done it without me?" Elena asked.

"Good question." Damon said glancing at Ben curiously.

"He's more vulnerable if she exists." Ben said. "I can't explain how, but like I said Charlotte was a special girl so is Elena. She is human absolutely one hundred percent but there is a certain light and fire about her. Legends say maybe Charlotte was touched by an angel, that her light was strong enough to weaken the dark side of any creature. I think you inherited the same aura."

"That doesn't explain Katherine though." Elena frowned.

Damon gazed at her no it didn't but he didn't care, it explained Elena. Her always knew she was a good pure soul this only proved that.

"I never found any information on what Katerina was like as a human it is strange how much you are like Charlotte and how different she is." Ben frowned. "I would imagine there is a reason for that."

"Wow." Elena sat back digesting all of this she pulled Damon's robe around her tighter.

"So you knew I'd bring her here eventually…" Damon said.

"I protected this place; no one can track you here." Ben told them.

"Thank you." Elena breathed.

"Elijah is alive is he after us?" Damon asked.

"I can't actually do a tracking spell on him because he's an original so he's immune to them. I happened to check in when Elena was kidnapped and saw you 'kill' him. I knew he wasn't dead then. I hoped you were bringing her here right away so I came here and waited when you didn't come I left you the note. I needed to go and get some supplies." He held up his backpack.

"What I have in here are a few toys that will weaken him." Ben said. "I also know of an old fashioned secret parlor trick that can temporarily immobilize him."

"Okay so on to the important thing." Damon said. "How do we kill him?"

"Two ways, the first is difficult." He explained. "A dagger exists that was blessed by a witch, it's said if its dipped in white oak ash and staked through the heart the original dies, but the dagger kills any demon that uses it. So essentially we'd have to have Elena use it."

Damon glanced at Elena and shook his head. "What's the other way?"

"I could do it." She protested, "We're talking about saving the word here."

"The other way?" Damon ignored her.

"Damon." She thundered her face red. "If you guys beat him down first I could do it. We could plan something."

"Can you do that calm thing again?" Damon joked earning another glare from Elena.

"I'm kidding." Damon laughed ruffling her hair. She ignored him crossing her arms a scowl on her face.

"Klaus is the oldest vampire of all time I don't want you close enough to him to stake him Elena."

"But I weaken him." She pointed out.

"Only to an extent," Ben warned her. "You're still human, he's still an original. Besides I have no idea where this dagger is. I've been looking for it for 145 years and nothing."

"So what's plan B then?" Damon asked.

"It would be very difficult." Ben said. "Damn near impossible to achieve."

"No vampire is immune to it not even an original, not without one of these anyway." Ben held up his ring.

"You mean burn him in the sun?" Damon asked.

"Right which means we would have to both get his ring off and get him in the sun and hold him there long enough…like I said nearly impossible." Ben said.

"But you're the spell man." Damon pointed at him with a smirk.

"That I am." Ben smiled.

"So shall we brainstorm then?" Damon asked grabbing another bottle of wine from the pantry and an extra glass for Ben.

"First you should probably make up with your girlfriend." Ben whispered. "I think she's still a little pissed at you."

"Where are you going?" Damon asked. "What if someone's following you?"

"I would know if anyone was following me. No one knows I even exist, the Bennett's the Pertrova's and the Salvatore's are what is talked about no one even remembers my family's part in things. We were pretty insignificant."

"Until now," Damon offered.

"Forever. No one ever has to know about me and no one ever will. Now you two kiss and make up and, don't worry about it. You are safe here. I made damn sure of it. I'm just going upstairs to my old house. The tenant is gone for the night. I'll order some pizzas." He offered opening the latch and heading upstairs.

Damon smirked and poked her side. "Don't be mad. I'm just trying to protect you."

"You have to trust me, I get a say in things, I don't want to be disregarded." She said crossing her arms.

"You're not. You're in on all our plans Elena. I really value your input on things believe it or not." He said honestly. "But that does not mean I'm going to let you rush head first into danger."

"If we can find that dagger..." She trailed off.

"Stop," He said. "If we do we'll talk about it then, for now we don't have it and running around searching for it would put us in danger. This place is protected."

"It's weird knowing this witch has been waiting for me to be born and like watching over me." She said crinkling her nose.

"Call him a warlock he's sensitive about that." Damon whispered.

She giggled and then sighed." I can't stay mad at you."

"It's because I'm so adorable." Damon grinned.

She rolled her eyes and swatted him.

"So this is it, we start making plans to kill Klaus." She said slowly.

He pulled her into his lap and held her tightly against him.

"We're going to win." He promised and now with this knowledge behind them and a partner and an efficient partner at that he actually believed it.

VA

"Don't ever do that again," Stefan whispered angrily stalking off the dance floor Katherine followed him outside.

"What don't you and Elena ever kiss? I'm making it look real." She said coyly.

He turned and glared at her shaking his head in frustration.

"I know it probably isn't like that when you kiss her though." She added with a seductive grin.

"I hate you." He spat out looking down.

"I can't keep doing this. I'm trying to move and you're making it impossible." He said he felt as if he was jumping out of his skin a kiss from that woman was not supposed to affect him in that way. He didn't love her, he didn't, whatever he felt for her died when he thought she did. He had to hold on to that or he would go crazy.

"You weren't thinking about her just now you liar." She spat out.

"Keep telling yourself that Katherine." He spat back feeling a rush of empowerment when her face broke just slightly at his words.

"Don't say her name out loud Stefan." Bonnie hissed coming out behind them Jeremy was behind her looking worried.

"You really can be an idiotic sometimes." Jeremy added swatting him upside the head.

"Hey." Stefan said glancing at him with surprise.

"You needed it. Get it together man." Jeremy whispered.

"Thanks." Stefan muttered avoiding Katherine's gaze. Jeremy was right he did need that and he needed this little game to end soon.

"What is going on here?" Caroline exclaimed looking worried when she came out after them.

"Gangs all here," Katherine scoffed.

"Look we don't need to draw this much attention to ourselves." Bonnie sighed. "Come on guys. We're supposed to be luring Klaus here remember?"

"We need to come up with a plan and move on it. I'm tired of this charade already." Stefan sighed.

"Let's go to the boarding house then." Caroline agreed right away. Stefan sent her a grateful look he was glad he had her in his corner it made him feel less alone.

"What about Elijah?' Katherine whispered.

It was strange to actually see Katherine fear someone. It should in turn make him fear the original but instead he felt this strange draw to protect her or assure her it was okay. She's not Elena, he berated himself.

Katherine was staring at him curiously clearly seeing at least some part of his mental battle. And probably enjoying it, he reminded himself.

"He wants Klaus dead to; we'll we just tell him we're not waiting." Stefan said. "Why drag it out?"

"Let's go." Bonnie said.

Elijah and Jonas were waiting for them inside the boarding house when they got here; Stefan on instinct jumped in front of the group realizing he once again put himself in front of Katherine protectively it disturbed him. He tried to tell himself it was for the humans and Caroline who was right behind her, but he knew that wasn't entirely true and cursed himself for it.

"So you all plan to go rouge?" Elijah asked in a soft voice.

"Don't think you're not being watched." He added when no one spoke.

"We need a plan we're sick of waiting." Stefan said.

"Don't be foolish and disrespectful of your elders." Elijah said. "I might confuse you for your brother."

"I want to know what we're doing as well. I'm not running blindly into anything." Bonnie spoke up.

"You will, so many times." Elijah said in a thoughtful voice. "You're simply not ready yet."

"Not ready for what" Bonnie asked.

"To defeat him, you're not strong enough." Elijah said.

"But the other two witches…" Bonnie said.

"I don't think it will be enough." Elijah said.

"Why do you need witches?" Katherine asked.

"They will know what they need to do when the time is right." Elijah waived his arm.

"If you want us to actually be efficient in helping you we need to know what we're doing." Stefan pointed out.

Elijah rolled his eyes in annoyance and gestured at Jonas to speak.

"Klaus can't be killed in any traditional vampire methods we need to weaken him and then a mortal will need to deliver the final blow with a special dagger. However, a weakening spell will only slightly help. We need a stronger witch to weaken Klaus's powers. While Luka and I can help her it still just isn't enough yet, not without…" Jonas stopped after Elijah nodded at him and Bonnie looked at him curiously.

"Not without what?" Bonnie asked.

"Nothing, the point is you aren't strong enough to weaken him." Jonas said.

"So why are we waiting? Why are we playing this Katherine is Elena charade?" Stefan asked. "If you think we're going to lose anyway?"

"There is a location supposedly here in Mystic Falls that was a witch burial ground; it would strengthen all of their powers. If we can lure Klaus there I believe we will succeed in killing him." Elijah said.

"So how do we lure him there?" Bonnie asked.

"We set up a sacrificial ceremony to break the curse." Elijah said. "Klaus wants to be the one to do it. He will come after me and we will be waiting for him."

"Let's do it." Stefan said he still wasn't entirely sold on Elijah's intentions he had a feeling Elijah had his own motives and plans and that worried him, but he also seemed like their best bet to defat Klaus and win this battle. "What are we waiting for then?"

"Well for starters," Elijah said slowly, "The dagger and the location."

"This dagger?" A voice surprised them all as Alaric walked into the room with a silver jagged looking dagger and a jar.

** So two plans are forming to kill Klaus, nether is aware of the other, and both sides are trusting an outsider …. this could get interesting. Please review!

*BTW for this s/l Caroline isn't really hanging out with Tyler that much right now, but everything in Masquerade, Rose and Katerina still happened. After Elena left she was pulled into the Klaus drama and that's pretty much where her main focus is at this point.