I watched Damon walk off my porch and into his car, unable to think or move. All I could focus on was the lingering sensation of his lips, his hand softly brushing against my cheek, and how much I liked it all.

In the next instant, I wanted to vomit.

Damon?! You kissed Damon, I thought as I ran upstairs and changed into some workout clothes. I used to loathe Damon, especially after he killed my brother. And just five minutes ago I was kissing him, like really kissing him. I needed to blow off some steam.

I arrived quickly to Alaric's loft. It was quiet inside, but lights were still on. As I walked inside, Jeremy was walking out. "Hey Elena, what are you doing back here?"

"I was going to do a quick workout, blow off some steam." I replied quickly.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine Jer. Just didn't get a good one in this morning."

"Okay, well I'm gonna go home and start packing."

My heart broke for a quick moment at the thought of Jeremy leaving but I shook it off. This was for the better.

"Ok, see you home." I said and walked inside.

"Alaric!" I called out as I pulled my boxing gloves on. "I'm gonna hit the bag!"

I stared at the bag for a few moments and then started my drills, working hard enough that sweat was already beginning to collect.

"You're gonna put a hole in that thing," Alaric said walking in and steadying the bag. "Wanna talk about it?"

"Nothing to talk about," I grunted, continuing my drill.

"What's got you all worked up?" Alaric said.

"Nothing, I just need to blow off steam."

Alaric looked at me for a moment before I did a push kick into the bag, which caused him to lose his balance.

"Nice, nice!" he exclaimed standing up again. "You're getting stronger."

"I'm just channeling frustration." I said, taking a break.

"I guess Damon's compulsion worked," Alaric said. "Jeremy was talking to me about all the things he was going to do in Denver."

"Damon hasn't called you or anything, right?" I asked.

"No," Alaric answered suspiciously. "Why?"

"No reason." I said and looked up at the clock. It was a quarter to midnight. "Wow. Its late," I said and began gathering my things. "I'm gonna rinse off in your shower and then head out if thats okay?"

"Go for it," Ric said. "I'm gonna go to bed, but take your time Elena."

Ric went to walk to his bedroom and paused. "You know you can talk to me about stuff right? You and Jeremy are like family to me so I'm here."

I nodded, smiling. "Thanks Ric. You're family to us too."

Damon was smiling to himself as he sauntered down the Gilbert's front walkway into his car. His dumb grin only grew as he drove away. Once he reached the Boardinghouse, he was humming a happy little tune. He danced into his room and took a quick shower, continuing to stare off in glee as he ran the water rinsing himself off. He kept remembering her soft lips against his. And what made him even happier was that she was kissing him back. There was no guilt inside of him at all.

He waltzed over to his closet and began to gather some clothes to sleep in until he heard a crash coming from the basement. His smile wiped off his face, he zipped back into the clothes he had on before and sped down to the basement.

Stefan's cell door was open and there was the body of a young girl laying on the floor with her head detached and a few feet away. The chair Stefan was tied to was in pieces. And there Stefan stood, looking as if he had just had an outburst of anger. Did his switch flip back on? Damon asked himself.

Damon walked cautiously into his brother's cell. "Woah, what's goin' on brother? How'd you get lose?"

Stefan yelled out at him and charged. Damon felt a snap and all went dark.

Stefan drove quickly to the mansion Klaus was building and burst in through the doors.

"Stefan!" Klaus called out. "What brings you here?"

"I want my freedom from your compulsion. And I want your hybrids gone."

"Well, what a list of demands." Klaus answered walking slowly towards Stefan. "I like having you at my beck & call and I like my hybrids. They're like a family that actually listens to me."

"Yeah because they don't have a say in the matter."

"Wow, I'm hurt. I thought we were friends."

"Friends don't strop friends of their free will."

"Hmm, I guess that is a little extreme." Klaus grabbed Stefan by the shoulder. "You're free."

"You know sometimes I get a little moody." Klaus continued on. "Just ask my siblings."

Stefan scoffed at the statement knowing of Klaus's habit of daggering his siblings and putting them into coffins. Coffins that he had stolen on the way to the mansion.

"What's so funny?" Klaus answered.

"Nothing, just that your storage unit may be empty and might remain empty until you make it up to me."

Klaus sped forward and grabbed Stefan by the throat and pushed him up against a wall. "You better be joking."

"I don't know." Stefan shrugged.

Klaus smashed Stefan's head against the wall. "Give them back."

"Not until your annoying hybrids leave town."

"I will kill you and everyone you've ever loved!" Klaus yelled.

"Ok," Stefan called back as he walked out of the mansion.

Well there's one thing checked off the list, Stefan thought as he got into his small red car. Now to make sure he gets rid of the hybrids for good.

Elena had just arrived back home from Alaric's loft and was crawling into bed. She had her diary open and was writing:

I kissed Damon tonight, she began but then stopped, crossing out the words. Well, he kissed me. But I found myself kissing him back..

There was a knock at Elena's window. She stood up and opened it peering out into the night. Sometimes Stefan would knock at her window to come and visit, but he hadn't been to visit like that ever since... Well since before the summer really. Looking down, she saw that no one was there so she turned to go back into her bed. Buts she froze when she heard a whoosh and felt a breeze along her back. Turning around she saw Stefan lounging on her bed reading her diary.

"Stefan what are you doing?" Elena asked.

"Wow, so you and Damon finally kissed." he said nodding his head. "I mean I feel like I should be upset you know because of our epic love and stuff but whatever good for Damon. Although maybe I should've congratulated him instead of snapped his neck."

"What did you do?" I asked.

"Oh he'll be fine Elena, lighten up." he said patting my shoulder. "He's just burdened by the protect Elena duty."

"Excuse me." I scoffed. "I thought that was your job."

"Not since Klaus gave me freedom."

"When did that happen?" I asked, getting closer. "Stefan this means you can have everything back. Your humanity, happiness, we can start over."

"Don't give me that crap, Elena." Stefan said. "You kissed my brother."

I stood speechless.

"Granted, I don't care. I have a bigger mission."

"And what's that?" I asked tentatively, backing away.

"Well I need to make Klaus suffer for everything he's done. So I've taken his family and I'm gonna start dumping them unless he gets his hybrids out of town."

"Stefan, do you realise what that means? He's going to start killing people!"

"Like I said, I don't care. But speaking of his hybrids.. Come with me."

Before I could speak, Stefan had his hand over my mouth and had zipped out the window.

Damon woke up with a groan, rubbing at his neck which was finishing fusing back together. Getting up, he took inventory of what was going on around him. "Stefan!" he called out. Silence.

But then his phone rang. "Speak of the devil," Damon said and answered it. "Hello, brother."

"Damon!" Stefan called from the opposite end of the line. "Elena, wanna say hi to Damon?"

"What are you doing with Elena?"

"Well first I want to congratulate you for finally getting what you wanted."

"Stefan.."

"Next I want to clue you in on my plan. So I've stolen four coffins with Klaus's family and confronted him to give me my freedom and get rid of the hybrids. I'm free but the hybrids are still in town."

"Stefan you're going to get everyone killed."

"I don't care, Damon. So anyway, I'm thinking of making hybrids a rare breed. You know a limited quantity. And then when Klaus doesn't get rid of them, I start killing them."

"Stefan don't you do anything to hurt Elena."

"We gotta get Klaus to blink."

And the line went dead. Damon crazily called Klaus, panic building within him.

"Wow, communication from two Salvatores in one day."

"Klaus you better do what Stefan wants."

"Oh Damon, are you fearing for your life? I wasn't planning on starting with killing you but we can make other arrangements."

"Stefan mentioned something about making hybrids a rare breed, with limited quantity."

"He wouldn't hurt dear Elena."

"I don't know Klaus. He's operating on a whole new level of crazy right now. He's got Elena with him."

The line went dead again.

Damon called Alaric to meet up with him and paced the basement wondering where Stefan could've taken Elena..

"What are you doing Stefan?" I asked after he got off the phone with Damon.

We were speeding along down the back road in the forest.

Stefan didn't speak but smirked when his phone began to ring again.

"So, what's the plan, Stefan? What's the big move you're making?" I asked trying a different tactic.

"I took Klaus's family to make him suffer. I'm not gonna let him make himself a new one."

"So, what are you gonna do, huh? Are you gonna lock me in some cave and keep me hostage?"

"Maybe. Maybe, I'll just turn you into a vampire."

"Stop the car Stefan."

Stefan dialed Klaus and placed the phone on speaker.

"Stefan, how nice to hear your voice."

"Tell your hybrids to get out of town, Klaus."

"Well that's not gonna happen until I get my coffins back."

"Okay," Stefan laughed. "Well then I'm gonna drive your blood source off Wickery Bridge."

My heart began to pound in my chest.

"I don't believe you Stefan. You won't kill her."

Next thing I know Stefan bit down into his wrist and forced it to my mouth.

"You'll die Elena." Damon said. "Klaus is going to use you for ritual and kill you!"

"But I'll have drunken the elixir and I'll come back to life."

"If it works."

"It will work!"

Damon had stopped. "There is another way." All of a sudden his wrist was at my throat.

Stefan stormed in and saw me choking on the blood. "How could you take that choice away from her?"

Now I was choking on the blood Stefan had forced on me...

"What's going on?" Klaus asked through the phone.

"I just fed her my blood. No more hybrids if she's a vampire."

"You won't do it."

"Really? Try me, because your coffins are next to go. Say goodbye to your family Klaus." Stefan slammed down on the gas pedal.

"Stefan, slow down!" I screamed. "Stefan! Stefan, stop it!"

"Fine, I'll send them away. You win."

But Stefan didn't stop, it almost seemed as if he was driving faster.