Chapter 21
Damon
"Took you long enough." Katherine's voice halted me in my tracks and I turned to glare at her.
"Good luck trying to kill me Damon." She said laughing and she circled me. "I've been drinking the blood of an original and let me tell you."
She lunged at me and pushed me backwards I flew into a tree and slammed into it hard hitting the ground forcefully.
"Have you had your V8 today?" She laughed.
"That joke is at least ten years old Katherine." I said dryly pulling myself up and walking back over to her.
"So the student criticizes the teacher?" She raised her eyebrows. "What is the world coming to?"
"Oh well, not like we really need to worry about it for much longer anyway right?" She taunted.
"Is that so?" I asked nonchalantly.
"The world as we know it is coming to an end." She said looking serious. "One way or another."
"I know." I snapped. "We know everything."
"How?" She asked curiously.
"Don't worry about it." I waved her question off. "So tell me what you're planning Katherine. I know you're not looking to join the breathing."
"Oh Damon so little you know about me." She said putting her hands on her hips. "Would you believe I'm a bleeding heart under it all?"
"No I wouldn't." I said rolling my eyes.
"Then you would be wrong." She said.
"Stefan you can come out now, I know you're out there. I can feel you." She called out.
"I'll just compel you to come out then." She snapped angrily.
"Stay out of my head." He growled entering the clearing.
"But it's just so tempting." She purred.
"I hate you." He spat out.
I gave him a look to try to get him to stay cool. I needed him to keep a clear head here. This was a dangerous situation. Katherine could kill either one of us in a blink of an eye if she wanted to.
"Oh you do not." She said. "You will always love me and I will always love you. The end justifies the means Stefan. The end is me and you."
"What?" I said my eyes widening. "You want this you actually want to be human?"
"I didn't say that. I said it ends with me and Stefan I didn't say how." Katherine spat out.
"So Stefan what do you want?" She asked coyly. "Do you want to rule over the world with the originals possessing more power then you could ever imagine or do you want to be human and have a second chance at a normal life."
"I want nothing to do with you." He shot back his eyes dark and angry. "After what you made me do."
"Oh who cares about some clone that doesn't hold a candle to me?" Katherine sighed. "I did you a favor Stefan. You were weak and pathetic when I found you. I can't imagine how much weaker you would have gotten had you actually fallen for that stupid twit."
"I suggest you watch what you say about my girlfriend." I said feeling my anger start to rise despite my best efforts to remain calm.
"Please Damon. I compelled Stefan and changed things for one reason and one reason only. That's because I love him. You and Elena are destined to die just like Romeo and Juliet and you know what? I could careless what happens to either one of you." She spat out.
"Which is exactly why it won't end with us." Stefan told her. "You are too cold and heartless for me to ever love again Katherine. I'll never forgive you for what you did."
"Of course you will Stefan." She said with a smile. "Maybe not today but you will. I did what I did because I love you and you will come to see that."
"Then why did you leave me to think you were dead?" He asked.
"Good question, got an answer for that one Miss Katherine?" I asked in mocking tone.
"I didn't have a choice. The end justifies the means, You will love me again Stefan." She said.
"No I won't." He started but she was gone in a flash and he was left standing angrily in her wake.
"So she hasn't actually decided what she wants." I murmured thoughtfully. "Besides you."
"The only that way bitch is getting to my heart is with a stake. I'll never go to her willingly." He promised.
"Maybe you should." I suggested.
"What?" He said his eyes wide.
"Not right away, we have to make it believable." I said walking back towards the boarding house he followed anxiously.
"What are you planning Damon?" He asked nervously.
"I'm panning on using you as spy." I said. "Katherine is playing both sides. I need to know who she's working with."
"Why?" Stefan asked. "What's you angle?"
"The original that's giving her blood would be pretty pissed to find out what she's doing with her free time." I said raising my eyebrows.
"So you find out who it is and convince him or her to work with you against her?" Stefan guessed.
"Their plan is for Elena not to sacrifice herself, so yes. That seems to be my best option at the moment." I said.
"What if their plan is to just kill Elena before she can sacrifice herself? What do you do then?"
"I'll bargain. I'm good at it." I said nodding to myself.
"Okay I'll do it. But we have to be smart about this. Katherine's not stupid. She's probably already expecting us to do something like this." Stefan said.
"I'm sure she is which is why you have to be convincing." I said. "She won't believe for a second that you would battle with her and the originals for world domination so you have to convince her you want to be human with her."
"That should be an easy enough sell." He nodded as we reached the boarding house.
"You can't screw it up and fall for her again during this whole thing." I warned him.
"I won't." He insisted. "I'm done with her Damon."
"Good." I said pausing at the doorway.
"You have to go in and talk to her, You can't leave things like you did. She was devastated when you left." Stefan said in a know it all tone that really pissed me off.
"You have no right to pass judgment on me or my relationship after what you did." I said glaring at him with fire in my eyes.
"I'm not. I'm just giving you some advice." He said putting his hands up.
"Don't do that either." I growled.
"I'm going to go hunt." He sighed running off to the woods.
"Gross." I muttered before heading inside letting out an unnecessary breath.
"Damon?" She looked up from the chair she was sitting in her yes were red and puffy from crying.
"Why are you still here." I asked keeping my voice even and cool.
"I'm not leaving Damon." She said stubbornly.
"Not now. But you will when you turn eighteen. Less then a week away and you'll be leaving me forever." I said my voice broke I was unable to keep the switch off when it came to her.
"Which is why we should enjoy every moment we have." She cried.
"No Elena. I said frustrated. "No, you can't just give up on us. Please, I'm begging you to fight for me. I know it's selfish but I don't care. I can't lose you."
"I can't lose you either Damon but I don't know what else to do. We're talking about some pretty grim options here." She sighed.
"There has to be another way." Bonnie said from the couch her head was buried in Emily's grimoire I was so focused on Elena I hadn't even noticed she was still here.
"I wish there was Bonnie." Elena said.
"Why are you assuming there isn't?" Bonnie asked. "Damon coming to Mystic Falls early happened for a reason and it can't just be for you to die. That makes no sense whatsoever."
"Exactly why would we find each other just for me to keep you safe long enough to die? I've never really believed in fairytale happy endings, but even I don't believe fate could be that sick and twisted." I said.
"My grams and I were able to lift the seal temporarily because all witches spells have loopholes. This one will to, it has to. We just have to figure out what it is." Bonnie said.
"So you think there is a loophole?" Elena asked looking hopeful.
"If there is we're gonna find it." She said with determination.
"I don't want to die." Elena said bursting out in tears. "I have been trying so hard to be brave and I know what the right thing is to do here, but I don't want to do it. I don't want to leave you Damon you have to believe that much at least."
"Good." I said pulling her into my arms and holding her tight. "Good, that's what I needed to hear baby, you were so determined to die to give up on us. It's okay to selfish sometimes Elena it is. We are going to fight this we will find a way to save you."
"We can't let the war happen." She said sniffling back her tears. "If we can find a loophole we have to ensure it will prevent that."
"I agree that would be detrimental." Bonnie said. "Which is why we have to find another way."
"What if you can channel the witch that set this motion?" I asked.
"I don't know if it's possible. I have no connection to her." Bonnie said. "No possessions of hers."
"Emily said they found her the prophecy in her grimore. Where is it now?" Elena asked. "If there was loophole maybe it's in there."
"Wouldn't Emily have told us?" Bonnie asked.
"Maybe she didn't see it." I offered.
"Maybe." Bonnie said thoughtfully. "I think I'm going to go talk to my grams. Maybe she can help."
"Katherine's out there it's not safe for you to drive home alone." Elena pointed out.
"I'll drive you." I offered she stood up to join me.
"You coming?" I looked at Elena. She nodded and followed taking my hand in hers. I suddenly felt really guilty for yelling at her and walking out on her. I really didn't give her a chance to let everything set in. She forgave it so easily. I really didn't deserve her compassion sometimes.
The car was silent as we started driving towards Bonnie's grandmothers house.
"Wait a second." Bonnie said her eyes wide. "How did Katherine get the tomb open?"
"Good question." I murmured. "Damn bitch has got, hunters, originals, and witches working with her? What's next werewolves?"
"We don't know for sure she has originals or hunters working with her." Elena said looking confused.
"Stefan assumes she's working with both, she confirmed she's getting blood from an original hence her super, super powers." I said anticipating her reaction to me going to Katherine wasn't going to go over very well.
"How do you know she's getting blood from an original?" Elena asked her eyes narrowing.
"Saved by my driveway." Bonnie muttered particularly umping out of the car as soon as I pulled up.
"I went to her after I left." I admitted. "I figured whatever she was plotting involved you not sacrificing yourself so I was gonna see if I could figure out her angle and use it to my advantage."
"Damn it Damon. How could you go to her? She could have killed you." Elena sighed.
"I was trying to save your life. I felt like you gave up." I said.
"I'm can't apologize for who I am. I won't let mankind end in a war if I can prevent it. Bonnie thinks there is a loophole so we look and I'll fight. I will fight for us until the bitter end Damon. But if she doesn't find anything, the outcome is still going to remain the same." Elena said.
"No it won't you will not die." I said.
"I know you feel like it's giving up." She said slowly.
"Its is." I said.
"No, It's not it's sacrificing myself for a greater good." She sighed. "I am the way I am because I'm the doppelganger. I am the opposite of Katherine and I am wired to undo what she did. I can't help what my instincts and emotions are drawing me towards. I'm not the one who set in motion."
She was right it was as natural for her to choose the right thing to do despite how much she didn't want to as it was for me to fight it. She was who she was, but I would spend every second from now until her birthday figuring out another way to save her. Giving her demands, ultimatums and threats was not the way to go though and I saw that now.
"We will find another way and you just have to convince yourself of that." I said stroking her hair.
"Just don't make decisions and do things without telling me, please Damon." She begged.
"I'll try and be as honest with you as I can, but we're at an impasse here until we find another option." I sad honestly.
"Can you tell me what you've done so far? Are you working with that vile woman." She shuddered.
"No I'm not, but Stefan's going to spy on her for us." I said.
"We can trust him?" She asked.
"Yes." I said. "My brother is wallowing in guilt over what he did. He's a martyr by nature. He gave me his word and I trust it."
"But what if she compels him again?"She asked.
"She wants him. That's the prize she claims she's after. I doubt he's her only agenda but I do believe he's a big part of it. I think she wants him fair and square this time without compulsion. She threatens it but I don't think she'll actually do it." I said.
"But we don't know for sure." She said biting her lip.
"He's never going to hurt you again no one is. I will make sure of that." I promised her.
"Has she been in your head again at all?" I asked.
"No." She said looking relieved. "But I'm sure she'll be back to torture me some more."
"Damon what is it you want Stefan to find out?"
"Whatever he can." I said. "Knowledge is key here angel you know that."
"I know you." She smirked and glanced at me. "Your digging for something specific what is it?"
"I want to know who she's working with, both the original and the hunter. According to Stefan she compelled you to get the hunter on her side, meaning that person pays dearly for your attacks as does she at some point here I promise you."
"You can't kill her, she's older and she has this blood." She said her eyes suddenly widened and she gasped.
"What?" I said glancing away.
"No Damon. It's risky at best, if not a suicide mission." She said shaking her head.
"I don't know what you're talking about?" I attempted an obvious lie with a little laugh. That's the thing about having a soulmate. Lying is pretty much pointless when they can see right through you.
"Not funny, no Damon, you can't go look for this original, you cannot try to convince them to give you their blood. You can't do this. If you join them and then cross them your dead." She said.
"I can't protect you without some type of advantage." I said. "Clearly this would be an advantage. Why wouldn't the originals believe I will do whatever it takes to keep you alive? My word means way more then hers. This whole thing is her damn fault. I prove she's playing them and use that to gain their trust. If I can get whoever is giving her blood to stop and start giving me blood. We actually have a chance here."
"Damon this is so dangerous." She whispered.
"Elena, we have to take risks if we're going to survive." I said.
"Please, just consider this carefully. What if she figures out what you're planning? She's not stupid she's supposed to just buy that Stefan's with her?" She asked.
"Knowing how she operates, she'll pursue him and he'll act like he's slowly warming up to it. I don't like depending on my brother's acting abilities here. But this is my plan and unless you can come up with one I like better. I'm going with it." I said firmly.
"So I get no say in things?" She scoffed angrily.
"I promised you I would be as honest as I can and I'll run by you what I can. But just like you told me if we don't find a loophole you're planning on sacrificing yourself. Well I have my own plans too Elena." I said.
"We need to be on the same page." She sighed.
"Well we're not, we're at an impasse remember?" I reminded her. "I'm going to keep you alive."
"I'm trying to keep you alive." She moaned.
"Let's shelf this for now. I haven't even found the original yet." I suggested.
"Fine." She agreed settling back in her seat.
"So what now?" She asked.
"Now we go to the grill and have a beer," I said.
"Damon, we don't have time to have a beer." She smirked.
"We need a break, We need to just step away from all of this for five minutes." I said pulling up to the bar.
"Okay." She agreed squeezing my hand.