21: You Need to Back Up If You're Not with My Team.

"We have a problem."

Stefan stared at his brother and Nova on the Gilbert's porch. "Whatever it is can wait."

"No," Nova stretched, biting her thumb nail. "No, it really can't."

He looked between the two of them warily before sighing and stepping aside to let them through. "What could possibly be so catastrophic?"

"Alaric turned," Damon blurted out quickly and tactlessly.

Behind him, Nova facepalmed. "Way to be blunt about it," she muttered.

They made it to the kitchen when Stefan whipped around with wide eyes. "What do you mean he turned? I thought you were standing guard!"

"The witches had taken Bonnie," the Romanian explained calmly. "They made her give him her blood to complete transition."

"Fuck," the younger Salvatore groaned. "Where's Bonnie now?"

"By time we came to Alaric was gone," she continued. "Bonnie was left in a heap on the floor. I gave her my blood and got her home to clean up."

"And the stake?" came the small voice of Elena in the doorway.

"Oh, you mean the white oak one?" Damon retorted. "The one that can kill an Original and wipe out an entire line of vampires? We don't know."

Nova punched him in the chest and Elena darted back off, answering her phone as she ventured upstairs. The doorbell sounded from the front door, going ignored by the three arguing mildly in the kitchen. When the bell turned into a loud knock Jeremy came up from the back of the house to answer it. He frowned when he looked at Klaus on the opposite side. Stefan walked up as calmly as he could behind Jeremy, not taking his eyes off of the Original.

"Why don't you go upstairs and check on Elena, Jer?" He suggested with a pat on the teenager's shoulder. With a snarl the young Gilbert obeyed. "What are you doing here, Klaus?"

"Hm, poor lad. Loses one questionable father figure only to be replaced by the likes of the two of you." Klaus snickered.

"Actually," Nova dramatically shoved Stefan aside, "Alaric asked me to care for the Gilbert siblings." She smirked up at him with pride. "So what dare I ask brings this unpleasantry?"

They swore they saw his eye twitch. It only made her feel more triumphant. "Oh, I know all about my mother's invulnerable little creation and that's why I'm here." He forced his lips into a smirk. "I'm leaving town, just need to pick up a few road trip necessities. Spare tire, flashlight, doppelgänger."

Nova smiled up at him with poison, leaning on the doorframe tauntingly. "Can't help you there, sorry, mate." She winked and slammed the door on his face.

Jeremy's feet came bounding down the wood stairs frantically. "Elena is gone!"

She let herself fall forward enough to slam her forehead onto the door. "You've got to be fucking kidding me right now." She whirled around directly at Stefan, making him jump back a little. "How the hell are you in a relationship with this?! The girl needs a damn leash!" Something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention; Klaus was on the front lawn pacing back and forth with a thick newspaper in his hand. She let out a loud groan as she stared at him. "Today is not going to be a good day."

"Klaus wants in," Damon said as he also noticed the pacing hybrid. "We have to keep him out."

"Hit the deck!" Nova screamed suddenly, diving for the only human in the room she was told to protect. Just after she swiped Jeremy away did the wad of paper come whipping through the glass window with massive strength. "You alright, kid?" She started checking him for injuries.

"I'm fine," he swatted her away. "Can you pitch better than that?"

She grinned toothily, her fangs peeking out over her bottom teeth. "I may have pitched for some softball teams in my time under an alias or two."

"So can you throw a knife?"

She laughed a little and gave him a fist bump. "You're just out to retaliate against the slime. I like you. What have you got?"

When she crept back into the living room she hushed the Salvatore brothers and peeked quick to see if Klaus was still there. He was tossing a soccer ball between his hands. He caught a glimpse of the red glinting off of her raven hair and flung the ball into the house with wrath. It exploded against the wall with the force. Nova jumped up before he could rearm himself and hurled a butcher's knife at him. The knife rammed itself deep into his ribs, all the way to the handle and even that started to go into his flesh. He dropped to one knee from the sudden pain and the blade tore open his lung. He looked up and met eyes with her emerald. His eyes flashed gold with pure rage and he ripped the knife out of himself, healing quickly. As he stomped over to a neighbor's white picket fence, Nova squeaked and dashed off out of sight.

"What the hell are you doing?" Damon stood and chastised her. Something fearful crept up his spine and he jumped back a few feet just before a chunk of the fence pegged him. "Missed me!"

"Good job, dumb-dumb," Nova rolled her eyes. "At least I hit him."

"I think you're probably going to want to let me in!" Klaus shouted from outside.

"Elena's car is gone," Stefan shook his head, sneaking back in from the kitchen. His phone started to ring and they all looked at the caller ID; Alaric.

Outside Klaus was arming himself with a propane tank and torch, having had enough. The door ripped open suddenly and he was face to face with Nova. "Put it out." She told him, glancing down at the fire.

"Come outside and make me."

"Elena is gone," she spoke as calmly as she could. "Alaric has her and Caroline at the school. He'll kill them both unless you turn yourself over to him."

Begrudgingly, he dropped the propane tank. Ignoring the whisper-shouts of the brothers inside, Nova hesitantly stepped foot onto the porch, past the safety of the barrier. He let the torch drop as well. "Now, I know you're not asking me to walk into a certain death."

"I really wish we could. But unfortunately, if Alaric kills you there's a one in four chance that we die too."

"Okay, how about Damon sneaks in and distracts Alaric, while Stefan grabs Elena and carries her to safety?"

She sweatdropped, her lips twitching with irritation. "That walks Damon to his certain death and leaves you and I nowhere to be found."

Klaus smirked and crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against one of the rails. "That's the point, luv."

"Pull the stick out of your ass, Klaus, it's not happening."

"I might have an idea." They turned and saw Bonnie walking up. "My mom used a desiccation spell on Mikael that immobilized him for over 15 years. If I can get it, I might be able to use it on Alaric."

He frowned. "If and might? Your words inspire such confidence."

"I'll get it. But even with the spell, we'll need a lot of vampire muscle to take him down. Including yours."

He turned, looking back at Nova; the Salvatores were in the doorway. "Just so we're clear, the sun sets in about eight hours. If we don't succeed before then, Elena will be dead, I'll be gone, and the rest of you will be left to fend for yourselves."

Nova rolled her eyes. "Good thing you're no motivational speaker."

Stefan, Nova, and Klaus stalked the dimly lit halls of Mystic Falls High as quietly has possible. Stefan was surprised her combat boots didn't sound louder against the linoleum. She had taken the lead to begin with, her footfalls growing faster when she started to pick up the sounds of the girls.

"Abby is there," the younger Salvatore spoke moreso to Nova.

She nodded and continued on without stopping. "I'm glad she's alright," she muttered.

"Good." Klaus commented. "Perhaps this plan won't be an epic failure after all. You know, if this does go off and we drop the history teacher in the Atlantic, I'm still leaving with Elena."

The ravenette stopped abruptly, forcing the two males to also stop. "Like fuck you are," she spat coldly, spinning around on her heels. Her dark hair whirled with her, emerald eyes blazing with fire. "Mystic Falls is Elena's home. She was born here and she will see whatever life she wants here and you sure as hell are not going to be the one to change or influence that."

He started to laugh at her. "That would not only require you to also stay in this miserable little town and keep her very much alive and well."

She smirked up at him. "I know." His expression changed quickly. "I've already got a home built near the old Salvatore property. What can I say, I always loved the area when I used to live there." He was snarling. "And I've just always wanted to plan a Mystic Falls wedding." She winked and flipped him the bird with her right hand before taking back off down the hall.

Klaus looked to Stefan, absolutely seething on the inside. He assumed the young brother had intent to marry the doppelganger. Out of his sight and with the biggest grin as she walked down the halls Nova spun her own engagement ring around her slender finger.

"Look at this; one big, happy family."

Nova rolled her eyes behind Klaus' back, tapping her foot impatiently. She could have found the girls by now on her own. Bonnie had ignored his comment, remotely thankful the three showed up when they did. She held up a vial of red. "Drink this. It's my blood. It bridges us all together so that when I stop Jeremy's heart, you'll have the power to stop Alaric's. You need to make a physical connection to his bloodstream; a vein, artery, something connected to his heart."

Damon met eyes with Nova first who shrugged. He returned the shrug and took the first sip, passing it to his brother. "If one of us gets a clean shot, take it, the other two: hold him down." He spoke before taking his sip.

Klaus looked down at the vial hesitantly. "Before we all walk through these doors, let's get on the same page, shall we? I was the one who created your vampire bloodline, therefore I am responsible for your lives and Tyler's life, Caroline's life, and of course, Abby's life, should anything go wrong."

"Or you're just lying to save your ass." Damon rolled his eyes.

"I'm not lying. But go ahead, call my bluff, let the teacher kill me. You'll all be dead soon thereafter." He took his sip.

Nova let out an annoyed groan and swiped the vial from his hand, finishing what was left. As she tipped the vial back like a shot, the light glinted off of the stones of her ring and caught Klaus' attention. His eyes widened with anger slowly flooding him. Stefan noticed immediately and spoke quickly. "Let's just get this over with, shall we?" Nova snickered and dashed out the door without a second thought.

She jogged through the halls listening for the girls intently. Elena's voice started getting more confident, Alaric's more angered. Glass broke and Caroline was fleeing; Nova was just on the other side of the hall. She skid around a corner and saw Alaric's back. "Not so fast," he caught Elena before she could escape.

"How about this fast?" Nova shouted before tackling Alaric to the floor. She landed a blow to his cheek before he flung her off into some lockers. As her boots hit the floor she saw Stefan run in. He pushed Elena on and out of the way just for Alaric to mercilessly snap his neck. Nova cracked her neck and charged, jumping on his back.

Alaric tossed her around for a minute, struggling to get her off. Finally he pried her free, flinging her towards another set of lockers. The crash of the metal never came, however. She opened her eyes, grinning up at her blue eyed savior as he set her down on her feet. Damon smirked down at her. "Let's do this."

They ran at him together, each of them taking hold of one of his arms. He thrashed against them until Klaus was behind him with his hand in Alaric's chest. The three of them held him there until he started to force Klaus' hand out of his chest even against the two ravenettes. Alaric threw Damon off first into a classroom. He tossed Nova to the floor and Klaus against the lockers, stake in hand. Nova started to get up slowly and caught sight of Damon who gave her a nod. Sometimes she despised the speed she was gifted with.

She charged and knocked the stake out of his hand. Before anyone of them could make a move, Elena was before them all with a knife at her throat. Nova inwardly groaned. "Let them go or I'll kill myself."

"Seriously?" The raven haired Moroi groaned.

"Put it down, Elena," Alaric urged.

"Why? Because you still need me alive? There's a reason why Esther used me to make you, isn't there? She didn't want you to be immortal, so she tied your life to a human one. Mine. That way you have only one life span to kill all vampires and then you'll be gone. So, when I die, you die too. That's it, it has to be!"

Nova let out a low whistle, looking between them both. "Oh shit. Plot twist."

"You're wrong," he lied.

"Am I?" Elena pressed the blade against her skin.

"Stop!" Alaric shouted, taking a step away from Klaus and Nova. "Stop! Stop! Stop!"

Klaus looked around at them all, quickly calculating. With Alaric frantic, he grabbed the hunter by the back of the neck and threw him into the lockers as he did to Nova. By time Damon had gotten out of the mess of desks he was thrown in, Klaus had made off with both girls.

Elena started to come to slowly, the darkness taking too long to fade and still lingering. She was light headed and started to move around, finding it oddly difficult. "Be careful," a strange woman spoke. "Moving only makes it hurt more."

She lolled her head and watched her blood leaving her body through a tube and into bags. Another loll and she saw Nova out cold at her side and positively pale. "I'm draining you of all your blood," Klaus told her arrogantly. He appeared in her sight at Nova's sight, brushing some of her hair out of her face. "I genuinely wish vervain would work on her so I've had to go about this the long and hard way for her as well. I'll find what anomaly resides in her blood eventually with plenty to test." He tapped the tubes attached to the raven haired vampire as well.

"Elena?"

She gained more control and looked over to find Tyler holding a box of Klaus' things. Her dark eyes were pleading. "Tyler, please help us!"

"He can't." Klaus smirked. "He needs to go fetch me more empty blood bags. About three liters' worth, please Tyler."

"Tyler," Elena begged. "Please. Get Stefan, or Damon. Please."

"No," the hybrid's smirk vanished as he stood. "Tyler, get the bags."

Hesitantly, Tyler walked away. Elena looked up at Klaus with hatred. "Whatever you do to Nova, Damon will return to you tenfold."

He laughed and started to walk past her. "If Alaric doesn't kill Damon first, it would bring me no greater pleasure and joy."

She heard his footsteps exit the room and she started to fight against her restraints and hop closer to Nova. "Come on, Nova, you've got to wake up!" She pleaded, desperately fighting against the lightheadedness. A new set of footfalls came running towards the room and behind her her restraints were tugged at. "Tyler?" She smiled with hope.

"Shh," he told her. "Nova needs to wake up, we don't have a lot of time."

"So much for that sire bond."

So much for that time, Elena could hear the ravenette's sarcasm in her own mind. As the two hybrids started to fight, a small groan came from Nova's lips. "Nova!" Elena whispered with hope as she tugged at her loosening restraints. "Nova wake up!"

Her head was throbbing. Slowly, her eyes pried open, emerald dully shimmering to life. She leaned her head back to get her hair out of her face and watched as Elena's chair was knocked over and the brunette hit her head hard on the floor. She groaned, ignoring Tyler and Klaus, and rolled her head around. She pulled at the ropes binding her while Tyler got the upper hand on Klaus. She blinked a few times to clear her eyes and ripped each of her ankles free from the ropes tying them. With one harsh snap she ripped the rope binding her wrists and dropped to the floor beside Elena as the Salvatore brothers ran in.

"Come on, Elena," she muttered, the room still spinning around her. She hastily tore the IV from her arm. The brunette was still breathing but barely; her IV had already been torn out of her arm. Nova looked down at her own arm and found it still bleeding because of all that she had already lost. "If I do this," she spoke quietly, completely oblivious to the fight going on behind her, "then you can't do something stupid like die, understand? You can't-" She shook her head. "You wouldn't like it. So just take this and live you idiot." She used the wall for support as she forced some of her blood into Elena's mouth.

After a minute the girl's eyes fluttered open. The rest of the noise in the room had silenced and the two girls looked weakly over at the scene. The desiccation spell had worked on Klaus.

"Nova, I swear, I'm alright," Elena assured for what was likely the hundredth time with a smile. "Honestly," she laughed a little, "you look worse than I feel."

The ravenette jumped over to Elena's full length mirror on the door; her face scrunched up at what she saw reflecting back at her. Her hair was a chaotic, knotted mess with dried blood, her jeans were scuffed and ripped, dirt was on her face and under her hails, she was disgusted. "Play dirty, get dirty," she muttered begrudgingly.

Elena offered a warm smile in the back of the reflection. "Would you maybe want to shower and stay the night?"

She blinked a few times and turned to look at the brunette. "Like...like a sleepover…?"

"Hell yes!" Came Caroline, busting into the room. "And there's alcohol. You go take a shower and we'll find you clothes." She hesitated, and the other two girls shoved her towards the bathroom.

Nova sighed and caught sight of her filthy reflection again. She rolled her eyes and peeled the dirty shirt over her head. Something red glinted against the light; Zina Vasile's bracelet. "I don't remember putting that on," she muttered, staring at the bracelet on her wrist. "Alright, Zina, show me what you've got I guess." She shrugged and continued to strip, turning the water on nice and hot.

She hummed contently as the water rinsed the blood and dirt from her hair. She had to admit, at least Elena had good products for hair. For a little while, while she felt the warmth of the water on her cool skin, she felt entirely at peace. It was easy to ignore the blood and dirt rinsing off of her. When she was done she shut off the water and found a towel waiting for her. She wrapped herself up and stepped out; a set of cute pajamas were sitting on the counter.

"Are those…" She snickered, looking at the shorts, "penguins? Ah, fuck, that's actually cute." She smiled and twirled the ring on her finger.

Finally dressed and heading down the stairs Nova heard people talking. Elena smiled at her first when she made it to the kitchen. Caroline stood with her hands on her hips. "What the hell is that you've done to your hair?"

She jumped back a little and twirled the loose braid she managed nervously. She looked away with a pout. "Damon usually does my braids…"

"Does he paint your toenails too?" Tyler laughed.

Caroline pulled the ravenette over and sat her in a chair to fix the pitiful braid. Nova shrugged at Tyler's comment. "I had to break his nose to make him but then I painted his while he slept."

Everyone started to laugh, bringing a smile to Nova's face. When Caroline was done, her hair was put into two French braids. For hours they all talked and laughed, grateful Klaus had finally been taken care of. At one point Elena raised her shot glass with a smile. "To a Klaus free life," she saluted. Everyone joined her in raising their glasses. "And to all of you. My family."

Nova's cheeks turned pink, realizing the brunette was also even looking at her as if to confirm that she really was included in that. She let out a sweet laugh, her ring shimmering against the light as she tipped back the shot.

Slowly but surely everyone safely made their way home, leaving only the Gilberts and Nova. After cleaning up the kitchen the two girls headed upstairs where Jeremy was painting Alaric's old room. "You all really have made some memories in this town," the ravenette smiled.

Elena looked at her, eyes bright. "I know you've got plenty too. Were you planning on sticking around and making more…?"

Nova looked at the Gilbert home and all their family photos strung up on the walls with a light in her emerald eyes. Elena didn't miss the way she twirled the ring. "I didn't want to ask her while she was pounding back shot after shot, but I've heard Caroline is the party planner of the town…" She shifted shyly. "Do you think she'd like to do a Mystic Falls wedding?"

The door to Alaric's room open and Jeremy smiled at the two of them. He had a smudge of white paint on his face. "I think it's her dream job. I'm gonna shower and get some sleep. Goodnight, guys."

The girls said their goodnights and walked into the room. Elena heaved a heavy sigh. "I hate this room." She picked up a brush and started finishing the window.

"Reasonable," Nova mused, grabbing a brush and sitting on the floor to work on the baseboards.

"Maybe Alaric should just kill all the vampires and put an end to all of this. But then that means that Caroline dies and Bonnie loses her mom, the Mayor loses her son, and I lose Stefan and Damon and you. So, if it makes me the bad guy for wanting to keep those people alive, then fine, I'll be the bad guy."

The ravenette smiled softly as she focused on painting. "Alaric never wanted any of this. If I've learned anything from what I've seen in my life it's that there is always a way out. There's always a second road to take to get somewhere. Sometimes a third, a fourth, a fifth." She shrugged. "We run the risk of Alaric deciding he doesn't want to live anymore and killing you as his way out. There's always another way."

"What if there isn't…?" Elena asked in a small voice.

Nova turned to reassure her and found the girl clutching her head in pain. The paintbrush slipped from her hand, crashing and splattering to the floor. She cried out and Nova smelled blood. Elena started to fall forward; she rushed forward, dropping her own paintbrush to catch her. A drop of blood came from the brunette's nose once darkness had taken her.

"Jeremy!" The vampire screamed. She started to panic; how long had it been since she gave Elena her blood at Klaus' mansion? What time was it? Was it out of her system? Was it safe to give her more? Or would she die and turn anyways? "Jeremy!" She stared down at the unconscious brunette helplessly.

A/N: One more chapter of season 3! Then we jump into the second arc of the story (which I have yet to come up with a cool name for...) and season 4! xoxo