Sorry, it's not another update I just put all the four parts in to one long chapter. Thanks to all of you who reviewed all the parts.

I let out a groan as i came too. I opened my eyes but blackness surrounded me. The smell was atrocious. It was that potent it made my eyes water and stomach heave. My movement was restricted so I pressed my arms out at my sides and above me. "Oh you have got to be shitting me!" I snarled followed by a string of curse words. I was surrounded by hard, cold stone.

Salvatore tomb. Rick. Vampire. Snapped neck. Coffin.

There was a loud crack and then I sank down a bit. What the hell am I lying on? There were sharp points that were jabbing me in the back. With another huff of frustration I sent my arms flying up and pushed all my weight against the roof of the enclosed tomb. It went flying through the air and a bright light erupted causing me to shield my eyes.

As soon as they had adjusted I jumped out, a cold shiver raked down my body and I cringed as I realised what I'd been lying on. The rotting body of Zach Salvatore.

Damon had told me the story of how Zach had helped Stefan lock him up in the cellar and then when he'd broke free, he'd snapped his neck and killed him.

Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!

I looked around the room but didn't see Rick anywhere. There was a small puddle of dried blood but apart from that the place seemed empty. "Damon?" I called out but I got no answer.

I walked out of the tomb and out in to the sunlight. I still had my ring so Rick must just be hauled somewhere waiting out the sun.

If I was Rick, where would I go?...

I let out a low chuckle. The answer was so obvious it was staring me in the face.

Rick. History teacher. School.

First things first though. Shower.

It was eerily quiet when I entered the school. I moved stealthily through the halls, making the best ninja seem like a bull in a china shop. My eyes darted all around trying to detect any sign of movement. Surprising, the school was still full of litter and the decorations from the dance, even though Caroline was supposed to have it cleaned early this morning. Rick probably scared her off.

I heard a small noise from Alaric's classroom so quietly moved in to the doorway. "You really should think of better hiding place." I commented causing Rick's head to snap up and stare at me. "This was the first place I thought off."

Rick chuckled. "Who said I'm hiding?"

"Well, the fact that if you were to walk outside right now you'd burn to a crisp, kind of gives it away."

He smiled. "I'll admit, the sun is a bit of a problem."

"Dani!" Elena cried.

I whirled around in confusion as I saw Elena sat at one of the desks with tears streaming down her face. My gaze flickered to Caroline who was sat beside her, her make-up smudged across her face and tears flowing down her cheeks. She had a white piece of cloth wrapped around her mouth stopping her from speaking and a pencil staked in to each hand. I looked back at Rick and saw the sinister look in his eyes.

"We thought you were dead!" Elena whimpered.

"Why would you think that?" I questioned as my face pulled in to a frown.

"Because she was hoping it would happen." Rick smirked as he flopped down in his chair and started tossing the stake from hand to hand.

"Damon said you were." She answered as she glared at Rick.

"Well, just to clarify, I'm not." I stated.

"Are you here to help us?" She asked still watching Alaric warily.

"Nope." I replied popping the 'p'. "I didn't even know you were here." I added with a shrug. "You'll have to wait for Stefan and Damon – but then again, they might just think you're dead." The ending I finished with a little menace. I knew it wasn't Elena fault, but still. Did Damon even look for me? Something told me no.

"So what's your plan Rick?" I asked.

"To kill every last vampire on this planet." He answered bluntly.

Caroline let out a little whimper and Elena gulped. "Dani, you have to help us." She pleaded.

"Considering she's the reason I'm even here, I doubt that very much." Rick laughed.

"What?" Elena questioned in shock.

Ignoring Elena, I kept my eyes trained on Rick, watching for any sudden movements. "So, how exactly do you plan to kill all vampires, Rick?" I inquired as I leant back against the wall casually. "There's one of you and like… lots of us."

He smiled. "But I only have to kill one of you to kill you all."

"Six." I clarified. "I'll more than likely die along with one of them."

"You'd think, but no." He replied as he slowly walked nearer to Caroline. "Esther told me that you don't technically belong to any bloodline, so I have to kill you separately."

"Oh the joy." I responded sarcastically.

He laughed. "Of course, I might not have to kill you."

"If I thought you could kill me, I wouldn't be standing here." I pointed out.

In the blink of an eye Rick came rushing at me with the stake raised high above his head. Elena gasped and Caroline let out a cry as more tears started to fall. I merely straightened up and ripped the stake form Rick's grip and sent him flying backwards before he crumpled to the floor.

Elena jumped up then and crouched by Caroline as she tried to pull the pencils out. "Sit down Elena." I warned.

But like usual she ignored me and continued. She didn't even see Rick before he'd already covered her hand with his and re-nailed the pencil back in. Caroline screamed against the gag in her mouth. "Why aren't you helping us?!" Elena yelled as Rick pushed her back in to the chair.

"Because I'm not here to help you." I retorted. "I'm here to help Rick. It's Stefan's job to protect you."

Rick chuckled. "I never understand you two. One moment you hate each other and the next you're best friends."

"We're family, that's what we do." I shrugged.

"What are you going to do with that?" He smirked pointing to the stake. "Kill me?"

"If I wanted you dead I wouldn't have gave you the blood." I reasoned. "And if you were really trying to kill me you wouldn't have ran straight at me." I chucked the stake up in the air and he caught it with a surprised look on his face. "So keep it, I think I'm safe enough for now."

The look of surprise turned in to a smirk then. "I knew there was a reason I haven't killed you yet."

"My joyous personality?"

"Something like that."

"Why are you doing this?!" Elena spat at Rick.

"Because you need me." He replied bluntly. "You're an eighteen year old girl without parents or guidance, or any sense if right and wrong anymore." He explained.

"Look at you." Elena hisses as she gestured to Caroline. "How is this right?!"

"She's a murderer." He stated. "She told me she killed someone and liked it."

I coughed awkwardly and shifted my feet uncomfortably. Rick smirked as he glanced over at me. "I'll get back to you, don't worry."

"Take as long as you want." I urged.

He looked back at Elena then as he pointed to Caroline. "How is that right?" He inquired. "Elena, your parents led the council, it was their life's mission to keep this town safe. They weren't dead six months before you ruined it all."

"You don't know anything about them?" She exclaimed.

"But am I wrong?" He questioned. "Anyone that has died in this town, it's all come down to you and to make matters worse you dragged your family in to it and your friends. Look!" He yelled as he pointed from me to Caroline using the stake. "Look at what you turned them in to. Dani knew all about vampires before she came back to this town and yet she didn't shack up with one till she came back here. But you, as soon as you found out Stefan was a vampire you were jumped straight in to bed with him." Elena was crying softly now. "Do you actually think they'd be proud of you? Either of you?" He looked back at me then.

Elena stayed silent as she looked up at me, urging me to say something, to prove him wrong, but I couldn't do it. "No." I admitted sadly. "They'd hate it. They'd hate us. In fact, they'd probably stake me themselves and send Elena to a convent."

Rick chuckled as he nodded at my words before crouching down to be eye level with Elena. "If you don't start siding with the humans, you're just as bad as they are."

He straightened back up then and walked over to Caroline once again and stood behind her. He placed the stake on one of the desks and carefully undid Caroline's gag. He dipped the gag in a beaker full of some brown liquid that looked a lot like vervain and the way Caroline was cowering in her seat I'd say I was right. "No more. No more. Please no more." She begged.

"Alaric stop!" Elena commanded as she stood up but Rick just pushed her back down.

"Sit down." He ordered.

"Help her!" Elena shouted at me.

"Please Dani!" Caroline cried as she looked up at me with wide and fearful eyes.

I pushed back the part of me that wanted to help her and tilted my head to the side making my face expressionless. "I'm curious as to where this is going."

Rick laughed before locking eyes with me. "This keeps the vervain in her system." He explained. "It's lie inhaling razor blades with every breath." Then he tied it back in place causing Caroline to scream and thrash around in her seat. Elena reached over and took Caroline's arm soothingly.

"That's very interesting." I commented as I moved closer to Caroline. "But do you know what would make it even better?"

"Do tell." He smirked.

As quickly as possible I yanked one of the pencils from Caroline's hand causing her to scream again. Before she could untie the gag from her mouth I dipped the pencil in to the vervain and I stabbed her with it again.

Alaric laughed loudly and started to clap as Caroline cries grew even louder. "Now, why didn't I think of that?" He mused.

"You're evil!" Caroline Gurgled around the gag and vervain.

"Sshh, Caroline." Elena soothed. "She's just trying to get on his good side and get inside his head."

"If that's what I was trying to, then you've just ruined it by saying it out loud!" I snapped.
"Really?!" I scoffed. "How have you even lasted this long?"

Rick laughed. "You two should have your own reality TV show, your argument are pure comedy gold."

"We considered it." I retorted. "But then you would have had to be included and you face would of scared away the viewers. Some things are just too ugly for TV."

He ignored my comment and slowly started to circle me. "I no longer want you and Jeremy to continue my work when I'm dead." He said as he finally stopped in front of me and placed the stake down on his desk. "Seems pointless now that I can't die."

"You have a point." I stated.

"I want you to join me."

"Not that I'm not grateful for the offer but I am a tad confused." I squinted as I held up my thumb and forefinger about an inch apart. "I'm a hybrid and you want all vampires dead. So, I'm not really seeing how that partnership would work."

He smiled. "You help me kill Klaus, Rebekah, Elijah and Kol. It's as simple as that."

"Except I'd still be alive. Somehow I doubt you'd let that happen."

He smirked. "I wouldn't let you live as a vampire, no."

"So you'd kill me?"

"Not necessarily." He reasoned as his smirked grew even wider, if that was even possible.

"I'm confused." I stated. "Can you just say it in plain English?"

"Before Esther took Elena from the dance she explained to me everything that would happen. And after I'd succeeded in my mission, what would happen." He paused to look as me to see if I was still listening, I just waited patiently for him to continue. "She said that somewhere out there, there's a witch with a spell to turn a vampire human."

My body tensed as I stared at Rick in shock. Elena gasped and Caroline stopped whimpering. "You're lying." I finally managed to croak out.

He smiled as he shook his head. "If you help me kill them, me and you will go and find the witch, become human again. And I promise I'll…" He paused as he searched for the right word. "… Stay dormant, if you will and be the Alaric you care about. Think about it Dani. You can have the life you always wanted, the white picket fence, the husband, kids and you could become a doctor, follow in your father's footsteps and make him proud." His eyes gleamed as he watched the different emotions play across my face – Sadness, guilt, happiness and hope. "All you have to do is kill the monsters that lie to your face by claiming to love you when in reality they ruined your life."

"They're my friends." I whispered.

"Friends?" He scoffed. "They don't care about!" He grabbed my hand and looked at my ring before laughing. "And you actually said yes to him. I was honestly surprised at that. I thought you were smarter than that. I did think you were going to choose Klaus. But either choice would have ended in heartache, still will. The best choice to make would have been to ditch them both." He smiled softly then as he met my gaze again. "See, Danielle. You need me. It's just like you said, you need me to tell you when you're making the wrong decision." My breath caught in my throat as he said the words I'd spoken to him just hours ago, when he was 'normal' Rick. "Well, here it is. Marrying Damon – bad decision. Being with Klaus – bad decision. And not accepting my offer will be the worst mistake of all… You could be human."

Human. Human. Human.
Husband. Husband. Husband.
Children. Children. Children.

Kept repeating over and over in my mind.

"Don't you want that Dani?" He inquired.

Not trusting my voice, I nodded.

I watched him pick up the stake, from the desk, out of the corner of my eyes and then he placed it on my palm and closed my fingers around it. "Good." He muttered. "Now, kill Caroline, so I know you mean it."

Rick stepped away from me then as I took a few steps in Caroline's direction. She was crying uncontrollably now as he wriggled in her seat trying to escape but effectively only causing herself more pain. I could hear Elena shouting at me and trying to come closer but Rick had her pressed against the wall.

"I'm sorry, Caroline." I whispered through blurred eyes. "I'm so sorry."

I raised the stake above my head and looked down at Caroline's hate-filled eyes. Words can't explain how much I wanted what Rick had offered, a nice and happy human life but my arm wasn't listening to my heart and brain. No matter what I wanted to do, it just wouldn't move.

After a few minutes of me just standing there Alaric got impatient. "Finish it already." He sighed.

I gulped as I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Rick had now covered Elena's mouth to stop her incessant screaming but the silence was entirely too loud. Blood was pounding in my ears and drowning out everything else.

I wanted this.

I needed this.

I brought my arm down then, fast and deadly… a killing blow straight to the heart.

I opened my eyes and looked down. I stopped less than a millimetre from her chest. "I can't." I cried as dropped the stake on to the desk, the noise echoing in the room as everyone held their breaths.

Rick was the first the react. He let out an annoyed sigh. "Then you're useless to me then." He blurred across the room grabbed the stake and plunged it in to my chest.

I hadn't even seen it coming till the last millisecond but luckily I'd moved a fraction of an inch so it had missed my heart but just barely. My body tensed and I bit my lip to stop from crying out in pain. He pushed me up against the window and tried to twist the stake so it would puncture my heart but using all the strength I possessed, I sent him flying backwards.

But he was on his feet again and ripped the stake from my chest causing me to cry out. As he tried to plunge it back in, I grabbed him arm and twisted until I heard a loud crack. Rick grunted and dropped the stake. I kicked out his legs sending him crashing to the ground and then I took off running.

I slowed to a walk as I neared the house. I frowned in confusion as I watched Klaus stalk towards it with a gas canister in one hand and a roll of newspaper, on fire, in the other. Realising his intentions I rushed towards him before stopping directly in front of him. "If you set this house on fire, I'll set you on fire." I warned.

He smirked as he dropped the newspaper and stepped on it diminishing the flames. "Glad you finally saw reason, although I'm surprised it took you this long to speak up. Just go grab your sister and we can be on our way."

"What are you talking about?" I asked in confusion.

"I've been stood here for over an hour, destroying your childhood home-" He started but I cut him off.

"You did what?!" I seethed.

"Oh come on, you were inside the whole time, don't tell me they drugged you with vervain?"

"I haven't been at the house!" I bit out.

"Oh." He said surprised as he raised his eyebrows. "Well, in that case sweetheart I'll fill you in. I'm here to collect my lovely doppelgangers."

"Sadly you've had a wasted journey, we're not going anywhere."

"If you don't leave with me, that homicidal history teacher will kill." He growled.

"That's a risk I'm willing to take." I shrugged.

"Well I'm not." He stated. "You can come with me willingly or I can force you, but either way I won't leave you here to die. The fact that Elena will be coming with us, because I need her blood for my hybrids, can comfort you." His eyes stayed trained on mine as he stepped closer to me. "Now, I suggest you run inside and get your sister, or better yet get your brother to invite me in."

"Listen and listen closely." I told Klaus as I also took a step forward so there was practically no space between us. "I'm not leaving town and neither is Elena."

"Alaric will kill you!" He hissed.

"Don't worry about me. I have a plan to deal with Rick, if I was you I'd be more worried about yourself." Before he could mutter a reply I turned on my heel and walked through the door.

I moved without sound in to the house and straight in to the kitchen. As I stood in the doorway my eyes took in every little detail to the broken table to the plaster crumbing from the wall where someone had threw something. Stefan was leaning against the counter his head down, staring at his shoes but there were wet trails down his cheeks where tears were falling and landing on his top. Bonnie was sat on the only kitchen chair that had seemed to survive the disaster. She was still wearing her clothes from the dance but she had dried blood on her neck and she too was crying but unlike Stefan she wasn't hiding it, she was sobbing. Jeremy was just leaning against the wall, his face pale but blotchy, his eyes bright red but otherwise staring endlessly and lifelessly in front of him. Finally, my eyes found Damon, who looked the worst out of all of them. He was slumped to the floor with his back against the wall. Tears streaming down his face as his empty eyes stared at the floor.

"We have to do something." Stefan whispered breaking the silence which I assumed had lasted a while.

"Go ahead brother." Damon muttered, not moving. "I'm just going to sit here and wait for death to come."

"Do you think she'd want that?" Stefan questioned raising his head. He had an edge to his voice as he stalked towards Damon. "Do you think she'd want us to just sit here twiddling our thumbs?"

Damon shrugged. "I don't know, Stefan. But it's not as if I can ask her."

Stefan's face hardened before he reached down and grabbed Damon's arm roughly as he yanked him to his feet and then slammed him in to the wall. "I get it." Stefan hissed. "You loved her and she died. But you're not the only one who loved her. Everyone in this room loved her, and everyone in this room needs to pull it together so we can stop Alaric from killing anyone else." Stefan looked up then and glanced at Bonnie and Jeremy, who were slowly shaking out of the state they were in.

He froze though as soon as his gaze landed on me. He let go of Damon and whirled around so he was facing me completely. "Dani." He choked.

"No, I'm the friggin' tooth fairy." I uttered sarcastically. "Why the hell are you all moping around?"

Bonnie, Jeremy and Damon all stared at me in bewilderment. "You're dead." Damon whispered.

"Really?" I questioned. "Then why am I standing here walking and talking."

Bonnie started to cry harder than before she jumped from the chair and pounced on me, wrapping her arms tightly around me. As Bonnie pulled back Jeremy replaced her. "Don't ever scare me like that again." He said softly.

As soon as Stefan tried to hug me he was flung back and then Damon's strong arms enveloped me in a crushing embrace. "I thought you were dead." He whispered over and over again.

I pushed him back a little and used my thumbs to wipe away his stray tears. "I'm fine, Damon."

"What happened to you?" He inquired. "Bonnie knocked me out and then when I woke up, she was lying in a pool of blood and you were nowhere to be found. The stake was missing, so I thought…" He trailed as his face contorted in pain, as though the very thought of a world without me would destroy him.

I leant forward and pressed my lips against his gently, to reassure him that I was okay. "I'm fine." I repeated.

"But what did happen to you?" Stefan asked.

"I slept with your uncle." I blurted out. Stefan and Damon's jaws dropped but Bonnie and Jeremy just looked confused. "He was a very gentle lover, bit on the bony side and he smelt a tad, but he was a great man." I smirked.

"You were in Zach's tomb?" Stefan asked.

"Yep." I answered popping the 'p'. "And I won't be likely to forget it any time soon." I added as involuntary shivered.

Damon's face hardened then as he glared over at Bonnie. "You can blame her for that. She fed Rick the blood."

"I told you the witches made me do it!" Bonnie exclaimed.

I frowned in confusion. "Actually." I said hesitantly. "I'm the one who fed Rick the blood."

4 pairs of eyes locked on to mine. "Why would you do that?" Damon hissed.

"Because there was a slight chance that he'd be fine." I reasoned.

"And an even bigger chance that he'd kill us all!" Damon fired back. "That he'd kill you!"

"It was stupid Dani." Bonnie chimed in.

"He believed in me when I didn't even believe in me." I explained. "I owe it to him, to exhort every possible way to help him. He'd do it for me. He'd do it for Jeremy. He'd do it for Elena. Hell! He'd even do it for you." I looked at Damon as I said the last bit. "I won't give up till I have no idea how to help him anymore."

"I think I might have an idea of how we can do this." Bonnie spoke up after quite a few minutes of silence.

"Without hurting Alaric." She concluded.

"Then speak up." Damon replied snarky. "Don't keep it to yourself."

"My mom used a desiccation spell on Mikael that immobilised him for over fifteen years, if I can get it I might be able to use it on Alaric." Bonnie explained.

"So he'd basically be in a coma for the rest of eternity?" Jeremy asked so Bonnie nodded.

"Perfect!" I cheered. "Gives me time to look for an alternative."

"Okay, fine." Stefan agreed. "So how do we do this?"

"I need time to find the spell. I'll have to contact Abbey but we'd need a lot of vampire muscle to take Alaric down." Bonnie responded.

"Klaus wants Elena so she'll need to stay here, Jeremy you should stay too, make sure Elena doesn't try to leave." Stefan said as Jeremy nodded reluctantly and I frowned. "We can call Caroline, I'm sure she'd help us."

I dragged a hand down my face as I let out a long breath. "You're kidding, right?" I questioned.

Stefan stared at me in confusion and showed no signs of understanding what I was on about. I shook my head in exasperation. "Okay, Bonnie you call Abbey and find the spell. Jeremy you stay here and… house sit. Stefan and Damon you two can make sure Klaus doesn't wreck the house anymore."

"What are you talking about?!" Damon snapped.

"Well clearly I have more chance of helping Rick on my own."

"How did you work that out?" Jeremy inquired as his face reddened in anger.

"From the fact that Elena left this house over an hour ago without two vampires and a witch knowing."

"What?!" Stefan exclaimed before he took off upstairs at vampire speed. He returned seconds later looking frantic. "She's not here!"

"Caroline won't help us either." I pointed out.

"Why not?" Bonnie asked.

"Because she's with Elena, who's with Rick."

"How do you know all this?" Jeremy inquired his forehead crinkled with worry lines.

It took me a few moments to answer as 4 pairs of inquisitive eyes gazed at me. "… Because I was there. When I woke up I went back to the boarding house to change before going to the school."

"He's at the school?" Damon asked so I nodded.

"He just let you walk out of there?" Stefan questioned.

"More importantly he just let you walk in there?" Damon added. "He didn't kill you, not even when you fed him the blood."

"Is he still Alaric?" Jeremy asked softly. "Our Alaric?"

I gulped as I shook my head sadly. "The Alaric we knew is gone, Jeremy."

"Then why didn't he kill you?" He questioned hope flaring in his voice as he eyes lit up.

"Because he wanted me to help him." I answered.

"Help him to kill us." Stefan stated.

"Then clearly you told him where to shove it if you're here." Damon smirked.

"Not exactly." I admitted hesitantly.

They all stared at me in confusion before Stefan finally spoke up. "What happened in that school Dani?"

I looked down at the ground, not able to meet any of their gazes, as my body filled with shame. "… He said that if I helped him kill you all, then he'd… let me live."

"He wants all vampires dead, you included." Damon reasoned. "There's no way he'd just let you live."

"Not as a vampire." I muttered still staring at the ground. "Esther told him that's there's a spell out there that can turn a vampire in to a human."

Tears filled Bonnie's eyes as she gaped at me. "You killed her didn't you? Caroline, you killed her."

I shook my head slowly. "No, I didn't. I wanted to though. I wanted to so much. But I just… couldn't."

"How could you even think about that?!" Bonnie snapped.

"I can't believe you!" Jeremy hissed.

"You don't get it. Neither of you do. I'm not defending what I did, it was wrong on so many levels but… I had the chance of a life that was snatched away from me. A life that I'd always wanted. I'm not the only one that would have chosen that."

None of them spoke to me after that, they'd barely even look at me and when they did it was just angry glances. "I need to go change." Bonnie muttered.

"There's still a few clothes in my room but you can borrow some of Elena's clothes." I replied. Bonnie didn't bother saying anything back to me she just walked out of the room and up the stairs.

"Now I know how men feel when they can't get it up in bed." I sighed breaking the silence.

"THAT IS TWO COMPLETELY DIFFFERENT THINGS!" Damon growled as he whirled around to face me.

"It's really not." I reasoned as I shook my head. "I wanted to kill her but my arm just wouldn't move."

"How could you want that?" Jeremy whispered. "She's your friend, she's been like a sister to you since you were both little. How could you want that?" He repeated.

"Because I'm a monster, Jeremy. Plain and simple. I'm a crazy psychotic monster and I had the chance to be human again and I wanted to take it."

"He was lying Dani." Stefan said softly. "There's no spell that can turn a vampire in to a human. Trust me, I've looked."

"He wasn't lying but Esther, she probably lied. But of course I didn't think of that at the time."

Damon sighed as he ran a hand through his hair before changing the subject. "Are we seriously going to be able to take Alaric down with just the three of us?"

"Nope." I replied as my gaze slowly moved to front door. "We're going to need Klaus."

"No, no way." Damon said with a shake of his head.

"I wasn't asking, Damon." I retorted just as Stefan's phone rang.

He pulled it from him pocket and answered it. "Alaric." He stated down the line. He didn't say anything after that but Rick did. Once Stefan had hung up and put his phone back in his pocket he stormed outside to confront Klaus.

Klaus was pacing along the front porch but as soon as he saw me beside Stefan he stopped. "Finally." He smirked. "I thought you'd never give up."

"Elena's not here. Alaric has both her and Caroline and he's going to kill them, unless you hand yourself over to him." Stefan said ignoring Klaus' comment.

Klaus was silent for a moment as he pondered what Stefan had just told him. "Now, I know you're not asking me to walk in to a certain death."

Stefan chuckled. "I really wish we could but unfortunately if Alaric kills you there's a one in four chance we die too and somehow I don't think Dani will like that too much."

Damon snorted at that as he finally walked out from under the threshold with a piece of fence panelling balanced on his shoulder. "One in four chance – I'll take those odds."

"And a 100% chance Tyler dies." Stefan pointed out.

"Which I won't take." I stated earning an eye roll from Damon.

Klaus laughed. "Awwr, has the engagement ended already."

Damon's eyes turned to slits. "Nope, we're thinking a June wedding in the Caribbean on the beach."

"Grow up!" I snapped at Damon before looking back at Klaus. "We have a plan. Bonnie's going to immobilise him, like her mom did to Mikael, but we need your help to take him down, so please will you help us?"

Klaus was silent again before he smiled. "Okay, so why doesn't Damon sneak in and distract Alaric and Stefan can run in, grab Elena and carry her to safety."

"That's a great idea." Damon replied sarcastically. "What's to stop me from getting killed instantly?"

"Nothing." Klaus smirked.

"That really isn't helping." I stated to Klaus. "Are you going to help us or not?"

Klaus let out a breath as he stared up at the sun. "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 with Danielle and the rest of you will be left to fend for yourselves."

Damon let out a humourless chuckle as he glared daggers at Klaus. "Over my dead body."

"Be careful what you wish for." Klaus retorted.

Damon took a step towards Klaus so I quickly intervened and stepped between the two. "NO!" I hissed at them. "If this is going to work you two better leave all the macho crap here! Otherwise you're going to get us all killed! Are we clear?"

They both had a mini staring contest before they nodded. "Your way, sweetheart." Klaus purred.

Klaus pulled in to the parking lot of the school and killed the engine so all three of us got out. "Abbey just showed up." Stefan stated as he glanced down at his phone.

"Good." Klaus replied. "Maybe this plan won't be such an epic failure after all."

"Nothing like a little positivity." I muttered.

They both chuckled as Klaus leant casually against the front of the car and Stefan paced. "You know if this plan does go off and we drop the history teacher in the Atlantic Ocean I'm still leaving with you and Elena." He told me.

"Firstly, we're not dropping Alaric in the ocean and secondly, you'd never get me in the car." I replied honestly.

"Oh, sweetheart you underestimate me. I never said you'd be conscious." He retorted with a smile.

"You'd really go that far?" I questioned as I locked eyes with him. "Just to have me by your side you'd kidnap me."

"I love you, Danielle. But I don't share and I certainly don't take rejection well." He responded.

"And yet all you'd accomplish is making me hate you."

"If it weren't for you I'd just kill Elena and drain every last drop of blood from her body, but because she's your sister I'll bring her with us."

"I'll come with you." Stefan said softly, breaking us out of our staring match.

"Really?" Klaus asked surprised. "What's the catch?"

"No catch." Stefan answered. "I turn my back on everything here to make sure that Elena and Danielle are safe."

"And that is way Damon hates when you and Danielle are together." Klaus smirked. "Because you don't just care for Elena, you care deeply about Danielle too."

Stefan chuckled. "You know all this time you spent trying to get me and my brother to hate each other, it's actually had the opposite effect."

Klaus laughed as he straightened up. "Has it? Has it really? We'll see shall we when you and Danielle finally admit that you're more than friends. That will be the true test of how strong your brotherly bond is."

"That won't be happening." I stated.

"Because we're just friends." Stefan finished.

"Everyone knows it." Klaus continued. "I know, Elena knows, Damon knows, everybody knows. Except you two it seems."

"That's because you and Damon are delusional." Stefan retorted.

"And Elena too." I added.

Jeremy joined us awhile later and we moved to sit down at one of the pic-nic tables just before Damon and Bonnie joined us. "I just got this." Bonnie announced as she pointed to her phone which showed a map of where we were with mine, Elena's and Caroline's names on it. "It connects me, Elena and Dani through our phones. They're in Alaric's classroom."

I nodded as I looked down at Bonnie's phone. "Then we need to enter through the south entrance." I responded.

"A digital locator spell." Damon mused before smirking at Bonnie. "Then why the hell do we need you."

"Damon." I warned.

He only smiled at me before looking Jeremy who was twirling his ring around his finger. "Hand it over."

"No." Jeremy said defiantly. "I'm not giving you my ring." Then he looked over at me with pleading eyes. "Let me do this."

"By my math you've already bit it once possibly twice wearing that thing and if for some reason Bonnie can't restart your heart and you do in fact, for some reason, actually die, then before you know it we have another psycho alter ego on our hands, which is bad, so give me the ring." Damon replied.

"Leave him Damon." I ordered, which earned me a confused look from Damon. "He's my brother, I'd rather him a psycho that wanted to kill me, than dead." I explained.

Damon nodded in understanding, with a tiny bit of empathy in his eyes. "He's a Gilbert, they're all stubborn, I had no chance of winning that argument."

Jeremy and I both laughed. "You asked me to marry you." I smirked. "You knew what you were getting in to."

He gave me one of those really rare 100% Damon smiles as he said. "And I wouldn't change it for the world."

Klaus let out a bitter-filled laugh. "Well look at this." He spat. "One big happy family!"

Bonnie rolled her eyes before she pulled a small vial of blood from her pocket. "Here, drink this. It's my blood. It'll link us all together, so when I stop Jeremy's heart you'll have the power to stop Alaric's." She explained. "You'll need to make a physical connection to his blood stream, a vein, artery, something connected to his heart."

Damon took the vial from her and took a sip before handing it to me, so I could take a sip. I handed it to Stefan after who took a sip and paused before handing it to Klaus. "If one of us gets a clean shot take it." He commanded. "The other three hold him down." Then he handed it to Klaus.

"No." I dismissed. "Klaus and I are the strongest, it makes more sense for us to hold him down so you or Damon can make the connection."

"All three of them nodded before Klaus said. "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 and Caroline's and of course Abbey's life, should anything go wrong."

"Or of course you're just lying to save your ass." Damon smirked.

"I'm not lying." Klaus replied honestly. "Ask Danielle."

They all looked at me watching for my input so I let out a long sigh. "Kol told me after I staked Mary. He created your line." I answered looking at Stefan and Damon.

"But by all means." Klaus smirked. "Call my bluff, you'll all be dead soon after."

"Lets just get this over with shall we." Stefan concluded.

And with those final words me, Stefan, Damon and Klaus entered the school.

"Dani!" Bonnie whisper-yelled as she ran over to us as soon as we entered the building.

"What?" I said softly trying not to make too much noise and alert Alaric to our presence.

"I'm sorry I just forgot to give you this." She grabbed my arm before I could do anything and slipped a silver bangle on to my wrist.

"I think we're past the friendship bracelet stage, Bonnie." I mocked.

She rolled her eyes before saying. "It'll keep you safe, just promise me you won't take it off."

"I promise." I whispered before I ushered her back over to the door and turning back to the others. I frowned when I saw only Klaus. "Where's Stefan and Damon?" I questioned.

He shook his head in annoyance. "They continued on, now let's go."

As we stealthily walked down the hallway, we heard steps up ahead. We shared a look before we both disappeared in to the shadows. The person came to a stop so Klaus quickly propelled forward and grabbed her, using his hand to cover her mouth. I quickly stepped in front of her and placed my hands soothingly on her shoulders but that only made her struggle more as tears cascaded down her face. "It's okay, Caroline. It's me. I'm here to help you."

She struggled harder against Klaus who eventually released her and stepped back with his hands raised. "Calm down, love." Klaus warned. "We wouldn't want the history teacher to come back now would we?"

Caroline chewed the inside of her lip as she glared daggers at me. "You were going to kill me." She stated with venom.

I looked away in shame, not being able to meet her gaze, as I muttered. "I'm sorry, Caroline."

"I hate you." She hissed.

"I know." I whispered. "And you have every right to. But you're safe now, so just go home and stay there."

"You're safe." Klaus repeated reassuringly, when she showed no signs of leaving, before adding. "We'll save Elena."

Caroline turned to him and frowned before saying "thank you" in a soft tone. Then she turned back to me, sent me one last hate filled look before disappearing.

Klaus and I took off then at vampire speed, reaching the hallway outside Alaric's classroom in record time. Stefan and Damon had each grabbed an arm but Rick was too strong for them and pushed Damon in to the lockers before snapping Stefan's neck. Damon made another move to grab him but he twisted out of his grip and snapped his neck too; then he looked up and smirked at me. "You came back, I'm glad." He chuckled as he brushed himself off. "I thought I was going to have to track you down, after all you do have a habit to running when things get too much."

As he took a step towards me and Klaus, we both took one back and I raised my hands in a gesture of surrender. "You owe me." I stated with my voice steady and strong the opposite of what I was feeling. I tried desperately to keep my gaze locked with Rick's but it kept straying to Stefan and Damon lying unconscious at his feet.

He laughed. "How'd you figure that out?"

"I was the last person to kill you before you became… this." I answered as I gestured to him. "So, technically speaking I made you this."

He was silent for a minute as he pondered it before he smiled sinisterly. "I let you live this morning, debt paid." Then he took another step forward.

"Dani!" Klaus warned as he gripped my arm and tried to pull me away but I shrugged him off and stared at Rick unmoving.

"You wouldn't even be here right now if it wasn't for me. You'd be dead. I fed you the blood that turned you, so guess what?" I smirked. "You still owe me."

He gritted his teeth and let out a low growl. "Is this the part where you beg for your life? Or beg to join me?" He questioned.

"Neither, just let me help you Rick." I pleaded. "I can help you, just let me do that, please."

"I don't need help." He replied before sighing. "I won't stake Stefan or Damon today. There, now I don't owe you anymore."

Klaus surged forward and grabbed Rick holding him in place securely as he struggled against his hold. I rushed forward then and my hand shot out cracking his ribs and wrapping around his heart. My other arm gripped his shoulder keeping him in place as he thrashed in our grips groaning and screaming.

With a sudden burst of power he seemed to slip out of both of mine and Klaus' grip and then there was a sickening crack as he snapped Klaus' neck as well. I let out a furious hiss before punching my hand forward in to his chest again but holding him steadily and place and not letting go. I let out a little whimper as I felt his fangs rip in to my neck trying to get me to loosen my grip, but it only made me strength it. He growled as he lifted his head in defeat.

Then I felt a tearing pain in my chest and cried out. Then everything started to change. I couldn't breathe properly as my body started to tense up. I couldn't hear anything except for the loud beating of my heart.

Rick looked up at me knowingly before we both tried desperately to dislodge the other persons hand from our chest. I drank Bonnie's blood and Rick drank my blood. He was now just as connected to Bonnie as I was.

Our struggles started to dwindle as our bodies grew weaker. Our eyes were locked in a deadly war as we tried to see who would last the longest. His cold dead eyes suddenly became warm and sad and his expression became horrified. "R-Rick." I used my energy to choke out before my legs gave out and we both dropped to our knees. It wasn't psycho Alaric anymore, he was just plain old alcoholic Alaric.

A tear trickled down from his eye as he whispered out in a broken voice. "I-I'm s-s-sor-sorry." Then his body went limb as he accepted his fate and stopped fighting. I let my body relax then and stopped holding onto him. The beating of my heart started to grow weaker and weaker as my body started to down and I presumed Rick was doing the exact same.

But then his eyes turned cold again and he smirked as he pushed me back freeing the both of us. I gasped in a huge gulp of air before I felt Rick's body crushing mine. I cried out as I felt the white oak ash stake touch the still open wound on my heart. I gripped the stake with both my hands and pushed against him.

He laughed with bitterness. "You should have felt how hard he was pushing to get out when he thought you were going to die. It was so pathetic, I mean who in their right mind would care for you."

"You apparently." I smirked. "But he's still in there, which means I can still help him."

He laughed again. "He came through because I wanted him too. I needed you to relax and he was my way to do that."

"He can be saved." I stated confidently.

He shrugged. "Maybe but you can't."

I cried out as he pushed the stake in to my chest using all his strength. I moved at the last second though, causing to just miss my heart by a fraction.

"STOP!" Elena cried. Up until then I hadn't even realised Elena was here. "Let her go or I'll kill myself!"

My eyes narrowed in then at the piece of broken glass she had held at her throat. "Elena no!" I yelled.

"Put it down Elena." Rick ordered as he stopped twisting in the stake.

"Why?" She questioned. "Because you still need me alive? There's a reason why Esther used me to make you, isn't there?" Rick turned away from me and stared at Elena. "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 I, it has to be."

"You're wrong." Rick stated before digging the stake in a little bit more causing me to cry out in agony.

"Am I?" She inquired.

"Just run Elena!" I bit out.

Elena started to whimper then as she dug the piece of glass in and started to drag it across her throat. I thrashed against Rick with all my might, trying to reach Elena, to help her. "STOP! STOP!" Rick started yelling at the top of his lungs. Then he was ripped away from me and thrown backwards. I let out a sigh of relief as the stake went with him but it was short lasting as too manly hands cupped either side if my head and twisted until a loud crack rang out and I tumbled in to the darkness.

My eyes burned from the light seeping in through the window. I blinked against it and tried to move but my arms and legs were tied down and my whole body felt like it was on fire. Once my eyes grew accustomed to the light I realised exactly where I was – in Klaus' house.

I sat in a chair and my arms and legs were bound to it tightly, preventing me from moving. There was a needle in my arm that was, from the smell of it and the burning sensation, wolfs bane.

I looked across the room to see Elena in pretty much the same position, except for the wolfs bane. A door opened behind me so I tried to turn around and see who it was but that only caused me more pain. "You really shouldn't move." A feminine voice rang out as he shoes squeaked across the freshly polished floor. "If you struggle it will only enter your body faster." A blonde woman came in to view then dress in blue scrubs.

"Who are you?" I asked hoarsely before I started coughing uncontrollably from the sweltering in my throat.

She ignored me and made her way over to Elena. I watched in confusion as she injected a needle in to her arm. Elena let out a small sound of pain as he eyes opened and she looked around in confusion and horror. "Oh, be careful." The nurse said kindly. "Moving only make sit hurt more." Then the tube she had attached started to fill with blood and travel down in to a bag.

Elena's eyes were like a deer's caught in headlights – filled with panic. "What are you doing?!" I questioned once the coughing had subsided.

"Draining her of all her blood." Elena and I both turned our head to see Klaus lounging on the sofa. Elena tried desperately to free herself then but my body was too weak to even try. My eyes grew heavier and my head kept drooping, my muscles too tired to hold it up. "I'm sorry it had to be this way Danielle, but it's the only way I can keep you and I safe."

"Please don't." I said softly as I strained to keep my yes trained on him.

"This is the way it has to be." He responded. "She has to die so you and I can live, so we can be together."

I let out a humourless chuckled as I, against my better judgement, let my eyes close. "You kill my sister and you seriously believe I'll be with you…. I'll hate you forever and I'll kill every hybrid you make until there's none left and then finally I'll kill you."

"You'll killed Stefan and Damon along with me." He stated.

"I'll lock you in a box for centuries and let you see how nice it is."

I feel the smile in the tone of his voice as he replied. "You're strong but you're not that strong. I have centuries on you."

"True." I whispered. "But I have 3 of your siblings that I'm sure would be more than willing to give you a taste of your own torture."

"Danielle? Elena?" I opened my eyes slowly and turned to see Tyler standing frozen in the doorway with a box full of Klaus' crap in his hands.

"Tyler help her." I begged as I looked over at Elena. "Please."

He dropped the box and moved swiftly over to Elena but Klaus's voice stopped him from doing anything else. "He can't. He needs to go fetch me more empty blood bags. About three litres worth please Tyler."

"Tyler, please, get Stefan." Elena pleaded before looking over at me and adding. "And Damon."

"No Tyler." Klaus said sternly. "Get the bags."

Tyler grimaced before glancing over his shoulder to me and then taking a step forward but Klaus was off the sofa and in front of him before he could do anything. "Forget the girls and get the bags now!" He pronounced each word with menace as he stared Tyler down. Tyler took one last look at Elena and me before quickly exiting the room.

"Dani, you have to stay awake!" Elena cried out as my eyes started to droop shut again.

"She can't." Klaus answered for me. "The amount of wolfs bane in her system at the moment and she shouldn't even have woken up. Guess I underestimated her again." He let out a laugh at the end as though it was his own private joke.

"So that's it." Elena concluded sadly. "You're just going to bleed me die and kidnap Dani."

"Yes." Klaus replied bluntly. "But don't worry, it'll be completely painless for you. As the last drop is drawn, you'll simply fall asleep."

"You think you can just kill me and take Dani. Stefan and Damon will find you and they'll kill you and bring Dani back."

"But you'll be dead, and if they come after Dani, they'll be joining you." He spat.

"She'll never stay with you." Elena responded defiantly.

"If she doesn't want me to kill the Salvatore's she will and besides, she loves me. That'll be enough to make her stay.

Keeping my eyes close I mumbled. "B-but ki-killing E-Elen-Elena will only suc-succeed in mak-making me h-hate you."

Footsteps sounded across the floor as he made his way closer to me. "You say that but you and I both know that love can't be destroyed that easily. After all Damon left you to die at the hands Mikael and you can't even bear the thought of not loving him." He spat. Then the pressure in my arm faded as he removed the needle. "I think that's quite enough of that." He mused to himself. "You'll now be semi-conscious to say goodbye to your sister." But I didn't say anything in return because my body had already succumb to the darkness once more.

When I awoke once more Elena seemed to be fading fast. The nurse was exchanging the full blood bag for an empty one. "What about your army?" Elena asked softly. "You're going to need more than that to create your army.

As the nurse went to leave Klaus grabbed one of the blood bags. "These last few litres will have to suffice, you see my trying to kill us my mother strengthened the bond between my siblings and I. I don't need hybrids, I have my family and Danielle." I snorted in response letting them know I was awake once more.

"Then why take my blood at all?" Elena inquired.

"He wants a back-up family." I said answering for him. My voice was still hoarse and my body barely able to move die to the wolfs bane still cruising through my system. "He knows I won't willingly stay with him once he kills you and his family will never trust him again."

"You know." Klaus said through gritted teeth. "Stefan blames me for trying to tear him away from his brother. But I think we both know who really came between them. You two. And in return they tore you two apart as well. So, with you dead" He turned to Elena and then to me. "and you with me it'll finally give them the chance to reconnect that brotherly bond." He smirked then and gazed at Elena. "Danielle chose Damon but we both know she could have had Stefan if she wanted too, but she chose Damon." He added the ending with venom as his eyes darkened. "But you still haven't chosen."

"There's only Stefan." Elena stated.

"Come now Elena." Klaus laughed. "We both know that isn't true. If it was you'd be with him instead of being single. But the truth is you can't decide whether to settle for Stefan or fight your sister for Damon. If you chose to go after Damon you'll destroy your and your sisters bond and Stefan and Damon's. But if you go for Stefan you'll be destroying Damon because everyone knows he's with her because he can't have you and that'll still destroy Stefan and Damon's bond."

"Damon loves me." I said confidently narrowing my eyes at Klaus.

"Damon loves who you look like."

"Then what's your excuse?" I hissed. "You love me because I look like Tatia."

"I'll admit it's what drew me in at first but then I fell for that fire you posses." He replied before leaning in to Elena. "But I am curious, just between us girls, who would you have picked?"

Elena glanced over at me before locking eyes with Klaus. "Rot in hell!" She spat.

His eyes gleamed as he smirked. "Sweet dreams Elena, it's been fun."

Elena started to fight against her binds then as tears trickled down her face, her complexion was going paler and paler as her eyes started to close.

I looked up at Klaus in despair as Elena's heart beat started to slow down. "Please!" I begged. "Don't let her die. For me, please, just don't let her die. I'm begging you! Do it for me, please." My eyes filled with tears as I looked up at him desperately.

"I am doing this for you. I'm doing this so you, me and your precious Salvatore's can live."

"I'll go with you willingly." I stated. "If you let Elena live, you and I can leave mystic falls and run from Rick together."

"Dani don't." Elena whispered as she half opened her eyes.

"I won't try to run away at every single chance and I won't try and rip out your throat and curse you on a daily basis. I'll stay with you. And we can figure out another way to deal with Alaric. We'd only have to run for eighty years, so Elena can live out her human life, she can have a husband, kids and then in a few centuries you get another doppelganger. But please just don't let her die."

He seemed to ponder what I said for what seemed like hours but was only a mere minute. Without saying a word he walked slowly over to Elena and pulled out the needle from her arm and unclipped the blood bag. "Fine." He stated as he started to walk out of the room. "You and will leave momentarily and Elena gets the joy of coming with us."

"No!" I weakly protested but before I could say more he cut me off.

"Be grateful she's not dead." He added and then he was gone swiftly from the room.

Elena's head lolled forward then as she finally lost the battle with consciousness. Letting out a whimper I uselessly pulled against my restraints, but to no avail. I let out a breath as my body sagged and I finally gave up.

Seconds later Tyler's worried face was right in my line of vision as he desperately tried to undo the ropes holding me in place. "What are you doing?" I questioned.

"Sssh." He commanded as he finished untying the last one and moved on to Elena. "Can you move?" He whispered.

"Just get her out of here." I pleaded.

"Tyler." Elena whispered as she regained consciousness. Her eyes were wide and fearful as she looked over my head at something I couldn't see, but it didn't take a genius to work out.

"So much for that sire bond." Klaus hisses causing Tyler to whirl around to face him.

"I'm not your little bitch anymore." Tyler replied confidently but I could see the little quiver in his eye to show he wasn't as confident as he seemed.

"How did you break the sire bond?" Klaus questioned in a sickeningly calm voice as he advanced towards Tyler, allowing me to see him.

"By breaking every bone in my body about a hundred times for the girl I love." He gaze flickered to me as finished it, but Klaus seemed to see it as well because he glanced at me and then back at Tyler.

"That's impossible." He stated.

"Is it?" Tyler mocked. "Or maybe real love is stronger than fake loyalty. But what would you know about that?" With each word he said Tyler took a step forward until he was face to face with Klaus.

"You know, you should be thanking me." Klaus snarled. "I gave you a gift, I took away your misery!"

"You didn't give a crap about me!" Tyler yelled. "You just didn't want to be alone."

A pregnant pause filled the room before Tyler walked back over to Elena and lifted her up. But before he could leave Elena was thrown from his grip and then Tyler was held against the wall by Klaus who had his hand wrapped around his throat. "NOOO!" I cried out as I tried to move but my body just crumpled to the floor, still too weak from the wolfs bane.

"Goodbye Tyler." Klaus concluded as his arm reared back like a snake ready to strike its prey. But Tyler grabbed a hold of his arm and twisted, taking Klaus by surprise and successfully breaking his wrist.

But before Klaus could retaliate Damon was there and grabbed his other arm and then Stefan was in front of him with his hand digging in to his chest. Straight away Klaus' struggles reduced as his heart beat started to slow. "NOO!" I screamed as I once again tried to move, succeeding in only making it on my hands and knees. "Please!" I begged as tears started to form in my eyes as I watched Klaus go greyer and listen to his heart beat slow.

Tyler looked at me in confusion as Damon cursed under his breath before hissing. "You've got to be kidding me!"

Stefan looked over his shoulder at me with an unreadable expression plastered on his face. "Don't do this!" I cried. "Please Stefan!"

Stefan released a breath before slowly retracting his hand. "Don't even think about it brother!" Damon growled before tightly grabbing a hold of his wrist in a bone crushing grip.

I sucked in a ragged breath as I locked my gaze on to Klaus' as his eyes filled with tears. His stare was filled with sorrow, guilt regret and… love. "DON'T DO THIS!" I howled.

Stefan started struggling against Damon but that only caused Damon to tighten his grip even more. Stefan looked down at me with tears in his own eyes, his green orbs pleading with me to forgive him.

Klaus started to go even paler, a sickly grey colour as dark black veins started to spread up his neck and across his face, like worms tunnelling through his skin.

Bu bum, bu bum, bu bum… bu bum, bu bum… bu bum… bu bum…
bu… Bum… bu… bum
bu… bum…
bu…

Tears streamed down my eyes uncontrollably and a strangled cry tore from my throat as his heart beat ceases to exist anymore.

Damon let go of Stefan's hand then and him and Tyler slowly lowered Klaus to the ground as Stefan stood frozen to the floor just staring aimlessly at him. "Stefan help Elena." Damon ordered to an unmoving Stefan. "Tyler help Elena." He reasoned with a sigh. Tyler took one last pity-filled glance at me before moving over to where Elena was lying unconscious by the stairs and lifting her up in to his arms.

Using practically all my strength I slowly crawled across the polished wood floor until I reached Klaus. Still crying softly, I rubbed his cold cheek soothingly before letting my face transform and biting in to my wrist. Sadly, before I could place it against his mouth I was wrenched up from behind. "Dani stop!" Damon commanded as I struggled against him.

I screamed against him and struggled hopelessly to escape. "Get off me!" I cried out. "Get of me!"

"I'm sorry, Dani." Damon whispered before he snapped my neck and the world went black.

"Stefan." I whimpered as he jolted me in his arms while he opened the door. My eyes were still groggy and my body still felt heavy from the wolfs bane.

"I'm sorry." He whispered as he walked further in to the room. Gently, he pulled back the covers in the bed and then laid me down. As he pulled my boots off, he looked up at me with saddened eyes.

"Please, Stefan." I cried as he tucked the duvet around me. "Don't do this… He's evil… but you and I both know… that no one… deserves that." My eye lids were drooping again due to the wolfs bane still streaming through my system. I was losing consciousness and fast.

"In a century or two when Elena is no longer in danger, you may be able to awaken him again." He soothed as he brushed my hair back from my face.

"Don't leave me." I pleaded as I reached out blindly trying to grab on to him.

"Stefan, we only have few hours left of sunlight. We need to go." Damon urged sounding very far away.

"I know." He replied tiredly. Brushing the backs of his fingers across my cheek, he gently leaned down and press his lips softly against my forehead. "Goodbye Dani." He whispered sadly, before his footsteps got further and further away.

Moor footsteps sounded until they were by my head but my eyelids felt too heavy to lift them. "We're leading Rick away, so you'll be safe for a few days. But you shouldn't stay here. Once we've hid Klaus we'll meet up with you… if that's what you want. If it's not, we'll both understand. It's never been my intention to hurt you and yet I've done exactly that time and time again. But I'm doing it because I love you." Damon breathed out. "And I can't lose you. Even if that means you hate me. I would rather be you enemy and have you hate me then have you dead. Because I don't want to live in a world where you don't exist." Using the last remains of my energy I forced my eyes open, only to come face to face with blue-grey ones that were filled with tears. "But for what it's worth – I'm sorry." A tear slipped down his cheek as he finished. Leaning down he pressed his lips against my own and then he was gone and the darkness surrounded me once again.

Waking up a few hours later I found myself wandering down to my old house. As soon as I opened the door, the sounds of cheering filled my ears. Quietly, so no one would be able to hear, I moved towards the kitchen. "Why do you seem so sad?" I heard Caroline question. "We need to celebrate."

"You didn't see her." Tyler muttered dejectedly. "Dani was…" There was a pregnant pause as he tried to think of the right word, before settling on "heartbroken."

"He's right." Elena agreed sadly. "She loves him."

"No." Caroline stated as she started passing around shot glasses and filling them up. "She loved him. Past tense. Because Klaus is gone and he'd never coming back. We have been trying to get rid of Klaus for months now and we're not going to let Dani ruin this. She's not even here. It's not our fault she fell in love with a monster and it's not our fault she turned all evil."

"She's not evil Caroline." Tyler argued.

"She tried to kill!" Caroline responded. "Her best friend, who she's known since the sandbox. If that's not evil I don't know what is."

"She just wanted the chance to be human again. Are you seriously saying if you had the chance you wouldn't have done the same?" Tyler questioned.

Everyone seemed too engrossed in the conversation to even realise I was even here. Frowning, I was just about to announce my present when Elena held up her hand smiling. "Let's not argue. But Caroline is right. Klaus is gone and we should be celebrating. So," she held up her shot glass and everyone else did the same. "to a Klaus free life and to all of you, my family." My heart hurt at her words and all the smiles and the replies of "cheers" from my so-called friends.

Once they'd downed their drinks I finally spoke up. "Don't mind me."

Simultaneously, they all turned to face me with guilty expressions on their faces, except for Caroline who seemed to be glad I'd heard that. "Dani?" Jeremy smiled sheepishly as he moved forward a bit. "I thought you'd left with Stefan and Damon."

"Considering they immobilised Klaus when I begged them not to and Damon snapped my neck, I don't think we'll be exchanging Christmas cards anytime soon." I replied.

"Dani I'm s-" Elena tried to say but I cut her off.

"Don't even bother apologising Elena, this little party you have going on just proves you'd be lying."

Tyler stepped forward then, with regret-filled eyes. "I'm not sorry for the part I played, but I'm sorry you're hurting because of it."

Letting out a bitter chuckle I said. "Well, at least you're honest."

"Don't apologise you have nothing to be sorry for!" Caroline snapped at Tyler before turning on me. "I'm glad Klaus is gone. I'm glad you're never going to see him again. And I'm especially glad you're hurting because of it."

"Caroline!" Bonnie hissed in a warning.

"I think you should leave, Caroline." Jeremy stated.

"Why?" She questioned. "Because I'm saying what everyone's thinking but is too afraid to say?"

"Oh, I'm so glad I didn't kill you." I breathed out sarcastically.

"What is wrong with you?!" Elena yelled. "Caroline's your friend, why are you acting like this?"

"Because I'm feeling hurt, angry, betrayed." I answered. "I came here because I needed my family but I guess blood only runs so deep."

"I'm sorry Dani." Jeremy spoke up. "But what did you expect? Klaus ruined all our lives. He tried to kill Elena, kidnap you, he killed Jenna! Did you expect us to be sad that he's gone?"

"No." I stated as tears started to fill my eyes. "I expected you to just be there for me. Like I was for you when you were cheating on Bonnie with your ghost girlfriend. I didn't judge you, I was just there for you if you needed me." Jeremy's gaze filled with guilt so then I turned to Elena. "Or when Stefan turned ripper and you wanted to save him, I never once questioned you; I just helped you, even when we trekked up a werewolf infested mountain on a full moon."

"Dani, I'm-" They both tried to apologise but I wouldn't let them.

"Don't bother. I don't care." I stated matter-of-factly. "Anyway, I didn't come here for a shoulder to cry on. I came here to say goodbye. I'm leaving."

"You're going to go after them, aren't you?" Elena inquired. "You're going to free Klaus."

I was silently for a moment before reluctantly answering. "… No, I'm not. Believe it or not Elena, I'm not a complete idiot. He tried to kill you and kidnap me. I think he's earned a few decades locked in a coffin… This town is evil." I added locking eyes with Elena and Jeremy. "If you stay here much longer, you'll end up dead. And I don't mean wake up as a vampire dead, I mean dead-dead. I'm saving myself and getting the hell out of here, I suggest you all do the same." I locked eyes with each and every one of them, even Caroline whose eyes had lost that hardened edge at my words, before disappearing from their sight in a blink of an eye.

As soon as I made it back to the boarding house I grabbed a bottle of scotch and let the tears fall. It was official. I was on my own again. Just like when I was sixteen and ran away. I guess vampirism doesn't really change a person; I'm still that sad little girl who ran away and I always would be.

After an hour or so of staring in to the fire aimlessly and drinking, I felt an unwelcome presence behind me. Without moving from my spot on the couch I let out a long breath. "I'm really not in the mood right now, so don't let the door hit you on the way out."

"Are Stefan and Damon really that dumb to leave you here unprotected?" He smirked.

Letting out a small chuckle I shrugged my shoulders as I polished off the rest of the bottle. "Guess so. So what's it going to be Rick? A fight to the death?" I smirked as I finally stood up to face him, my gaze narrowing on the white oak stake gripped firmly in his hand. "I wouldn't advise that, I have a lot of pent up anger at the moment that is just dying to be released." So much for Alaric following after Stefan and Damon.

He smirked but ignored me as he stepped closer. "Where's Klaus?"

"I don't know." I replied not backing away as he stepped closer. "As you so politely pointed out earlier, I was abandoned."

"So you have no clue where they are? Not even an inkling?" He pressed moving even closer.

"Nope." I replied popping the 'p'. "And even if I did I'm ninety percent sure I wouldn't tell you. So, my earlier words stand – don't let the door hit you on the way out." Turning on my heel I made my way back over to the mini bar.

But before I reached it Rick's hand wrapped around my throat and I was slammed in to the wall. "Guess you're no longer of use then." He laughed as he raised the stake. "You should have just taken the deal I offered and killed the blonde." In one swift movement he lowered the stake.

Reacting on instinct my hand shot out and grabbed a hold of his wrist before snapping to the side, causing the bone to snap. He grunted in pain, so using his momentarily distraction I flicked the stake from his grip and pushed him backwards in to the opposite wall. "Last chance." I hissed with gritted teeth. "Leave."

He chuckled as he picked himself up off the floor and pushed his bone back in to place. "Not a chance." He snarled before launching himself at me, sending me crashing in to the couch and flipping it over. I groaned as my spine cracked against the floor. Within a second Rick was holding me to the ground with his hand wrapped around my throat once again.

Throwing my head forward I head-butted butted him and then clenched my fist before punching him viciously in his stomach repeatedly. He moaned in pain before grabbing my wrist and twisting my body round so my back was to his front. "We would have made a great team, team badass if I recall. Shame you had to show your humanity and ruin that."

"I thought that's why you're so determined to kill vampires – because they have no humanity." I growled.

"Yeah, for humans. You show it for other vampires which is even more despicable." He snarled back as he grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked it back. I hissed in pain as I looked up at him, attempting to show no fear. Using my hands I gripped on to his trying to lessen the pain, but to no avail as he just tugged on it harder. "As soon as Stefan and Damon find out about your death, they'll come running back and then I'll kill them too. After I find out where they hid Klaus of course."

"They won't come." I stated.

"You underestimate how much they care about you. How much they all care about you." He smirked. "Because you're the key to everything. You're friends with all the originals, so a little proof that I killed you and they'll all come running back to avenge you. Then poof, ashes to ashes, dust to dust and then it'll almost be as if vampires never even existed."

Letting go of his hand I brought my elbow down and struck him in the gut causing him to loosen his grip. So using all my strength I twisted in his grip. Grabbing on to his arm in an iron vice grip I swung him around before releasing him, sending him flying through the air. Smashing through the window he sent blades of glass cascading everywhere.

Brushing myself off, I casually strolled through the parlour, opened the front door and walked through as if I didn't have a care in the world. Rick was still flat on his back when I got there so I quickly sped over to him. Straddling him I grabbed a handful of his shirt lifting his head before striking him over and over again in the face, successfully breaking his nose and bloodying his lip.

Using my own tactics against me he twisted his body, flipping us over as he brought his fist down repeatedly. It hurt a lot and I could smell the blood that trickled from my nose and mouth but I didn't even let out the tiniest cries of pain.

Bringing up my knees I kicked them out sending him toppling over my head. We'd reached the edge of the forest by now so while he was still on the ground I ripped a branch of one of the trees and staked him through the chest, pinning him to the ground. Groaning in pain, he didn't make a move to retaliate just sat their staring up at me, as I crouched down beside him. "Next time I won't miss." I threatened in a deadly low voice. "So leave now before I lose it and just kill you!"

Straightening up, I started to make my way back to the boarding house but as I reached the front door Ricks arm wrapped around my neck from behind and a needle was stabbed in to my stomach. As the vervain entered my system I let out a choked cry, as Rick chuckled, just before the darkness settled around me…

Grumbling I slowly start to come to. The world blurs around me as I try my hardest to focus on what's happening. My arms were flung out at my sides as they scraped across the gravel ground drawing blood. Begrudgingly, I lifted my head up a bit. Rick's back greeted me, he had my left ankle gripped in his hand as he dragged me along.

Frowning in confusion, I twisted my head to the side as my eyes drifted in and out of focus as I tried to detect where I was. The gravel cut in to my skin as it finally dawned on me – Lockwood Mansion.

"Alaric, what are you doing here?" I heard Carol question as she opened the door to him. "The rest of the council has gathered here but no of us know why."

"Don't worry I'll it explain it all." He replied as he moved past her.

I cried out in pain as my spine and skull hit off the steps as he dragged me up them. "Dani!" Carol shrieked. "What have you done to her?! Dani!"

"I'm doing what should have been done in the first place." He stated as he dumped my body in the middle of the floor. I could hear all the various members of the council crying out but I was too delirious to really listen to them. "This is why you're here." Rick started, silencing the murmurs. "Because the people who lead this council are corrupted, aren't they Mayor, Sheriff?"

"What the hell are you doing?!" Sheriff Forbes yelled as she stormed in to the room.

"I'm enlightening the council about our vampire problem." Rick explained. "Or should I say your problem. Would you like to purge to the group about the extremes you've gone to to eliminate the problem. Oh wait!" He smirked. "You haven't."

"Stop this now!" Liz warned.

"You see the Sheriff, a woman who we elected to keep our families safe and the town secure, has a vampire as a daughter." The council started mumbling again then as they looked at one another. "And our lovely mayor has a son, who is half vampire half werewolf. Just like our lovely Danielle Gilbert here."

"I think someone should call Dr Meredith Fell." I bit out, trying to ignore the pain. "I think Ricky here has gone a little cuckoo." He kicked me hard in the side causing me to cry out as I clutched my side.

"We've seen them all grow up." One council member I didn't know spoke up. "They can't be vampires."

"Told you." I smirked as I lifted my hand and using my index finger made a circular motion by my ear before singing "cuckoo" earning me another swift kick.

"You just don't know when to shut up do you?" He inquired angrily.

"It's a curse." I relented with a shrug.

He turned his gaze away from me and addressed the council once more. "If she was human, a round of bullets would kill her, so let's really find out if you're human Dani." Before anyone could react he pulled a gun from the back of his jeans and pointed it at me.

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

I gritted my teeth, cried out and hissed, letting my vampire façade show, as the wooden bullets pierced through my skin. Gasps filled the room and a couple of people backed away as they gawped at my amber eyes and elongated fangs. Lurching up, I coughed up the blood that had filled my mouth before collapsing back down on the marble floor, with my face returning to normal.

"And what do you know," He smirked. "She's still alive and showing her true colours."

"You need to stop this now!" Carol cried out.

"The more time I spend here the longer your son and daughter get to live." He explained as he looked from Carol to Liz. "So I suggest you stand there and shut up." Then he turned back to the rest of the council. "Do you need any more proof?" He questioned with a smirk. "I'd be more than happy to oblige."

"Screw you!" I spat venomously as I hugged my body as I tried desperately to sooth my wounds.

The room descended in to silence as Rick doubled over laughing. "You're hurting my feelings." He mocked.

"Go to hell!" I growled out.

"I'll see you there." He grinned before reaching in to his pocket and pulling out a mobile phone – my phone. "So will Elijah." He added. "Once he sees you like this, he'll come running back to mystic falls to save the day and I'll kill him."

He pressed a button on the screen and a red light lit up on the back showing that he was recording. "He won't come." I stated. "He's not that stupid."

"I know he's not stupid." Rick replied. "Which is why I'm starting with him. He's the smartest, the most cunning. Once he's dealt with Kol and Rebekah will surely follow and then so will Klaus. But he will come. You told me yourself when you were off gallivanting with Kol, he came to rescue you and put you back on the right track."

"But it didn't work." I replied matter-of-factly.

"That's only because I called and you came running back to mystic falls. Trust me, he'll come."

"So you're going to kill me, record it and then send it off to Elijah?" I inquired as I stared up at him defiantly, showing no fear in what was to come. "Then go ahead! I've died before, I don't care! Infact you'd more than likely be doing me favour!"

"Sure I'm going to kill you." Rick replied smiling. "But not before torturing you first." He turned around and grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the side before slowly stalking back over. He unscrewed the lid and tipped a bit over my leg.

"Oh, no please!" I yelled out mockingly. "It's killing me!" Before I started laughing which turned in to wheezes at the pain it caused me. "Really Rick? Whiskey?"

"Nope." He smirked popping the 'p'. "Fire."

My eyes widened in panic as he flipped open a lighter and let it fall to the ground. I screamed out in agony as my leg lit up like a Christmas tree. Withering on the ground in torment, tears flowed from my eyes as my skin sizzled and the festering stench filled the air. Defeat spread through my body and I stopped trying to hide my emotions, I let them all out.

Carol and Liz appeared beside me then, looking frantic, as Liz threw he jacket over my leg and gently patted it down until all the flames were gone. "And send." Rick laughed before crushing my phone in his hand.

"This isn't right!" Carol cried out.

Rick merely grabbed a hold of her arm and lifted her up before pushing her backwards, away from me. Liz tried to act strong and stand up against him but his hand struck out making her crumble to the ground. "It's amazing how many people still run to your defence even after all the people you've killed and the lives you've destroyed."

Grey dots were spreading across my vision as the body exploded through my body. "Is this what you want?" I questioned in a broken whisper. "To see me in pain? To see me suffer? To see me give up?" Tears streamed down my face as my chest heaved with sobs. "Cause you win Rick. I give up… So, please just kill me." I begged in desperation. "Kill me!... Please."

"As you wish." He replied as he took out the white oak stake and raised it high above his head. But before he brought it down another round of bullets were fired and he crumpled to the ground.

Carol kneeled by my side as Liz moved forward and ripped the stake from Alaric's grasp before plunging in to his heart. The other council members seemed to come to life then and moved to help him but Liz held up the gun and waved it in their faces. "Try anything and I'll shoot." She warned before she moved my other side and they both grabbed my upper arms and hauled me to my feet. I cried out in pain at the pain it caused me but they ignored it and continued to drag me from the house.

They placed me laying gently across the backseat of the Sheriffs car before Liz got in the driver's side and Carol got in the passenger. The car lurched forward as Liz stepped on the gas. They both let out a scream. "How?" Liz questioned.

While Carole screeched. "He's still alive."

"Vampire." I choked out, guessing they were on about Rick.

"Just drive." Carol commanded. The car sped up even more and then there's was a loud crash as something hit the windshield and then rolled over the roof before smacking the floor.

The grey dots started to get worse and the last thing I remembered was a small, warm hand gripping mine as Carol said softly. "Just hang in there Danielle."

The car pulling to an abrupt stop is what forced me to wake from my un-peaceful slumber. They both helped to lift me out of the car as my eyes dropped on me once again. I groaned loudly as they pounded mercilessly on someone's door. "Oh my god! What happened?!" Elena cried out before I was being dragged once again.

"Alaric happened." Liz answered as I was placed gently on to the sofa, crying out a little when they lifted my legs on to it.

"He did this?" Elena inquired.

I droned out the rest of their conversation as I tried my hardest to dull the pain, but sadly nothing seemed to work. "Thank you." I whispered as I opened my eyes to look up at them once I heard them start to leave.

They both had red puffy eyes as tears rolled from their eyes. "Just call us, if you need anything." Liz responded before they both left the room.

Once they'd left Elena crouched down beside, her own eyes filled with tears. "I don't know what to do." She said softly. "Please tell me what to do."

"The bullets…" I bit out. "I need you to… remove… the bullets."

She jumped up and rushed away, returning with seconds with her arms filled with crap. "I found this in the back of the fridge." She rushed out as she handed me over the blood bag. "It was the only one I could find." Her hands were shaking as she ripped the tube out and handed it over to me.

Sighing, in satisfaction I wrapped my lips around the tube and sucked it down, finishing it in seconds. Slowly, I started to relax a bit as my wounds gradually started to knit themselves back together. "Thank you." I whispered.

"How do I do this?" She asked me as she held up a pair of tweezers.

Shaking my head, I grimaced a little. "They won't work… you're going to have to use your finger and thumb."

"But that's-" She started but I cut her off.

"Going to kill. But I can't heal until they're gone."

Grapping the cushions beneath me, I lifted off the couch and screamed with every bullet she removed. After she'd finished I felt the pain decrease slowly and slumped against the sofa, with my eyes closed. "What about your leg?" She asked softly.

"Don't touch it." I replied rather too quickly and in quite a harsh tone.

"I'm sorry." She responded.

"No, don't be." I replied trying to smile but it turned into more of a grimace. "I'm sorry, it just hurts, a lot."

It was silent for quite a while, so much so that I thought Elena had gone to bed, which is why it surprised me when she broke the silence and started talking. "You were right. This town is going to kill us." She clarified. "As soon as you left this afternoon, I knew you were right and I couldn't stop thinking about it. We do need to leave. We need a fresh start, away from this town, away from vampire, witches, werewolves and hybrids. But not just Jeremy and I. You as well."

I let out a small chuckle as I carefully opened my eyes to look at her. "You're forgetting the small fact that I'm a hybrid."

"No." She replied defiantly as she took a hold of my hand and gave it a loving squeeze. "You're family. Jeremy and I need you. We're all that each other has left and we need to stick together now more than ever. We have to pack up and leave, tell no one where we're going and start over somewhere knew. Where we can have a normal life."

"You'll never have a normal life with me around, Elena." I said regretfully.

She shook her head smiling. "That part's none negotiable. We leave as a family or we stay and die as one. Jeremy and I already agreed on that, we won't go if you don't. I was actually going to ring you tomorrow and see where we could meet you but…" She trailed off as she gestured towards me. "We'd have to pull all our money together to try and get a down payment somewhere."

"Don't worry about that." I smiled. "You tell me where you and Jeremy want to go and I'll sort it."

"We were kind of thinking about England. At least no one would really follow us there. If anyone tried to find us, they'd just think we were in a different state not a different country."

"I'll sort it tomorrow, I'll book the flights and everything." I reassured. "All you and Jer have to do is pack your bags."

"Sounds like a plan." She grinned. "Do you want me to help you up to your room?"

"I couldn't even if I wanted to." I grinned. "I'll just take the couch tonight."

She hesitated by my side for a moment as a million emotions crossed her face. "Do you… Do you want some of my blood?" She asked nervously as she rolled up her sleeve and offered me her wrist.

I shook my head but smiled at her offer. "I'll be fine by morning, as soon as the sun starts to rise I'll go over to the boarding house and get a few more blood bags. I'll be fine."

"Okay." She nodded, rolling her sleeve back down and straightening up. "I'll see you in the morning and I'm glad you're alright."

"Me too." I beamed.

As Elena turned to walk away she let out a gasp and clutched at her head. "Elena?" I questioned in worry as I angled my body so I could see her clearly, even though it caused me a lot of pain.

"I'm fine." She reassured. "Just a bit of a headache."

But then her eyes rolled in to the back of her head and her legs gave out from under her and she collapsed in a heap on the floor. "ELENA!" I cried out as blood started to trickle from her nose.

Letting out a groan I sat up and swung my legs over the side of the couch to help her but then a dangerous thought flitted through my mind stopping me in my tracks.

If I left her to die, Rick would die with her and all my problems would be solved…

But she was my sister and Rick was my friend, so i quickly shook my head of those sort of thoughts. I was helping him, i had a witch lined up and everything. He didn't mean to hurt me today, it wasn't really him. They were my family.

Glancing down at my leg, the red-raw blistering skin made me cringe. I doubt i'd even be able to make it to the hospital alone, let alone carrying Elena. So how in the hell do i help her?...

Please review! :D