Chapter 25

"You're back," said Damon who currently lounged on a chair beside the dangling body of their captive.

Bonnie, who was out of breath, didn't say a word, and instead looked at him with sheer concern.

"What's wrong witchy? You look like you saw a ghost...," he asked going to her.

"We have to move him somewhere safer than this. Somewhere where no one can get to him," she finally got out.

"Where would that be exactly? And where's lover-boy?"

Her lips slightly parted, but no words escaped them. She went for a chair and gently sat upon it, shifting herself to face him. He stood before her, eyebrows tight.

"I think he's in trouble Damon," she softly said.

"And you left him behind?"

"No, he smelled my blood. He almost lost it…"

He threw his head back slightly, rolling his eyes along with it. Then he let out a "huh."

"Ripper's still in him. I knew he hadn't gotten over it," he said then began pacing back and forth. He stopped before Klaus who, suspended off ground, remained unconscious. "I don't know how much longer it'll be before he wakes up. I'm surprised his body hasn't fought it already."

"Damon, what are we going to do about Stefan," she asked looking curiously up at him.

He sighed then brought his hands to his hips. "He'll cool down. This little arousal will calm itself soon. Just give him some time-"

"No you don't get it. Damon, the look in his eyes was that of someone without control. Of someone who wanted help. I think we should find him. He might be in some trouble," Bonnie frantically explained.

"I get it, but it's going to have to wait. You said we need a better hiding spot."

"Yea, somewhere that's protected. Somewhere that keeps the hybrids out," she said drawing clues from her memory. Then she fell upon her grandmother. The last time she had seen her was in a ghostly dream where they secretly met; her grandmother revealing the secret to defeating a great beast. It was the witches of her past who warned her, protected her and aided her.

"They protected me," she whispered.

"What," Damon asked.

"I got it," she said, eyes lighting up.

"A better spot?"

"Yes. The old witch house."

Securing him upon the wooden slab, Bonnie nodded to Damon who stood atop the stairs.

"Sure you're good," he asked leaning down to get a better look. Bonnie went for the stairs meeting him at the door. "Yep."

"How will we keep them out of the house though?"

"Salt," she said walking past him.

"If you say so witchy…"

"Do we have more vervain, I think I sensed his heart rate picking up," she said going out towards the car. Damon continued to follow, trying to keep up with her. But her paces and movements were so urgent he almost felt guilty for not being as astute.

"Yea, I think we do-"

"Good. Go inject him. I'll go get the salt," she said sliding into the seat.

"Hold on, wait-" he said gripping the door before she could slam it shut.

"You're just going to leave me here?"

She replied with a roll of the eyes.

"Fine...Hey, be careful witchy," he said with a smile. She didn't know what to make of it, but figured it was just Damon being his usual sarcastic self. So she took it with face value then sped off.

Once she had returned with enough salt to cover the perimeter of the old house, she went to work. Pacing in a circular path along the house, she emptied each container.

"You're back," said Damon.

"Is he back," she replied still focusing on her task.

Damon, who had been lingering at the entrance, waltzed to her. "Nope. I texted him, but he hasn't replied."

Bonnie felt her stomach twist with fear for the worst. She wondered if he had fallen into a bloodoholic relapse of some sort. But what she feared the most was that his weakness had gotten him killed. "And Klaus," her voice had become shaky. Damon noticed her fear and bringing all the sympathy he had once buried deep within his soul went for her, locking her in a tight hug.

The part of her that found labor in fighting against him found no duty in the moment. She didn't resist him, but instead buried her head within his chest. Far beneath his clothes, muscles and bones she could hear his heart beating to a rhythm quite different from hers. At times it would pound so slowly she thought it had stopped and other times its pace was so rapid she could not keep up.

"Why are you doing this," she whispered.

"It's the least I can do. You know...I sort of owe you for the whole grandma thing..."

"She was the only person who got me," she said on the verge of tears. She pulled away from him furiously wiping her eyes and nose with the sleeve of her sweater.

"I'm doing this for her," she said stepping towards the close of the circle. She looked out into the distance hoping to spot him behind the trees, but there was no movement except for the sudden gusts of wind.

"If you seal it now, he won't be able to come through," he said and of course she already knew this. It was the reason why she now frantically scanned their surroundings.

Come on Stefan, where are you?

"You want to give him another half hour?"

She did another scan, noticed the night growing darker then sighed, "No. If they've figured it out by now, this is the time they'll come." And so she settled herself firmly on the ground extending her arms out towards the salt. Whispering the Latin words she cast the spell creating a barrier between the house and anything beyond it.

"Come on, let's go inside," he said holding her by the shoulders.

"I don't have a dagger. We don't have the silver dagger," she suddenly realized.

"What? But you have the ashes right?"

"Yes," she said stopping in her tracks. She turned to face the trees. She wondered how much time she had to come up with a solution. Looking at her watch it was a quarter past eight. Coming up with answers with little options, she found herself cornered.

"Damon, I don't know what to do. The barrier will unseal itself in three hours," she said looking frantically up at him. He swallowed deeply.

Suddenly, a sound of movement emerged from behind the trees. They both stood there attentively waiting for what would appear. Gradually, people began emerging and they scattered in large amounts.

"They're here," she stated.

Lunging, shoving, pushing, and flying through bushes, branches, grass and trees, they were a menacing pack and they hadn't even taken full form. They weren't thirsty so much as they were angry. They came charging once spotting them at the front of the old house. Bonnie felt her heart race and stomach jump as she watched them go for her. Damon quickly grabbed at her arm, pulling her away from the salt-line fearing that they would come through. But as they furiously ran to them they were suddenly halted. As if an actual wall had been keeping them apart, the hybrids could not move an inch past the line. The spell had worked and they now breathed a little easier.

"Where is he," shouted one who stood right before them.

"Give him to us, now," he harshly demanded. The others behind him grunted and growled. The sounds were growing louder. They now began to circle the house, looking for ways to get through. Suddenly, within the crowd, one had fallen to his knees.

Through his chest appeared an arrow. Soon enough another went down with the weapon piercing its head. Turning back towards the direction of the attack, the hybrids puzzlingly searched for the attacker.

Bonnie turned up towards the trees and made out a figure within one. Standing high above ground upon a branch was Alaric aiming a crossbow to another hybrid.

Two went down this time, but Bonnie figured it could not have come from one shooter.

"Up there," Bonnie whispered to Damon and he looked in the direction she now smiled at.

Upon the tree beside Alaric was none other than Elena. Bonnie assumed her training skills had paid off, but wondered what she did here.

"I could kill her," said Damon through gritted teeth.

The hybrids had taken notice of the direction of the arrows and went for them, but then they seemed to have stopped, fighting something within the crowd.

Out in the distance Bonnie spotted something that caused her heart to race. She stood silently for a moment, holding her breath as her mind gathered the images. Standing there, six feet tall, was Stefan as he caved a hybrid's head in with his fist.

She felt her stomach dance with joy but her body remained rooted to the spot. Her hazel eyes swelled with tears as her delicate lashes tried blinking them away. Breaking away from the group he currently attacked, his eyes caught a glimpse of her. Their gazes momentarily locked on each other, only breaking when he returned to fighting. A couple of feet away was a blonde-haired figure seeming to be fighting the crowd.

"Caroline's here too," said Damon depicting her from the crowd.

"So is Stefan," she replied.

"Good, maybe they can hold them off until we find a solution," but just as he said that he found Bonnie raising a foot over the salt.

"Where are you going witchy," he said dragging her back.

"But I have to help!"

"You can't go! You'll get killed."

So she stood there troubled-stuck between going and staying. A choice the others didn't have for the barrier decided for them. Most of the hybrids had gone down and finding a clear break Stefan made his way towards them.

"You're here," Bonnie said almost in a shout as he approached, but like the others, Stefan abruptly stopped at the line.

"Sorry I had to seal it. It was the only thing keeping them away."

He gave her a smile and said, "We have to hurry."

"I know. But we don't have a dagger," she replied.

"I thought you might need this," he said tossing the object over the salt-line. Upon the ground was a dagger-like object crimping the grass beneath it.

"Alaric thought you might be able to bind it to the ashes. So get to work missy," he said and smiled which made her insides liquefy. She nodded and before turning away said, "Did you bring the coffins?"

He looked at her in puzzlement, but nodded yes.

She smiled at him looking into his silvery green eyes and soft pink lips. She took one step forward, lifting each leg over the line. She extended a hand for his jaw and brought her face to his. Pressing her lips tightly against his, she let out all the anger and anxiety she had felt for him since his sudden absence.

"Don't ever do that to me again," she whispered and he slowly nodded. She then went back over towards the house leaving them to battle, with a dagger in hand.

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