A/N: I do not own The Vampire Diaries
Once at the hospital, she waited outside the room, then observed as Klaus compelled the nurse to set up a blood transfusion to drain Elena's blood and as the nurse sedated the girl. She dialed Damon and when he asked where they were, she instructed him to go to the hospital and that Elena was in a room and alive. The elder Salvatore arrived shortly afterward, searching for Elena and she jerked her head to indicate the room and stood back as he unplugged Elena from the machines and carried her out.
"I'll follow you, we need to talk," she answered his questioning look and he nodded and they left together.
Ryssa tailed Damon's car, one elbow on the window sill keeping her head up. She'd never been so tired from such an ordeal in her life. She was at a complete loss as to what to do next. When she'd walked into the parking lot to see Klaus and Rebekah gone, she felt her hopes of Emma's freedom being decimated. If the hybrid had kept his threat, Emma would become a vampire, and it brought tears to her eyes. The very person she'd turned her back on the Mystic Falls people for was daggered and in a coffin in Klaus' truck, and there was no telling if he'd brought it with him. Again, she was all alone.
All she knew was that she couldn't work with that monster, not after what he planned to do to her baby. Perhaps Damon would be willing to help her, she mused. She couldn't contemplate what would happen if she were to get her daughter back to find that she was indeed a vampire. She refused to consider it. Yet it lingered, just at the back of her mind.
She entered the Boarding House and accepted the drink Damon handed her and took a seat on the ottoman by Elena, her eyes asking silently if she could take a look at her bite. She turned her head and Ryssa's lips thinned and she reached into her bag for the bandages she'd tossed in there and handed them to Elena who gave her a shaky smile.
"Here, have some bourbon," Damon said and gave Elena a glass. "It'll help." She drank a sip but her nose wrinkled at the taste and Ryssa smiled. "Yeah, it's strong. I can help you forget. At least the parts you don't want to keep," he offered.
"No," Elena shook her head. "No compulsion, I need to remember."
"I stole this back for you," he said and held up her necklace.
"He's really gone. I watched it happen. After everything we went through…to help him. He's gone."
"No, he isn't," Ryssa interrupted and both of them looked at her. "Neither of you were there this summer, you didn't see what I did. Damon, you saw the bodies, but you missed the fact that it mattered. He held onto you, Elena. Every kill, every drop of innocent blood. He never let on that you were alive and did his best to keep Klaus from finding out."
"Klaus compelled him, Ryssa. You saw what happened."
"I know. But he'll come back. I know love, and I got to know Stefan." Ryssa reached a hand out to cover Elena's, squeezing gently. "His love for you kept him from giving up; he'll find his way back. Just don't write him off yet."
"Where were you, Damon? Why weren't you there?" Elena asked him.
"I shouldn't have left." Damon gripped her knee and she met his blue eyes, seeing the sincerity in them as he said, "I promise I will never leave you again."
The two of them looked at each other and Ryssa felt a pang in her heart at the fact that she couldn't be with Elijah. Somehow, she swore to herself, she would find a way to get him back and beside her, where he was supposed to be.
"Well, isn't this cozy?"
All three of them turned to the doorway of the library where Stefan was leaning against the door. Ryssa shifted so that she was next to Damon and both stood, intent on protecting Elena if needed.
"What are you doing here, brother?" asked Damon.
"Last I checked," Stefan commented and walked into the room to pour himself a drink. "I live here. Klaus is gone, but he's asked me to keep an eye on Elena until he returns. Oh and the witch too," he added, nodding at Ryssa who started forward only to be stopped by Damon's hand on her wrist. "From now on," he continued to Elena, "you're under my protection." He backed out of the room and waved his hand absently at Damon and Elena, "by all means, carry on."
Ryssa waited until he'd left before looking at Damon, "A word?"
Damon glanced at Elena and they went over to a different corner of the room, crossing his arms expectantly. "What'd you do to piss off the hybrid?"
"Lied, saved Elena's life, the usual," she snarked. "Either let her stay here or take her home, I want to talk in private. I'd suggest taking her home, by the way." When he nodded she went back to Elena and helped her up, then gave into an impulse and hugged her tightly. "I want you to take salt and line it over your windows and in front of your door. I'll be by tomorrow and I'll have a better protection spell for you."
Elena smiled and thanked her and Damon led her out with a hand on the small of her back with the statement that he'd be back soon. He at least seemed receptive to her instead of the anger she'd halfway expected from the time she'd stabbed him at Gloria's bar. With any luck, he would agree to help and she could get her daughter back. She settled down to wait, exhaling a deep breath and lay on the couch, arms covering her face. She rolled to the side and off the couch as a thought occurred to her, landing on her elbows and headed in the direction Stefan had gone, presumably to his room, knocking when she reached it.
"Yes?"
She pushed the door opened and leaned on the jamb and gave him a thin smile, "got a question for you."
"Ask away," he smiled back.
"The coffins, did Klaus take them with him?"
"Nope. Not that I know of."
Nodding to herself, she swept her gaze around and left again. "Thanks Stef!"
Listening to his laughter as she wandered back into the library, she stopped when Damon entered and gestured for her to accompany him to his room so she did. She turned on the tap and shower for good measure and felt his eyes on her as she struggled to come up with what she wanted to say.
"I need your help," she said finally. "I know I switched sides during the ritual but I couldn't let my daughter die," she reasoned and when he didn't reply, she continued. "He wasn't very pleased with me for not letting him know that Elena was alive and about the necklace and told me he's going to turn Emma into a vampire."
Damon's expression shifted slightly at the pain in her eyes and he sat on the bed, and she perched beside him. "What do you plan to do?"
"Klaus has his family in coffins," she said and wrung her hands. "Stefan said he didn't take them. If he told the truth, then I want to wake Elijah. He promised to help me get her away from him and somewhere safe. Will you help me find the coffin and wake him?"
"You know that there's a chance he lied, right? Stefan's not exactly batting for the good guys right now."
"I know, but I have to do something. I can't leave her at his mercy." She pushed off the bed and began to pace. "I hate that I tortured you in Chicago, please say you forgive me for that?"
"Totally over it," he waved his hand and she hung her head, letting out a breath. "Just to put it out there, but what happens if you get her back and she's already a vampire?"
"I can't think about it…I don't want to think about it. I can't even imagine how scared she must be," she muttered.
"Okay, we'll figure this out." He rushed over to her and gripped her shoulders, holding her steady to stop her pacing and she raised her teary eyes to his. "We'll find the coffins and go from there," he assured her and she nodded. "You should get home, it's been a rough night."
"Um..." she hesitated. "Would it be alright if I stayed? The house is so empty and I really don't know if I can handle being alone. I can take the library's couch or something."
"What for? We have plenty of rooms," he guided her out and into the room beside his own, opening the door. "If you have trouble sleeping, just yell."
Ryssa flung herself at him and felt his arms around her and allowed herself a moment of weakness, finally glad to have the comfort of her friend nearby. "Thank you, Damon, for everything."
"What are friends for?" he joked and she laughed but it came out as more of a sob. "Hey now, none of that. You're not alone in this," he soothed and she smiled. "Ugh you're turning me soft, you and Elena both," he groaned.
She lightly hit his chest and giggled, "still feel like the same old Damon to me."
"Get some rest, we'll talk more tomorrow."
Closing the door and sending him one last appreciative smile, she climbed into the bed, shut the lights off, and succumbed to a dreamless sleep.
