Damon opened the front door. Elijah was standing on the other side.
"Good evening," he greeted.
"Thank you for coming," Damon said. "Please, come in."
"Just one moment." Elowen's warning from earlier rang through his head. "Can I just say that if you have less than honorable intentions about how this evening is going to proceed, I suggest you reconsider."
"No, nothing dishonorable. Just getting to know you."
"I hope you're correct, because I have intel that says otherwise."
Damon furrowed his eyebrows. "Intel? What-" A scowl set onto his face when realization dawned on him. "You stay away from her."
"Funny how you assume it's Elowen I'm talking about. Smart girl, might I say. Maybe you should check to see where her alliance lies." Elijah stepped into the house. "Just so you know, if you so much as make a move to cross me, I'll kill you and I'll kill everyone in this house. Are we clear?"
"I'd say yes, but the problem with that is you wouldn't dare lay not even a finger on Esmeralda."
Elijah straightened his jacket. "You may be right there, but that doesn't mean I won't hesitate to tear your head from your body. I won't ask again. Are we clear?"
"Crystal."
At the dining table, Elijah had somehow managed to snag a seat next to Esmeralda. Alaric was sitting on the other side of her and she could already feel herself growing nauseous because of the big amounts of jealousy and anger she was feeling from Alaric. There was something else buried there, though. Worry. Nervousness. Where was that coming from? She saw him glance at Damon uncertainly and wondered if he had anything to do with it.
"I hate to break it to you, Damon, but according to Elijah and Esmeralda both, your family is so not a founder of this town," Jenna was telling them all as she poured a glass of wine.
"Hmm, do tell," Damon said with faux interest.
"Well, as I mentioned to Jenna earlier, a faction of settlers migrated from Salem after the witch trials in the 1690s," Elijah started to explain. "Over the next hundred years, they developed this community where they could feel safe from persecution."
"Mm-hmm," Jenna hummed. "Because they were witches."
"Yeah, but there's no tangible proof there were witches in Salem," Andie cut in. "I'm a journalist. It's literally my job to know these things."
Esmeralda cleared her throat loudly so the attention was on her. "The lore says that there was this wave of anti witch hysteria. It broke out in the neighboring settlement, so the witches were rounded up. They were tied to stakes in a field together and, well, burned."
Elijah nodded in agreement. "Some say you could hear the screams from miles around us. They were consumed by the fire."
"I wouldn't repeat this to the Historical Society," Jenna joked.
"It's starting to sound a little like a ghost story to me," John commented.
"So, why do you want to know the location of these alleged massacres?" Damon asked.
"You know… a healthy historian's curiosity, of course," Elijah replied.
Damon smiled. "Of course."
xxxx
Stefan and Elowen had decided to come back in the cabin when it got a little too cold outside. Toby's eyes met Elowen's and she had to look away because they held a judgemental look to them. He knew she lied about who she called and he knew she wasn't going to tell Stefan the truth about who had been on the phone. He also knew, however, that he was going to cover for her, just like he always did, and that he wouldn't say anything, either.
Elena had been reading the Johnathan Gilbert journals just about all day. Toby had busied himself while Elowen and Stefan had been outside, because he refused to talk to her, but now they were back inside and Elena finally spoke up now that everyone was in the house.
"Johnathan Gilbert got crazier and crazier. I guess that's what happens when you spend your life obsessed with vampires."
Nobody in the room seemed to acknowledge that she said anything. She set the current journal down, picked up another and began to read. Her eyebrows started to furrow together the further she got through the page, though.
"He researched the Originals."
This got everyone's attention.
"You're kidding." Stefan walked over to the couch she was on and peered over her shoulder. Elowen and Toby gathered there as well. Elena positioned the journal so it was where they could all see what the page said.
"Later in life. Look. Pages and pages of questions and scribbles."
She continued to flip through the pages and eventually stopped on one that had a drawing of a silver dagger on it. Toby and Stefan shared a look. They both knew exactly what this was. Elowen and Elena, on the other hand, stared at it in confusion. Elowen started to read the passage aloud.
"'The wood from one tree and one tree alone, an ancient white oak, would bring death to an Original vampire. When the tree burned, all hope was thought lost'. He was trying to figure out how to kill an Original." She kept going. "'But, the ash from the tree was saved and witches forged a dagger to which the ash could be bonded. This alchemic bond provides the necessary poison'."
"I wonder if this is true," Elena voiced out loud when Elowen was done reading. "I mean, do you think this dagger actually exists?"
Stefan had taken a few steps back from the couch and rubbed the back of his neck. "I know it does…" He glanced at Toby. "We both do."
"John gave it to Damon," Toby explained. "I was there when it happened." Elowen's face started to morph into one of anger and he quickly started to defend himself. "If I'd known they were gonna keep it from you, I would've said something! You know I wouldn't lie to you on purpose."
Elowen turned her fury onto Stefan, who simply braced himself for impact. "You kept this from me? How could you?"
"If it means keeping you safe, then Elijah has to die. I didn't tell you because I know you have some sort of soft spot for him and I knew you'd object."
"Because he has answers, Stefan! Not knowing who Marisol was, why I look like her and how she knew Elijah in the first place is eating me alive!"
"It's more than that and you know it. Something about this Marisol girl is pushing you to side with Elijah and help him. You were willing to go with him when Rose tried to pawn you off and you were so adamant that he wasn't dead when Damon tried to kill him the first time. It was almost as if you were in denial, like you didn't want him to be dead. I don't know what's going on with you, but I will not let Elijah take you, even if it means having to lock you up so you don't do anything stupid."
"Anything stupid? You think I'm being stupid? I want answers and I'll do whatever it takes to get them. Sorry for not wanting to sit back and do nothing."
"Guys," Elena softly interrupted. "Listen to this. 'It must be brandished by humans alone, for it will bring death to all demons who wield it'."
Stefan grabbed the journal from Elena and read the passage over as if what she said hadn't been true. He tossed the journal down, whipped out his phone and started to dial Damon.
"John's trying to get Damon killed."
Everyone watched on in confusion and worry. Apparently, Damon didn't answer, because Stefan was leaving a message instead.
"Why is your phone off? Call me."
"Try Ric," Elowen suggested quickly. "He might answer."
She wasn't sure what was going on, but hearing 'Damon' and 'killed' in the same sentence was usually never a good thing, especially if he was the victim. She just wanted to make sure he was okay first.
"What's going on?" Elena asked as Stefan looked through his contacts for Alaric's number.
"Damon is planning on killing Elijah. Tonight."
xxxx
Damon looked at Andie to give her the cue as everyone started getting up from the table. She understood and started to speak.
"The gentlemen should take their drinks in the study."
"I have to say, the food was almost as wonderful as the company," Elijah said.
Andie smiled. "I like you."
Jenna picked up some of the plates from the table and handed them off to John. More like shoved them into his hands. "Here you are, gentleman. Make yourself useful, hmm?"
John walked off towards the kitchen. Esmeralda had a few plates in her hands herself and Alaric came up behind her. For the first time that evening, he actually said something to her. He reached over and took the plates from her.
"Here, I got it."
Esmeralda felt relief and some hope that he would come back around flood her chest. She smiled. "Thanks."
In the kitchen, Alaric's phone started to ring. He set the plates in the sink and answered it. Stefan was on the other line, frantically spouting what sounded like nonsense at first.
"Slow down, slow down. What's going on?"
He heard Stefan take a deep breath. "Damon will die if he uses the dagger on Elijah. You've gotta stop him."
Alaric was already moving towards the library, ignoring John's suspicious looks. "Got it."
He hung up and picked up speed, catching Esmeralda's attention. She furrowed her eyebrows as feelings of hurried frenzy settled in the pit of her stomach. Something was definitely going on. By the time she made it to the library, however, Elijah was leaving the room. She stopped short. They hadn't been caught alone the entire evening and Esmeralda would've liked to keep it that way. Guess not.
"Esmeralda," Elijah acknowledged, bowing his head. "You look lovely tonight." She didn't say anything and only watched as he grabbed her hand, brought it up to his mouth and placed a kiss to the back of it. If she could get away with kissing him right then and there, she would've done it. Of course, she felt guilty for thinking such a thing, especially with Alaric in the next room over.
"Thank you," she finally managed to get out. Naturally, Alaric came out of the library at that moment and saw her hand in Elijah's and scowled. She saw him and quickly snatched her hand back. She cleared her throat and took a step back.
"Somebody said something about dessert," Elijah said to break the tension. "I should assume that we're all heading back to the dining room." He walked off, leaving Alaric and Esmeralda by themselves.
"What the hell is going on?" She asked immediately in a whisper. "And don't say nothing. You're hiding something."
Alaric inwardly groaned. He was hoping she wouldn't have caught on, but really, who was he kidding. "Trust me, you don't want to know. You'll be upset if I tell you."
Esmeralda put her hands on her hips. "Are you kidding me? You're lying to me right now?" She scoffed and shook her head. "It's bad enough you've been a big ball of jealousy tonight when you have no reason to be, and now you're keeping things a secret? You know what," she threw her hands up, "I don't care. Come back when you're ready to act like an adult."
Esmeralda left as Damon emerged from the library. He saw her retreating form and Alaric's face. He whistled and pat Alaric's shoulder.
"Trouble in paradise?"
"Shut up."
When they made it back to the dining room, Jenna had just gone back to the kitchen, while John and Esmeralda were seated back at the table. Andie said something about wanting to ask Elijah some questions, but nobody was really paying much attention. Damon took a seat and glared at John. Of course he was trying to double cross him.
"Ric, would you do me a favor and grab the notebook out of my bag?" Andie asked. Alaric walked over to her bag while everyone else kept talking.
"Elijah, did John tell you that he's Elena's uncle slash father?" Damon asked.
"Yes, I'm well aware of that," Elijah replied.
"Of course, she hates him, so there's absolutely no need to keep him on the endangered species list."
Andie looked over at Alaric and sighed. "No, it's in the front pocket. On the- You know what? Excuse me, guys. Sorry."
Andie stood up and went over to Alaric to help him find her notebook.
"What I'd like to know, Elijah, is how do you intend on killing Klaus?" John questioned.
"Gentlemen, there's a few things we should probably get clear right now. I allow you to live solely to keep an eye on Elena, and, of course, Elowen." Elijah cast a glance at Esmeralda. "I allow the two girls to remain in their houses and live their lives with their friends as they do as a courtesy. If you become a liability, I'll take them both away from you and you'll never see them again."
Andie came back with her notebook and took her seat again. "Okay. My first question is when you got here to Mystic-"
Alaric came up behind Elijah and stabbed him in the heart through the back of the chair he was sitting in. Elijah screamed in pain as his skin turned grey and he died. Esmeralda had also screamed, but instead in complete shock. She started breathing fast as she stood up from her chair, nearly knocking it over in the process and dashed over to Elijah's body. His head lolled to the side when she grabbed onto his shoulders and she had to stop her eyes from watering.
"What the hell?" She hissed loudly. "Are you insane?! There was no reason to kill him! He was our only shot to kill Klaus and trust me when I tell you that he's the bigger threat."
"He just took care of our entire problem," Damon said nonchalantly. He was walking over to Andie to compel her to forget what had just happened. "He's dead, Klaus will never know anything, Elena doesn't die and Elowen stays here. Ta-dah."
Esmeralda looked down at Elijah as she pulled his body into her arms. Damon sighed dramatically.
"Oh, don't put on that face. You're just upset because you were in love with him."
"I'm not in love with him," Esmeralda bit out through clenched teeth. She wasn't sure if she was telling the truth. Was she still in love with him? It was very likely.
"Sorry to interrupt," John interjected. "But we should probably get rid of him before Jenna comes back with dessert."
"Good idea," Damon agreed. "Ric, care to give me a hand?"
Alaric carefully unwrapped Esmeralda's hands from Elijah and refused to meet her eyes. They were filled with hurt, betrayal, shock and disbelief. Damon came around the table when he was done with Andie and helped hoist him up. They headed in the direction of the cellar.
Esmeralda moved on her own and sat back down at the table calmly. Too calm, considering her reaction to everything. John eyed her suspiciously.
Nobody said anything until Damon and Alaric came back.
xxxx
Elowen was standing outside on the balcony. She refused to talk to Stefan and Toby knew better than to try. Stefan decided to chance it and slowly walked out onto the balcony and next to her.
"Elowen, we need to talk about this."
"What good is talking if you and Damon are just gonna lie to me? You know how I am about lying, Stefan. I thought we agreed no lying ages ago."
"I know. I'm sorry."
"That's the thing, though, Stefan. You're not sorry. The story you were telling me, was it just a distraction? Did I fall straight into your trap?"
"No. I was telling you about a time when I thought that everything was lost. When I had given up, because that is exactly what you're doing now."
"I'm not giving up! I just want-"
"Answers. Yeah, I know. You want answers so bad that you're willing to let Elijah take you away. That sounds like giving up to me."
"I never said I was going to let him take me away. You're putting words in my mouth."
"But if that's what it came to, would you? Go with him?"
"Of… of course not! What do you think I am, a martyr?"
"You hesitated."
"What?"
"Just now. You hesitated. At least admit that it's crossed your mind. We both know it has. You are giving up, in some shape or form, and Lexi? She wouldn't let me give up. I'm not gonna let you."
Stefan and Lexi are walking through a camp filled with injured and dead soldiers.
"All of these men are dead or dying. What does that make you feel?" Lexi asked.
"Nothing," Stefan replied. "I feel nothing."
"Because you shut out the part of you that was human. The part that lets you feel."
"Is that not the point?"
"Well, there is a better way. You simply have to want it."
"Is it better?"
"Not at first. You can't choose what you feel. You have to let it all back in. The pain and the look in their eyes when you took their life. The cries of their loved ones."
"Why would I want to do that, hmm?"
"Because once you can hurt, you can love. Love, Stefan. That's the point. Everything is intensified when you're a vampire. When we hurt, we really hurt. But when we love…" She trailed off with a smile.
"Lexi showed me that there was another way," Stefan explained when he was done with his story. "And from that day forward, I started fighting for it. For my own survival." Stefan brushed his fingers across Elowen's cheek. "That's all I want you to do. I just want you to fight for it."
"You're not listening to me, Stefan. I'm fighting for what I want, not what you want me to fight for. You want me to fight against Elijah. I want to fight with Elijah, against Klaus. You know, the bigger threat here? Elijah has no reason to harm us unless we harm him first." Elowen sighed. "You're right. I want answers badly and I plan to do what I have to in order to get them, but I would never let him take me away. The fact that you'd even think that just shows me that you've lost faith in me, Stefan. I can do this by myself. It's what I've done since I was 12 and it's what I plan to do now."
"That's the thing, though, Elle. You don't have to do it alone anymore."
"The problem is, unless I do it your way, I have no choice but to do it myself. You're not willing to help me, Stefan. All I want is answers. Is that too much to ask for?"
Elowen grabbed onto his hand that was still on her cheek and pulled it down. She stared at him for a moment before she left and went back inside, leaving Stefan outside by himself.
xxxx
Elowen's phone rang a little while later. She had retreated into the room she had been staying in while Stefan, Elena and Toby stayed downstairs. She recognized the number as the one she called earlier and knew it was Elijah.
"Is it safe for me to speak?" He asked when she answered the phone. She got up, went to the bathroom and turned on the sink.
"It should be now," she replied.
"I'm going to assume you had nothing to do with tonight's events, considering you tried to warn me. Am I correct?"
"Yes. I didn't even know they had the dagger until an hour ago. I promise."
"I believe you. Now, do you mind telling me where you and the doppelganger are residing? Your lovely little boyfriend Damon broke the deal and I told them what would happen if it came to this. I'm sorry to say that I'm going to have to take you and Elena away with me."
"Why me? I know why you need Elena, but why me? Protecting me was part of the deal and you just said the deal is broken."
"I think you know exactly why. You just want to hear me say it."
"Then say it. Say it's because of her."
"It's true you share a resemblance-"
"It's more than just a resemblance and you know it. You want to know why I look like her just as much as I do. Am I a doppelganger like Elena? Is that it?"
"I believe it's something else. Something we can find out together if you come with me. I'll take you by force if I have to."
"I'm not her. I'm not Marisol. You can't force me to be her. Whatever relationship you had with her, that's not gonna be me. I want to make that very clear."
"I agree that you are not her and I would never try to make you be something that you're not. Now, I understand that you disagree with what Stefan and Damon are trying to do and I've gathered that you don't want anything to do with their antics. Because of this, I'm willing to strike a deal with you and only you. I will protect you from Klaus and anything he might want to do with you, as long as you come with me. I realize you're very big on family and they're what's holding you back, yes?"
"Yes."
"I'll make sure to protect them, too, so long as they come with as well. I can't do that if they're miles away, can I? I do believe your mother will be more than willing."
Elowen furrowed her eyebrows. "What makes you say that?"
She heard Elijah chuckle. "It's a long story that I'll be sure to fill you in on, but for now, take my word for it."
Elowen thought this over. "I don't know if I can convince my younger brother. He has a girlfriend, Caroline. And my aunt. She has a girlfriend, too. Sydney. What about them?"
"I don't know if I can take that many people. We'll be on the move a lot."
"You either get all of us or none of us."
There was a pause as Elijah considered this. "Very well. You have my word that I'll keep you all safe."
Elowen breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. We're staying at a lake house Elena's parents owned. I'll text you the address."
"Thank you."
"Yeah."
The line ended and for a moment, Elowen stared at her phone. She knew she'd told Stefan she wouldn't let him take her, but she had a feeling he knew she'd been lying, or at least had an inkling of an idea. She came to terms with what she'd done and moved to text Elijah her location.
When she came downstairs, Damon was there. She slowly came to a stop at the bottom of the steps at the sight of him. He spotted her and walked over.
"What are you doing here?" Elowen asked.
"There's no doubt that Elijah is on his way over here as we speak. I'm here to make sure you stay safe."
"He's coming here because you double crossed him like an idiot." Elowen moved past him. "I can keep myself safe."
"Is this about that Marisol chick Stefan so graciously filled me in about? Which, by the way, I'm assuming I was never going to hear about from you. If you want to know about her so badly, ask your mom."
Elowen stopped short and turned back around. "What are you talking about? Why would my mom know about her?"
Damon paused like he'd been caught doing something he wasn't supposed to be doing.
"... You mean you don't know?"
"Don't know what, Damon?"
"Your mom and Elijah have a history together. He watched over her when you were a baby, kept Klaus away from her. He told her a story about your ancestor who tried to help Klaus break the curse without the doppelganger. She tried to recreate the gene and in order to do that, she had to impregnate herself. Her daughter's name was Marisol, Elowen."
"That doesn't tell me why I look like her!"
"Isn't it obvious? The spell must've worked to some extent, which means you're a doppelganger just like Elena."
"No. Doppelganger's are a natural phenomenon of magic. A shadow person. You can't just create a doppelganger by accident."
"And how do you know?"
"I don't. The same way you don't know. Like I told Stefan, I want answers and I'll do whatever it takes to get them."
Before Damon could say anything else, she left. She went out through the front door and sat down on the porch. She would wait for Elijah to show up and hopefully be able to warn him again. If Damon was here, that meant the dagger was, too.
She was outside for maybe 20 minutes when she saw movement in the driveway. Immediately, she stood up and started towards it. It was, of course, Elijah.
"Damon is here," she told him when she reached him. "He's no doubt brought the dagger with him."
"Thank you for the tip. I'll be fine."
"No, he means business this time. He knows not to take the dagger out now."
"And I said I'll be fine."
Elowen walked in front of him and put her hands on his chest. "Why didn't you tell me? About how Marisol was born?"
Elijah actually stopped and looked down at her. "How did you find out about that?"
"Damon told me, who found out from my mom. He said you have a history together. What kind of history?"
"Like I said on the phone, it's a long story that I'll fill you in on later."
Elowen still didn't move out of his way. He sighed, reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the moonstone. Elowen's eyebrows furrowed.
"How did you-"
"Nevermind that." He took her hand and placed it in her palm. "If anything happens to me, which I doubt, keep this safe. You did a good job of it the first time and I expect nothing less from you. Now, would you mind stepping aside?"
Elowen stared at Elijah and then at the stone. She placed it in her back pocket and moved out of the way. Elijah continued his trek towards the house, knelt down about halfway, picked up a handful of rocks and then went on his way. When he reached the door, he threw the rocks at it and broke it off its hinges. Elowen was right behind him.
"You know," he spoke up. "I might not be able to enter this house… But, I'm a very patient man. I'll wait you out."
Elena slowly crept out of her hiding spot. Toby and Stefan were standing off to the side while Damon was somewhere else in the house.
"They shouldn't have done what they did," she said.
"The deal is off," Elijah responded in a monotone voice.
"I'm renegotiating."
"You have nothing left to negotiate with."
There was a moment of silence. Then, Elena pulled a knife out from behind her back. Elijah looked amused and glanced back at Elowen as if to see if she found it as funny as he did.
"I'd like to see you lure Klaus into Mystic Falls after the doppelganger bleeds to death."
"Stefan won't let you die."
"No, he won't. He'll feed me his blood to heal me, and then I'll kill myself and become a vampire, just like Katherine did. So, unless you want that to happen, promise me the same as before. Promise me you won't harm anyone I love, even if they've harmed you."
Elijah, still amused, looked back at Elowen again. "What do you think? Is she bluffing?"
Elowen and Elena stared at each other for a moment. Finally, Elowen nodded.
"She doesn't want to become a vampire. There's no way she'd actually kill herself."
"Yeah?" Elena challenged. "How are you so sure?"
"We may not agree on a lot of things, Elena, but wanting to stay human is one of them. You might have the guts to stab yourself, but you would never let yourself die with vampire blood in your system."
Elena lifted the knife and took a deep breath. She hesitated for a minute before plunging the knife into her stomach. Elijah tried to rush forward, but Elowen quickly grabbed the back of his suit and pulled him back.
"Stay away from the door."
Elena crumpled to the floor, the knife clattering next to her. Elijah's chest rose and fell anxiously, watching her bleed out. He didn't say anything and neither did Elowen. Elena's breathing started to get shallower and shallower and Elijah attempted to step forward again. Elowen caught his arm this time and stopped him.
"So, that's it?" Elena asked weakly. "You're just going to let me die? What about Klaus?"
"He can lure Klaus out with me," Elowen stated from behind Elijah. "My bloodline is just as important to him as the doppelganger is."
"You're sure about this?" Elijah asked Elowen under his breath. She nodded confidently. As if on cue, Stefan came sliding out from his hiding spot, quickly bit into his wrist and pressed it against Elena's mouth.
"See? I told you."
Elijah's shoulders relaxed as he watched Stefan help Elena onto her feet. Elena bent over and retrieved the knife from the ground. Slowly, she held it up to her throat.
"You've already underestimated me once," she said. "Are you sure you want to do it again?"
Elijah swallowed and looked at Elowen again. He was only putting his trust in her decisions because he now knew she held the same power as Marisol and she had never steered him wrong when she had been alive. Elowen nodded at him and he nodded back.
"Go ahead," he told Elena. "Do it."
Elena was breathing shakily and tightly gripped the handle of the knife. After a few moments, she pulled the knife away and dropped it. It fell back onto the ground with a loud clang.
"Come on." Elowen tugged on Elijah's sleeve. "She'll have to come out sometime."
"You go on ahead," Elijah replied. "Pack your things. I'll stay here."
"Pack your things?" Stefan repeated. Confusion, realization and then hurt crossed Stefan's face, in that order. "You mean…? But you said-"
"I lied," Elowen cut him off. "It doesn't feel nice to be lied to, does it?"
"Look, we can figure this out together," Stefan started to say quickly before she could leave. "I promise! I'll help you, I swear! Just please don't go."
"I'm sorry, Stefan. Let's be real here. Running was my only real option. We lure Klaus out and then what? There's only one shot at killing him and there's a chance it won't work. What am I supposed to do then? Elijah can protect me. He's an Original. That's gotta mean something, right?"
"Then, let me come with! Please."
"I hate to break it to you, Stefan," Elijah spoke. "But that was not part of our deal, and even if it was, I wouldn't let you. I can't trust you to not try and kill me again."
"This doesn't make you any better than me," Elena pointed out. "You're giving up before you even tried to fight."
"I know," Elowen responded. "The only difference is I never had a chance. You did."
Suddenly, there was a loud banging noise from somewhere outside. Elijah sighed and turned around.
"You'll never stand a chance. Give it a rest, will you?"
Damon zoomed out into the yard, wielding a bat he must've found somewhere inside the lake house.
"Maybe not, but there's no way I'm letting you take her without a fight."
"Very well. Let's get this over with, shall we?"
"Don't kill him," Elowen said hastily. "Do what you have to, but please don't kill him."
Elijah ignored her and started towards Damon. She tried to rush forward to try and stop it, but someone caught her arm and dragged her inside the house. It was Stefan. Toby was nowhere to be seen. She struggled against his grip, but of course, it was useless.
Damon swung the bat at Elijah, who easily caught it, tore it out of his hands and broke it in half. Damon used this opportunity to punch Elijah in the face, although he wasn't even fazed. As they continued to fight, Toby carefully came into view, holding the dagger in his hands. Elowen saw this, widened her eyes and opened her mouth.
"Elij-"
Stefan covered her mouth with his hand and she started to thrash around in his arms even harder. Elijah was too distracted with Damon that he didn't seem to notice Toby using his own enhanced wolf speed to close in on him.
Elijah had his fingers wrapped around Damon's throat and he sensed Toby last second. He moved to let go of Damon, who grabbed hold of one of the hands that had been around his neck to try and hold Elijah back. Elijah had his eyes on Damon for the fastest second as he pulled his arm back, threw Damon several feet away and turned on Toby. He must've not been fast enough, because Toby reached Elijah and managed to stab him through the heart with the dagger. Elowen screamed through Stefan's hand and watched as the scene melted into something else.
"Come, we must run," said the man Elowen remembered was named Kol said. His hand tightly held onto Marisol's as he pulled her through the trees.
"But, the sacrifice is tonight," Marisol told him. "I can't miss it. Nik will be mad."
"Screw what he thinks. You deserve to live."
"That's not what I was born for. I'm supposed to die. That's how it's always been."
"Are you even listening to yourself? They've brainwashed you into thinking that's what your purpose is. It's not. You can have a life, Marisol. Children. Don't you want children?"
Marisol paused. "I never thought about it."
Kol continued leading Marisol through a little village somewhere in Puerto Rico. The village was dead. It was early morning and nobody was awake yet. Kol had awoken Marisol before the sun had risen and was trying to get her away before Elijah and Klaus woke. She was in nothing but a white nightgown, but Kol had told her he'd get her proper clothes once they were safe.
"You've never thought about many things because you were never given the opportunity. Please, hurry."
He could only go so fast since she was human, and he was in such a frenzy that he didn't think to pick her up and speed away.
"Kol, I need to stop. I can't breathe."
It was true. Marisol was completely out of breath and she was having a hard time keeping up. Kol stopped and took hold of her face.
"Don't you want to be free? You've never even thought about what life would be like away from here? Never?"
Marisol panted loudly and could only bring herself to shake her head. Kol sighed.
"I'm going to make sure you live, Marisol, even if it's that last thing I do."
He leaned in to kiss her, but was abruptly jerked away by two men who appeared to be compelled. They dragged him away from Marisol and Elijah and a man Elowen didn't know the name of came into view. Elowen assumed this was Nik.
"Oh, it'll be the last thing you do, alright," Nik spoke tauntingly. He was brandishing a dagger in his hand and approached Kol. Marisol tried to run forward, but Elijah gently grabbed onto her arms.
"No! No, leave him alone!" Marisol screamed. "Leave him alone! Kol!"
"You need to run, Marisol!" Kol yelled back. "Please, run!"
"She'll be going nowhere, Kol." Nik was standing over Kol now and grabbed him by the throat before he could push the two men off. Marisol let out another scream. She watched helplessly as Nik thrust the dagger through Kol's heart, exactly where it had been when she'd found him in his coffin a month or so prior. His skin started to turn grey and he slowly went limp.
"Kol!" Marisol shouted. "Kol! No! Let me go! Kol!"
"Kol!" Elowen cried, though it was muffled through Stefan's hand. In his short bout of confusion (who was Kol?), he let her go and she sailed forward. She made it about halfway before Damon caught her.
"Kol! No!" She yelled again, fighting against his grip. Damon looked down at her with furrowed eyebrows and looked at Stefan, who was just as lost as he was. Even Toby looked like he was thrown for a loop.
"Wen, who's Kol? What are you talking about?" Damon asked, but instead of getting an answer, Elowen turned her wide eyes onto him and started trying to pry his hands off of her in an attempt to run away.
"Who are you?! Let go of me!" She stamped her foot down on his and caught him off guard enough for him to let her go. She ran off and stopped short when she saw Elijah's body. She immediately started to cry. "What have you done?! Where's Nik? What did you do with Nik?"
Toby quickly stood in front of Elijah's body when she tried to make a move towards it and she tripped over her feet going backwards. Stefan walked out of the cabin and slowly started walking towards Elowen, his hands up in surrender.
"... Marisol?" He tried softly. Elowen turned towards him and started scrambling to her feet.
"How do you know my name? Who are you people?"
Elowen's voice started to grow thicker and thicker with a Spanish accent the longer she talked. Stefan continued to make his way towards her.
"My name is Stefan," he calmly told her. "We're here to help you."
"Like Kol tried to help?"
Stefan played along and nodded his head. "We're friends of Kol's," he lied. "He wanted us to help you."
The longer he talked, the more Elowen seemed to calm down. Her eyes were still wildly darting around, but she wasn't trying to run anymore.
"Nik killed him because he tried to help. You need to go before he kills you, too. Please. I'm supposed to die. There's nothing you can do."
"You're supposed to die?"
"That's how it's always been. Nik needs me for the ritual. He says I'm important and that he can't break the curse without me."
"The sun and moon curse?"
"No. The curse that binds-" Suddenly, Elowen blinked rapidly and started to shake her head, as if trying to get rid of the fog in her brain. When she looked back up, she looked around at her surroundings as if she didn't know where she was for a minute. She saw Stefan standing a few feet away from her. "Stefan?" Her voice was back to normal and the accent was gone. "Wha- What happened? Where am I?"
"You're at the lake house," Stefan replied.
Elowen wiped at her face furiously when she realized she'd been crying. "Why am I crying? What's going on?" She turned and saw Toby standing in front of Elijah's body and started towards it. Stefan quickly stood in front of her.
"I don't think that's a good idea. You…"
"I what, Stefan? What did I do?"
"I don't… know. You… it's like Marisol took over your body."
"What?"
"I don't know how to explain it. You were her, without a doubt. You said- she said she was meant to die for the ritual and that it wasn't about the sun and moon curse. You came to before she could answer."
They all sat there in silence for a long moment. Finally, Damon broke it.
"Well, as fun as this was, I think it's time I moved our old buddy Elijah."
Elowen tried going towards his body again, but Stefan grabbed her more forcefully. She struggled against him as she watched Damon haul him over his shoulder.
"No, no! He has answers! Stefan, please, he has answers!"
"Do you really think he can explain what the hell just happened?" Damon asked. "Because I don't think so."
Elowen pushed Stefan off of her and instead went back towards the lake house. She walked passed Elena and headed upstairs. When Stefan caught up to her, she was stuffing her clothes back in her suitcase.
"Where are you going?" He asked
"Home," Elowen replied shortly.
Stefan sighed. "We need to talk."
"No, we don't."
"Yes, we do! You were just going to leave with him without a fight! You lied!"
"You lied, too!" Elowen whirled around on Stefan and pointed an accusatory finger at him. "You do not get to lecture me about lying when you're just as much at fault." She turned back and continued putting her clothes in her suitcase and closed it up when she was done. "I'm going home. Don't bother following me."
Damon was already gone when she exited the house. She threw her things into her car and got in. She started it up and pulled out of the driveway, leaving Stefan, Toby and Elena there. Toby sighed as he watched her leave.
"You fucked up big time," he said when he felt Stefan stop next to him.
"Yeah."
"Pro tip. Giving her space won't help. She's really good at holding a grudge, especially when it comes to lying."
"Do you think you could talk to her? She'll listen to you. You're her best friend."
Toby made a wincing sound. "I don't know about that. I'll try, but I'm not making any promises."
"Regardless, thank you."
"Yeah. Don't worry about it."
xxxx
Damon entered his room in confusion when he heard the water running in his bathroom. He'd just put Elijah in the cellar and put a lock on the door in case Elowen tried to undagger him behind their backs. He wouldn't put it past her at the moment.
Entering the bathroom warily, it quickly turned into shock when he saw Katherine exiting the shower.
"Hello, Damon," she said. "Hey, do you have a robe?"
"How did you get out?" He asked in disbelief.
"I knew that if I begged you not to kill Elijah, that's exactly what you'd do. Little known fact, Originals can compel vampires, but as soon as they die, the compulsion wears off."
A thought occurred to Damon and dread washed over him.
"What about Luis? Where is he?"
Katherine rolled her eyes. "Still rotting in the tomb. He's too weak to anything, let alone move. He might try to drag himself out when he realizes he can leave, but I doubt it. Look, I didn't run. I meant what I said, Damon. I'm going to help you. So, how about that robe?"
Damon walked down the stairs, holding a suitcase, and headed for the door. Lexi walked out of the next room over and he stopped.
"Going somewhere?" She asked.
"You must be the vampire I hear my brother complaining about," Damon replied.
"That would be me. And you must be the brother who hates him."
Lexi walked closer to him. Damon set his suitcase down.
"We are at irreparable odds."
"You know the hate you're feeling towards Stefan? Towards everyone? You think you have it under control, but you don't. It will get the best of you."
Damon picked his suitcase back up. "Help him. He needs it."
Lexi nodded. "I'll help him."
Damon opened the front door and left.
xxxx
Author's Note: i was originally very excited when i first wrote this chapter, so i'm really excited about it finally getting published. i think this was one of my fave chapters to write for season 2, as we get to see more into marisol's past. honestly, the whole marisol plot was one of the most original things i've ever thought of and i'm so stoked that y'all finally get to see it. i hope y'all review this one because i'm pretty proud of it :)