Chapter 37

Damon stormed out into the open breathing heavily. His brother could be aggravating and suffocating. Why was it so bad that he wanted to be selfish and save his brother and why did it seem like he really couldn't find a way to make anything good happen. How was he possibly going to save Stefan when he himself had no idea where Klaus was and how could he trade Elena in?

Damon then glanced up in shock and horror and noticed Caroline and Katherine dragging a lifeless Elena towards an old pickup truck.

"What the hell are you guys doing?" Damon vamped into super speed and was beside them in a second.

Katherine grunted as she pulled Elena by her shoulders. When Damon placed his hand on her shoulder she dropped Elena lifelessly onto the floor with a huge thud. Caroline flinched at the impact of Elena's head on the cold floor. She was definitely going to wake up with one hell of a headache. That was for sure she thought.

"What does it look like I'm doing Damon? I'm sorting out the problem." Katherine spat aggravated.

"This isn't sorting out the problem? You think Stefan would want this?" Damon asked as he helped lift Elena in to the back of the truck.

"Oh really then why are you helping us lift her lifeless body into the truck?" Katherine mocked hands on her hips.

Damon frowned.

"I don't want her to be on the floor." He answered in a defensive tone.

"Keep convincing yourself, Salvatore." Katherine huffed as she made her way towards the front of the truck.

Damon glanced at Caroline and for the first time he noticed that she was rather unusually quiet. She looked devastated and torn. It wasn't surprising and he realized that he was looking into a mirror and seeing himself. Caroline must have also known that Elena was the only solution to this.

"You know where Klaus is?" Damon cleared his throat stifling his hurt.

Katherine glanced over him and scoffed.

"No."

"Then what are you doing with her?" Damon asked confused.

"Katherine knows someone that can help. We just need Elena as proof." Caroline murmured quietly.

"Someone who can help? Who the hell is going to help us, Katherine? No one knows how to kill the big bad Klaus. We might as well hand over Elena that's the only solution to all of this." Damon sighed.

Katherine made a tutting sound before coming over to Damon's side.

"You doubt me?" She asked coyly.

"Now's not the time for mind games and your pathetic attempts at seduction." Damon huffed annoyed at the brunette.

"It worked last night didn't it?" Katherine whispered playing with the nape of his neck.

"Eww tone it down you two." Caroline frowned disapprovingly.

Damon stepped away from Katherine before looking back at the cabin. Perhaps Katherine did know of someone that could help but he didn't trust her. Yes they had their tryst and it was good the night before. It was always good with Katherine. But he didn't love her or have any romantic attachments to her. He had long surpassed those feelings. What they now shared was mutual sex.

"Who is it?" Damon asked.

Katherine sighed and made her way to move towards the passenger side of the vehicle but Damon wrapped his hand around her wrist so that she couldn't escape.

"Katherine tell me now."Damon said through gritted teeth.

Katherine shoved him off her angrily and pulled her mouth into a jagged line before speaking.

"Where does evil come from?" She asked annoyance laced in her voice.

"What the fuck is this, some guessing game? I don't have time for this shit." Damon made his way towards the back of the truck to retrieve Elena's body but Katherine intervened and stepped in his way.

"It's a simple answer. We aren't born evil were made evil. The big bad hybrid has an even bigger and evil father his name is Mikael. He's the vampire who hunts vampires. I happen to know where he is and I know how to persuade him." Katherine growled out.

Damon glanced up at Caroline, Caroline looked convinced by this story, clearly Katherine had told her.

"You expect me to believe that Klaus has a dad?" Damon asked perplexed.

Katherine frowned.

"He does and I've met him enough times in my life to know that he is very much real and he very much hates his son. Klaus is building an army of hybrids against his father. That's who his big bad enemy is. I show him Elena we make a deal."

"What makes you think that he would keep to his word?" Damon asked.

"Mikael wants him dead. Klaus has been on the run for centuries from him. He will also know about this connection between Caroline and Stefan." Katherine glanced sideways at Caroline.

"You know?" Damon asked looking at Caroline.

Caroline nodded before speaking,

"I know about the moonstone ... Katherine's wish ... I know about everything." She spoke monosyllable.

Damon frowned.

"Then do you realize that you have to die to save Stefan, Caroline?"

"I know, Damon and I' prepared to die to save him." Caroline answered.

"Don't be a fucking maytr, Caroline. Don't be like Stefan. He won't survive without you. Do you think he would be happy knowing that you sacrificed your life for his? It won't work and it's not fair. If he loses you he will take his own life. There is no doubt about it." Damon said exasperated.

"Then you will be there for him. You'll convince him to live. He needs you. You're his brother and I know you love him. You'll stop him from doing anything drastic." Caroline answered defensively.

Death wasn't scary in her own opinion it was inevitable. A year ago when she was a petty human death would have scared her but now that she was contemplating death it wasn't a bad way to go. Yes she would be leaving her mother, but her mom was a fighter and would make it. She would miss everyone ... even Katherine and Damon surprisingly. And she would miss Stefan the most. But she had one chance to save his life and she was going to use it. Her life meant nothing if a world without him was what she would have to face.

"Drastic you say? Caroline he will turn into the ripper? He'll slaughter the whole town your mother included." Damon growled grabbing at his tuff of black hair in frustration.

"He won't turn into the ripper. He'll be incapable of turning his humanity off. It's kind of a glitch with the curse. When the other half decides the fate of the other the curse works. Caroline is and will always be the reason Stefan is drawn away from the dark. If she makes it her wish that he can never switch it off then he can't do it." Katherine sighed.

Damon glanced back towards the cabin. His brother was there and dying. A year ago, Damon had been in that position. He had been prepared to die. He wasn't a hero and heroes didn't live. But his brother, the true hero, made a plan and sacrificed his humanity for him. Who was he to refuse his brother the same chance.

"Why didn't you mention this earlier, you had us chasing down leads." Damon asked Katherine.

"I was hopeful that I would avoid Mikael. He doesn't have a nice reputation and he despises me. I wanted to check and see if there were other options. But clearly there's not." Katherine swept her hair over her shoulder before climbing into the truck.

"I'm going with." Damon scowled.

"You can't. You have to look after him, Damon." Caroline sighed opening the passenger door.

Damon moved in closer towards Caroline and whispered,

"I'm scared. What if this doesn't work?"

Caroline looked into his eyes, eyes that she had always assumed to be cold and mischievous. In those blue eyes she saw unadutured terror and fear. He didn't want to lose Stefan.

"It will. You have to stay with him. Keep him sane. Don't tell him where I've gone." Caroline sniffed tears pooling in her grey eyes.

"What must I tell him, Barbie?" Damon said softly.

"That my mom is in danger and I needed to go. Make up story when he's healed. Say I died protecting her or something." She said sobbing uncontrollably.

Damon moved forward and embraced the blonde girl. They stood in silence just hugging each other. They both knew this was going to be the end. The final straw. Caroline was the first to pull away. She breathed in deeply and wiped her tears away.

"Goodbye, Damon."

Caroline climbed into the truck. Damon nodded and watched as they drove down the lane.

"Goodbye Miss Forbes." He whispered in the silence.