"Where's Elena?" His voice was demanding, hard and cool as a stone.

"She's with Elijah again", his brother, who'd been walking back and forth across the living room but now stopped, answered. "We're going to trust her with this, Damon. Elijah apparently knows a way to save her. He is in her debt – she did give him back his life, and he is obviously a man of honor. All that's endangering her now, is you and your stubbornness."

"No! First of all he is a vampire. Elena doesn't get to make these decisions anymore. Am I the only one who remember what happened the last time she was going to solve this? She is going to get herself killed and I am going to hold you responsible." The last words were no more than a threatening hiss and his eyes held all the contempt and rage he felt towards his little brother at the moment.

Stefan was in front of him in the fraction of a second, the movement so fast human eyes wouldn't even have caught it.

"No. The one that's getting her killed here is you, Damon. And if your the one that causes anything happening to her, I will kill you", he stated simply.

Then it was Damon's turn to use vampire speed, throwing Stefan across the room, into a bookshelf.

"Two things, little brother. One: you don't threaten me. Two: I'd love to see you try."

With these words and an additional smirk, Damon got his phone, entered "Favorites", pressed "Elena" and then clicked on her cell.

He waited impatiently while the signals went through. Across the room, Stefan stood motionless, just looking at him. She wasn't picking up, he realized, took the phone from his ear and cancelled the call. He turned around and went for the door. Stefan followed him in vampire speed.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm finding her, before she kills herself", Damon answered shortly.

"How? You have absolutely no idea where she is."

Damon slowly turned to give his brother a piercing gaze.

"You know, don't you?"

"I don't", Stefan answered him truthfully.

Damon turned to the door again and reached for the handle. He sighed when he felt the quick wind created by the movement from Stefan, positioning himself right behind Damon.

"What now?"

"Leave her alone." Stefan's growl was so deep and so furious human eyes barely would have been able to make out the words. His expression was suddenly enraged.

"Really, Stefan? Do you really think this is necessary?"

"Do you?"

Damon spun around in an instant, but Stefan was ready for him and the both went for each other, which resulted in the same position they had been locked in the previous night: Damon's hands around Stefan's neck, Stefan's hands around Damon's.

They stood like that, completely motionless except for their hands, slowly tightening the grips on each other's necks, until they were interrupted by the sound of Stefan's phone. The same word, or name rather, instantly ran through the two vampires' heads: Elena. They immediately released their holds on each other so that Stefan could get his phone out of his jeans pocket – he answered it before taking time to look at the screen to see who it was.

"Elena?"

"No..." The voice was not the one of his girlfriend, but he one of his girlfriend's best friend, the witch, Stefan realized with great disappointment.

"What's wrong?" she asked, a bit alarmed by his urgent tone.

"Uhm... Did she call you?"

"Yes, she's told us about the plan. I'm guessing she's with Elijah now."

"Good guess", he said tensely.

Damon stood still and quiet, listening to Bonnie. Stefan felt the childish urge to lower the volume so much that even Damon's vampire hearing wouldn't be able to pick up Bonnie's words, but he knew it would be nothing but unnecessary.

"I really don't like her being alone with him, either. But I think we have no choice but to trust them both this time."

Stefan nodded to himself. Damon snorted.

"When's the last time you talked to her?" she continued.

"About half an hour ago. She's only been away for an hour or so."

"Okay. I just called, but she didn't pick up."

"Yeah, I know. I've been calling her a bit too much. She's promised to let me call once every half hour," he admitted.

"Yeah, I guessed so, I just wanted to make sure you were in touch with her. I heard Damon was being... Damon." She was about to continue, but Stefan cut in:

"Yeah... yeah, he is. You know, I think I'll try calling Elena again, just to make sure she's okay." The huge stone he'd been carrying around in the pit of his stomach had started growing quickly when Bonnie'd mentioned that Elena hadn't answered her phone. He finished the conversation and called her cell. His impatience, which grew for each of the signals that went by, was reflected on Damon's face. No answer. He called again. No answer. Again. No answer.

The panic grew inside Stefan as he looked up at his brother's face. Damon's forehead was creased, his gaze focused on something either located very far away or just non-existing.