Disclaimer: I only own my OCs

A/N: Happy New Year! I, for one, will be glad when this year is over, hopefully the next one will be a lot better! This was a fun chapter to write, we get some bonding, some cheeky Alexa and some internal thoughts, including what she thinks about Stefan, which is a very complicated thing, considering all that has happened. Which is a time for a friendly reminder that I do actually love Stefan, even if I am a bit mean to him!

XXX

"Alexa hurry up," Elena rolled her eyes at me as I carefully stuck little inspirational flags to the muffins that I had baked. It was a gift to Ric, who was on house arrest back at his apartment. I was getting the same treatment but, luckily, I was allowed to remain here.

"You can't rush perfection," I murmured, placing the muffins in one of my many cake boxes. I had far too many. But that meant that I could gift baked goods to people without immediately demanding my boxes back. I ignored my twin as she muttered behind me, eager to go check on Ric. Jenna had spent the night there, after spending all of yesterday looking after me. But out dear aunt had been radio silent and I knew that Elena was worried. If it wasn't for the fact that both of the Salvatore brothers were over there, I would be worried too. But I knew that they would look after our guardians. Once the muffins were safely in the box, I straightened up and shook my head at my twin's impatient look, "I'm all done. Geez, Ellie, calm down."

"Why are you so calm?" my sister asked, grabbing my coat for me and helping me put it on. I grabbed the box before following her out of the door.

While Elena looked it, I sighed and shrugged, "I dunno. Maybe its those herbs that Bonnie gave me."

There was another reason why I was trying to remain calm. Despite the spell that my witchy friend had cast, I was still scared about getting angry. I didn't know what triggered my evil side to come out to play. And while the spell seemed to be working so far, I didn't want to do anything to screw it up. And if that meant having a zen attitude, then I would do just that.

"You are taking them, aren't you?" Ellie asked, a slightly worried hint to her voice as we got in the car. I glanced at her and rolled my eyes.

"Elena, darling, you watched me chug them last night," I reminded her, gently rapping my knuckles against her head. "And I have a lovely bottle waiting for me when we get home."

My sister sighed and conceded the point. But I knew that she still worried. It was fine. I worried too. I was just covering it up with other stuff. Like baking muffins and teasing my sister. I kept it going while we stopped off to grab some takeaway coffee from our favourite coffee shop, I kept it going as we parked up by Ric's apartment. And I didn't stop until she was knocking on Ric's apartment door.

I stared at the door, carefully avoiding my sister's annoyed glance. But I could tell that she was secretly relived. If I was teasing her like I normally did, then it meant that I was myself, and not my psycho side. I didn't know if that part of me was serious, but I got the feeling that it was a bit of killjoy.

When the door opened, I could feel the small smile on my face increasing. Damon winked at me before glancing between me and my sister, "Morning ladies."

"Morning," I gave a small wave, since I knew that I would have to be the polite one. My sister didn't do polite when she was on a mission.

"Hey, how's Alaric?" Elena asked, stepping forward. I was surprised when my vampire quickly closed the door a bit more, blocking the rest of it with his body. Huh, that was suspicious. What had they been up to in there? There better not have been a party. It would be very annoying if there was a party and I wasn't invited.

"Indecent, but fine," Damon shrugged, tapping my nose when I went up on tip toes, trying to see past him. There were no signs of a party, even a small one. So if it wasn't a party, then it had to be because my aunt slept over.

"Eww," I scrunched up my nose before raising my voice. "We're impressionable kids, Jenna! You're not supposed to let on that you're having sex!"

I heard a muffled, "Alexa, shut up!" and nodded my head in satisfaction. At least I knew what they had been up to now. And that was probably why Jenna hadn't answered her phone. She was too busy getting it on with her boyfriend.

Elena rolled her eyes at me before asking, "So then, does that mean that there were no issues last night?"

"Nope," my vampire shook his head. "Slept like a baby, woke up Alaric. No headlines about dead Council members." Damon switched his gaze to me, "I'm assuming that there were no issues with you."

I nodded, "If there were, then neither Elena nor Caroline picked up on them. So I'm gonna with it all went okay and no one got to play the stabbing game."

There was a relieved look in my boyfriend's eyes at my words. I knew that he wanted to spend the night with me, but Ric was the bigger threat. While we didn't know for certain who had done the killing between the two of us, it was a safe bet that it was Ric. Since, you know, he was taller and stronger than me. Besides, Ric had had a psycho episode more recently. He was the one that needed the stronger bodyguards.

"Why do I still feel like you're hiding something from us?" Elena crossed her arms and asked, a suspicious look on her face as she stared at my vampire.

"Well, maybe because you're being all paranoid and control freaky," Damon shrugged and I nodded.

"You have been like that this morning, Ellie," I ignored the dirty look that she gave me while my boyfriend took my cake box from my hands.

"What'd you bring me?" he asked, opening it and take a deep breath. "Ooh, chocolate muffins. You know what they say: a way to a psycho killer's heart is through his stomach."

"I remembered that it worked with you," I giggled at the look Damon gave me. "So I wondered if it would work with Evil Ric."

"They aren't for you, Damon," my sister rolled her eyes at him, gesturing for him to give the box back to me.

"Well, some of them kinda are," I shrugged, letting out a whine when Elena looked at me. "What? Some are for Stefan and Jenna too. It's rude to not make enough for everyone. Don't worry, there is enough for Ric, both his normal and his psycho side."

"And we all appreciate it," Damon gave me one of the special smiles that he gave me when there were others around. "But sadly, Ric is gonna have to miss twin time today. You know, lockdown and all."

"Yeah, I figured," I sighed sadly before raising my voice. "Love you, Ric, see you soon! We miss you!"

"Well, that was easier than asking Damon to pass on a message," Ellie shook her head but I could see a smile tugging at her lips. She glanced over at my vampire as she placed the coffee on the cake box, "Just call us if you need anything."

"You just focus on taking care of the other troublemaker," he rolled his eyes at her before tugging me forward. Damon planted a quick kiss on my lips before whispering in my ear, "Be careful, Ally. Take your herbs and I'll see you later."

"See you later, Day," I shook my head as he let his worrywart side out to play. But I did my best to reassure him. "I'll be just fine. Elena won't let anything happen to me. And if my Evil side comes out to play, then she'll just berate it into running away."

"That isn't funny, Lexa," my sister gave me a look as she tugged me away. I just glanced at Damon as if to say 'see what I mean?'. I could see him fighting a smile as he stepped back, closing the door.

"I thought it was funny," I shrugged as my twin wrapped an arm around my shoulders, directing me back down the stairs. "You know what they say, laughing at your problems is as good as running away from them."

"Alexa," Ellie shook her head. "Neither of those are good solutions."

"Oh. Oops."

XXX

When Stefan sent out a group text telling us to meet him in the woods, I groaned and rolled off of my bed. Elena and Caroline had been looking after me when we got home. And I had fully expected us to just stay there all day. But nope, apparently Stefan wanted to lure us into the woods.

After putting on trainers that were more suitable for the woods, I trudged downstairs. Elena and Caroline were waiting for me. I tucked my phone into my pocket and asked, "So, do either of you know what this is about? Cos my theory is that Stefan has finally snapped and has lured us to the woods to eat us all."

"Alexa," my sister rolled her eyes at me as she chivvied me out the door.

"What? It's possible," I shrugged while Caroline laughed and wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"If that's what he was planning," my friend teased me, tugging on the end of my ponytail. "Then why would he ask me to come too?"

"Uh, to persuade you to join in on hunt the twin?" I suggested, pouting when my friend laughed at me again. "Just you wait. If Stefan tries to eat us, then I'm pushing you at him and running in the opposite direction."

"Aw, I'm sorry," Care cooed mockingly. I narrowed my eyes at her before getting in the backseat of the car. The blonde shook her head at me before getting in the front seat. I stared out the window as Elena started to drive. She had received further instructions from the younger Salvatore, when she told him that she was bringing me and Caroline. I was content to let her drive, happy to just stare out of the window and distract myself with creating jokes to wind Stefan up with. Just cos I was avoiding the difficult conversation that he wanted to have, didn't mean that I couldn't have my fun.

"How is Ric doing?" Care asked, breaking the silence. "Bonnie never actually told me what she did for you. And Alexa runs away whenever I ask about the spell."

"I don't run away," I mumbled petulantly, crossing my arms. Even though I knew that I did. I did all that I could to avoid talking about my psycho side. And when I was forced into it, I tried to joke about it. Even though the entire situation had my heart pounding in my chest.

Elena glanced at me in the mirror, a conflicted look in her eyes as she spoke slowly, "Ric and Alexa… they, um, their minds have been warped. The Gilbert rings, every time they brought them back to life, it messed with their minds a bit. And as a result, they have both developed a… dark… side. And that dark side led to Ric," Ellie paused, swallowing hard before forcing the words out, "It led to him killing the Council members."

I hated how all of it was being tied to Ric. We didn't know how much I had done. And it was unfair to blame everything on the hunter. But selfishly, I didn't want to speak up on this occasion. One of those Council members had been Caroline's father. And I didn't want to even consider the possibility that I had hurt her dad. That I was the one who took him from her.

The blonde was silent until we reached our destination. We got out of the car, and I kept my eyes on Caroline. She looked paler than normal, and I could see the devastation in her expression.

We had only gotten a few steps away from the car when she whispered, her voice sounding broken, "Alaric Saltzman killed my father?"

I immediately wrapped myself around my friend, resting my head against her shoulder, and squeezing her tight. I couldn't quite articulate the words to make her feel better, not like my sister could. So I just showed her. I hugged her like I had the night her father died. To let her know that she wasn't alone here.

While I did that, my twin sighed softly, a sympathetic expression on her face, "I can't expect you to be okay with this. But at least these herbs that Bonnie's giving him, they're healing him and they're keeping the dark side buried."

"Yeah, and that's supposed to make everything okay?" Caroline shook her head, her voice thick with tears. I just squeezed her tighter, going up on tiptoes to rest my head against hers.

"No, Caroline," Ellie's voice was soft as she grabbed our friend's hand. "It's not okay. It's horrible and I feel horrible about it, but he's a victim of something supernatural, he didn't ask for this, it just happened to him. Just like it's happening to Alexa. Just like it's happened to Bonnie's mom, I mean, she didn't ask to become a vampire. And neither did Stefan or Tyler."

"Or me," Care added softly, realising where my sister was going with this.

"Or you," Ellie repeated with a nod. "None of you asked for this, but who would I be if I just turned my back on any of you."

Caroline stared at my sister for a moment, before shaking her head with an indulgent look on her face. She used her grip on my sister's hand to tug her forward, moving to wrap an arm around her shoulders instead. With me still attached to her like a barnacle, the blonde started to direct us further into the woods, "Oh, Elena Gilbert, saviour of the cursed and the damned."

Elena blushed and cleared her throat. But she was saved from speaking by Matt's appearance. He walked over to us, an easy smile on his face as he greeted us before asking, "Hey, what's with the cryptic secret meeting text?"

"I don't know," Ellie spoke before I could. I gave her a look as she ruined my fun. "Stefan just said to meet here."

"I'm telling you, it's so he can play hide, seek and eat," I rolled my eyes, only to jump slightly at the amused cough from behind us. We all turned around to see the Salvatore brothers standing behind us, a duffle bag in hand.

"Hide, seek and eat?" Damon asked, shaking his head as he smirked.

"What?" I shrugged, keeping my grip on Caroline. "Dodgy Stefan plays dodgy games."

The younger brother gave me a look, but I could see the reluctant amusement in those green depths, before looking at my sister, "Where's Bonnie? I texted her too."

It was Caroline who answered, clearly her throat uncomfortably as she winced, "Um, Bonnie's mom bailed on her. Again. So, I think we should leave her out of this one."

Poor Bonnie. Her mom was such a bitch. She abandoned her daughter when she left to go help her friends. Abby better hope that she doesn't run into me anytime soon, cos I would kick her ass for what she did to my friend.

There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment, as we all cursed Bonnie's mom, before Matt asked, "What are we doing here?"

"We found some more white oak," my vampire shrugged and I stared at him with wide eyes. "Long story, wait for the movie."

"Rebekah didn't burn it all?" I gasped, that dangerous, hopeful feeling rising in my chest. "There's more white oak?"

"Oh yes," Damon smirked and I couldn't stop the smile from forming on my face.

"You have a weapon that can kill Klaus?" Elena glanced between the brothers, the hopeful look on my face reflecting the look on hers.

"Nope," Stefan's lip curled up into a smirk as he threw the bag to the ground. "We all have a weapon."

Inside the bag, were a tonne of stakes, all made from white oak. I counted at least ten, and I felt that thrill in my chest. We actually had a weapon. We had several weapons. Oh my god, we actually had a chance now.

"Fuck yeah."

XXX

"Klaus has always been one step ahead of us," Stefan glanced at each of us in turn as he spoke. "But now we have the advantage. We're all armed and they are all linked, meaning we only need to kill one of them. We need to seize the best opportunity, which means that we need to prepare for every opportunity."

It was officially planning time. We had to make sure that we would be ready when the opportunity arose. And Stefan was being quite anal about it. To the point where I didn't dare muck around. So I just kept clinging onto Caroline, content to let her hold my weight.

"Scenario number one," Damon started, grabbing my sister and moving her to the side. He pointed at her, "You get to play Klaus."

"Lol, sucker," I snorted into my friend's shoulder. Care rolled her eyes at me, but she didn't rat me out to Stefan for my less than serious words.

"Okay," Ellie nodded, a look of intense concentration on her face as she memorised what was happening.

Stefan took back over, "Rebekah is our target, so we distract her and catch her off guard. To do that, we need to keep Klaus separate and occupied." The younger Salvatore's eyes flickered to me and I froze. "Alexa."

"What?" "Why?"

Mine and Damon's voices rose in unison, while my boyfriend shot his brother a dirty look.

Stefan looked unrepentant as he shrugged, "Despite everything, he still wants to be her friend. And, for now, he won't risk Rebekah's wrath by hurting her."

"But what if I don't want to?" I pouted, crossing my arms. I didn't like the thought of being Klaus bait. I felt so conflicted about him. He would do something nice in a genuine attempt to be my friend, and then he would ruin it by threatening someone. I never knew where I stood with him, and I hated that.

"Just think of it this way: you get to insult him as much as you want," Stefan offered and I paused to consider his words. I didn't really need permission to insult Klaus. But since Stefan was giving it to me, it meant that I wouldn't get in trouble if my words caused mischief.

"Fine," I sniffed, letting go of Caroline to flounce over to my sister. I put on a shrill voice, "Oh Klaus. Your hair is looking nice and blonde today. It would be such a shame if something happened and you got blood in it."

Damon rolled his eyes at me and muttered, "This is a bad idea." Before I could protest, he strode over to Caroline and stood behind her. "Caroline, you get to play Rebekah. We use the quarterback to distract her. Just keep her talking."

Mattie frowned, glancing over at my vampire, "How?"

"She's sweet on you, Matt," I shrugged a shoulder, leaning against my sister. "Just smile and be kind, and she'll be oblivious to everything else."

I tried to ignore that voice in the back of my mind, telling me that I was helping to take out one of my friends. But I had to do this. I had to get rid of a threat to my loved ones. It was a horrible thought, and it turned my stomach into knots, but I didn't have a choice. Klaus was a threat to my sister, even if he was playing nice for now. Did I wish that I could stop Rebekah from being affected by this? Yes. But I didn't have that power.

"Beefcake holds bombshell, I come up from behind her," my vampire stepped closer to Caroline, grabbing her arms and pinning them behind her back. "Grab her arms like this."

Stefan then moved forward, one of the precious white oak stakes in his hand, and imitated staking Caroline, "Gives me time for one shot."

Damon let go of Caroline as I snickered, "Let's hope that you don't have performance issues."

"Alexa," Ellie hissed at me and I rolled my eyes.

"What? It's a valid point," I pointed out. "We can't have someone failing just cos they aren't physically strong enough. Cos then we would be even more fucked."

"It's fine, we've got this," Stefan glanced over at me, a serious look on his serious face. "All of us here are strong enough to do this. Now, we all have one stake, we keep it hidden and we look out for any opportunity we have."

"No last minute attacks of pity for any of them," my vampire raised an eyebrow, glancing around the group. He started with my sister, who immediately shook her head.

"Don't worry about me," she spoke sharply, a hard look on her face. "Not after what happened to Bonnie's mom."

"Alexa? Do I even need to ask?" Damon smirked at me, which I immediately returned.

"It's so not my style," I sniffed, picking at a nail. "I'm just keen to upgrade my status from daggerer of Originals to killer of Originals."

"Are we sure that its her and not her Evil side?" Caroline whispered to Elena and I rolled my eyes at them. They were so rude. Just cos I wanted to get rid of the people who were a threat. It didn't mean that I was actually my psycho side.

Luckily, my boyfriend understood as he turned to face the blonde, "Barbie?"

"Oh, I'm ready," she quickly nodded. "Anything that will free Tyler from his sire bond to Klaus."

Damon turned to Matt, "Busboy?"

"Do I have a choice?" Matt retorted, rolling his eyes.

My vampire paused before shrugging, "Good point."

Content that everyone was onboard, Stefan took over again. It was almost as though they had coordinated this. Which wouldn't surprise me. They were very dramatic like that.

"We have 12 stakes, 12 shots at killing one Original. We can do this," the younger brother nodded sharply. "Alright, let's try another scenario. Elena, grab a crossbow." He passed my sister one from the side, they were definitely prepared. "Matt, you play Klaus."

Elena held the crossbow gingerly in her hands, getting a feel for the weight of it before holding it up, pointing it at Matt. Stefan explained scenario two. And then scenario three. And then scenario four. And then… well, you get the picture.

XXX

Once Stefan had stopped drilling everyone, and not that way, get your minds out of the gutter, we were given a white oak stake and sent on our way. Damon had quickly wrapped an arm around my waist, telling my sister that he would take me back to the Boarding House. I didn't complain. It had been far too long since I last got to be alone with my boyfriend. And I just wanted to cuddle without being judged.

I held onto Damon's white oak stake as he swung me up into his arms, blurring us back to his home. I just held them to my chest with one hand, while I used to other to hold myself close to him. No matter how many times I did it, I would never get used to that vampire speed. Of course, it was easier to stomach when I was surrounded by my boyfriend's comforting scent. But still, it wasn't the most pleasant of experiences.

Damon put me down in the parlour, switching his grip to my hips. I rested my body against him while I found my balance again. I deliberately took longer than normal to do that, before I gave up on being sly and just full on clung to him.

My vampire chuckled, carefully removing the stakes from my hand before adjusting me into a more comfortable position, "I see that barnacle Alexa has come out to play today."

"Better than psycho Alexa," I mumbled into his chest as Damon carefully threw the stakes on the couch before cupping the back of my head.

"Hmm, I don't know, psycho Alexa might be fun to play with," my cheeky vampire smirked into my hair. I rolled my eyes and poked his tummy.

"Not funny, Day," I grumbled, but I was glad that my face was pressed against his chest, as it meant that I could hide the smile that was fighting to form. "I don't need to be psycho to be fun."

"I know you don't, baby," he soothed, gently tugging on my ponytail. I titled my head back so that I could look at him properly. "You're the most fun person that I know."

"Damn straight," I agreed, giggling when he poked my cheek. "I even amused Determined Stefan. And we both know that that is an achievement."

Damon nodded with a laugh, "I have to agree there. It was rather impressive."

"See, you're not the only impressive one in this relationship," I wiggled my eyebrows, laughing when my boyfriend rolled his eyes. He dug his fingers into my ticklish sides, grabbing my wrist when I tried to run away from the tickling. He spun me around, so that my back was pressed against his chest.

"So, you think I'm impressive, hm?" Damon whispered into my ear, grinding against my ass.

"Well, not as impressive as me," I teased him, biting my lip when he nibbled on my earlobe. "But still, you're the most impressive guy that I know."

"Hm, if Jenna and Ric weren't on their way over, I would reward you for those words."

"Damn, they aren't even here and they're cockblocking," I grumbled, tilting my head to the side to give Damon more access to my neck. "I don't suppose you can tell them to come back later?"

"Sorry, baby, not this time," Damon hummed, finding that sensitive spot under my ear. "But as soon as they're gone, I'm all yours."

"Ugh, fine," I rolled my eyes. "In the meantime, I don't suppose I could get some of the good coffee?"

I knew that I sounded far too hopeful. But I just loved it so much. It was definitely the best coffee that I had ever had. And it had been far too long since I last had it. Ever since the truth came out about the damage the rings had done to us, I had spent every night at my home. Which meant no mornings at the Boarding House. Which meant no good coffee. And that was just really upsetting.

"You and your coffee," my boyfriend smiled indulgently, but he wrapped an arm around my waist, lifting my feet from the ground. He supported me with ease as he carried me to the kitchen.

"It's your fault, you know," I hummed, leaning my head back to rest against his shoulder. "You got me addicted to the good stuff."

"Well, only the best for my girl," Damon's words had me smiling and biting my lip. Damn him. He could be so sweet when he wanted to be. And I hated that no one else could see it. But, and I hated how selfish I sounded just by thinking it, it did make me feel special. He trusted me with that side of him. And I felt honoured.

Damon put me down on the counter before he disappeared from view. I just sat there, swinging my legs, waiting for him to reappear. I knew that he wouldn't be gone for long. And I was right. My vampire soon reappeared, putting the coffee pot on. I stared at it intently, waiting for it to give me my caffeinated magic. I heard Damon disappear to hide his good coffee again before getting our drinks ready.

He passed me a mug and I took a deep sip, uncaring of how hot it was. I was too excited to have some of the good coffee again. I took a deep breath, breathing in that delightful smell, before humming, "Hmm, I love you."

"Are you speaking to me or the coffee?" Damon wiggled his eyebrows as he stood between my legs.

"Hmm, both of you," I giggled when he dramatically rolled his eyes.

"Is that so?" he kissed my cheek and I turned my head to brush my lips against his.

"Yeah, but I love you more," I smiled up at him before drinking more of my coffee. I always loved the delighted look that lit up his eyes when I told him that. It was like, despite being together for this long, there was still a little bit of doubt in his mind. I knew that Katherine, the bitch, had done a number on my man, and had exasperated the trust issues that he already had. And it killed me that he didn't always believe that I loved him. So I would spend every day reminding him, in any way that I could, that I loved him.

XXX

Jenna and Ric arrived not long after we finished our coffee. Despite the fact that he liked my guardians, my silly boyfriend was not going to share his coffee with anyone else. It was quite amusing really. He was so protective over it. Even though he had more than enough money to go top up his supply on a regular basis.

It was Jenna's voice calling my name that alerted me to their presence. Damon was still stood between my hugs, with my head resting under his chin. His arms were wrapped around me, just letting me relax. There was just something soothing about his hugs and I wouldn't give them up for the world.

"We should probably go see them," I mumbled without moving. I could have happily sat like that all day. Well, I would have moved to his bed if he prompted me. But either way, I would have happily stayed in his arms all day.

"That would require moving, baby," Damon chuckled, the sound reverberating in my ear. He moved my hair out the way, cupping the back of my head and pressing it against his chest. I could tell that he didn't want to let go of me either. But unfortunately, we didn't have much of a choice.

"No it doesn't," I pouted as Damon stood back, keeping his hands on my arms. "This sucks. I never get to be alone with you anymore."

"I know, Ally," my boyfriend nodded, an indulgent look on his face as he helped me off of the counter. "As soon as Klaus and co are dead, you can get all the alone time that you want."

"Somehow, with my psycho side, I don't know if that will be possible," I grumbled as Damon wrapped an arm around my shoulders, leading me in the direction of my guardians.

"Bonnie's herbs will heal you," he assured me, tucking me into his side. "And I know that judgy won't let you down."

"Yeah, I know," I rolled my eyes as we entered the parlour, seeing Jenna and Ric standing by the fireplace. "But still, I get the feeling that it won't be that easy to deal with."

My aunt exchanged a glance with her boyfriend before asking, "What won't be that easy to deal with?"

"My evil side," I replied, reaching forward for a fist bump. Jenna returned it, before examining me with worried eyes. I sighed and shook my head. "I'm fine, Jenna. No incidents, no homicidal urges." I paused before adding, "Well, none beyond the normal ones. But considering those are always aimed at Klaus, I think they are allowed."

"Since when did that go in the rulebook?" Ric laughed slightly, shaking his head.

I shrugged, "Caroline added it for me when Elena left the room to go get ice cream. And since she added it, it is totally legit."

"Of course it is," Jenna rolled her eyes as Damon pressed a kiss to the top of my head. His familiar warmth moved away and I saw Ric moving too. I just kept my attention on my aunt. The two buddies could go have a bro talk. I knew that Damon was going to find somewhere safe to store his white oak stake. He still had mine with him and I made a mental note to remind myself to get it back from him. The last thing that I wanted was to miss an opportunity to take out an Original just because I forgot to get my stake back.

When the men disappeared upstairs, I tugged my aunt over to sit down on one of the parlour sofas. I kicked off my trainers before sitting crossed legged, facing Jenna. She sighed before doing the same, giving me a look. I shrugged it off as I asked, "How are you coping with all of this, Jenna?"

My aunt sighed and shrugged, a helpless look in her eyes, "As well as I can do, but I just… I hate it. I can't help either of you with this, all I can do is keep an eye on you."

"You are helping us, Jenna," I spoke quietly, reaching out to grab her hand, giving it a squeeze. "You're reminding us that we aren't alone in this and you're giving us something to fight for. Like with Ric, you're giving him a reason to fight. He had an opportunity to kill you too when his psycho side had taken over, but he didn't. Because he loves you and he's fighting for you."

"You really think that?" Jenna asked, desperate look in her eyes, even as she refused to let it show in her voice.

"Yeah, I do," I nodded firmly. "It took, like, five deaths for the darkness to properly take hold. Because we were fighting for the people that we love. You're helping us more than you realise, Jenna, I promise."

My aunt smiled slightly, looking relieved and thankful, but before she could speak, a noise echoed down the hall. We both froze before looking over. I knew that none of the others would be here, not even Stefan. So the fact that someone was here was worrying. I held my finger up to my lips before slowly standing up. Jenna nodded, copying my movements, keeping silent.

If it was a vampire here, we didn't really stand a chance. But as long as I could call for Damon, we would be alright. And I would do that, as soon as I made sure that I wasn't just hearing things. My paranoia was frustrating at times. We could have just heard the old building making its own natural noises.

I glanced up when I saw the other two occupants of the building walking down the stairs. Damon glanced over the banister at me and I shrugged helplessly. My boyfriend frowned, a worried look in his eyes, before he started to hurry down. Ric followed him, trusting the vampire's instincts.

I went to go meet them, keeping Jenna close. I knew that the safest place for us would be near my vampire. And I was determined to keep my aunt safe. I would never forgive myself if she got hurt because of me. So I would do everything in my power to stop her from getting hurt.

Damon paused on the last part of the staircase when he realised that Ric was no longer behind him. He frowned, glancing over at me and Jenna before turning around. My vampire called out Ric's name and none of us expected the answer that came.

Ric went flying down the stairs, crashing into the wall before collapsing. His eyes fluttered shut as he went limp. Jenna screamed his name and rushed to her boyfriend's side. I immediately followed, pausing next to Damon so that I could watch her back. I let my vampire look around to see where the attacker was. It was definitely a supernatural being, a vampire, if I had to guess, since there were no hybrids in town. Or there shouldn't be, anyway.

I heard a pained grunt behind me and spun around. Rebekah stood in front of my boyfriend, a knife in her hand. A knife which was currently impaled in my boyfriend.

"Hello darling," she smirked at my vampire, her eyes darting over to me as I shouted her name. "Sorry love, but I'm doing this for you."

Before I could work out what she meant, her fist came flying towards my face. She hit my cheek with enough force that I was knocked to the floor. And through quickly darkening eyes, I saw her whisk Damon away.

XXX

Miraculously, Jenna had been spared during Rebekah's little abduction mission. Maybe it was because the blonde didn't see her as a threat, I didn't know. But either way, I was relieved. It was the only thing that made the pounding in my head bearable.

My aunt had rushed off to get me an icepack to hold against my throbbing head. I could feel a bruise forming on my cheek already from where Rebekah had hit me. I didn't know what had pissed her off enough that she had broken in to abduct my boyfriend. But I wasn't impressed. And I would be giving her a piece of my mind as soon as I could walk without throwing up.

Jenna eased me up, resting me against the banister before she turned to check on Ric. I held the icepack to my cheek as I watched. The poor guy was still unconscious. The Original had done a real number on him. Probably as a distraction technique. But either way, she was gonna get shouted at for the pain and worry that she was causing my aunt.

"Alexa, don't fall asleep," Jenna warned me, glancing over from where she was checking on Ric.

"Yeah, I know," I sighed, adjusting the icepack. "I've done this enough times that I know not to fall asleep."

My aunt gave me a sympathetic smile as the front door opened and closed. I froze again and locked eyes with Jenna. She narrowed her eyes, clenching her fist, and I knew that my amazing aunt would fight anyone who threatened us. God, I loved her so much.

We heard a phone ringing before a familiar voice answered. I could feel my body relaxing as I heard Stefan speaking. It was someone that we knew and, despite everything, trusted. And, even better, it was someone that could help us go save my vampire.

"Hey," the younger brother said as I listened to his footsteps. There was a clink as he placed his keys in a bowl by the front door. It always amused me that he carried around a front door key, even though everyone knew that they didn't lock their door. "I just got home. Why?"

Stefan's footsteps sounded as though they were heading into the parlour. I knew that we should probably call out to him, but speaking reminded me that I was close to throwing up. And Jenna was still holding a grudge against him for everything that he had done to me and Elena.

"Ex-girlfriend?" I didn't need to hear his voice to know that he was frowning. "Guy's been in a coffin for the last 900 years." The vampire paused before a second, thinking deeply, before a realisation came to him. "Sage. It's got to be Sage."

Fucking Sage.

Stefan's voice was urgent when he spoke again, "Listen to me, Elena, do not do anything, okay? Sage is very old and very strong. You don't stand a chance against her."

Oh no. What was my idiot twin up to this time? I swear, that girl had the gall to call me reckless and then she turned around and did something like this. At least I never tried to take on a 900 year old vampire without backup.

Stefan's footsteps changed direction and I saw him round the corner. He paused, glancing from me to Jenna to Ric. Our hunter was sitting up now, resting against my aunt as she checked on the bloody wound on his forehead. I just raised a hand, resisting the urge to close my eyes. I knew that that feeling would pass soon, I just had to fight through it.

"What the hell happened?" the Salvatore brother asked, his frown deepening.

"Rebekah happened," Ric groaned.

"I think we have a problem," Stefan spoke into the phone before he returned to questioning us, "Where's Damon?"

"Rebekah took him," I muttered bitterly, adjusting my icepack as I tried to stand up. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Jenna opening her mouth, telling me not to move. But before she could utter her warning, I felt my legs shaking beneath me. I tilted forward as I struggled to find my balance, but before I could hit the fall, a strong body supported me.

"Elena, I'll call you back," Stefan told my sister as he supported me. "Get a hold of Caroline, tell her to come down here."

My twin must have confirmed that she would as he hung up the call, putting his phone in his pocket, before he helped eased me down to the ground. When I was siting on the step, Stefan crouched down in front of me.

"Thank you," I whispered as the vampire carefully moved the icepack, his sharp eyes examining the damage that Rebekah had done to my face. I was definitely removing her friend privileges until she apologised for this. And I was gonna make her grovel big time.

"Well, after everything, it was the least that I could do," Stefan gave me a small smile as he moved the icepack back onto my cheek.

"Yeah," I agreed with a sigh and I was shocked by the regretful look in the vampire's eyes. It was one that I hadn't seen for a while and, if I was being honest, I wasn't expecting to see it at all. I knew that his humanity was coming back, even if he was fighting it as best he could, but I didn't think that he would actually show me his regret. I thought that we would just move past it without discussing it.

"Alexa, I'm sorry for everything that I did to you and to your sister," Stefan spoke softly, resting his hand on mine. "And I will do everything in my power to make things right between us."

I let out a long breath, my mind scrambling to work out what to say. I knew that I should have prepared some of response to these words, but I didn't expect them to come. Not to me. So I sat there, with my mouth open, as I tried not to say something inappropriate.

Eventually, I just cleared my throat, "I appreciate that, Stefan. And… I do forgive you, kinda, it'll take a bit of time to properly get me there, but I'm on my way." I cleared my throat and glanced away. "I'm glad that you're back with us though."

XXX

Stefan helped Jenna move me and Ric into the library before leaving. Caroline was on her way to check in on us and, since it was painfully obvious, to keep an eye on us. Ever since the truth about our psycho sides came out, we were never left alone without vampire backup. And to be honest, since it was just Jenna with us, I wasn't too upset at Caroline coming over. She would help me keep my aunt safe.

Ric was stretched out on the couch, an icepack held against his head. Jenna perched next to him while I curled up on the chair. I still held an icepack against my cheek, although I doubted that it was doing anything at this point. But it felt nice, so I wasn't going to get rid of it yet. And the lingering coldness helped to keep me awake. Because I couldn't fall asleep, not while I had to go rescue Damon. I didn't know what Stefan was planning, but I knew that I had to do something. He would rescue me if the positions were reversed, he wouldn't let me remain a hostage like that. So I would save him in return.

"Hey," Caroline kept her voice soft as she entered the room, respecting the sore heads that were within. "I hear that you all had a run in with Buffy the Vampire."

I snorted, closing my eyes, "Bitch stole my boyfriend."

"Yeah, I heard," the blonde winced in sympathy as she sat down next to me. She rested a gentle hand on my shoulder and I leant against her. Caroline moved slightly so that I could lean against her more comfortably, and I appreciated that. I knew that Jenna would look after Ric, I had insisted upon it, but it was nice to get some comfort like this.

"What are you doing here?" Ric frowned, shifting the icepack so that he could sit up. "We weren't expecting anyone after Stefan left."

Well, he wasn't. I knew that Stefan had requested that Caroline come check in on us. But I guess he was just getting his bearings when the vampire said that. And neither Jenna nor I had thought to mention it before the blonde arrived.

"I was asked to help Jenna keep an eye on you," the blonde shrugged carefully, making sure not to move me from where I was resting. "To make sure that you both… remain you."

"Thanks for coming, Caroline," Jenna smiled gratefully at my friend while the hunter just sighed.

"I'm going to remain me," he said, sounding as though he was trying to persuade himself more than anyone else.

"I know you are," Care nodded, looking as though she was trying to placate him, before she nudged her bag over to Jenna. My aunt took the hint and pulled two bottles out of the bag. I wrinkled my nose as I saw the disgusting herbal drink that I had to consume to heal my fucked up brain. "Which is why Elena said that you have to drink this." Jenna passed one of the bottles over to me and I gave it a dirty look before reluctantly taking a swig. "I hope it tastes better than it smells."

"Ugh, if only," I scrunched up my face in disgust. It was a horrible thing to drink, but the consequences of not doing so were even worse. So I just downed it as fast as I could before finding something to cover the taste.

"Alexa's right," Ric pulled a face too before closing the bottle. "It is disgusting."

"It's either that or kill people," my friend shrugged before clearing her throat at Alaric's wince. "Elena told me everything."

Ric looked away, clearly avoiding her gaze. Not that I could blame him. He thought that he had killed her father. If I was in that position, I wouldn't want to look at her either. The guilt must be overwhelming. Especially since her father had decided not to turn. It would be different, just as bad but different, if Bill Forbes had completed the transition. But he hadn't. And now one of her parents was dead,

"Caroline," he eventually sighed when Jenna gave his hand a squeeze. He looked over at my friend, his eyes filled with misery and remorse. "I am so sorry. I don't even know what else I could say."

Caroline stared at him for a moment, one hand resting on my shoulder, before she sighed, her voice soft, "Right after I turned into a vampire, I killed someone. A stranger. I just… killed him. And what's worse is that I liked it. I have blood on my hands too. I mean, we all do."

"Yeah, but the blood on my hands is your father's," Ric protested, unwilling to accept her comfort, her forgiveness.

"Yeah, it is," Care nodded, acknowledging his words before continuing. "And maybe the guy I killed was someone's father too. Look, all I know is, I'm no better than you. So, I'm going to take a page from the Elena Gilbert handbook and choose to believe that you can be saved. Okay?"

Ric was silent for a moment before nodding carefully, "Okay."

"Good," the blonde sighed before glancing down at me. "Because it's not just you that this is happening to. One of my best friends is also going through this. And if we can save you, then we can save her too."

I cleared my throat and glanced down, away from her kind eyes, "Care, you're gonna make me cry if you keep on saying nice things like that."

"We are going to save you, Alexa," Caroline said, her voice soft. "And we're going to save Ric. And we're going to get rid of the Originals. And once all of that has happened, you can help me track down my stubborn boyfriend and drag him back to town with me."

I looked back up at her, a weak smile on my face, "Sounds like a deal."

XXX

Damon's POV

I was still in Rebekah's trap, my wrists throbbing painfully as my skin tried to heal, only to be interrupted by the metal spikes that impaled my wrists. The Original had done a good job in bleeding me out. My blood covered the plastic tarp that she had used to cover the floor, pooling in front of me. Somehow, my legs were still supporting my weight, but I was glad that they were. If they weren't, then it would just be the bear traps holding my wrists that kept me up. And that would be incredibly painful.

I heard the soft padding of steps approaching the room. I knew that it wasn't Rebekah. Her heels clicked with every step that she took. Through blurry eyes, I saw someone enter the room. I couldn't see who they were, my vision was dark from the amount of blood that I had lost, that I was still losing. It wasn't until they got closer that I saw it was my girl.

My heart clenched in fear as Alexa got closer, her green eyes glancing around the room. As she stopped in front of me, Alexa reached out, resting her hand on my cheek. Despite my fear, I couldn't stop myself from leaning into her touch.

"What are you doing here?" I whispered as her gentle fingers stroked my cheek. "It's not safe."

"I don't care," she whispered back, a fierce look in her beautiful eyes as she glanced up at the traps ensnaring my wrists. "I won't leave without you, Day. So help me save you."

I stared at my stubborn girl before nodding weakly, "You should be able to just pry them open."

Alexa nodded, pressing her body close to me before stretching up on tiptoes. She reached up and pried open one of the traps. I let out a weak groan as my arm flopped down and it was only Alexa's strong grip on me that stopped me from falling to the floor. She wrapped my arm around her shoulders, holding me close to her body before reaching up to open the other trap.

My girl managed to hold me up, almost wrapping me around her body, as she gently encouraged me to move. My body felt so weak and I knew that I had lost too much blood. The fact that I was still standing was a miracle. Alexa kept me moving as I rested more and more of my weight against her.

I didn't know where we were going, my vision still blurry, so I prayed that my girl did. I heard her breathing hitching now and then as her head constantly moved, looking out for threats. I didn't know what would happen if one of the Original's found us, but I would make sure that she saved herself first. I couldn't let anything happen to Alexa.

Despite the front door being so close, despite being so close to escape, my legs refused to keep me up any longer. I slowly slid to the floor, Alexa supporting me, holding me close to her body, "No, Day, come on, baby. We're so close. We need to keep moving."

"I can't," I breathed against her skin and she cursed under her breath.

"Yeah, you can," Alexa argued, keeping her voice low as she pressed my face against her chest. "We're going to get out of this, Damon. Both of us. I'm not going to leave you behind, so don't even think about asking."

"Always so stubborn," my eyes closed for a moment and I could feel my girl moving. I opened them against when the soft skin of her wrist pressed against my mouth.

"I'm only as stubborn as you are," Alexa countered gently, keeping her wrist where it was. "Come on, you need to drink. Get your strength back. And then we can both leave this hell hole behind."

I didn't want to. I didn't want to risk taking too much. But she was right. It would make me stronger and we would need that strength to get out of here.

When I hesitated, my girl breathed into my hair, "I trust you, Damon."

My eyes closed as my fangs extended. I bit into her skin, breathing in her sweet scent, tasting her blood. Her fingers ran through my hair, pressing me closer against her. I managed to reach up to grab her arm as I focused on her heartbeat. It remained strong but I didn't want to take too much.

I carefully pulled away once I felt my body strengthening, my vision clearing. I shifted slightly, moving so that I could look Alexa in the eye. That green gaze was filled with warmth and worry, as she reached out to cup my cheek.

My eyes closed again and I heard footsteps. The warmth of her hand disappeared from my cheek and I realised what had happened. It wasn't real. None of it was real.

"You bitch," I groaned, opening my eyes to see Rebekah in front of me. She had a sharp smirk on her face as she crossed her arms, eyes glaring down at me.

"It's not fun when someone messes with your thoughts, is it?" she sneered, shaking her head. I knew what game she was playing there, and I wasn't in the mood to deal with it. She had hurt Alexa when she took me, knocking her to the side.

"Actually, I was having a pretty good time in there," I smirked lazily, enjoying the way that Rebekah narrowed her eyes.

"You shouldn't have," the Original spat, playing with the knife in her hands. "You used me, used my friendship with Alexa. You're lucky that I didn't target her instead. But I prefer the simple things, like torturing the person that you're actually mad at."

"Alexa had no idea what the plan was," I groaned, unable to stop myself from defending my girl. "She just thought that it was an opportunity to drink her troubles away."

"Well, maybe with you out the way, she won't have any troubles," Rebekah shrugged, before driving the knife into my stomach, forcing a pained cry from my mouth.

XXX

Alexa's POV

While Jenna tended to Ric, gently persuading him to finish drinking the disgusting herbal, magical remedy, I slowly left the room. I just couldn't sit still while Damon was gone. I had no idea what Rebekah was doing to him, but I knew that it wouldn't be good. She wouldn't have broken in if she wasn't incredibly pissed off. Whether it was because of the fact that Damon apparently did something to her mind the other night or if it was because he had found, what she thought was, the only white oak around, I just did not know. And I hated it.

I wandered into the kitchen, pulling out some aspirin from the box that Damon kept stored for me. He was under the impression that I received too many headaches, so he kept some painkillers around for me. I poured myself some water before downing the aspirin. I knew that I couldn't be hindered by a headache if I was going to go save my man.

"Hey," a soft voice spoke from behind me. I glanced over to my shoulder to see Caroline entering the kitchen. "How are you doing?"

"As soon as this aspirin kicks in, then I'll be doing great," I grimaced, placing the glass to the side. I knew that blonde was actively trying to not look at the giant bruise that I just knew was forming on the side of my face. "How are you doing?"

"I'm not the one that was attacked," my friend gave me a look as she ushered me over to the table.

"True," I conceded with a careful shrug before giving her a look in return. "But I knew that our conversation earlier opened some wounds that you paperclipped shut. So come on, spill."

"Alexa," Caroline sighed, pausing when I raised an eyebrow. "Look, it isn't easy. But I guess, at least I know what happened now. And do I like what I know? Of course not. But at least I know now. I won't be wondering why it happened. If he did something to upset someone or if he was the wrong target."

I watched with sympathetic eyes as my friend cut off her ramble, shaking her head. I knew that it was hard for her. Confronting her father's killer, knowing that she couldn't do anything to get retribution, was hard. And I hated that she was put in that position. But hopefully she could start to heal from all of this. I knew that it wouldn't be easy, but at least the process could start.

"I'm sorry that you're going through this, Care," I spoke softly, grabbing her hand and giving it a squeeze. "If it helps, you're dealing terrifyingly well."

"That's probably not as helpful as you think it is," she shook her head, her curls bouncing over her shoulders, as she gave me a warm smile. "It's helped that I've had a lot of things to keep my mind busy. You potentially going crazy being one of those."

"Well, if you need, I can always create more distractions," I teased gently before shuffling closer. "But seriously, if you need, then I'm always here if you need to talk. I know what it's like to lose a parent. And I can help distract you or talk about it with you or even just let you cry it out. Whatever you need, I'm here."

"Thanks, Lexa, I appreciate that," Caroline pulled me into a hug, letting me rest my uninjured cheek against her. "How are you dealing with this darkness thing?"

"Well, denial is playing a huge part in it," I sighed. "Like, I know it's happening, but I also haven't let myself accept exactly what that means. Like the fact that I could have killed people, I don't really want to believe it. Or think about it. Dying all those times was bad enough, knowing that I'm going insane psycho killer because of it has just made it all even worse."

The blonde was silent for a few seconds before resting her head against mine, "That sucks."

I snorted, "It really does."

I sat there, drawing as much comfort from my friend as I could. While I didn't want to think about my Evil side, especially while my boyfriend was in danger, it was hard to get it out of my head. I just didn't know how much it was going to affect my life. And I hated that feeling.

Eventually, I felt my headache begin to fade, the aspirin finally starting to work. When it did, I sighed and reluctantly pushed myself away from my friend's comforting embrace. When I stood up, Caroline grabbed my arm, stopping me from walking away, "Where are you going? I'm supposed to be keeping an eye on you."

"I'm off to go see if Stefan and co need help taking down Sage," I replied, praying that Caroline wouldn't sense my lie. "I figured, that since I'm the one who has daggered three Original vampires, they might need my help."

Care rolled her eyes, releasing my arm, "Are you ever going to let that go?"

"Nope," I shook my head carefully. "It proves that I'm just as badass as you supernatural lot. It's my call to usefulness. And besides, if Stefan gets all douchey, I can threaten him by saying that I've taken on stronger vampires than him."

"You know, one day, you won't be able to tease Stefan like this," my friend laughed, shaking her head.

"And until that day comes, I'm going to enjoy it as much as I can," I shrugged, a teasing smile on my face. "Now stop distracting me, I need to go upgrade my status and stop Elena from doing stupid and reckless."

Caroline looked reluctant to let me go. But she knew that our friends would need all the help that they could get. And I felt so incredibly guilty for lying to her. She didn't deserve that. But I knew that she wouldn't let me go and save Damon. She would stop me and say that killing the Originals would be the best way to help him. But I couldn't take that risk. I had to save my boyfriend.

XXX

I had absolutely no idea how I made it to Klaus' garish home. I just remembered panicking over the fact that Damon had been held there for far too long. I parked at the end of the long driveway. I couldn't risk them hearing my car. I had to be sneaky if I had any chance of rescuing my boyfriend.

My heart thudded in my chest as I slowly walked down the ridiculously long driveway. I knew that there had to be other ways inside, but I didn't know the building well enough. My only hope was that, by going through the front door, I would be able to find Damon quickly. I couldn't risk searching through every room, there was too much of a chance that I would get caught. So I had to be smart about this.

There was an unfamiliar car in the driveway, but I paid it no attention. It could be one of Klaus' many minions for all I knew. Just because the hybrids had left town, didn't mean that they wouldn't come back to visit their master. I doubted that any of the siblings, other than Elijah, drove. They had been in boxes for god knows how long. They wouldn't have had the chance to learn yet. Or so I hoped.

I winced, my heart squeezing in my chest, as I opened the door. I silently prayed to all the gods above when the door opened silently. Klaus seemed like the sort to be a bit anal with first impressions and making sure that his doors didn't squeak seemed to fit in with that. I closed the door behind me with shaking hands. The foyer was empty, which was a blessed start. I didn't know if anyone was home or even that Damon was here. But this was the most logical starting point.

I ruthlessly pushed aside the panicked feeling lurking in the back of my head. It had been lingering for far too long. But I couldn't risk having a panic attack. Not until Damon was safe and back home. I could break down over his abduction then. But until that moment, I had to be strong. I knew that I could do it, I just had to focus on my anger instead of my fear.

I padded forward, thankful that I had worn trainers instead of boots. The clicking of my heels would have instantly given me away. My plan was to search the bottom floor first. I remembered how much of a maze it was when I was here for that stupid ball. So it wouldn't be easy. And I prayed that I would find Damon down here.

My prayers were instantly answered and I hated the result. In the first room that I saw, with the wide arch leading into the foyer, I found my boyfriend. The floor was covered in plastic and he was hanging from the ceiling. He had what looked like bear traps slicing into his wrists, keeping him on his feet. I bit down on my tongue to stop myself from screaming at the amount of blood that was on the floor. It covered his bare chest and his neck, oozing from his wrists.

My vision was focused on Damon as I raced forward. Which was how I missed the blonde Original lurking by the side of the room. It wasn't until I heard her voice, calling out for her brother, that I realised that we weren't alone. My heart thudded as I desperately tried to get to my boyfriend's side. His eyes stared into mine, silently begging me to leave. But I couldn't. I couldn't leave him here. Not like this.

But before I could get there, a strong arm wrapped around my waist, lifting me from the ground. My mind went into overdrive as I struggled in the person's grasp, shouting out Damon's name. My vampire tugged on the traps holding his wrists, wincing as they tugged on his skin, desperately trying to get to me.

Rebekah blocked my view of him as I was taken into one of the side rooms. Klaus, because it had to be Klaus, threw me into the room, quickly shutting the door. I spun around, banging my fists on the wooden door.

"Klaus! Let me out!" I shrieked, just knowing that he was lurking nearby. "I swear to god, let me out of here otherwise you will regret it! Klaus!"

A voice behind me, a painfully, worryingly familiar voice, had me spinning around.

"Alexa."

Bonnie was sat on one of the leather sofas, a worried look on her face. She was still wearing the clothes that she had on yesterday morning and my heart clenched.

"Bonnie?" I gasped, racing over to my friend. I sat down next to her on the sofa and immediately wrapped my arms around her, pulling her in for a hug. "Oh my god, are you okay? What are you doing here?"

The witch trembled slightly in my arms as she clung on to me tightly. I ran a soothing hand down her hair, pressing her close to me. I didn't know why Klaus had my friend, but I knew that it wouldn't be good. The fact that he had taken her without anyone noticing was worrying. And I hated myself that, if I hadn't come here to save Damon, then I wouldn't have known that my friend had been taken hostage too.

"One of Klaus' hybrids grabbed me while I was on my back home to Abby," Bonnie whispered into my shoulder. "I had pulled over to the side of the road after Caroline told me that she had bailed on me again. The next thing I knew, I was waking up in the trunk of my car. The hybrid brought me here where Klaus wants me to do a spell to unlink them."

As my friend trembled in my arms, there was only one word that I could think of to describe the situation, "Shit."

XXX

I stayed next to my friend, holding her close to me. I was furious that Klaus had taken her, that he was planning on using her to save his own skin. I didn't know what Bonnie had been through, in the hours that she had been here, but the fact that she was clutching onto me like this indicated that it wasn't good.

When Klaus sauntered in, closing the door behind him, I narrowed my eyes at the hybrid douche. He just smirked at me before switching his gaze to Bonnie. There was a grimoire on the table in front of us, one that had been ignored since my arrival. And apparently, that didn't please Klaus at all.

"Bonnie, I thought I had warned you about wasting time," the smirk didn't leave his face, but it developed a hard edge.

"I thought I had warned you about being a douchebag," I snapped back before my witchy friend had a chance to answer. Bonnie had explained to me how difficult the spell was, especially since she wasn't in the best mental state. And when she told me that Kol was currently lurking around my brother, a silent threat, it took all my effort not to lose it. If my friend wasn't right next to me, looking worried, then I would have let my rage take over. But I had to keep it together for Bonnie.

"Alexa, after Damon's little scheme with the white oak, I really wouldn't push me," the hybrid glared at me, losing all pretence at being polite.

"Considering your sister is fucking torturing my boyfriend, you're lucky that I'm not finding something to stab you with," I glared right back at him, determined to keep his attention off of Bonnie. "So why don't you leave my friend alone and just get the fuck out."

Klaus opened his mouth, to probably threaten to rip my heart out or something like that. But a particularly pained scream from outside the room interrupted him. I winced and looked over at the door. I longed to rush through those doors and go rescue my love. But I couldn't. Not only would Klaus stop me, I couldn't abandon Bonnie.

"What was that?" my witch frowned, pulling away slightly to stare at the doors. "Was that Damon?"

"I wouldn't let it bother you, love," Klaus shrugged, turning pleasant again now that he was speaking to my friend. I knew that he would sweet talk her as much as possible until she did what he wanted.

"Well, it does bother me," Bonnie shot back, standing up to glare at him properly, resting her hand on my shoulder. I clenched my fist, waiting to intervene if Klaus got all douchey. "You bother me." I had to hold back a snort as the hybrid put on a faux innocent look, gesturing towards himself with wide eyes. "You use people to get what you want, it's not right."

"You're being emotional, Bonnie," Klaus stepped forward, getting closer to my friend. Which was when I stood up, placing myself between the two, keeping Bonnie behind me. Klaus rolled his eyes at me, but continued speaking to my friend. "I understand that things have been rough for you. You know, with your mother leaving. Again. It's very sad. I can help you find her, if you want. I have people who can bring her back to you. Or, if you chose, I can just bring parts of her back." I narrowed my eyes as he taunted my friend with the mention of her absentee mom. "Isn't it obvious that I'm just gonna hurt the people that you love until you do the spell?"

"Why can't you find someone else to pick on and leave my friend alone?" I snapped, meeting the Original's glare. "Like, seriously, just fuck off and leave her alone. Any witch can undo the spell, why do you need Bonnie?"

"Because she has so many loved ones," he leered at her for a second before looking back at me. "And so do you, Alexa. Like the vampire that my sister is having fun with."

I narrowed my eyes, "You have a lot of loved ones too, Klaus, even if you won't admit it. And right now, I wouldn't even hesitate to chop off one of their heads."

The hybrid bared his teeth at me, and I was suddenly reminded of the time that he ripped my throat out. And I didn't have a magic ring to bring me back to life this time. But if it meant helping Bonnie, then I would face that threat head on.

But it seemed as though my friend had other ideas, as she gently rested a hand on my shoulder, "It's okay, Alexa, I'll do the spell."

Klaus' smirk grew at her words, "Excellent. Now, I know that the spell is in the grimoire and I knew that it requires the blood of my siblings, so here we are."

He turned around and grabbed a case from the side. I frowned as he opened it, revealing four bottles, filled with red liquid. It was quite disgusting, seeing the blood sloshing around like that. And I reached out to grab Bonnie's hand, letting her know that she wasn't alone in this.

The hybrid pointed to each bottle, listing each of his siblings, "Elijah. Rebekah. Kol. Finn." He then lifted his hand to his mouth. His face turned, vampire and werewolf features mixing, and bit into the skin of his palm. His lips stained red, he held out his bloody fist, looking at my witchy friend. Blood dripped to the floor as he asked, "Where do you want this?"

Bonnie glanced at me and I gave her a nod. Even though this was fucked up, I couldn't let Bonnie get hurt because she refused to do this. So if she needed my reassurance, then she would get it. I would support my friend in this.

The witch cleared her throat and grabbed a glass from the table, holding it under Klaus' bleeding hand. The blood dripped into it, red streaks running down the glass.

XXX

I helped Bonnie prepare the area for the spell, placing candles around the small table. Klaus watched us from the side with dark eyes. I knew that he was eager to be unlinked from his siblings. Especially Finn. He had proven that he had a death wish once, it was quite possible that he still had one.

While I was setting up the table, Bonnie read through the spell one last time. I had no idea what she would need to do. But I offered my support. I made sure that she knew that she wasn't alone in this. Even though I hated what we were doing, I couldn't risk my friend getting hurt. And I refused to let my brother and her mom get hurt either. I may not like Abby Bennett, but I knew that Bonnie still loved her, deep down. And I refused to let my friend lose anyone else.

The glass with Klaus' blood sat in the middle of the table, almost glowing red in the light of the fire. It was disgusting. And I wanted so bad to just throw it in the fire. But I couldn't put Bonnie at risk like that. So I did what I was told and whispered reassurances to my friend whenever she looked at me with conflicted eyes. I would take responsibility for this, if she needed me to. I would defend her and protect her and look after her. Bonnie deserved better than this and I would do everything that I could to make sure that she got through this unscathed.

Once everything was ready, Bonnie stood in front of the table, the vials of blood lined up in front of her. Closing her eyes, she used her powers to ignite the candles. Compared to all of the spells that my friend had done; it wasn't the most impressive. But I would always admire the easy way that she lit candles now. It was such a small thing but it was heart-warming none the less.

When Bonnie started chanting, a strong hand gripped my arm, pulling me away from the witch. I knew that Klaus wanted to ensure that I wouldn't interfere. But I wouldn't do that anyway. Even though I wanted to Originals to remain linked, I wouldn't put my friend at risk like that.

Klaus' grip was tight, probably a way of expressing his displeasure at my earlier words. But I ignored it, keeping my gaze on Bonnie instead. I wanted to make sure that she was alright. It was a powerful spell, and she was still going through the emotional turmoil from her mom leaving again. She had told me, before, that emotions could help strengthen a witch's magic, but it could also have a negative impact too. And I didn't know which option was more likely right now.

Bonnie kept on chanting; her gaze focused on the glass in front of her. She repeated a phrase several times, pouring a vial of blood into the glass each time. I didn't know the mechanics behind the spell. But I figured that this was just the start of it.

Once the vials were empty, the witch picked up the glass, swirling it around to mix together the blood within it. The light from the fire shone through the red liquid, making it look even more mystical. As soon as she was content that it was mixed together, she emptied the liquid out onto the table.

It stayed in a circle, controlled through the magic of the spell. I had expected it to leak out everywhere, but I guess that would have negatively impacted the spell. As Bonnie chanted, the blood slowly moved, splitting out into five different circles. With each word that she chanted; the blood moved. The thick liquid split into different directions, leaving no trace or trail. It clumped together, sticking within its separate circles.

When the flames flared up, I couldn't stop myself from taking a step back, even though it took me closer to Klaus. He ignored my moment of weakness, his eyes fixed upon the witch in front of us. Bonnie's eyes were closed tightly, her face scrunched up in concentration as words spilled from her lips. The pools of blood continued to move, spacing out into the points of a star.

Slowly, the words stopped coming and Bonnie opened her eyes, looking down at the table in front of her. The pools of blood had stopped moving, sitting far apart from each other. And I knew that the siblings were now unlinked. And we had lost our advantage.

Bonnie's legs shook beneath her and I slapped the hand that Klaus had holding me. He let go and I darted forward, grabbing my friend before her legs gave out. She clung onto me, burying her face in my neck. I held her tight as I carefully eased her to the floor, urging my friend to rest her weight against me.

I glanced up at the hybrid watching us, a smug look in his eyes, and narrowed my eyes. Through gritted teeth, I asked, "Can you get her some water? After that spell, she needs it." When the hybrid didn't move, I snapped, "She did this for you. So why don't you show some goddamn appreciation and get her some water?"

Klaus rolled his eyes but disappeared from the room. Once he was gone, I turned my attention back to my friend. Her body trembled from the effort that the spell took. But it was her words that worried me, "What have I done?"

"You did what you need to do, Bon," I reassured her softly, running my fingers through her hair. "It's okay. You're safe now, Bon, and I'm going to get you out of here."

"What about you?" my friend asked softly, glancing up at me with tearful eyes. The anguished look in those beautiful brown eyes just broke my heart. It wasn't fair. Bonnie had been through so much. She deserved to have some peace and happiness. And I hated that the world wasn't giving her that.

"I can't leave without Damon," I sighed, cupping her face and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

XXX

I urged Bonnie to drink some water before helping her to her feet. I kept my arms wrapped around my friend while Klaus opened the door, gesturing us through. Now that he had what he wanted, he was willing to let Bonnie go. I didn't know if I would be allowed to leave too. But since I refused to go without my boyfriend, it didn't really matter.

Klaus lurked behind us, a sly smirk on his face, even as he kept quiet. But I didn't pay him any attention. I just wanted to get my friend out of this building. And back to the safety of our friends. Away from Klaus and Rebekah and every accursed Original under the sun.

As we walked into the parlour, I couldn't stop myself from looking at the room where my beloved was being held. He looked even worse than he did before and I felt sick to my stomach. As soon as I got Bonnie out of here, I would be doing the same for my boyfriend. I wouldn't let him get hurt anymore than he already was.

Rebekah sauntered out of the room, wiping blood off of her hands. The sight of it turned my stomach and I had to look away. I felt so powerless and I hated it. Rebekah had been hurting my boyfriend and there was nothing that I could have done to stop her. I had failed when I first arrived. And then I couldn't abandon Bonnie, not even to save Damon. After everything that my friend had done for me and my loved ones, I owed her everything.

"Aw, leaving so soon?" the blonde pouted mockingly at my friend. I narrowed my eyes and tightened my grip on Bonnie, tugging her closer. I opened my mouth to snap something when an unexpected voice interrupted me.

"Sister," Klaus rolled his eyes, a snarky edge to his voice. "Be nice."

Rebekah gave him a look before glancing back at Bonnie, an exaggerated hint of gratitude to her voice, "Thank you, Bonnie. See you in physics class."

I glared at the younger Original as she smiled mockingly before turning away. I noticed that she deliberately avoided my gaze. And I was glad that she was. It meant that she regretted what she was doing enough that she didn't want to look at me. But it wasn't enough for her to stop what she was doing. I just had to hope that it was enough for me to get her to stop once I finally confronted her.

It was when Rebekah walked away, finding somewhere else to go be a bitch, that Bonnie got her first good look at Damon and what he was going through. I made eye contact with my vampire, the pain in his eyes breaking my heart.

"I'll save you," I mouthed, needing to reassure him. I couldn't let him believe that he would be stuck like this. He had to know that I would get him out of it.

"Yeah, you'll have to excuse the mess," Klaus sighed dramatically, leaning in closer. I shot him a glare before shuffling Bonnie away from him. "Apparently Damon hurt her feelings."

"Just shut up, Klaus," I snapped, turning to face Bonnie and cupping her face. "It's okay. I'll save him. I just need to get you to safety first." My friend looked conflicted and I gently shushed her. "Bon, I need you to be safe."

The witch stared at me before nodding, "Okay, Alexa."

"Thank you," I sighed softly, tugging her close. "My car is at the end of the drive. There will be some chocolate in the glove compartment, take some, it'll help you get some strength back. Jenna and Ric were at the Boarding House when I left, go and see them. They'll look after you until I can get back."

"What about you?" Bonnie asked quietly, glancing at the hybrid behind me. I knew what she was worried about. Despite his claims that he wanted to be my friend, the hybrid frequently did things to contradict those claims. And he had hurt me in the past. But even though it was a possibility, I couldn't let Bonnie stay here. It wasn't safe and I needed someone to look after her. I knew what my friend was thinking. She blamed herself for this, even though she shouldn't. And I needed someone to get those thoughts out of her head.

"I'll be fine," I reassured her gently. "Trust me."

My friend stared at me for a few more seconds before nodding. She nodded before turning and walked out of the door. I watched her with worried eyes, giving her a final nod before she closed the door behind her. She was safe. She was finally safe.

I turned to go save Damon, to get him out of the traps and to safety. But a firm hand grabbed my arm. I narrowed my eyes, glancing over that the hybrid that stopped me. He was watching me with dark eyes, looking as determined as I did.

"Klaus, let me go," I spoke quietly, trying to keep a lid on my anger. If the sensible approach didn't work, then I would let my rage go free. Damon had been in those traps for far too long. And I refused to let him stay there.

"Sorry, love," he smirked, his gaze hard. "But I can't let you go save him."

"To be honest, Niklaus, I don't really give a fuck," I shrugged, tugging on my arm. "I don't give a fuck why he is here or the fact that your traitorous little sister wants to have her fun with him. He is my boyfriend and you are going to let him go right now."

"Is that right?" Klaus stared down at me, looming over me in an attempt to scare me. The joke was on him though. I was too determined to save my boyfriend to be scared. So I just stared him down.

"It really fucking is so," I hissed, tugging on my arm with more effort. "So let me go!"

XXX

Klaus didn't let me go.

Instead, he dragged me back into the room that I was in before. I was forced down onto the sofa and the hybrid paced back and forth in front of me. I watched him through narrowed eyes, crossing my arms. I didn't know what he was thinking, but I hoped that it was painful.

I was secretly glad that we had a trump card against him. We actually had something that could kill him. And after what he had done, the way that he had threatened Bonnie, threatened my brother, stopped me from saving my boyfriend from his sister.

"Why am I still here?" I demanded after a while, debating whether it was worth trying to trip him over. "Why won't you let me save Damon?"

"Why, Alexa, it sounds as though you don't want to be here with me," the hybrid smirked at me, not pausing in his pacing.

"Fuck you, Niklaus," I snapped, ignoring the way that he narrowed his eyes. "I'm fed up with you holding me hostage. First it was when your mom went all kill kill kill. And now you're doing it again. I'm not some pawn that you can use as you like. And if you want to be my friend, which I seriously doubt at times, then you need to stop doing it."

"Maybe I just enjoy your company," Klaus sneered, sounding as though he really didn't mean his words.

"Well tough shit, cos I am really not enjoying yours right now," I rolled my eyes, deliberately looking away.

We stayed in silence after that. I didn't feel like talking to the hybrid and apparently, he didn't feel like talking to me. So I tried to plan ways to go and save Damon. I knew that I would need to get away from Klaus. It was a shame that I didn't have my stake on me. And yes, I very much regretted not grabbing it from Damon's room before I left. But I couldn't risk anyone finding out about my little plot and stopping me.

Even if I did have it, there was no guarantee that I would be able to kill Klaus. Not without vampire help. And I couldn't risk giving away our trump card. Keeping the white oak a secret was our only advantage now. They weren't linked. But if we managed to take them out on the sly, then we could still manage it.

I sat there, glaring at the Original Hybrid until a familiar voice shouted, "Klaus, I'm here! Let's do this."

Stefan? What was he doing here? Had he finally come to save his brother? Because it had taken him longer than I expected. Well, with the way he had been acting, I was surprised that he had even come at all. Dodgy Stefan did dodgy stuff. And not coming to save his brother was included in that.

Klaus grabbed my arm again, pulling me up from the sofa. Well, at least he was letting me get involved this time. I was worried that he would try locking me in the room and using me as some kind of hostage. It was the sort of shit that the hybrid would try.

Rebekah met us in the foyer, exchanging a glance with her brother, before we entered the room where my boyfriend was hostage. There were no more bloodstains, so Rebekah hadn't tortured him any further. But he still looked weak and I just knew it was because the bear traps wouldn't let his wrists heal.

He glanced up when we entered the room, his eyes looking at the grip Klaus had on my arm. I encouraged him to look up, meeting his eyes when he did so. I kept eye contact with him while Stefan talked. He had a familiar duffle bag in his hands as he glared at the Original siblings next to me.

"Oh good, a hero," Klaus smirked, his grip tightening slightly. I had a wince as it grew tight. I refused to let Damon see that I was in a bit of pain. He needed to focus on himself. "What do you want?"

Stefan threw down the duffle bag, the stakes inside knocking together. My heart thudded in my chest as I wondered what exactly he was doing. Was he really giving up the only weapon that we had? Why would he do that? Was he accepting his humanity enough that he was willing to do anything to save his brother?

"I'm here to make a deal," the younger vampire announced, keeping his gaze on Klaus. I knew that the sight of his brother, being strung up and covered in blood, made him feel sick. It made me feel sick. And I didn't have super senses that were being overwhelmed by blood. Yeah, I could smell it. There was enough on the floor that I wasn't able to ignore it.

"Stefan, what are you doing?" Damon groaned weakly, momentarily glancing at his brother before returning his gaze to me.

The younger Salvatore, however, ignored his brother's words. His voice remained strong as he said, "Seven stakes made of white oak. The part of Wickery Bridge that you forgot to burn."

Klaus let go of my arm in shock. He turned to face his sister, an unhappy look on his face. While the blonde shook her head, a whispered, "That's impossible," slipping from her lips, I used my new freedom to make my way over to my vampire. Despite the desperation fuelling me, I kept my movements slow. I didn't want to draw Klaus' attention back to me, as he could have stopped me from going to Damon.

The moment I stood in front of my boyfriend, I reached to cup his face, resting my forehead against his. I didn't care that he was covered in sweat and blood. I was just relieved that I was able to touch him, to reassure him. I gently stroked his cheek, whispering comforting words.

Behind me, Stefan contradicted Rebekah's words, "Actually, it's not. Finn is dead."

Oh shit. They actually managed to kill one of them. And we unlinked them. Oh my god, we could have actually killed them all. But I encourage Bonnie to unlink them, that it was okay to do what Klaus wanted. Fuck. This was my fault. They would all be dead if it wasn't for me.

"You killed my brother?" Rebekah's voice was low and dangerous. A threatening edge to it. So she did love her oldest brother. That wasn't good. As I meant that she would look for retribution.

The younger vampire refused to look at her, keeping his gaze focused on the hybrid, "Damon in exchange for the last seven weapons that can kill you."

I realised what game he was playing. There were eleven weapons left. Not seven. But if the Originals thought that they were safe, then they would get complacent. It was a clever move from Stefan. One that I wouldn't be able to make. Not right now. My heart was consumed with worry. So it was a relief that he was able to take over.

"And how do I know there aren't any more left?" the Original hybrid asked shrewdly, a dangerous hint to his voice. Fuck, Klaus' paranoia was incredibly inconvenient. I prayed that Stefan played this right. That he would be able to convince Klaus.

"Because there aren't," Stefan countered, keeping his voice even. I just rested my forehead against Damon's, keeping my eyes closed. I gave him all the comfort that I could, considering the fact that he was still being strung up by bear traps.

"Let's be certain, shall we?" Klaus' voice came from a lot closer than I was expecting. I opened my eyes and glanced to the side. The hybrid was stood next to me, staring at my boyfriend with a hard smirk on his face. "Leave."

Damon glared at him and spat out, "No."

"Go on," Klaus' voice turned jovial, for just a moment, and it was enough to send shivers down my spine. "Leave."

"Nik," Rebekah pouted behind me. "He's my plaything, not yours."

I narrowed my eyes and turned to glare at her, "Fuck you. He's no one's plaything."

Klaus took advantage of my distraction to grab my arm, throwing me backwards. I expected to hit the floor, but familiar arms grabbed me, holding me close. I glanced up at Stefan to see him watching his brother with worried eyes. He rested a comforting hand on my shoulder while keeping an arm wrapped around my waist.

I looked back at my vampire to see the hybrid grabbing him by the throat. From the tone of his voice, I knew what he was doing. He kept eye contact with Damon as he compelled him, "I said, go home."

The vervain that he drank had left his body, lingering in the blood on the floor. And so, my beloved had no protection against the compulsion. With a low groan, he started straining against the bear traps. The flesh of his wrist started to peel away from the bone, the noise turning my stomach. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't stop the cries of pain.

I struggled in Stefan's arms, desperate to go help my boyfriend. His cries of pain just cut through my heart. I wanted them to stop. I needed them to stop. And I needed to help him. I had to stop Klaus from hurting him.

I wasn't aware that I was screaming at first, begging Klaus to leave him alone. The hybrid watched Damon through careful eyes before nodding. Once he was content that his compulsion was working, he laughed, "Alright, stop, stop, stop, before you hurt yourself." At his words, Damon stopped trying to pull himself free. I slumped back in Stefan's arms in relief, even though I was still eager to go to him. "Well, seeing that he can finally be compelled." He grabbed Damon by the throat again, forcing him to make eye contact. "Minus the stake that's in my brother, how many more stakes are out there that can kill me?"

You could tell that my vampire didn't want to answer but he couldn't fight the compulsion. He had been bled of the vervain and he had been put through too much pain to fight it. Damon glared at Klaus as he ground out, "Eleven."

Stefan let me go as Klaus turned to look at him, a glare on his face, "Eleven! Really? So not seven then."

I darted back to Damon's face, returning my hand to my cheek. He looked at me, his eyes filled with pain and guilt, "I'm sorry."

"Hey, it's okay," I whispered, pressing a kiss to his lips. "It's okay. It's not your fault. You don't need to apologise."

"You really shouldn't have lied," Rebekah sneered, blocking the exit so that Stefan was forced to face Klaus. I had to commend Stefan; he stared the hybrid down, not showing any fear.

"I'll get you the other four," he spoke, keeping his voice even. I was just lucky that my main focus was on looking after Damon. Otherwise I would be freaking out. I mean, I was still freaking out. But it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

"Yeah, that'll be nice," Klaus shook his head, glancing over at me and Damon. "Or, since you lied, maybe I'll just compel your brother to chew out his own tongue."

"The fuck you will!" I snapped, moving so that I was between the hybrid and my vampire.

I was closely followed by Stefan shouting, "What is wrong with you?"

Klaus immediately spun around to glare at the younger vampire, "What is wrong with you?! Do you really have no appreciation for me? I have given you someone to hate, to loathe, a target for all of your anger; so you don't have to turn it on yourself! I have given your life purpose, as your friend." The hybrid laughed, a chilling sound that had me shivering. "I really thin that you should be thanking me."

Apparently, that was the last straw for the younger Salvatore. With a snarl, he sped forward at the hybrid, pinning him to the wall to the side. He held one of the white oak stakes in his hand, holding it against the Original's heart. But he didn't make the final move. He just glared down at him, practically vibrating with rage. Klaus grabbed his wrist, a hard look on his face.

"Step down, or you all die."

In a move that surprised me, Stefan backed down, his grip on the hybrid loosening. With a pleased smirk, Klaus grabbed the stake, pushing him away, "There. Now you only have to get me the other three."

As the two supernatural beings stared at each other, hatred etched into both their faces, Rebekah rolled her eyes, "This is ridiculous."

She strode over to where I was stood with Damon. I clutched him close, watching her with wary eyes. The blonde had put him in this position, I didn't trust her not to kill him, just to prove a point. But in a move that surprised me, she opened one of the traps. I held Damon close to me as she walked around, opening the other.

I carefully eased my vampire down to the ground, holding him close to my body. He reached up to grab me, his hands shaking as he rested his head under my chin. Klaus stormed over to his sister, an unhappy look on his face, "What are you doing?"

"I brought him here," his sister shrugged. "I get to release him. My rules now." She glanced over at Stefan. "Bring us the stakes and you both live. Take your brother as sign of good faith."

Before she moved away, the blonde gently ran her hand over my head. I glanced up to see her staring down at me with regretful eyes. When I made eye contact, she glanced away, moving to grab the duffle bag. Without looking back, the Original left the room.

Unhappy that his sister had ruined his plans, the other Original glared at Stefan, "Bring us the stakes. All of them. Or I will wage a war against everyone you love. I hope I'm being clear."

XXX

Stefan helped me carry Damon to my car. I regretted parking so far away, even if it was the sensible choice at the time. We got him settled in the back seat and I climbed in after him. After seeing him get hurt like that, I refused to leave my boyfriend's side. Stefan took charge of driving us back to the Boarding House.

I pulled Damon against my chest, holding him tight. He clung onto me; his face buried against my face. I knew that he wasn't impressed with the fact that I went to Klaus' garish home without backup. But he would have done the same for me. I couldn't just sit back while I knew that he was being hurt.

I made my vampire drink from my wrist. He had protested, worried about taking too much. But I insisted. I knew that he had lost a lot of blood. And his wounds weren't healing as quickly as they should. So, while Stefan drove us to the Boarding House, I made him drink some blood to speed up the healing process. And then he could down as many blood bags as he wanted when we got home.

While Damon was sucking on my wrist, I glanced over at the younger vampire, "Why did you give up the stakes? We need them to take down Klaus and his family."

Stefan sighed and shook his head, "After Finn died, Sage came by the house. She wanted revenge and she would have ripped us all apart. But before she could, she started coughing up blood. Another vampire that was with her, one that she had turned, did the same. In the space of a few minutes, both of them were dead."

"What do you mean?" I asked quietly, a sick feeling in my stomach as I didn't want to realise the meaning behind his words.

Stefan's eyes met mine in the mirror, "If we kill an Original, then their whole bloodline dies."

"Oh fuck," I whispered, glancing down to meet Damon's gaze. He let go of my wrist and sat up. His expression reflected mine. We had no idea which Original their bloodline originated from. We didn't know which one to kill. Maybe it was a good thing that I encouraged Bonnie to do the unlinking spell. Otherwise I would have lost so many people.

"We need to trace back our sire line," Damon murmured, a look of intense concentration on his face. "We need to find out which one to spare."

"We will," the younger brother nodded. "We need to find those other three stakes."

"Two are in my room," my vampire replied, glancing over at me. "In the basket of firewood. Ric has the last."

"I'll try and stall Klaus for as long as I can before we have to give them back to him," Stefan sighed, looking frustrated. "You need to find out who we came from."

We were silent for the rest of the journey. And I couldn't help but think how fucked we were. If one of them dies, then we could all die. It was a good thing that we stopped Esther. If she had gone through with her plan, then the entire vampire race would have been wiped out. She knew exactly what she was doing. And I swore that I would make her pay for it when we saw her next. Because she would definitely show her ugly face again.

But in the meantime, I had to focus on keeping my loved ones alive. If the wrong Original died, then so would the Salvatore brothers, so would Caroline, so would Bonnie's mom. So would Tyler.

Things were so fucked.

XXX

A/N: Thank you for the reviews, my darlings, they have really cheered me up after a very horrible week. Please keep them coming! Friendly reminder that my poll is still up so please keep voting :) I hope you enjoyed the chapter, until next time xoxo