They had found him, or better yet, he found them.

Mikael Mikaelson. The vampire that hunts vampires was now here in Mystic Falls. A place that was not short of choice when it comes to vampires lately. He was here to kill Klaus. That thought was deeply unnerving to me, and yet, I still didn't quite understand why.

I bit the inside of my cheek, nervously as I stood beside Rebekah. Having not known her that long, we seemed to get on alright. Especially after what happened with Elena. The moment we shared was deep. Wholesome.

Stefan called Klaus and informed him that his father was dead.

Sorry, not his actual father, but rather the one that raised him before turning his back on him and the rest of his family.

Mikael was here in the Boarding house, daggered and decaying on the floor in front of me. Elena was the one who struck him down. She was the only one who could do the deed after Mikael informed the others that a vampire cannot dagger an original without dying themselves. So it fell to the doppelganger, Elena. Knowing that Stefan was under his compulsion, Klaus would know if he was lying or not. So him witnessing Elena drive the dagger into Mikael's heart was all he needed to see to convince Klaus that he really was dead.

But Klaus needed more. He needed the word of his sister, Rebekah. And she gave him just that when she took the phone from Stefan and confirmed that their father was dead, once and for all. That was all it took to get him to return to Mystic Falls.

And he was coming.

The room was abandoned except for Rebekah, myself and the corpse of Mikael, which lay on the floor a few feet away. Rebekah was painting her nails as I bit into mine, nervously as I thought about what will happen when Klaus returned.

"Will you stop that."

I turned to face Rebekah, my finger hanging from my mouth as she glared.

"Yes, you." She groaned, "Stop biting at your nails, will you."

I rolled my eyes and lowered my hand, "Fine."

I stared at Mikael without even realising I was doing so until Rebekah nudged me.

"What's wrong?" She wondered.

I sighed, "Are you sure you're doing the right thing?" I asked sternly.

She dropped her gaze briefly, deep in thought.

"I don't know." She smiled weakly. "He killed my mother, Jessica. I don't know what else there is to do."

I nodded.

After all, he tormented my friends and caused so much damage to Stefan. Yet, I still couldn't fight the feelings that radiated from deep within myself. Since meeting him, there was this instant connection that I couldn't seem to overlook, no matter how much I tried.

The sudden cough from in front of us was all it took for me to snap out of my daydream as Mikael woke.

"Took you long enough." Rebekah moaned as she got to her feet.

"Rebekah?" He whispered.

"Whatever fatherly rubbish you're thinking, save it. Nothing you say matters to me."

His lips pressed into a fine line. "I see. Where is my dagger?"

She grinned, "Elena has it. So you can forget your plans to use it on me."

"You were never the one I was after."

"Nik was my family. If you were after him, you were after me." Rebekah clarified to her father. His face stern as he looked at her.

"He blinded you, Rebekah." He rose his voice ever-so-slightly. "He killed your mother."

"I know what he did, and he'll pay for it with his life. But Nik was not born a killer - none of us were! You did this to us when you turned us into vampires! You destroyed our family. Not him."

"Rebekah..."

She left the room, her hand in the air to silence her father as she walked past him in disgust.

His blazing stare was worse than that of Klaus'. It truly made your blood run cold as his icy-eyes locked with yours.

I began to walk out of the room, but he swiftly caught my swinging wrist, pulling me back.

I gasped as he held me in front of him.

"Get off of me!" I hissed through clenched teeth.

He smirked, "There's something about you." He looked me over, taking in every feature before releasing me and stepping back. "I can't quite put my finger on it."

I backed up and glared at him, "What are you talking about? You don't know me, I've never met you before."

He nodded slowly, "Yes, I'm well aware of the fact." Mikael ran a finger over his chin.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I huffed, slightly worried about what he was talking about as I began to walk away before turning around. "Ohh," I began and he looked at me, the same wondering gaze as before. "Don't touch me again!" I warned him. "You'll regret it."

I was sitting on Stefan's bed twiddling my thumbs as Rebekah put the dress I picked for her on. I looked up to meet her wanting gaze.

"How do I look?" She smiled.

I got to my feet and walked over to her. Pushing her hair behind her shoulders as I whispered, "Beautiful."

I think this was the first genuine time I had seen her smile and mean it since I've met her. She was in her element, like a kid in the candy store.

"Embarrassing truth? This is my first high school dance." She admitted.

I blinked rapidly, "Are you serious?"

"I never really had time for high school before. Nik and I were always moving around, running." Her smile dropped. "Anyway - I didn't want to leave anything to chance. Have you heard anymore from him?"

I shook my head, "I haven't."

The incoming light foot steps approaching Stefan's room made me look behind Rebekah. Elena appeared at the door looking nervous as she hovered.

"Come in, Elena." I waved her into the room. She walked in, rubbing her hands together nervously.

"Have you heard anything" I asked and she looked at me confused. "From Klaus?" I clarified.

"Ohh, no. But I'm sure that when he does return he'll do it with flair." Elena said.

"And Damon and my father are all set with their plan?" The original asked with a shaky voice.

"Yes." Elena replied.

"Don't tell me. I don't want to know. I just - I want to go to the dance and leave the rest to Mikael."

"I know it's really hard." Elena said with sincerity. "So thank you for helping us get Klaus back into town."

"Just be careful. I've been running for a thousand years for a reason. Mikael is not a good person and he definitely can't be trusted. No one in my family can." Rebekah warned with tears in her eyes.

"Are you okay?" Elena asked her.

"I've spent my whole life loving and hating my brother with equal measure. I never thought that I'd be the one to help drive a stake thought his heart." She dabbed the tears in the corner of her eyes. "No tears- I don't want to ruin my makeup."

She turned her back on Elena and I and faced the mirror.

"How do I look?" She asked once more.

"You look amazing!" Elena smiled and reached into her pocket, pulling out her necklace. "But you're missing one thing."

"My mother's necklace." Rebekah gasped at the sight of it.

"You should wear it tonight. May I?"

Rebekah turned back around and faced the mirror before nodding, granting Elena the permission to put the necklace on her.

"Thank you." She smiled at her reflection.

"Elena!" I yelled.

I was too late.

She removed Mikael's dagger from her waistband and drove it though the originals heart, causing her to instantly drop to the floor.

"What the hell are you doing?!" I yelled in shock.

"I'm so sorry. I can't leave anything to chance either." Elena said softly. Her face filled with regret.

I sat on the bed beside Elena as Damon covered Rebekah's body with a blanket. Looking at her grey, decaying body only made me worry about was was to come.

If this wasn't a warning sign, I don't know what is.

"In the back! Harsh!" Damon joked at Elena's expense.

"It had to be done." Elena tried to justify her actions. "Rebekah was never gonna be completely on our side."

"Hey, I'm not judging you. It's very- 'Katherine' of you." Damon replied as he stood up.

"Not the way to make me feel better about myself, Damon." Elena groaned.

I cleared my throat, "I still don't see why you had to dagger her."

"I had to."

"You didn't. She was on our side." I spoke up.

"Jess," Damon called my name to get my attention. "Elena's right, there was no other way. We couldn't take the chance that she'd change her mind at the last second."

I nodded.

I knew they were right, but still. It felt like a huge betrayal on my part. Even thought I wasn't the one to drive the stake into her heart, when she wakes up and this is all over, shes going to remember that I didn't stop her or that I didn't remove the dagger from her back.

Elena turned to Damon, "Stefan's right. Someone's gonna let their humanity get in the way and screw this whole thing up. It's probably gonna be me."

Damon smirked, "Elena, you just daggered somebody. You will be fine."

"Yeah- but I feel bad about it. I care too much, that's the problem, Damon. I'm the weak link."

"If it makes you feel any better, she's not really dead." Damon tried to reassure her.

I sniggered, "But we might be when she waked up."

"Not helping, blondie."

I smiled at Damon's reply. He hasn't called me it in a while.

Well, I haven't seen him in a while. Not since the ghosts came back to life. Not since a certain ghost returned and left me with unanswered questions.

"Do you trust him?" Elena asked. "Mikael?"

Damon immediately shook his head. "No."

"What about Stefan?"

"No." He replied again. "Not as long as he is under Klaus' control."

"Then we need a better plan." Elena said, almost breathlessly as she rubbed her hands together once more.

"I'm gonna go and change." I said from behind them. "If I'm not at the dance, Caroline will kill me."

I needed to leave, being in here was making me itchy with nerves.

So I slid off the bed and left the room as they continued talking.

As I entered my room down the hall, the knot that was inside of my stomach was growing. The uncertainty of tonight was at the forefront of my mind as I paced back and forth at the foot of the bed. My mind a swirling, chaotic mess of thoughts. I sat down with a hand placed on my stomach. I felt almost nauseated as I thought about the whole situation. I shook myself free from thought long enough to shower and get dressed for this evening.

I walked out of the bathroom and scrunched my hair with a towel, draining the excess water from the strands before throwing it onto a chair by the desk. I ran my hand over the black, silk chiffon dress that stopped just above the knee as it lay at the foot of my bed. I hadn't chose on from Rebekah's 'line-up' because I already had my own chosen with Caroline the day before.

Dressed and somewhat composed, I left my room and made my way downstairs into the living room to meet with Elena before we left. As I walked, I hovered at the end of the sofa as I put the back on my earring. She was on the phone to Caroline as she rubbed her hand over her thigh. She was clearly worried about something.

"What's wrong?" I mouthed to her.

"So does that mean we don't have to go?" Elena asked Caroline on the phone.

"You wish!" Caroline replied, "Tyler is moving the party to his house."

"Kegs and beer-pong for homecoming? That's... different."

I rolled my eyes, "Rampant drinking and a lot of drunk teen's is not what I signed up for." I yelled loud enough for my sister to hear.

"We'll see you there." Elena said before hanging up just as the door began to ring.

We both went to the door together.

It was Matt.

Dressed in a beautiful suit as he stood at the entrance, his brow furrowed a little, nervous as the door opened.

"Matt..." Elena sighed.

Elena and I looked at each other, knowing why he was here.

"Slight problem with your homecoming date." Elena informed him.

His face fell, "What happened?"

"How would you feel about a back-up date?" Elena asked him with a smile.

I never thought that Matt would be the one to take me to homecoming, let alone with Katherine, but here we were. Walking up the stairs at the front of the Lockwood mansion and entering inside to the crowds of people and others that I hadn't seen before.

The plan for tonight was all set-in-motion and had already started. All we had to do was wait for Klaus to show up, so that everything else could fall into place.

As we walked further inside, Matt was talking to Katherine as I saw my sister fast approaching.

"Guys," I stopped in front of them. "My sisters coming, she doesn't know anything. Act normal."

I turned on my heel as she stopped in front of us.

"Care! You look gorgeous." I complimented her. She smiled weakly. "Hey, what's wrong?" I asked.

She sighed, "Klaus is here."

My jaw dropped at her words.

He was here. In this house.

"What?" Matt gasped from behind.

"Yeah! Apparently our sired hybrid-friend Tyler thought it would be okay to let his master throw a party! I expected more surprise!"

Ohh, me too.

Katherine huffed, "I've learned not to be surprised by anything Klaus does. I'm gonna go find Bonnie."

If I didn't know this was Katherine in front of me right now, I don't think I'd be able to tell the difference. She embodied Elena so well to the point that it was genuinely scary.

"What's going on?" Care asked, "And what are you two doing here together? Thought you were supposed to be here with Rebekah."

"Plan's changed. I need a drink." Matt said before sulking off into the crowd.

Caroline watched after him as he disappeared into the mass of people.

"Was it something I said?"

"What? No." I smiled at her, "He's just pissed about the change of plans."

"Well, I'm glad he came with you and Elena instead of her." Caroline smiled a bit, but she was unsure of her own words.

I looked around with just one thing on my mind.

Him.

I felt a presence in the house when we walked inside, but I didn't know what it was. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up once Caroline said his name, and that he was here. In the same house as I, but no where to be seen.

"You okay?"

I snapped out my trance and looked back at my sister, who looked at me worryingly.

I nodded and cleared my throat. "Yeah, all good." I replied, nervously digging my nails into the palm of my hand. "I'm gonna go and get a drink. Catch you soon?" I turned around and headed to where the live band were playing outside.

I hated lying to her, my own sister; but I had to protect her, I had to make sure she was safe. So, if keeping her in the dark about the plan against Klaus would do that, then I'd lie till my very last breath.

The air was cool as I walked out the back doors and onto the porch. The band played further down in the garden as teens danced and drank from plastic cups, cheering as they played to the large crowd. I folded my arms and rubbed my hands over the bare skin as the air cooled further. I scanned the area, looking for people that I knew within the crowds, but out of all people there, I couldn't make out most of them.

I walked further out onto the porch, leaning against the metal railing that surrounded it. My fingers tapped against the cool metal, but they stopped immediately as I caught a familiar scent.

"Hello, love."

I swallowed hard, composing myself before straightening my back and standing tall.

"Klaus."

Speaking his name made my throat dry up instantly. I looked up at him as he closed the gap between us and leaned on the metal railing, mimicking what I was doing previously.

"Where is your date?" He asked dryly.

He was fishing for answers?

I smiled slightly at his jealous tone. I cleared my throat and leaned back on the railing as I was before.

"I came alone." I admitted as I looked into the crowd. "Not that it's any of your business."

He turned to face me, a slight smirk on his lips.

"I'm sure you would have had plenty of suitors, beckoning at your door."

I smiled slightly, "None that I'd come with. That's if they had, that is."

He chuckled lightly and faced back out into the crowd.

"You look ravishing tonight, Jessica." Klaus spoke to my left.

There goes the pit of my stomach. When he says my name, it ignites a burning from deep within. Like only he was meant to speak it from his lips and no one else. The heat radiated from my skin like the fires from hell.

As my throat dried, I stepped back from the railing.

"I'm going to get a drink." I said to him.

He also pushed himself off the railing and held out his hand which held a glass of champagne.

I eyed it for a brief moment. Uncertain wither or not to take it.

"Champagne, classy." I smiled and took the drink from his hand. As I placed the rim of the flute against my bottom lip and lightly tilted the glass to take a sip. Klaus watched on intently.

I lowered the glass to down to my side as I saw Katherine approaching behind Klaus, immediately catching the hybrid's attention.

"Elena, how lovely to see you." Klaus smugly smiled as he took his place by my side.

"Klaus." Katherine replied dryly.

"It seems I have you to thank for Mikael's demise."

"He came at me. I didn't have a choice." she replied in Elena fashion.

He smirked, "Still, I'm impressed. It's not easy for a human to dagger an Original."

"It wasn't the first time."

Klaus rolled his neck, "Right. Elijah." He looked over her, even I could tell she was nervous as she tapped her finger against her arm. "You seem nervous." Klaus pointed out and she narrowed her eyes.

"I'm not nervous. I just don't like you."

Within seconds, Klaus' Demeanour changed. From smiling and laughing at my side, to standing in front of Katherine and I with a warning scowl on his face and narrowed eyes as he spoke.

"Let's get straight to the point then, shall I, Love?" His gaze flicked to me briefly before continuing. "People have been after me for thousands of years. And I am always one step ahead. So whatever it is you're thinking of trying, go for it, give it your best shot. You won't succeed."

I swallowed hard.

He knew something was off. He may not know exactly what was going to happen tonight, but he was prepared for anything.

"It won't be for lack of trying." Katherine spat back.

He smirked coyly as he walked closer to her.

"Ah you'd be smart to tell Damon to mind his manners tonight, because if I die, I've already ensured that he'll die along with me! Even in death my hybrids have their orders. So, you kill me, you're killing him too."

He took a few steps back and gazed upon us both. Seeing if one of us would crack, but we held our own.

Maybe he knew, maybe he was bluffing, but I couldn't take the chance.

I cleared my throat and downed the rest of the liquid inside the glass.

"As fascinating as the conversation is, I'm out of champagne. So if you'll excuse me." I spoke before taking a step forward.

And just as I hoped he would, Klaus stepped forward stopping me from leaving. "Allow me, love." Klaus held out his right hand and I passed the glass to him. "Won't be a minute." He said before leaving and I turned to Katherine immediately.

"What the hell do we do!?" I asked her in haste.

She was just as nervous as I as she tried to think.

"Caroline's in here, I can't have anything happening to her, Katherine."

"Will you please just give me a minute to think!"

I could feel my heart race. Tonight was going to be a blood bath. And most importantly, Damon would be dead at the end of it.

"Stefan..." I whispered as I could see Klaus across the garden getting fresh drinks for us both.

"What about him?"

I looked back to Katherine. "You have to get him to come here and stop Damon."

"How do you expect me to do that?" she hissed back.

"I don't know!" I bit my nail nervously. "He's sired to Klaus, he'll have to protect him from Damon."

Katherine looked at me suspiciously.

"What's your aim here?" She asked.

I scowled at her and stepped closer, the rage bubbling just below the surface. "I want this to stop because I don't want Damon to get killed trying to kill Klaus or whatever the hell it is he's going to do." She looked at me a little taken aback. "That is the whole reason we woke Mikael, to kill Klaus. Remember?"

"Okay, then what?"

I composed myself as Klaus was making his way back across the garden.

"We go through with the plan, like nothings changed." I informed her. "Just get Stefan."

She dipped her head in understanding and left before Klaus arrived back. His hand held out in front of me with the refiled champagne. Waiting for me to take it.

"Thanks."

"You're very welcome, love." He replied, his coy smirk sneaked back onto his lips as he took a sip from his own glass.

I cleared my throat, "Well, this has been fun but I think I'm going to go."

Just as I placed my glass down onto the railing, the band began to play a slower song and people began to couple-off with each other.

"May I have this dance?" Klaus asked, almost demanding for my hand.

I was reluctant.

Being in his presence longer than needed was overwhelming to say the least. I don't know how long I could last if I were to indulge him in a dance.

"I think I'll pass. Thanks."

As I rounded him, his hand caught my swinging wrist, tugging me backwards.

"Ahh-ahh." He pulled me close, lowering his voice as I held my breath. "Just one?"

"There are plenty of people here. Ask one of those." I replied and he smiled.

"Now, why would I want to dance with some drunk teen when I have you right here?"

I rolled my eyes and relaxed my shoulders.

"One dance... then you leave me alone." I walked in front of him and I caught the quiet chuckle coming from behind as he followed.

As we walked down to where the others were dancing. I was spun around quickly to face him. Dazed, I tried to catch the breath that was knocked out of me as he pulled me close so that we were almost touching. His hand splayed across my lower back pulling me closer to him. At first I fought against his subtle but strong pull, before I let my defence down a little and relaxed my body into his as he guided us.

"If my memory serves me well, I remember this is your favourite type of dance." Klaus gleefully smiled as we swayed to the low beat of the band.

I looked up at him through my lashes. "And how would you know that?"

"You told me. Well, not me per-say, I wasn't in this body." He replied.

My memory flashed back to the night at the school. The decade dance when he was inside Alaric's body, posing as him to get to Bonnie.

"If my memory serves me well, that was the night you attacked us and killed Bonnie." I replied bitterly.

"Yet, she lived." Was his dry reply.

"Why are you here, Klaus?" I asked cutting to the chase. This back and forth tonight wasn't really something I wanted to be doing.

"I'm here to see the body of my father. Rotted and ready for burial, love." He smiled as I looked away. Knowing the truth that his father was alive and kicking was unsettling. Klaus pinched my chin between his thumb and forefinger, forcing me to look at him.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" He asked with true concern to his tone.

"Nothing." I replied.

He wasn't buying it... not one bit.

"Tell me." His tone lowered to a low growl.

"I..."

Before I could reply, one of his newly turned hybrids approached.

"You have a visitor." The hybrid informed him.

"Tell them I'm busy." He replied sharply, not taking his eyes off me as I looked at his hybrid, worryingly.

"He said his name is Mikael." She replied and my throat instantly dried while my pulse quickened.

Klaus' hand was around my wrists as his other was still pinching my chin. His grip tightened around my wrist as he glowered at me.

Betrayal.

"Is that so?" He replied to her. "Then we mustn't keep him waiting. Move everyone out back. I'm gonna have a little chat with my dad. Tony," He pointed to another hybrid. "You know what to do."

As he began to walk to the steps, he dragged me along with him, much to my reluctance. His grip only got tighter.

"Klaus..." I spoke lowly as I tried to tug my hand free.

"Not now, love." He spun around to face me, causing me to collide with his chest. "We'll talk about this later."

I swallowed hard. Even thinking about what he meant by that was making the hairs on the back of my neck stand tall and my skin flare.

We entered in through the back door and into the middle of the room.

The front door was wide open, and in the centre stood tall was Mikael.

Klaus stopped a few feet away as he eyed him. I was stood by his side once again as he squared his shoulders. Making himself seem bigger then he was as he looked at his father with hatred.

"Hello, Niklaus."

"Hello, Mikael."

The air was thick. Palpable. A stand off between the hunter and the hunted. My heart was in my mouth the whole time that I stood beside Klaus, under the watchful eye of his father as they spoke to one another.

"Why don't you come in?" Klaus taunted his father. "Oh, that's right. I forgot you can't.

He sniggered, "Or you can come outside if you want."

"Or I could watch my hybrids tear you limb from limb."

About a dozen or so hybrids descended onto the green outside behind Mikael.

His father sneered, "They can't kill me."

Klaus smiled wickedly. "True. But it'll make a hell of a party game. All I have to do is rub these two fingers together and they'll pounce." Klaus held up his thumb and forefinger which were a mere few centimetres apart as he looked at them.

"The big bad wolf." Mikael spat at his son. "You haven't changed. Still hiding behind your playthings like a coward." Klaus tensed beside me, his body going ridged as his hand gripped my wrist behind his back tighter. I rotated my hand so that it was facing his palm and I squeezed it ever-so-slightly. It was like I knew what to do in this very moment. To calm him, and it worked. His body relaxed somewhat as his father continued on with his degrading words. "You only forget. They may be sired by you, but they're still part vampire. And they can be compelled by me."

Fuck.

Now I was the one tensing my body at his words.

Mindy, one of Klaus' hybrids walked up behind Mikael and thrust Katherine into his arms.

"Come out and face me, Niklaus. Or she dies." His father threatened him.

However, Klaus was having none of it.

"Go ahead. Kill her." He spat back darkly.

"What? No!" I gasped from his side. "You can't let him kill her!"

His grip tightened, a warning to be quiet.

"No, Klaus. He'll do it." Katherine pleaded with the hybrid.

"If she dies, this lot will be the last of your abominations." Mikael pointed to the other hybrids behind him.

"I don't need them." Klaus replied, his voice a little shaky. "I just need to be rid of you."

He smiled, "To what end, Niklaus? So you can live forever, with no one at your side? Nobody cares about you any more, boy!" His words travelled without much effort in making them do so. I'm sure some of the people out the back heard him speaking. His words cut deep, not just to Klaus, but to anyone else who's father had such resentment for them. "What do you have other than those whose loyalty you forced? No one." He spoke. "No one." His eyes drifted towards me as I stared back at him from Klaus' side, eyes wide. "Not even your little wolf."

I frowned, "What are you talking about?"

He grinned, "Oh, you don't know?"

"Enough of your games, father!" Klaus yelled, breaking the stare between Mikael and I.

He looked defeated, broken.

"I'm calling your bluff, father." Klaus spoke softly. "Kill her."

"Klaus, please!" I begged once more. Completely pushing what his father said to the back of my mind as I focused on the scene in front of me.

"Listen to your little mate, Niklaus." Mikael smirked as he looked in my direction once more. "Come outside and face me, you little coward. And I won't have to."

Klaus tensed.

"My whole life you've underestimated me. If you kill her you lose your leverage. So go ahead. Go on. Kill her." Klaus hissed through clenched teeth. "Come on, old man. Kill her. Kill her!"

Mikael laughed as he watch Klaus on the brink of rage.

"Your impulse, Niklaus. It has and will forever be the one thing that keeps you from being truly great."

In the blink of an eye, Mikael pulled out a dagger and plunged it into Katherine's back. She fell to the floor after a loud gasp escaped her parted lips.

"NO!" I screamed as I looked at her body on the ground behind Mikael.

I faced Klaus with streaming eyes, his face also one of shock.

He called his fathers bluff and lost.

Mikael laughed as he watched us both as we looked on in dismay.

A strong hand gripped my shoulder and before I knew what was happening, I was flung into the wall at my side. My hand slipped from Klaus' as I felt the warmth of his touch leaving me as we parted. My head hit the wall with a loud crack as I collapsed to the floor. I looked up through my blurred vision to witness Damon spinning Klaus around on the spot, the stake in hand as he thrust it into Klaus' stomach.

"Katherine..."

I turned to see Mikael looking on in shock as Katherine got up from the ground. She retrieved wolfsbane grenades from her pockets and smirked.

"Kaboom!" She removed the pin from the grenades before throwing them in the direction of the hybrids.

I immediately shot my head back to Damon and Klaus. Damon had him pinned to the floor as he screamed in pain from the wooden stake in his stomach.

Pulling the stake out briefly, Damon arched it to pierce Klaus' heart with the next thrust.

"Damon!" I squealed from his side as I tried to get up from the floor. My head pounding, arms shaking as I pushed up against the tile. A quick breeze shot over me as I got to my feet, stumbling back against the wall. I watched on as Stefan's body collided with his brothers', braking his hold of Klaus and dropping the dagger in the process.

"What are you doing!?" Damon yelled from under his brothers hold.

The stake rolled on the floor and stopped at my feet. I had the opportunity to grab the stake and take my own shot at Klaus... but I didn't. I looked at him as blood soaked through his shirt. He winced in pain before shooting to his feet in front of me.

He eyed me briefly before grabbing the stake. Whooshed over to where his father was standing on the porch, he immediately drove the stake through his heart. I watched in horror as the Original combusted into flames and screamed in agony. The amber flames continued to burn outside as Klaus made his way back inside. His gaze washing over me briefly before he looked at Stefan on the ground with Damon.

"What the hell did you do?" Damon hissed.

"He's earned his freedom." Klaus announced.

Stefan stopped clutching Damon's collar and rose to his feet to face Klaus.

"Thank you my friend. You no longer have to do as I say. You're free." Klaus compelled Stefan once more. He stumbled backwards slightly. The hold which the hybrid had on him was now broken. He was free.

Damon looked over to me as I leaned against the wall, both of my hands splayed over the cool tile as I tried to balance myself. His eyes narrowed slightly before he sped over to me, clutched my shoulders tight and fled the mansion.

"How did this happen?" Elena groaned as she stood by the fire in the Salvatore Mansion.

Damon paced back and fourth with conviction, a glass of amber liquid clasped between his hand.

"We thought of everything, Elena! Klaus having hybrids. Mikael turning on us. We even brought in Katherine so you weren't in danger. Anything that could have gone wrong we were prepared!" Damon yelled as he finished the bourbon in his glass.

I sat on the sofa behind Elena, struggling to meet their eye as I swallowed hard.

They did have everything covered... everything except from me.

Katherine and I were the ones that changed the game. The game that cause Klaus to be free from the only thing that could kill him. His father. And now he was in possession of the weapon that could kill an original, the white oak stake. I handed it right to him on a silver platter.

"I don't understand. Stefan wanted Klaus dead. More than anything. That's what we were counting on." Elena spoke breathlessly. The tole of what happened tonight was bearing down one her as well as everyone else that was involved.

"We blew it."

"Where's Katherine?" Elena asked.

I shrugged my shoulders, not wanting to meet her gaze as she turned back to Damon as he spoke.

"She ran for the hills like usual, the minute things got bad! And who blames her?" Klaus would've crushed her." Damon paced quicker.

He was right, if I could, I would be far, far away from Mystic Falls right now. Just like her.

"I had him, Elena. I had Klaus! This could have been OVER!" Damon grabbed a glass bottle of scotch and tossed it into the roaring fire to my left. I jumped a little in my seat as the flames grew higher.

I did this. Not Stefan. Not Katherine. Me.

Elena walked over to Damon as he stood by the fire and grabbed his face. "Hey. Damon... Hey! Hey, listen to me! We'll survive this. We always survive. Trust me." She tried to reassure him with her words.

He frowned. "We're never getting Stefan back. You know that, don't you?"

Her shoulders slumped. "Then we'll let him go. Okay? We'll have to let him go." Her voice wavered a little towards the end as she came to the realisation that Damon might be right. They really wouldn't get Stefan back. Not now.

Damon nods as his phone began to ring inside of his pocket. He answers it and I hear Katherine on the other line.

"Not interested in the play-by-play of our failure right now, Katherine."

Her voice travelled to my ears as I listened in.

"I'm just calling to say goodbye. I don't know what to tell you. You had a good plan, Damon. And that's high praise coming from me.

"That's not very comforting at the moment." Damon replied. "You're going back into hiding?"

"At least my life is not boring. Goodbye, Damon."

"Take care of yourself, Katherine."

Damon hung up the phone.

He was defeated.

This wasn't the first time I had seen that look tonight. The look of someone being broken down.

I couldn't bear to see it any longer.

I pushed myself off the sofa and began to walk out of the room.

"Hey, where are you going?" Damon called after me.

I spun on the spot, still dizzy from earlier as I braced my hand against the door frame.

"I'm going back home." I replied.

He frowned. "You don't have to leave."

"I think I'm done here, Damon." I smiled weakly. "I was made to be here by Stefan because he was compelled. Well, he's not compelled anymore. So I'm going home." It was late into the night by now and I wasn't in the mood to pack. "I'll get my things tomorrow, if that's alright?"

He pressed his lips into a fine-line and bowed his head slightly. "Sure."

I left out the front door. Still with my dress on and heels, as I walked away from the house.

Not only did I fail everyone tonight by ruining the plan. I gave into something much worse. I gave into him. His touch set my body alight, and once we were broken apart, it felt like someone put the fire out that burned inside of me. I don't know what it was and I don't know if I ever wanted to. I've kept so much to myself recently, and now I had to keep the fact that I was the one who ruined the plan tonight from everyone I love. It was already eating me alive and it only happened a few hours ago. I couldn't bear the thought of how I would feel tomorrow. Not to mention what Mikael said to me during the stand off. I now had an incline of what Mason was trying to say to me. What he so desperately wanted to tell me. I knew exactly who I had to ask.

That's exactly what I was going to do.

As I approached my house. The crunching of a branch caused me to spin on the spot and look around frantically in the dimly-lit street.

"Hello?" I called out.

No one answered.

I was completely alone, or so I thought.

I looked around a little more and still came up empty-handed.

There was no one here. I convinced myself it was an animal or someone out for a walk.

Once I was inside the house, I called out for my mom but no one answered. I tried calling her cell but again, no answer.

"Come on!" I huffed as I marched to my room.

Once inside, I closed the door and did my nightly ritual. Shower. Change. Bed.

It was like I was back into a routine. However, I never slept much that night. I tossed and turned relentlessly as I kept trying to connect the dots in my head. What Mikael said to me. What Mason tried to say to me. It all didn't make sense. Or I didn't want it too. There was only one possibility if it were true, and I couldn't even begin to think about it.