Chapter 9
"Damon, I know what you are going to say, but I think you should just drop me off. I'll be ok," Elena said assuredly.
Damon huffed and looked at her like she was crazy, "Have you met me?" he asked. "In what world do you think I'd actually let you walk in there alone. I don't care what happens to me, Elena, and I definitely don't care about what happens to Donovan."
"Well, I do!" Elena yelled. "I care. I don't want Klaus to hurt Matt. But I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you." And as much as she hated herself for it, the tears started flowing again.
Damon pulled the car over and reached for her. He held her close and rubbed his fingers through her hair as she cried. "Elena, Bonnie and I have been working on a desiccation spell. She doesn't have all the pieces. It's guesswork. But I think we were close to figuring it out." He pulled back and looked at her with his piercing blue eyes. "I'm not letting you go in there alone. I'll distract him. You go find Matt and get him out. We will be fine."
"We know he won't hurt me though. So let me go alone. If something goes wrong, the worst that will happen is he'll take me hostage or run with me. If that's the case, then Bonnie can still perform her spell. Once he's desiccated, I can escape," Elena nodded eagerly. It made perfect sense.
Damon turned back to the steering wheel and started the Camaro back up. "The only thing we know for sure about the spell is that someone has to make contact with Klaus's heart. It has to be me, Elena. This isn't up for discussion. I'm going." With that, Damon pulled back into the street. Elena huffed. She wanted to be mad at him, to ignore him out of spite, but a voice at the back of her head told her that they both could be walking into a death trap. Why waste time being angry with him? So instead she grabbed his hand and squeezed it. And she let the tears fall.
When they pulled up in front of Klaus's home, they were surprised to find Klaus outside supervising the unloading of a medical supplies truck. Damon and Elena watched with curiosity for a few moments as a computer, hospital grade bed, and all sorts of other medical equipment were unloaded.
"What's he up to this time?" Damon wondered aloud.
Elena shuddered next to him. "Maybe he's getting ready to take more of my blood. He's found more werewolves to turn."
Damon nodded, but he was unconvinced. If that were the case, then why take Matt?
He noticed Elena reaching for the door handle and panic welled up inside him. Damon reached to still her hand and turn her back toward him. He just held her gaze for several minutes. Finally, he managed, "Elena, I just want to say, that no matter what happens, I…"
But this time it was Elena's turn to shush him. "I know," she said simply. "I love you, too." With that, she kissed him and quickly got out of the car.
"Well, well. If it isn't the love birds. How did I know that you two would be a packaged deal by now?" Klaus smirked.
"Please, don't hurt him," Elena begged. "We came willingly enough. What do you want with me? What are you doing to Matt?"
"So many questions. And tell me, dear, sweet Elena, why I should answer any of them when you can't even follow this simplest of instructions?" Klaus's smile turned to a glare as he walked over to Damon and picked him up by the throat. Elena cried out as Damon struggled.
"No matter," Klaus said, releasing Damon and walking toward the house. "I think I can find a use for him after all. Follow along, children."
Damon glowered at Klaus's backside for a long minute before looking at Elena. She shrugged and he nodded once before both following Klaus inside.
"Please, have a seat," Klaus said, hand extended toward the dining room. Elena looked on in mild shock at the dinner table amassed with food, wine, and candles. She noticed absentmindedly that there were five place settings around the table.
"Quite the spread, Klaus. So you just called Elena over for a little light lunch?" Damon raised his eyebrows in a mocking gesture.
"I promised not to hurt her. Would you prefer that she starve?" At that, Klaus walked across the room and opened the door to a hallway that Elena had previously not noticed. She watched as Klaus leaned through the doorway and called out, "Bring him in!"
A moment later, Matt walked through the door, looking no worse for wear.
"Matt!" Elena called out and ran to him, pulling him into a big hug. "Are you ok? Did he hurt you? I was so worried."
Matt hugged Elena back. "I'm fine, Elena." When Elena looked at him, unsure, he added, "Honestly. He put me in a guest room for the night. I don't even know why I'm here."
"Leverage," Damon said. "That's it, isn't it, Klaus? You wanted to make sure Elena would do what you wanted without causing any trouble. Tell me I'm wrong."
"That is certainly part of it Damon, quite right. But it is not the whole story. Now do sit down. Our meal is getting cold," Klaus said, taking his seat at the table.
Elena shrugged at Damon and, not knowing what else to do, she sat, taking in the spread of fruits, cheeses, meats, and desserts. Suddenly, three beautiful blonds appeared through the same door Matt had recently entered. The girls, appearing to be not much older than Elena, wore gaudy gold dresses and heavy diamond jewelry. They began serving the food and offering additional beverages. She scowled as she noticed Matt and Damon appreciating the wait staff. She threw a grape at Damon as he sat down opposite her. He shrugged innocently and mouthed, "What?" making Elena laugh momentarily until one girl approached Damon with her wrist. Elena blanched and Damon stilled only briefly before shaking his head and turning her away.
Elena looked down at her plate now covered in decadent food, and she suddenly realized she was famished. When was the last time she had eaten? Might as well enjoy it, she thought as she went for a square of cheese with her fork.
"Tut, tut, Elena. It would be quite rude to continue without all our guests present and accounted for," Klaus cooed.
"Who else is coming?" Elena asked worriedly. She already knew that something seriously bad awaited them. This was all just the calm before the storm. It was pure torture, the waiting and the not knowing. But Elena and Damon had come into this knowing what they were up against. She didn't want anyone else to have to suffer. She glanced at the empty seat and back at Klaus.
"Pardon me. I just assumed. Where the doppelganger goes, the Salvatore brothers are both soon to follow. I expected Stefan to be showing his pretty little face any minute now. Am I mistaken? Perhaps something has come between you?" Klaus smirked and sipped his wine.
Elena felt immensely uncomfortable. The knowledge of what she was doing to both brothers made her feel like Katherine, and she hated that. But still, she had to acknowledge that Klaus was partially right, which begged the question Where is Stefan? She was mildly surprised he hadn't followed them here at a break neck pace. Maybe he and Bonnie had a plan.
Noticing her discomfort, Damon answered, "Stefan won't be joining us today. He had a rough night last night. It affected his hero hair, you know? It just wasn't cooperating, so he's staying in. At least until the new hair gel comes in from Amazon. It's a hard life." Damon winked and held up his wine glass to one of the blond goddesses. She'd never loved him more than in that moment. Plus, his cocky half smile took her breath away. He glanced over at her and smiled, genuinely smiled. Elena blushed and looked down at her plate.
"I see," Klaus said, picking up his fork. "Well, without further ado, let us eat."
Regaining her composure, Elena asked coldly, "Are you going to tell us why we're here?" She was quickly beginning fed up with Klaus's games.
"All in good time, Elena. All in good time."
After lunch, Klaus had the werewolves take Matt away again. Then, extending his arm to Elena and gesturing to Damon to follow, he led them through the house to a massive bedroom.
"Please, make yourselves comfortable. We will be here another day or two as we wait for the vervain to leave Matt's system," Klaus said, releasing Elena. "I'll have clothes sent up. I think Matt quite liked the plaid flannels I picked for him. Damon, are you a flannel man?"
"I sleep in the nude," Damon said nonchalantly, taking in the room. In the middle sat a gigantic four poster bed with ornate bedding. The furniture was obviously antique, from the dresser to the night stand. Burgundy curtains hung floor to ceiling over windows that spanned the length of the far wall. The windows, Damon noted, also had the added decoration of steel bars. Reinforced, no doubt. A door on the opposite side of the room stood ajar, leading to what Damon suspected was an en-suite bathroom.
"Why do you need Matt to be off vervain? What are you planning, Klaus?" Elena asked.
Klaus just smirked. "Because he won't do what I need him to do otherwise, will he?" As Klaus walked back toward the doorway, he added, "And don't get any ideas. The room is reinforced. Think of it as a beautiful prison. My hybrids will also be guarding your door 24/7. And as long as you both comply, we will continue to wait patiently for the vervain to leave Matt's system. If you choose to defy me, then I look forward to showing you the many different techniques I've learned over the centuries in how to bleed a man of vervain." And with that Klaus walked out and shut the door behind him.
Several hours passed, and Elena and Damon were no closer to coming up with a plan. "We don't even know where Matt is in the house. We don't know what Klaus is really up to. We have no foreseeable way of escaping. We aren't even sure if Bonnie is ready," Elena complained, pacing back and forth in front of the bed as Damon lounged comfortably against the head board, flipping through a first edition of A Tale of Two Cities.
"Wanna keep your voice down there, Champ?" Damon said, tossing the book aside on the bed and sitting up. "Hybrid ears and all."
Elena's face fell as she walked over and sat on the edge of the bed near Damon, "Sorry," she muttered. "I just feel so useless."
"Hey, it's going to be ok –"
Just then, the door opened. One of the hybrids leaned in, "Klaus needs to see Elena."
Damon and Elena both stood and started toward the door, glad to have something to do besides worry. As Elena stepped through the doorway, the hybrid held up a hand to Damon. "Just Elena," he said, and he reached for the door handle and slammed the door in Damon's face.
Elena could here Damon banging on the door as she followed the hybrid down the hallway. She wished she could tell him she'd be ok, but with the door shut between them, it would be impossible to communicate, even through a fantasy vision.
Elena rounded a corner and came to a small room. It had clearly been an office that had been converted haphazardly into a make-shift hospital room. A large, ornate desk sat in the corner with a computer screen sitting on top. A medical supply cabinet sat next to the desk. A bookshelf had been shoved into a corner, and a hospital bed had been placed in the middle of the room. An IV stand, several monitors, and an equipment tray stood in various places around the bed. Elena's heart quickened. What the fuck is going on here?
"Hello, Elena. Please have a seat on the bed. I just need to get logged in here," a brunette in green scrubs and a lab coat said as she walked into the room and leaned over the computer screen.
Compelled, Elena thought as she walked toward the hospital bed. "Why am I here?" Elena asked, thinking maybe it was worth a shot to find out what this woman may know, but it was like the question had never been asked.
"Alright, Elena. I'm Dr. Bedford. I just need to ask you a few questions and then we will get you your meds."
"Meds? What meds?" Elena asked, panic rising in her chest.
"Now, Elena, can you tell me the date of your last cycle please?" Dr. Bedford asked as she typed.
Elena thought back. "It's been about two weeks I think," she answered, confused.
"Excellent," Dr. Bedford intoned without looking up from the computer. "Do you have any allergies to any medications that you know of?"
"No," Elena answered honestly.
"Any past medical procedures I should know about?"
"No," Elena answered. And the questions went on and on.
Finally, Dr. Bedford looked up from the screen. "It sounds as if you are in perfect health, Elena. That's really good. There shouldn't be any problems with the procedure."
Procedure. I have to get out of here. Elena began slowly backing toward the door. When she felt she was close enough, she turned, yanked the door handle, and began to run. She'd made it maybe two steps before she ran right into the chest of the hybrid that had escorted her to the hospital room. He grabbed Elena's wrist and walked her back inside.
"Now, Elena, let me get you your meds. Do you mind just turning around and lowering your pants slightly?" Dr. Bedford was saying as she readied a syringe. Elena couldn't quite make out the name on the bottle.
Elena didn't know what else to do. She couldn't run. Fighting would just get Matt hurt. So she did what she was asked.
Dr. Bedford continued, "There are usually very few side effects with this medication, Elena. Should you experience any discomfort, let me know immediately. I'm talking head aches, cramps, nausea – anything out of the ordinary. You may have some injection sight pain, but that is nothing to worry about. There, all done."
Elena cringed as the injection went into her hip muscle. She waited as the doctor applied a cotton ball and band aid, then she refastened her pants.
"Ok, Elena, I'll see you back here in twenty-four to thirty-six hours. Just try to rest and take it easy, ok?" With that, Dr. Bedford left the room.
I wonder where she goes when she isn't in here? Elena thought absentmindedly as she began to follow Dr. Bedford out the door. Then her eyes caught on the medicine bottle still sitting on the top of the cabinet. Elena quickly pocketed it before heading out the door.
Back in her room, Elena found Damon pacing back and forth in front of the bed, picking up where she had left off no doubt. When he saw her, he ran to her and enveloped her in an enormous hug. She never wanted to let go. Tears began spilling from her cheeks unbidden and she cursed herself for crying for what felt like the hundredth time that day. It was just something about Damon that made her feel like she could let go and be vulnerable. She knew that he would hold her up.
"What happened? What did he do to you?" Damon asked into her hair as he held on to her for dear life.
Elena shook her head. "I don't even know." Then she told him everything. When she was finished, she pulled the bottle out of her pants pocket and handed it to him. She hadn't had a chance to study it yet, either, but she could tell there wasn't much information there. The label was blue and white and simply read 'human chorionic gonadotropin.' There was dosage and brand information, but nothing that would imply what the medication was used for. The liquid that remained in the bottle was clear.
Damon yanked the top off the bottle and smelled. His face was blank. Elena was sure he was just as clueless as he was. He handed her back the bottle and shrugged, "Any guesses?"
Elena was just about to put the bottle down on the night stand when she noticed the acronym on the side: 'hcG.' Her heart stopped.
"Elena! Elena, what's wrong?" Damon asked, panicked.
"I know what this is. Or at least, I think I know." Elena felt her body break out in a cold sweat. She felt sick. She looked up at Damon and met his gaze head on. "hcG. I didn't realize it 'til I saw the acronym. We talked about it in Bio just a few weeks ago. It's…it's the pregnancy hormone."