SAME NIGHT

Bonnie's eyes glittered as she explained that both her and Alaric had read through the book and made notes. What they'd found was pretty amazing, and at the same time made sense given the fact that both Alaric and Jessa agreed that she was tainted by her own feelings.

"Your powers, except for the regular elemental based ones, I'm guessing, are based around you having to give permission." She said, taking what they learned from her sharing a memory with Damon and the book with them. "Your mother, on the other hand, works on the theory that she doesn't need permission. She 'gifts' the world her bounty because she can."

Jessa nodded, agreeing, but not really understanding how that helped us. It helped her though with a piece of a puzzle that was gathering in the back of her mind, a personal puzzle that dealt with her future family.

"So, in that vein, what if you, in revoking the same magic permission you gave us, could in fact remove other magic gifts?" Alaric asked, and she was somewhat confused. Her face clearly showed it. "What I mean is this, your mother gave those gifts without much question or asking, right?"

Shrugging, given the werewolves and vampires, technically came to her, but Jessa could see what they were saying. In theory, if she gave, then Jessa could take back. Like how she guarded the book with magic that Jessa granted permission through, perhaps she could remove other magic.

"OK, but how does this help?" She asked, thinking that unless Klaus the hybid/Original enchanted something they were still screwed.

"Vampires, werewolves, are infused with your mother's magical gifts." Bonnie said, glancing carefully at Damon. "If our theory is correct, you could actually remove those gifts."

"That's a hell of a huge if," Damon said, breaking his silence, and the desire Jessa had heard in his voice earlier was gone, replaced with a tinge of protective anger. "She can't stay dead, but if Klaus gets her, Jessa could be tortured for a VERY long time."

She fought against the thought of pain that wouldn't end, and pushed forward, to the next issue. "This enchantment," she said, tapping the book, "is NOTHING compared to what you're talking about. I would be removing part of someone. And killing them." Jessa hadn't, in her entire existence, killed anyone. She didn't fault others for their choices or lack of them, but she'd never made that choice. She wasn't even certain that she would have done it to Katherine, not even now, knowing she was still alive.

"Jessa," Alaric said, calling her from her thoughts. "I know that killing another being sounds repellent to you, but perhaps, if you'd permit us to let you see what Klaus has done here you'd understand?"

She gave a dark chuckle. "Do you think I haven't seen? I can see the way Elena is manic to get Stefan back. I have seen Ripper Stefan in action, haven't I? Alaric, I've seen his path of destruction, because it's clear upon your faces." Closing her eyes, she could feel the room in front of her light up and heard all three of her companions gasp. "He would reign terror on the world in the name of 'family' while he holds his own hostage. He would destroy this town to get his own way and not blink or lose a wink of sleep. Yet, taking his life, ending him does that make me better?"

She knew what they'd seen, an avenging, terrifying 'angel' of death against their perceived enemies. Real or imagined, she wanted that imagine burned into them, so they would understand that what they were asking wasn't easy, nor a task that she took lightly. She was not God. She did not want to be her mother either. But, she could see that it would be her responsibility to clean up after her mother's messes.

"If we can figure out how to do it, without doing something horribly drastic like killing the entire vampire or werewolf races, that will be somewhat workable." She sighed, opening her eyes and releasing them from the vision she'd created. She felt sorry for being dramatic, but what they were asking sounded so simple to them, but it just wasn't for her. "And I don't want to use anyone close to us as guinea pigs."

Alaric swallowed hard past an obvious lump in his throat. "First, let's start small. Test the theory. Grab the box."

She picked up the box, already knowing what he meant, and agreeing with the idea. Start easy. Take the compulsion spell off the box. Allow people to touch that, and not randomly grab a beverage, and she'd move on.

And so began the first step in Jessa's new studies of how to destroy an Original Vampire/Werewolf Hybrid.

HOURS LATER: JESSA'S HOUSE

Her shoulders were tight as she pulled up in front of her faux Tara. Although, technically, her house was pre-Gone With the Wind, so she supposed Tara was faux her house? She nearly giggled, but stopped as she stumbled up the walk. Damon caught her lightly in his arms.

"Whoa, Jessa." He said, picking her up before she could take another misstep. "Come here, are you OK?" He looked into her eyes, brushing hair out of her face with his free hand, showing off his strength holding by holding her easily with one arm. "Really, are you?"

"Yes, Damon, I'm alright. A little sore, a little giddy. But truly, I'm fine." She cupped his cheek with her hand in and looked deeply back into his eyes, assuring him with everything she had and giving herself a little boost too. "I just," She leaned in, brushing his lips with her own, "I know that everything is going to change now."

He sighed into her mouth, but then kissed her lightly. The kiss started simple, a peck was what they were aiming for, or at least that's what they told themselves. The fire that started earlier, the burning thirst she felt came rushing back and she knew he felt it too. Suddenly, the front lawn, the porch, the entryway, it all blurred and they were back inside her bedroom. The speed of his movements would always take her breath away, but tonight all she could do was thank the heavens, no thank her mother for that gift. Even that thought didn't stop her. She yanked his shirt from him even as he was carefully, yet skillfully and quickly removing her own. The need she felt was echoed in his eyes, and she knew that nothing barring this house catching blaze would stop them now.

"Jessa," he whispered as though in prayer, pulling back and looking down at her. "Tell me to stop now, if you want me to, because I don't think I have it in me to-"

Her answer was to draw his head back down to her own, lips searching for his, anything to sate her need for him. "Never, stop loving me." Was the only thought she sent out to him, and as though he was answering every whim and wish she could ever have, that night he spent trying his damnedest to quench a thirst that neither of them had ever felt before.

JESSA'S HOUSE MORNING

As the sun rose, Damon held her against him, their skin slick with sweat and yet not nearly as tired as they should have been. He kissed her forehead, nose, eyelids, and lips. Smiling between each ministration. The force of their passion had abated, not completely satiated, but at least at bay for now.

"I love you, Damon Salvatore." She said, smiling up at him, basking in his glow.

"Jessica Warren," He said, looking down at her so seriously her breath caught, "you are my entire world. I will love you until the end of time, and then I will restart the damn clock."

She wanted to chuckle, but she knew with perfect certainty that he was completely serious. It should have shook her, or terrified her, or even made her stop and question their plans. Instead, she knew that she felt the same way about him. Every shred of anger that she'd held from before was gone. Katherine and Elena's doppelganger mystery would need to be solved, but she knew that he could fight it with her help.

And she knew that like him, she would restart time to make their love last longer.

"So," she said, breaking a silence that was anything but awkward. "What should we do now?"

He did laugh then, and looking up she saw him waggle his eyebrows suggestively. Her gut twisted, thinking of the hours they'd just spent entangled, learning each other intimately and she felt the burn and thirst begin. Their eyes met and the need reflected, and they got lost in the need again.