Damon leaned against the hood of his car with a scowl on his face. He had been waiting on Bonnie and Tyler for at least thirty minutes. Damon wasn't the only person waiting for the young couple to arrive but he didn't care about anyone else's aggravation. He didn't appreciate being summoned to the Mikaelson Mansion and then forced to wait. Elijah had invited him into the house but he declined. First, Damon wanted to know what the Original Vampire had done to piss off his little witch. Bonnie didn't just go around biting innocent people. Frankly, it would be entertaining if she did.

He was about to call Bonnie to complain about his long wait when her car pulled onto the property. Damon felt a weight lift off his shoulders that he had not realized he was carrying. He worried about the witch more than he cared to admit. She had an annoying habit of getting into dangerous situations. Damon couldn't think of anything more dangerous than pissing off Klaus and his annoying siblings. He was only mildly comforted by the fact that Tyler had practically become her shadow. The couple were almost always together now. Damon knew that Tyler would die before he let anything happen to the witch. He had known that long before the bite occurred.

Tyler parked and then climbed out the car.

Damon frowned at the teen's incorrectly buttoned shirt. He now had a good idea why they were so late.

Bonnie was practically beaming when she climbed out the car. She was wearing clothes that obviously didn't belong to her. They had gone to Tyler's house for much needed privacy. Matt was at work and Jeremy was staying at Sheriff Forbes' house with his sister for now. She turned and coaxed Russell out of the car.

Damon shook his head and strolled over to them. He asked, "Why is Russell riding around in a car, Bon-Bon? He has wings."

She smiled sheepishly and explained, "He was with me at the cemetery. He flew to the car when Tyler and I were about to leave. I couldn't just leave him there."

Damon looked at Tyler. He couldn't believe the teen had agreed to the bird riding in the car with them. Russell had a gentle disposition with Bonnie but he was still a wild animal.

Tyler just shrugged his shoulders in response to Damon's silent inquiry. It wasn't as if he was going to tell Bonnie that her feathered boyfriend wasn't allowed into the car. It would be a ballsy move considering it was Bonnie's car that he was driving.

Russell flew out of the car and settled onto Bonnie's shoulder. He pecked at her hair.

Bonnie cooed at Russell and then shooed him off her shoulder.

The crow took flight and landed on a tree branch. Russell had selected the tallest tree on the Mikaelson property so that he had a good vantage point.

Damon rolled his eyes and motioned to Tyler's shirt. "Might want to button that the right way if you don't want to give the game away."

Tyler looked down and realized that he had missed a button in his haste to get dressed. He shot a grateful smile at Damon and quickly fixed his shirt.

Normally, he would have allowed Tyler to look like an ass in front of everyone. It would have given him a good laugh. However, he didn't want Bonnie's judgmental relatives giving her grief. He was of the opinion that having angry sex with Tyler was better than ripping out Elijah's throat with her teeth. The extreme act of violence wouldn't kill the Original bastard but it would make civil discourse nearly impossible.

Bonnie linked arms with Damon and leaned her head on him. "How was your talk with Elena?"

The vampire rolled his eyes and walked up to the front door. "Our talk went about as well as could be expected. She put up a token fight but ultimately agreed that we shouldn't be together. I was expecting waterworks or screaming."

She looked up at his blue eyes and asked, "Are you disappointed?"

He chuckled. "What would I want with a crying girl that I can't sleep with?"

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "That's the last time that I try to be sensitive to your feelings."

"No it isn't," he replied with a smirk. He knocked on the front door.

She giggled because of course Damon was right. She worried about his well being as much as he worried about hers.

Elijah opened the door and forced an awkward smile. The confrontation at the cemetery had given him much to consider. He stood by his decision to stop Esther's mad plan to kill them all. However, he also saw the collateral damage he had left in his wake. He hadn't even considered apologizing to Bonnie for upending her world and endangering her life. To make matters worse, he had apologized to Elena instead of either of the Bennett witches who were inarguably more affected by his actions.

Tyler moved behind Bonnie protectively. He didn't know what to expect from Elijah. The vampire wasn't known for random acts of violence. Elijah was also painfully aware that the Bennetts would not calmly accept an attack on their family. However, Tyler wasn't sure how he would react if he truly believed Bonnie was a threat to him.

Elijah cleared his throat. "Perhaps later, I could have a word with you, Miss Bennett."

The affable smile on Bonnie's face was replaced with something colder. She said, "I don't think that would be wise for either of us, Elijah. My wolf side is content for now but as you saw earlier...that can change at a moment's notice. I think it is best that we give each other a wide berth during your stay in Mystic Falls."

Damon's skin tingled as Bonnie's magic reacted to Elijah's presence. It seemed it wasn't only her wolf-side that wanted to take the vampire to task. He would have to keep a close eye on his little witch. She was volatile and that was dangerous. Damon was used to flying off the handle and therefore had established limits. The limits were formed by the things he had done in the past...things he did not wish to repeat. However, Bonnie didn't have those types of limits. Damon didn't want her to learn what acts she could not live with. Bonnie was more sensitive and good-hearted than he had ever been. She would be tortured by regret.

Lucy broke the strange stalemate but shouldering past Elijah. She looked at Bonnie and said, "You are late."

Bonnie smile broadly at her cousin. "Yes, I am."

Lucy raised an eyebrow and then rolled her eyes skyward. She tugged Bonnie out of Damon's grasp and led her into the house. "You didn't miss anything. Klaus and Ansel have been arguing about this grand plan."

Damon stared at Elijah for a beat before entering the mansion. He could tell that the Original vampire still wanted to pursue a conversation with the witch. Damon would have to make sure that didn't happen. Tyler was right to call him for backup. Bonnie was not herself and this would only end badly. Elijah either didn't understand the danger or perhaps he thought that the girl was only experiencing a fit of pique. However, Damon knew that was simply not the case. Bonnie had been harboring anger, disappointment, and pain from years of mistreatment and neglect from a host of people. The emergence of her wolf side meant that she was more volatile. Elijah provided a perfect target for her rage. She didn't care about him and he was fairly resilient.

A couple dozen chairs had been forced into the spacious living room. It was enough to accommodate the Bennett witches, Cary's pack, and a few members of Tyler's pack. Everyone was eager to get started. Many of the people present only knew bits of pieces of the situation and proposed solution.

Ansel stood up when his granddaughters walked into the living room. He smiled warmly at Bonnie and went to greet her. He quietly asked, "How are you feeling?"

She smiled. "I am fine."

Ansel knew that was not true. He could see the storm brewing behind her beautiful eyes. She reminded him of his own daughter. Drusilla had been a kind girl. However, she had also been powerful and prone to bouts of anger because of her werewolf heritage. Ansel had been disappointed when Ayana cursed their children. Yet he understood her motivations. He said, "I am glad that you are here."

Bonnie nodded and allowed Lucy to tug her over to the couch where Joanna and Della were seated. She noted that her great-aunts looked uncomfortable. Bonnie couldn't say that she blamed them. Klaus was notoriously mercurial. He could decide to turn on everyone at a moment's notice. Ansel seemed to believe that his son was capable of being some great leader but Bonnie had her doubts.

Joanna took her great-niece's hand and squeezed it gently.

The girl realized that Joanna seemed concerned about her. She looked around the room and saw that everyone was watching her warily. Bonnie rolled her eyes but remained silent. Snapping at everyone would only reinforce their concerns.

Damon sat beside Bonnie on the couch. He smirked at Tyler because obviously the hybrid had wanted the seat.

The younger man glared at Damon but moved to stand behind the couch.

Gabe and Maddox quietly moved to stand with their alpha.

Ansel cleared his throat and said, "I am gladdened that you are all here. You must understand...I never imagined that my legacy would extend this far. I look you at you all now in amazement. I could not be prouder. You are all capable and gifted in a great many ways. It is why Ayana and I believe that you will be capable of protecting the supernatural world from the approaching storm."

Klaus was sitting in large wingback chair that made it seem as if he was sitting on a throne. "What exactly do you think we can do? Aside from slaughtering the humans when they learn the truth."

Elijah opened his mouth to chastise his brother. However, Ansel beat him to the punch.

The ancient werewolf's jaw clenched at his son's mocking suggestion. He said, "Engaging the humans in that way would be a fool's errand. You are not a fool, Niklaus."

The Original Hybrid glared at Ansel. He did not appreciate the man's tone. He rolled his eyes. "What would you suggest then, Father?"

Ansel ignored the sarcasm in the boy's reply. He said, "Attacking the humans is unwise. They have us beat with numbers and technology. They could simply send a drone strike and obliterate the little fiefdom you are trying to create in New Orleans. No our kind must infiltrate the human world and assume positions of power."

Tyler frowned at Ansel. "Werewolves have already done this to some degree. There are many influential werewolves according to my beta."

Gabe nodded at his alpha.

Joanna nodded and said, "The same is true for witches. There are those that achieve their positions honorably. However, others have used our gifts for these purposes."

Ansel said, "I know but it has to be a larger scale. The vampires can help with this."

Della scoffed. "Are you suggesting that the vampires should use mind compulsion?"

He nodded. "Yes, that would be appropriate in some instances. However, it may also be wise to turn some people…"

The room went deathly silent at Ansel's suggestion. The witches were uncomfortable with the idea of forcing people to become vampires.

Della found her voice first. "This is madness!"

"This survival," Ansel argued. "I do not want this to be. Vampires killed me and many of my pack. They still do great evil in this world but everyone has a part to play in this grand scheme."

Damon rolled his eyes but conceded. "He's not wrong. Frankly, there are probably some old bastards that would eagerly agree to be turned. It wouldn't all have to be by force."

Della relaxed somewhat as she considered this point.

Bonnie said, "I don't doubt that there are powerful rich people that would clamor for immortality. But new vampires are dangerous. If we choose the wrong people, we'll have more trouble on our hands. They would need babysitters…"

Klaus considered Bonnie's concerns. "The little witch is right. A baby vampire left to his or her own devices could be disastrous. At minimum we would need six months to ensure they wouldn't snap and begin feeding at inopportune times."

"You and your siblings could help with that," Tyler suggested.

Rebekah snorted. "I am not a babysitter."

He continued, "I wasn't suggesting that you would babysit anyone. But you could use compulsion to keep them in line."

Elijah nodded in agreement. "I would be a reasonable failsafe. We could recruit mature vampires to sire the new vampires and teach them. However, we could also compel them to behave within a given set of parameters."

Ansel was pleased to see that everyone was at least considering this route. He said, "The first step would be forming a council of sorts. People that can rally the different factions."

Della shook her head. "We might be willing to work with the Original Hybrid but it is only because we have no choice. He is our blood and has mated with one of our own. Other witches will not be so easily convinced. Klaus has…"

Klaus interjected, "Yes, I have been a right terror. However, I would assume that witches would not like to return to the days of the witch trials. Or do you prefer burning to working with the likes of me."

Every witch in the room bristled when Klaus invoked such a dark notion. Their ancestors had suffered mightily.

Ansel glared at his son. Niklaus' point was salient but he did not need to be so heartless. He said, "On the council, every representative would have an equal voice."

Bonnie frowned and said, "But you want Klaus to be the head of this council...the face. You must see how this would not go over well."

"My son has many flaws but the simple truth is that he is the strongest and most powerful among you. He is also nearly indestructible. He will be the council's shield and its sword."

Damon said, "You mean that we can try to amicably negotiate with the humans after we have arranged an advantageous set of circumstances. However, Klaus would be the reminder that we could slaughter entire states before they could eliminate all of us."

Della sighed heavily and quoted Teddy Roosevelt. "Speak softly and carry a big stick…"

Joanna frowned and added, "And Klaus is the big stick."

Klaus opened his mouth to say something truly offense.

However, Lucy glared at him. "You should carefully consider your response, Niklaus. That is my mother..."

He wisely decided not to rile up Lucy. Klaus smirked at his mate in response.

Ansel said, "Members of the original seven bloodlines ruled this way. It worked in the past and it can work again."

Elijah asked, "What would the shape of this council be? One representative from each species hardly feels adequate."

"This will be something that you will all have to decide together. It will be no simple task," Ansel conceded.

Della said, "Once again vampires are the outliers. They have no established structures to help in this endeavour. Werewolves have packs and bloodlines that make what you are asking at least feasible. It is the same for witches with our covens and bloodlines."

The witches and werewolves in the room all seemed to agree with Della's assessment.

Klaus said, "That is not necessarily true. Our sirlines could prove useful in this. Every living vampire was sired by Elijah, Rebekah, or me. The vampires within Finn and Kol's sirelines perished when they were killed."

Damon asked, "How is that remotely useful in this situation? It's not as if three of you kept track of the vampires you sired."

The Original Hybrid scowl at Damon. He wondered who had invited the impudent vampire. "There is a ritual…"

Della said, "We know of the ritual, Hybrid. We used it to the summon any travelers within the limits of Mystic Falls."

Bonnie was already doing the calculations in her head. She said, "We would need to bleed the three of you for months to have enough blood for a spell that size. We would also need hundreds of witches and it still might not be enough. The ritual would have to be conducted on all the inhabited continents to be effective. We could not simply conduct the ritual here and hope that everyone makes the trip."

Della looked at her great-niece with pride. "Bonnie is right."

Damon said, "Not to mention thousands of people showing up in a random location would draw unwanted attention."

Elijah said, "This option is not without complications but it is our only option."

The room went quiet as everyone considered their options.

Bonnie broke the silence. "I know we were all eager to get rid of the travelers but we might need them."

Lucy winced but nodded. "I was just thinking the same thing. Their ability to become passengers inside unsuspecting humans would be invaluable."

Della saw the wisdom in what her nieces were saying. She said, "They will not help us. The travelers want to punish us."

"We do not know that all travelers share the same sentiments. The group that are congregated around Mystic Falls represent only one faction. Perhaps others could be persuaded to join us with the right motivation," Joanna replied.

Klaus frowned and asked, "What sort of motivation?"

"The curse...the spirits could help us remove the curse that has punished the travelers all this time," she explained.

Della looked at her sister as if she belonged in a mental hospital. "You cannot be serious, Joanna. They are…"

"They are being punished for a crime that two people commited centuries ago. It was our ancestor that created the damned immortality spell. Qetsiyah selfishly sent us all down this path," Joanna argued.

Della pressed her lips together in an angry line. "The spirits will not agree to his, Joanna. The Gemini Coven will certainly fight this."

She shook her head. "We have to try. Besides, the Gemini Coven is powerful but they need us. They are the lock and we are the key. One is useless without the other."