Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to The Vampire Diaries, TV show or books. However I decided to have a little play around with the characters (I would definitely like to play with Damon).
Damon and Elena pulled up outside the Gilbert Lake House in Damon's blue Camaro, as they saw Jeremy outside of the house, chopping wood. He must have either seen or heard them pull up the driveway because he lifted his hand and waved at them as Bonnie walked over to him and handed him a bottle of water.
"Told ya." Damon wiggled his eyebrows. "Love is in the air." he grinned as he opened the trunk to retrieve their luggage
Elena sighed as she looked at the house. "Last time I was here, I was so completely in love with Stefan, or at least I thought I was. Now, it's barely a memory. Is that a vampire thing or is it just that I'm so happy to be here with you?" she asked.
"It's definitely not a vampire thing. Amnesia is not included in the deal. So it must be me." Damon smirked prompting Elena to slap him lightly on the arm as he pouted in mock pain.
"Hi Jer, hi Bonnie." Elena called out as she turned and waved at them before walking over to where her brother and her best friend were waiting for her.
"What's he doing here." Jeremy asked looking at Damon who was now stood behind Elena, their bags in his hands.
"They're here to help us protect you." Bonnie said.
"I take it you didn't tell him." Damon said in a low voice as he looked at Elena with one eyebrow raised.
"Nope, not yet." Elena smiled apologetically to Damon. "I thought we'd wait until we were all inside."
Jeremy continued to eye Elena and Damon suspiciously. "Are you two like together now?" he asked.
"Ding, ding, ding, points for House Gilbert." Damon announced. "So, now that's all out in the open and settled, can we go inside or what? I'm starting to grow roots standing out here."
"Do we have an option?" Bonnie asked.
"Nope." Damon smiled smugly. "If my brother decides to turn up and kidnap Little Gilbert here, Elena isn't strong enough to take him on yet. I on the other hand..."
"Do you promise to play nice?" Bonnie asked folding her arms.
"Of course." Damon huffed.
"I promise he won't hurt anyone Jer." Elena reassured her brother. "Do you trust me?" she asked.
"Yeah. Yeah, I trust you." Jeremy smiled.
"Well then you've got nothing to worry about." Damon grinned as the four of them began to make their way to porch.
"Let's get inside where it's warm." Bonnie said, however as they got there the front door it opened and Professor Shane stood there in front of them smiling.
"What the hell is Professor Shady-pants doing here?" Damon exclaimed angrily.
"Jeremy said it was fine, so I invited him." Bonnie said as Damon looked over at her and rolled his eyes as she and Jeremy walked inside to join the Professor.
"Great!" muttered Damon under his breath. "That's all we need."
"It's only so that he can help me with the protection spell. After what happened the other night I want to make sure I can control what I'm doing." Bonnie growled back at Damon, insinuating she'd heard every word he'd said.
"This is your house now, Jer." Elena smiled trying to break the tension in the air. "You have to invite me in." Elena
Jeremy sighed. "You can come in." he said. "Both of you."
Elena walked into the house, closely followed by Damon who was still sending murderous looks in the general direction of the Professor. Once inside, Elena stopped in front of Jeremy, setting her purse on the counter and giving him a great big hug, before they moved their bags to Elena's room to unpack.
Inside the Grill, Caroline was stood admiring the postmodern snowflake which Stefan had told her Klaus had painted. As much as she disliked Klaus, she loved his art and this painting was no exception. However, Caroline and an ulterior motive for admiring the work of the hideously evil man who had an unfortunate habit of her insides turn to jello, she wanted to get his attention so she could distract him long enough for Stefan to search for the Hunter's sword. Caroline had only been looking at the painting for a few moments before she realized she was being watched. Suspecting she knew who her admirer slash stalker was, Caroline turned around and as she expected, she saw Klaus's face looking at her. He smiled at her as she turned to face him.
"Here to steal Tiny Tim's crutches?" Caroline asked sarcastically.
"Dickens was a dark man. You would have liked him." Klaus smiled as he walked around the table towards her. Caroline on the other hand wanted to keep herself as far away from Klaus as she could, so she made her way to the other side of the table.
"Nice snowflake, by the way." Caroline observed.
Klaus sighed. "Is my work really that literal?"
"I'm serious. There's something...lonely about it." Caroline smiled sadly.
"I'm gonna take that as a compliment. Can I offer you some champagne?" Klaus asked Caroline turned and began to walk towards another display on a nearby table, as Klaus followed her.
"Can't. Too many adult prying eyes." Caroline whispered as she turned around to face him, noticing he had managed to closed the gap between them. "Don't want to be a high school cautionary tale at the next town meeting." she joked.
"Well, then it's a good thing the high school part is nearly over." Klaus agreed as they stared at each other tenderly for a brief moment.
"If we're going to be nice to each other, then I will need that glass of champagne." Caroline announced awkwardly as Klaus smiles and edged even closer towards her.
"Is that our thing?" he asked.
Caroline rolled her eyes."We don't have a "thing."" she scoffed
"Allow me." Klaus smiled as he walked away to get them both a glass of champagne. Caroline waited for a moment as she watched him walk away, making sure he couldn't see her take out her phone before sending a text to Stefan to give him the all clear to search for the sword at the Mikaelson Mansion.
Stefan began searching Klaus's mansion immediately after he received Caroline's text to give him the all clear. His first destination was the vault where Klaus had put it earlier in the day as he'd brought the sword out to show Stefan. He ripped off the handle, placed it on the floor and opened up the vault, however it was empty and the sword was nowhere to be found. Frustrated, Stefan called Damon who was babysitting the 'Keys to the Cure' at the Gilbert Lake House, whilst he risked his life breaking and entering into Klaus's home.
"Yes Stefan?" Damon answered the phone after the third ring.
"It can't find the sword." Stefan told him.
"Well, he's not walking around with it. Check the rest of the house." Damon suggested.
"I am. I haven't found anything." Stefan said, his voice full of frustration as he started searching through the art studio.
"Try the sock drawer. People leave the sketchiest stuff in sock drawers." Damon offered.
"I'm gonna need real ideas, Damon." Stefan complained.
"Here's two." Damon suggested. "Kill Tyler before he goes to Klaus or, since Klaus has suddenly become MVP in our relay race for the cure, tell him about the hybrids and he'll kill Tyler."
"Nobody is killing Tyler." Stefan groaned as he made his way up to what could only be Klaus's bedroom.
"Well I suggest you come up with another option for Klausageddon, because Blondie without Tyler is going to become everyone's worst nightmare." Damon told him.
Stefan sighed. "Tell me about it."
"Speaking of Klaus." Damon went on. "Did he say anything about how fast the mark was growing?" he asked.
"Apparently Connor told him he's already killed at least a hundred vampires, but the picture Jeremy drew suggested it was only half finished. So he's now sending his hybrids around the nearby towns and cities to hand over vampires for Connor to kill." Stefan told him.
"Do you think Tyler can postpone?" Damon asked. "A pack of hybrids collecting vampires is going to be a lot quicker than me and you brother."
"Ugh, I'll see if I can try and get Tyler to hold off a little longer." Stefan agreed.
"Anything else Stefan?" Damon asked.
"I told Klaus Elena was sired to you." Stefan admitted.
"You told him what?!" Damon practically screamed down the other end of the phone.
"I told him Elena was sired to you." Stefan repeated. "Look, he had to believe that you and I were looking for the cure. And although I know you are, I don't think Klaus would be as ready to believe you as you possibly have the most to lose from Elena becoming human again. He doesn't know you like I do. So don't worry about it." he added.
"Whatever!" Damon said angrily, hanging up.
Stefan sighed as he hung up, frustrated with his brother's lack of help. Instead he turned to the only the person he could think to trust, Caroline. He asked her to meet him outside the alley next to the Grill in ten minutes. He immediately received at text back threatening him to be there in exactly ten minutes or else, causing Stefan to smile, Caroline really could be a control freak when she wanted.
Stefan was leaning against the wall in the alleyway outside the Grill when he saw Caroline quickly approaching him, her sudden appearance prompting him to stand up to greet her.
"Hey." Caroline said when she saw Stefan approach.
"Hey." Stefan replied.
"Did you find the sword?" Caroline asked.
"Nope." Stefan shrugged.
"What are we gonna do now?" Caroline asked rolling her eyes.
"Klaus is the only shot we have at finding the cure." Stefan told her. "We need him. Tyler has to call it off."
"Well, that's not gonna happen." Tyler said suddenly appearing on the stairway as Stefan and Caroline turned to look up at him. "You told him?" he asked looking at Caroline angrily as he walked down the remaining steps towards where the two vampires were stood. "I've had twelve hybrids sworn to secrecy for a month. I have Hayley and a witch risking their lives and you're blabbing my plan to him?" Tyler frowned.
Stefan walked over towards Tyler. "Look, all I'm asking you for is a little bit of time, okay?" Stefan asked gently. "Wait, did you say twelve hybrids?" he eyed Tyler suspiciously, wondering if it was just a coincidence that the number twelve was again involved, but he put it to the back of his mind. This time it was twelve attacking one.
"Yeah twelve, why? You're not looking to tell Klaus are you?" Stefan shook his head. "Because every minute that goes by that we don't do this, they're at risk. You and Klaus already served one of them up for Connor to kill. How long do you need? An hour? A day? Because we don't have time to wait." Tyler told them.
Tyler looked over Stefan's shoulder at Caroline, who cast her eyes down, before turning back to Stefan. "I don't owe you anything." Tyler spat as he turned around to walk away. "I'm taking him out." he said.
Stefan vamp-sped front of Tyler, and staring him intently in the face in an attempt to try and intimidate him."I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that." Stefan menacingly.
"Stefan." Caroline said as she looked over Stefan's shoulder.
Stefan turned to look back to Caroline. "I'm sorry but I can't." he said.
"Stefan!" Caroline said again, only this time with a great deal more urgency in her voice, prompting Stefan to turn around. When he did he saw at least half dozen of the hybrids standing on the stairs behind him. Caroline turned around and saw the remaining hybrids in the alleyway, blocking any means of escape. They were trapped.
"Sorry man, but you don't have a choice." Tyler apologized as the hybrids escorted Stefan and Caroline away from the alley.
Elena stood on the jetty staring out at the lake, wrapped in a chequered woolen blanket, as the sun lay low in the horizon indicating late afternoon was approaching. The lake looked peaceful and she'd loved watching it as the sun was beginning to set, even as a child. Today however, the sky was fairly cloudy and a little dull, a typical late chilly December afternoon. Hearing footsteps approaching her from behind, Elena waited for their owner to join her.
"Bonnie told me about you and Damon." Professor Shane said after standing beside her for a moment. "It sounds like the problem is that his brother can't let go."
"Have you ever found a cure to stop someone from being in love with you without it hurting them?" Elena asked, however it was more of a wishful thought. Neither she nor Damon had wanted to hurt Stefan, but the guilt was eating her up inside. The longer they left it without telling him, even if they did have his own interests at heart, the worse it was beginning to make her feel.
"You know, in all my world travels, the one spell that I've never found is how to break somebody from loving too much. Trust me, I've looked." Professor Shane said sadly.
Elena looked at him, in confusion, which the Professor took as a signal to explain a little further. "My wife and son died. I was just...I was trying to figure out a way not to miss them." he told her.
Elena began to wonder if Damon had gotten the Professor all wrong. He was a young man which meant his wife and child must have also been young when they died. She wondered how he'd managed to go on surviving whilst being weighed down by so much grief. Her thoughts of compassion for the Professor however, suddenly disappeared when she heard what she recognized to be Damon's footsteps from behind. As Elena turned around she saw Damon stop and stand a few feet away, holding an axe in front of him with both hands.
"So now, tell me why I'm not killing you?" Damon asked menacingly glaring at Professor Shane.
"Damon." Elena glared at Damon as she took a step towards him.
"I'm serious. Why are you after the vampire cure?" Damon turned towards Professor Shane, attempting to ignore Elena's angry stares.
The Professor moved towards Damon, never taking his eyes off him."I didn't say I was looking for the cure, but I can tell you where to find it." Professor Shane smiled smugly.
Damon edged even closer. "Klaus' sword will tell us where to find it." Damon pointed out.
"The sword will lead you there, sure, but so can I." Professor Shane told them.
"What? How?" Elena asked, confused.
"'Cause I've already been there." Professor Shane said as he continued to look at Damon, who turned to Elena as they looked at each other in shock. "C'mon inside, I'll show you." he said walking back to the cabin as Damon and Elena followed him.
Once inside the three of them gathered in the living area, Elena sat across from Shane, Damon stood next to the couch Elena was sat on, whilst Jeremy and Bonnie had been ushered outside to collect firewood. The professor took a large heavy looking object, wrapped in cloth from his bag which was next to the couch he was sat on. Professor Shane unwrapped the cloth revealing a rock with red marks one it, causing Damon and Elena to look confused.
"It's a rock." Damon said, voicing the opinion of both him and Elena.
"It's not just any rock." Professor Shane smiled.
"Hmm, so is this that silly little wives tale that you told at the occult exhibit which Jeremy told me about?" Damon asked, remembering the name Silas. He'd suspected that something was fishy about the Professor wanting the cure and that it might be related to this 'Silas' guy. It was turning out that his suspicions were correct. Feeling smug Damon walked over to the bar behind the couch and grabbed a bottle of whiskey.
"Right, long story short." Professor Shane explained. "Once upon a time, there was a witch named Silas who loved a girl, who wanted to be with her forever, so he and his best friend, another witch, made an immortality spell and then Silas' best friend witch got jealous and killed Silas' girl before he had a chance to make her immortal. Well, cursed to an eternity without his one true love, Silas finds a way to reverse the immortality spell and then before he has the chance to take it, his former friend buries him underground, leaving him and the cure to rot."
"So, it's a cure for immortality?" Elena asked.
"Human blood is the life force of an immortal. No more immortality, no more need to feed on blood. You dig up Silas and you've got your cure." Professor Shane smiled at them. Elena and Damon continued to look at Professor Shane skeptically. Realizing they needed more convincing, so he brought out his other secret weapon, a picture of what appeared to be a section of The Hunter's mark, which he placed upon the table.
"This is the mark of the Brotherhood of the Five." Professor Shane told them. "The symbols in the vines are your map, which obviously, you no longer need. When this mark is complete, it will contain the spell that we need to dig up Silas and the cure." he explained.
"And where did you say he was buried? Oh, I forgot, you didn't." Damon said sarcastically.
"You've threatened to kill me, what, like three times already this week." Professor Shane asked.
"Yeah." Damon nodded in agreement.
"The location is how I'm gonna survive your bad moods." Professor Shane told him smugly.
"And what's in it for you? If not the cure, then what?" Elena asked curiously.
"I'm in this for Silas, all right? Up until this point he's only been myth." Professor Shane explained enthusiastically, moving to the edge of his seat.
"So write a thesis." Damon exclaimed.
"Would you rather be the guy who writes about Noah's Ark or the one who sails it down the Hudson River?" Professor Shane asked as he raised an eyebrow and looked between Damon and Elena who both stayed silent. Believing he'd made his point, he stood up and started folding the paper containing the picture the Hunter's mark drawing. However Damon stopped him by holding his hand out for the Professor to pass him drawing, who grudgingly obliged and placed it into Damon's open hand.
"I'm not buying it." Damon scowled.
"You don't have to buy anything." Professor Shane said looking down at Elena, seeing her as the reasonable half of the couple and being the better one to convince. "You just have to believe that when Connor's Hunter's mark is complete, I can take you to the cure." Professor Shane said as he walked out of the room.
Caroline was furious with Tyler. Not only was he trying to trade his life of school and college in exchange for becoming a useless block of cement, he now had the audacity to authorize his hybrids to kidnap her and Stefan, who were only trying to help save the fate of his girlfriend and her best friend from Stefan's evil narcissistic brother. Caroline's couldn't for the life of her understand why this group of people she hardly knew would be anymore important to Tyler than that.
"Ugh, this is ridiculous. We are not hostages!" Caroline demanded.
"Sure you are, sweetie." Kimberley smiled sarcastically at Caroline who glared back at her before she vamp-sped over to stand right in front of her. As Caroline and Kim continued to stare each other down, Stefan's phone interrupted them as it started to ring, prompting the other hybrids started to advance on him.
"Relax." Stefan reassured them as they all stop in their tracks. "It's my brother." he told them as he answered the phone. "What's up?" Stefan asked.
"Don't ask how or why or who, but I just found the answer to your Tyler problem." Damon told him on the other end of the line. "Bonnie invited Professor Shady-pants, who it turns out, already knows the exact location of the cure. He only needs the hunters mark for the spell for Sabrina to cast to access it. So we don't need the sword. Let the hybrids take out Klaus, although it will mean that we will have to find the vampires for Connor instead."
"You're kidding." Stefan asked stunned.
"Nope. Just thought I'd let you know before you got into any hybrid trouble." Damon offered hanging up, as did Stefan before looking at Caroline.
"We don't need the sword." Stefan told Caroline, prompting her to raise her eyebrows at this revealing information. Stefan looked around at the hybrid's hoping that they might let them go as his eyes landed on an ebony coffin in the corner of the cellar. "The sword might not be the only thing we don't need." he said smiling.
"What are you talking about?" Caroline asked.
"Tyler." Stefan explained turning to the hybrid's. "Why use Tyler for the spell when you've already got a daggered Original just ready and waiting." he grinned causing Caroline to frown with confusion. "Rebekah." Stefan clarified as he nodded towards the coffin, Caroline turning her head to follow his gaze.
"You genius." she screamed practically jumping into his arms. "Is everybody else on board with this idea?" she asked turning to the hybrid's.
"No problem." Kimberley spoke on behalf of the group. "Go tell him. We need to stay here for Klaus."
Caroline arrived at the Grill a few minutes later to track down Tyler. Spotting him near the pool table with his wolf friend Hayley, Caroline walked over to where he was stood and dragged him with her into the bathroom as Hayley followed.
"What are you doing here Caroline?" Tyler asked as Caroline turned around and looked at them intently.
"I'm here to talk you out of your stupid Alpha hybrid murder plan." Caroline shrugged.
"I'm not going to fight with you anymore, Caroline." Tyler insisted.
"Oh, we're going to do plenty of fighting, the second that you shove Klaus into someone else's body." Caroline growled.
"We've been through this; I don't have anyone else's body." Tyler explained.
"Yeah, well I do." Caroline smiled smugly.
"What? Who?" Hayley asked confused.
"Klaus' sister, Rebekah." Caroline announced proudly as both Tyler and Hayley looked at her curiously.
"She's got a dagger in her. Stefan's been hiding her coffin in the tunnels. We dump Klaus into her body, bury her, we just killed two Original birds with one stone." Caroline grinned as a huge smile erupted on Tyler's face as continued to stare at Caroline, recognizing how her brilliant idea was.
However, Hayley didn't seem quite as impressed with the idea. "It's too late to change the plan." she argued as Tyler and Caroline looked at her for a moment before Tyler turned back to face Caroline.
"Call Bonnie." he asked excitedly. "Make sure it will work." Tyler insisted.
"Tyler!" Hayley glared at him as he turned around and looks at Hayley once again.
"It's a brilliant plan, Hayley." Tyler cried excitedly as a grin erupted on his face and looked back at Caroline. "You're a genius. I love you." he said as he grabbed Caroline's face in his hands and kissed her, causing Caroline to giggle as she kissed him back.
"I love you. Even when I hate you." Caroline pouted.
"I gotta go find my mom. Let her know I might actually graduate." Tyler told them excitedly as he left the two girls alone together in the bathroom.
Taking her phone out, Caroline began to call Bonnie to check that Rebekah would be an option to replace Tyler.
"Caroline, hey." Caroline heard Bonnie say as she answered the phone.
"Bonnie, I need you to think fast. I know that the daggers don't work on Klaus but what if we put his essence into Rebekah? It'll work, right? Say it'll work!" Caroline pleaded.
"Slow down, slow down, what...what's happening?" Bonnie asked.
"Just, come on, Bonnie. Will it work?" Caroline begged.
"Yeah, I don't see why not." Bonnie answered honestly.
"Uh, Bonnie Bennett, I love you!" Caroline mimicked a kissing sound.
"Do you need my help? I can leave Jeremy here with Damon and Elena." Bonnie offered.
"They're both there? Stefan didn't say anything about them both being there, I thought it was just Damon." Caroline sounded confused.
"Yeah, Elena came with Damon. Who's being slightly less horrible than usual." Bonnie told her causing Caroline to suddenly feel angry with Elena and Damon's disrespectful behavior towards Stefan.
"You know what? I can't deal with this right now." Caroline cried in frustration before hanging up on her friend and taking a deep breath and turning to Hayley who was stood in front of the door.
"She said it would work." Caroline smiled.
"I gathered. Congratulations." Hayley said dryly.
"Thank you." Caroline replied smiling, as she walked towards the door. Hayley stepped aside to let her through but as Caroline tried to open the door, Hayley grabbed her from behind and snapped her neck, causing Caroline to fall to the floor, temporarily dead.
"My pleasure." Hayley smiled as she walk out of the bathroom door.
Being Miss Mystic Falls had some definite perks to it, running around for Carol Lockwood at the Winter Wonderland Festival was not one of them. She wanted to enjoy the festival, but instead she felt like unpaid labor with a fake smile plastered across her face. All she knew was that right now she needed a five minute break away from Mayor Lockwood and to rest her sore, aching feet. Her destination of choice, the Mystic Grill restroom, however, once inside she realized one of the stall doors was unlocked and jammed from the inside.
"Oh, sorry." April apologized as she went to move onto another stall. She'd initially assumed the lock was broken and the occupant was using a hand or foot to keep it closed, however she was met with no response. Suspecting something was wrong April tapped the door of the stall gently.
"Oh, hello, are you okay? Um..." April asked. However there was still no response and April realized that whoever was inside was in deep trouble. April opened the door of the stall and Caroline's Forbes' unconscious body fell to the ground.
"Oh my gosh!" April began to panic as she knelt down next to Caroline and shook her by the shoulders.
"Caroline!" April cried, but there was no response. Beginning to get extremely worried about her friend, she placed her fingers on her neck, trying to find a pulse, but there wasn't one. April realized Caroline was dead.
"Somebody help! Help!" April began to cry as she started to panic. Believing that nobody would hear her from the restroom, quickly got up and was about to leave to get help when she heard a gasping noise behind her coming from Caroline, April turned her head to look, but before she could blink Caroline was stood in front of the door preventing April from leaving.
"Holy crap!" April screamed.
"Have you seen Hayley?" Caroline asked, her hair and make-up still perfectly in place and none too perturbed by the fact that only a second ago she'd seemingly been dead.
April turned to and look where Caroline's previously dead body used to be, confused. Even stranger was Caroline, who was acting very nonchalant about the whole thing, is if nothing had happened and was currently more concerned with calling someone.
"You didn't have a pulse. You were dead." April cried as Caroline quickly glanced at her but instead of trying to reassure April about her earlier lack of pulse, Caroline was more concerned with making a call.
"Stefan, it's me." Caroline barked. "That little werewolf slut Hayley has lost her mind. Go to the Lockwood Cellar and make sure that Rebekah's body is still there. I'm gonna find Tyler."
The mention of Rebekah's body made April's eyes grow wide. Was Rebekah dead too? She'd liked Rebekah, she was going to look into what happened with her dad, or so she'd said. She began to be scared that her friend might have found something sinister and it had gotten her killed. Caroline had hung up her call and turned to April and looked at her with a smile, before she walked over to her and gently took hold of her shoulders. April just looked back at her, completely terrified at what she'd just seen and heard. Then Caroline started to do something even more strange.
"Forget everything you just saw and heard. You are Miss Mystic Falls and you have duties to fulfill." Caroline told her, which confused April, how was she supposed to forget what she saw, but she was too scared to argue and just wanted to get away from Caroline, so she decided to play along with whatever Caroline was doing.
"Okay." April replied, which seemed to placate Caroline, so April quickly walked out of the restroom, deciding not looking at Caroline as she left. She wanted to see for herself if her friend Rebekah was okay, and set off in the direction of the Old Lockwood Cellar
As Caroline watched April leave the restroom she breathed a sigh of relief, April had been unsurprisingly terrified, but she'd be fine now. Compulsion done, no harm no foul Caroline thought as she walked out of the restroom, however Matt intercepted her.
"There you are. Stefan's been looking for you. Adrian's leading Klaus to the Cellar." Matt told her.
"How come the only time April Young isn't following you around like a lost puppy is when I'm lying dead with a broken neck?" Caroline complained as she pulled her phone out and checked for any missed calls and messages.
"April saw you? Matt asked breaking Caroline's concentration.
"Yeah, it's okay, I compelled her." Caroline told him smiling.
"No, she's – she's wearing Jeremy's vervain bracelet." Matt panicked as Caroline looked up at him, horrified. "She can't be compelled. I'll go look for her." he said as he hurried off to search for April.