The next day when Thea woke up, Jonas and Luka were having breakfast. Thea was excited to see Luka and offered to drive him to school so they could catch up.

After dropping Luka off, Thea went back to Jonas' apartment and did some work remotely before she decided to go to the Grill for lunch. Jonas was out running errands- it seemed he hadn't noticed the moonstone was gone yet.

When Thea arrived at the Grill, Damon and the blonde werewolf were having another heated argument. He looked fine, so she figured he'd managed to not get bitten. Steering clear of the pair, Thea settled at a table and looked at the menu.

"This seat taken?" asked a voice.

Thea smiled tightly. "Hey Alaric. And no."

Alaric slid into the seat opposite her.

"How are you liking Mystic Falls?" asked Alaric.

Thea frowned. This is not the interaction she had expected. Yesterday, Luka had tricked Bonnie Bennett into giving him the moonstone by pretending to de-spell it. No doubt that news had reached the rest of the Mystic Falls gang. Thea expected some type of accusation, not small talk.

"Mystic Falls seems nice," said Thea. "Typical small town, I guess. You know, except for all the vampires and werewolves."

Alaric nodded. "Where are you from?"

"Louisiana originally," said Thea. "But I've been living in Austin for the past six years." She put down the menu. "Why are you being so nice to me? My brother tricked your newbie witch into giving him the moonstone."

Alaric glared at her. "So I take it the spell to remove the curse from the stone was a trick too?"

Thea sighed. "Yes."

"Give it back," came a hard voice from behind her.

Thea swirled around to see Damon standing there.

"No," said Thea. "Believe it or not, I didn't know what my father and brother were planning to do. I'm sorry Luka lied. He shouldn't have done that."

"Give us the moonstone and I'll believe it," said Damon, sitting down next to Alaric.

Thea shook her head. "No. I can't risk you trying to de-spell it again."

"You said you wanted to stop the curse from being broken," said Alaric, accusingly.

"And I do," answered Thea. "But do you know what Klaus will do if he hears we've released the curse from the moonstone? If that's even possible?"

"How is he even going to know?" asked Damon, rolling his eyes.

"Word is going to get out about the doppelganger," said Thea. "If it hasn't already. Klaus has spies everywhere. People that don't even know they're spies."

"You seem awfully familiar with him," said Damon, eyes narrowed.

Thea shifted uncomfortably. "I already told you he and my family have history. You're not getting the moonstone. But if it makes you feel better, neither is my father or Elijah."

"What?" asked Alaric.

"Luka took it to give to Elijah, obviously, but I may have taken it first," said Thea.

"Her family's just like yours, Damon," said Alaric with a small smile.

"You don't trust Elijah either," said Damon, surprised.

"I don't know Elijah," Thea admitted. "My father made a deal with him. Not me."

"So we're just supposed to trust you?" scoffed Damon.

"You don't have to do anything," said Thea, angrily. "I believe I was sitting here, minding my own business, when Alaric came over to talk about the weather or something."

Damon looked at Alaric.

"What?" said Alaric. "I thought she might be able to help."

Thea frowned. "Help with what?"

Damon looked hesitant, then spoke. "Do know if there's a cure for a werewolf bite?"

Thea raised an eyebrow. "Did that blonde werewolf bite one of your vampire friends last night?"

"Is there a cure or not?" demanded Damon.

"You have a funny way of asking for help," said Thea, shaking her head. "Did anyone ever tell you you'll catch more flies with honey than vinegar?"

"Did anyone ever tell you I'll rip out your intestines and wear them as a hat?" Damon shot back.

Thea clenched her jaw and gave him an aneurysm, causing him to cry out in pain.

"I get that you're used to being the big bad around here," said Thea. "But I'm not some newbie witch who's only been practicing for a few months. Watch your tongue or I'll remove it. Along with your heart." She smiled evilly. "You know there's a spell for that, right?"

Thea released him and got up. She made her way toward the bar, thinking she'd just make an order to go.

After she'd ordered her lunch, she sat down and sipped her drink. She groaned when Alaric joined her.

"I'm sorry about him," said Alaric. "He's... not a nice person."

"Then why are you friends with him?" asked Thea.

Alaric shrugged. "It just sort of happened. He's rough around the edges, but he can be loyal. He's too stubborn to ask, but the vampire that got bit is important to him... Please, if you know anything."

Alaric's face was so earnest. She supposed Damon couldn't be all that bad if a guy like Alaric thought he was okay.

"There's no cure," said Thea, shaking her head. "At least not that I know of. I'm sorry."

Alaric nodded sadly and moved to get up.

"Wait," said Thea, sighing. "I know I'm going to regret this, but there are things magic can do. Ease the pain. Alleviate some of the symptoms. I've never actually seen a vampire die of a wolf bite, but I've heard it can be pretty... gruesome."

"You would do that?" asked Alaric, looking surprised.

Thea turned and looked at Damon, who was standing on the other side of the bar, no doubt listening to what she and Alaric were saying.

"Stop being a dick and I will," said Thea.

Damon narrowed his eyes at her, but walked up.

"No more aneurysms and I'll stop being a dick," said Damon.

Thea rolled her eyes. "So, where is this vampire? Are they secure?"

"What do you mean, 'secure'?" asked Alaric, confused.

"A werewolf bite is like poison to a vampire," explained Thea. "It causes hallucinations, behavioral changes..."

"I didn't know Rose was going to go all... rabid," growled Damon.

"Where is she?" asked Thea.

Damon's phone beeped.

"We don't know," said Damon, reading the text. "She ran away from the house."

"We have to find her," said Thea, alarmed. "She could seriously hurt someone."

"You don't think I know that?" exclaimed Damon. "We'll split up."

Alaric and Thea nodded. They quickly exchanged phone numbers and left the Grill.

Thea was driving down one of the main streets in the center of town when she got a call from Damon.

"We think she's by the high school," he said quickly. "The sheriff's deputies found a body."

"The high school?" Thea repeated. "My brother's there. I'm on my way."

She hung up and drove as quickly as she could to the school. She called Luka and told him to get inside, that there was a dangerous vampire on the loose.

When Thea got to the school, she spotted Damon talking to a brunette.

When the brunette turned to face the light, Thea gasped. It was the doppelganger, Elena. It was so odd. She'd seen pictures of Katerina Petrova, drawings really, centuries-old, and yet there was her living, breathing likeness.

Thea quickly parked the car and got out.

"Where is she?" asked Thea.

"Still missing," said Damon. "Elena, Thea Martin. Thea, Elena Gilbert."

Elena smiled. "Are you related to..."

"Jonas is my father," nodded Thea.

"So you're a witch," said Elena.

"She's here to help with Rose," said Damon. "Let's go."

The three of them started walking along the school, looking for signs of Rose.

"I'm not mad," said Elena, fingering the stake nervously in her hands.

"What?" asked Thea, confused.

"What Luka did," said Elena. "If Elijah wanted the moonstone, all he had to do was ask. I trust him to keep his end of the deal."

Thea frowned. "Do you even know the deal you made, Elena?"

"I listened to every word Elijah said," said Elena, seriously. "All I want is my friends and family safe."

Thea stopped in her tracks, realizing the implications of her words. Elena did know the deal. She knew her safety wasn't a guarantee. She just didn't care. As long as her loved ones were spared. Thea blinked in surprise.

Thea opened her mouth to say something when a strangled cry to their left interrupted her. Damon sped to the parking lot with Thea and Elena close behind.

By the time Elena and Thea arrived, Damon had Rose pinned to the ground.

"Rose, Rose! It's me. It's Damon. It's Damon," he said, trying to get through to the thrashing vampire.

Thea rushed over and put a hand to Rose's head, muttering a light sedation spell.

Rose seemed to come to her senses, her head lolling around

"What... Did I do this?" she whispered, horrified. "I didn't mean to... I never..."

Thea felt awful. Rose looked terrible, crying at the bodies that were scattered around her.

"I know," sighed Damon.

"Make it stop, please, make it stop," begged Rose, tears pouring from her eyes.

Damon looked at Thea, who nodded. Thea leaned down and pushed her magic harder, knocking Rose out completely.

Damon leaned down and picked Rose up.

"She'll be awake in a few minutes," said Thea. "Normally that spell doesn't work on vampires... But she's very weak."

Damon nodded. "I should get her home."

"I'll come," said Thea. "Like I promised."

Damon just gazed down pitifully at Rose, walking away with Elena trailing behind him.

o – o – o

"Sepelite per phantasmata decepturus est, purgare corde," chanted Thea, rubbing Rose's forehead and pushing her magic into the sick vampire.

Rose's eyes fluttered open and she smiled weakly.

"That's the last one," said Thea, looking over at Damon.

"Thank you," said Rose.

"You're welcome," said Thea, trying for a smile.

"If I weren't dying, I'd say I feel fine," said Rose, smiling at her little joke.

"How long will the spells last?" asked Damon.

"A few hours," said Thea.

Damon nodded, both of them knowing that Rose wasn't going to last that long.

Thea stood up, looked at Damon and Elena one more time before walking out of the room. She was just at the front door when Damon appeared in front of her.

"Hello," said Thea, a little surprised. "Was there something else?"

Damon frowned. "I don't know, is there?"

"Are you sure you weren't bitten too?" asked Thea, confused.

"In my experience, witches don't help out vampires from the goodness of their hearts," said Damon.

"You know I could say the same thing about vampires helping witches," said Thea, rolling her eyes.

"So what do you want?" asked Damon.

"Nothing," said Thea. "She's sick, Damon. In pain. I did what any decent person would do."

Damon cocked his head. "I still don't trust you or your family."

Thea shrugged. "Ditto."

Thea moved to exit the house, but Damon stopped her.

"Why did you come to Mystic Falls?" he asked, looking into her eyes. "Really?"

"I told Alaric why I came here," said Thea, looking back at him. "I wasn't lying. I want to stop Klaus, just as much as you do. Maybe more."

"Because he stole something, right?" said Damon, suspiciously.

"Because breaking the curse is dangerous," said Thea, getting a little heated. "Because killing innocent people is wrong... And yes, he took something very important to my family." Her face hardened. "So believe me... no one wants to stop him more than me."

Thea looked into Damon's eyes for a second longer before she pushed passed him and moved out the door.

Thea looked at her phone as she walked to her car and cringed. Ten missed calls from Jonas, another five from Luka, and one other from a number her phone didn't recognize. Not to mention a bunch of text messages, all of them asking where she was, and did she have the moonstone.

A man appeared suddenly in front of her and Thea instinctually raised her hand. Which was a good thing, too. Because a split second later she realized he was a vampire.

"That was very kind of you," said the vampire. "To ease her suffering."

"Who the hell are you?" exclaimed Thea.

What kind of person jumps out of the darkness to pay them a compliment?

"You really have no idea?" asked the vampire, looking almost amused.

Thea raised an eyebrow. "Well I don't want to presume. My father assured me Elijah is a noble vampire. Not prone to sneak attacks in the dark."

"I apologize if I scared you," said Elijah. "But I come on a matter of great urgency."

"Let me guess. The moonstone?"

"Do you have it?"

"It's safe," said Thea. "I'm assuming my father shared the concerns I have with your plan?"

"He did," confirmed Elijah. "I assure you, there is no other way. Klaus must die, but first the sacrifice must happen."

"There's always another way," Thea ground out. "We have at least another month to find one. If you're so noble, how can you be okay with killing three innocent people? Breaking the curse?"

Thea thought Elijah's face faltered for a split second.

"I take no joy in spilling innocent blood," said Elijah. "But he is coming. For Elena, for the moonstone. No force on earth can stop that now."

"So we find another way to kill him," said Thea, though the thought didn't sit well with her. "Or just stop him. Trap him somehow."

Thea closed her eyes, not wanting to think on her memories of Klaus.

"His crimes deserve death," said Elijah. "Not imprisonment."

Thea frowned. "What did he do to you?"

Elijah hesitated. "That... is none of your concern."

Thea scoffed. "You ask my family to trust you. Fight alongside you. And you won't tell us why we have a common enemy?"

"My past with Klaus is very complicated," said Elijah. "I want him dead. That's good enough for your father."

Thea's expression hardened. "I'm not my father, Elijah."

Elijah smiled slightly at her. "I can see that." He paused. "I'll tell you what. I'll let you keep the moonstone. For now. Do your research. If you find a way to stop him, whether through lethal means or not, prior to the sacrifice, I'll consider it."

Thea blinked, surprised. "Seriously? Why?"

Elijah looked at her thoughtfully. "It may be difficult for someone like you to understand, but as an immortal, human life is... fleeting. I think, perhaps, sometimes we forget how precious it can be. All these years, I've wanted revenge for what Klaus took from me. It consumed my every thought, my every waking moment... Thank you, Thea, for reminding me that some things are just as important."

Thea smiled at him and there was a moment of comfortable silence. Before reality set in of course.

"I'm guessing if I'm unsuccessful..." Thea trailed off.

"You will return the moonstone and the sacrifice will happen, after which, I will kill Klaus," finished Elijah.

Thea nodded. "Deal. But only because I don't want to contemplate what Klaus will do to this town if we try and hide the moonstone from him."

"He can be quite ruthless in pursuing his goals," said Elijah.

Thea tilted her head. There was something about the way he said that, the way he talked about Klaus, really. It was clear Elijah had known Klaus very well at one point.

"I know," said Thea, nodding her head.

When Elijah regarded her with a curious expression, she quickly added, "I mean, I've heard that."

Elijah looked at her for a moment longer before speaking.

"Regardless, our goal in the meantime remains the same," said Elijah. "Elena, and by extension her friends and family, must be kept safe."

Thea nodded. "I can help my father with that."

Elijah tilted his head. "Thank you."

Thea smiled. "Thank you, Elijah. You're..." She paused. "Not what I expected."

Elijah raised an eyebrow. "What did you expect?"

Thea pursed her lips. "When my father said you were noble, I thought he just meant old-fashioned."

"I have been accused of that," said Elijah with a slight smile.

"But now I see what he meant," she continued, gazing at his handsome face. "Thank you for hearing what I had to say. In my experience, vampires are only interested in using us for our magic."

"Then I am sorry on behalf of my kind," said Elijah. "It's getting late." He smiled at her. "I've no doubt I'll see you soon, Thea."

Then he disappeared as quickly as he came.

Thea sighed, staring in the direction he'd been standing. He certainly was noble, just like her father had said. But he was hiding something, she was certain of it. Of course, admittedly so was she. Nobody knew what had happened back in Austin with Klaus and Greta. Not even her father.

Thea pulled out her keys and opened the car door, thinking about Elijah again. Jonas hadn't mentioned he was gorgeous, but then again, Thea was certain her father hadn't noticed that.

o – o – o

"What were you thinking?" demanded Jonas, the minute Thea stepped inside the apartment. "How dare you take the moonstone?"

"I'm sorry," said Thea, throwing her coat down. "But you weren't listening to me."

"You had no right!" Jonas shouted. "Two years I've been looking for her. Two years and we are this close."

"We'll get her back, Dad," said Thea. "I..."

"I don't know what Elijah's going to do!" Jonas continued. "I can't protect you from him, Thea."

"I've already spoken to Elijah," said Thea. "It's fine. We... have an understanding."

Jonas stopped his tirade and looked at her curiously. "What do you mean?"

Thea sighed and told him about her conversation with Elijah.

"So you see?" asked Thea. "It's fine. I'm going to try and find a way to stop Klaus before the sacrifice happens."

"And if you fail," said Jonas, seriously. "Will you give up the moonstone? Allow the sacrifice to happen?"

Thea nodded. "Yes."

Jonas sighed. "Fine." He looked hard at Thea. "If you ever pull anything like that again you will no longer be welcome in my home."

He grabbed his book and went to his bedroom, shutting the door.

Thea's phone beeped. She smiled when she saw the text from Alaric.

'Heard what you did for Rose. Thanks again.'

Thea eyed the rows of Grimoires in the living room of the apartment. She knew she should get started on research, but she was so tired. Deciding to start early tomorrow, she went and crashed on her bed.