A/N: Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter! The wait was a bit longer on this one, mostly because I had to map out the rest of Season 2. Everything is so inter-mingled for the rest of the season, up until the sacrifice, that I wanted to make sure I knew exactly what was happening. So now that's done and I'm hoping chapters will come a bit faster!

Glad people are enjoying the Klaus/Thea (former) friendship, as well as the Elijah/Thea romance. I do like Klaus and always thought he could use a friend, so hopefully I can find a way for them to come to an understanding. But given what's coming, it might be a while. So let's enjoy the ride!

"You're right," said Alaric, angrily slamming the closet doors. "Thea is all juiced up and aiming to kill. Elijah is egging her on."

"That's terrible," said Katherine, trying to suppress a roll of her eyes.

"We're going to have to kill her, Maddox," said Alaric, sighing. "Elijah too."

"Kill Thea?" echoed Maddox.

Maddox and Thea hadn't been as close as Klaus and Thea, but they had been friendly. Maddox had recruited her, shared a lot of his magical knowledge with her, even helped her with some tricky spells.

"Is that a problem?" demanded Alaric, angrily.

Maddox raised an eyebrow. "Your decision."

"Thea decided," Alaric growled angrily. "Thea and Elijah." He went over to the dresser. "Do you think this Alaric guy has anything vintage?"

He noticed a false bottom in one of the drawers and pulled it open, frowning at all the weapons there.

"Crossbows, wooden bullets and automatics?" he muttered. "Who is this guy again?"

"He's the local vampire hunter," answered Katherine.

"Ah," sighed Alaric. "Well that explains the clothing."

"All I could find," said Maddox, interrupting. "Guy likes his bourbon."

"I knew there was something about him I liked," commented Alaric, grabbing the offered glass and downing it. "There's a high school dance. And I'm going to need you to take her out."

Maddox shifted uncomfortably. "If she has that much power, she can sense me coming from a mile away. And what about Elijah?"

Alaric growled angrily. "They seemed awfully close during the little gang's pow-wow. But he's baby-sitting the defenseless Martins tonight."

Maddox smiled at that. "Then I think I have an idea."

o – o – o

Thea sighed at she pulled into the high school's parking lot. She checked her hair and make-up one last time before stepping out of her car.

After quickly explaining the plan for the night to Luka and Jonas, Thea had left the apartment and went to the closest costume store for a 60s outfit.

Upon returning from the store, she'd had to endure a heated 30 minute conversation with her father and brother where they tried to talk her out of going after Klaus. It was only because she threatened to throw up a barrier that they finally relented. Still, their words were ringing in her ears, telling her to be careful and wait for the sacrifice.

"Just protect the kids tonight and stay safe," said Jonas. "It's not worth your life, Thea."

Elijah had arrived a few minutes before the dance had started and Thea had tried to not feel awkward around him. They hadn't been alone since he'd grabbed her and planted that mind-blowing kiss on her lips. She wondered what would have happened if they'd been alone and not interrupted by Luka.

Thea sighed, trying to focus on the current situation and not the sexual magnetism of Elijah. She tugged on the short hemline of the dress she was wearing and made her way to the school entrance.

"Thea!"

Thea turned around to see Damon standing there. Looking beyond Damon, she saw Elena and Stefan were with him.

"Hey guys," said Thea, nervously smiling.

"You ready?" asked Damon, holding out his hand.

Thea rolled her eyes and walked passed him.

"Ouch," drawled Damon, walking beside her. "You're not still mad, are you?"

"That you tried to kill my father and turn me?" Thea asked as they entered the school.

Stefan and Elena followed behind them.

"In my defense," said Damon. "You're the one who lied about Elijah's true intentions. The real curse. And your father was trespassing on my property."

Thea scoffed. "Most people call the cops, not set the person on fire."

Damon smirked. "I'm not most people."

"Can we focus, guys?" Stefan interrupted from behind them. "We don't have time to argue about who betrayed who."

Thea sighed, but didn't argue. She just joined Damon, Elena and Stefan as they walked into the crowded gym.

o – o – o

'Everything in place?'

Klaus looked at the text message Maddox had sent him, using the history teacher's phone. There could be no mistakes tonight- it was essential everyone, including Thea, believed he was truly Alaric Saltzman.

He looked around the gym when he spotted her. Thea's long brown hair was pushed off her pretty face with a colorful headband. Her dress was form-fitting and she was sporting knee-high boots.

He could admit, there had been a time when he'd been attracted to her. Thought perhaps they could be more than colleagues, more than friends.

When he'd revealed his true self and they'd started working together, he'd found her utterly fascinating. Her open mind, quick wit and sarcastic sense of humor had kept him in the library long after their work conversations ended.

October 2008, Austin

"You tried using magic to heat the hamburger?" asked Klaus, quizically.

Thea shrugged, still laughing. "I was eight, maybe? My parents had just split up. My dad was late getting home and Greta was hungry- Luka was still at daycare. I was strictly forbidden to use the stove, but I'd been practicing lighting candles with my dad, so..."

Klaus chuckled. "And how bad was the damage?"

"It wasn't awful!" exclaimed Thea. "The meat patties exploded, along with the dish they were on. We cleaned up as best we could, but there were several pieces of meat on the ceiling, not to mention the broken dish had embedded itself in one of the kitchen cabinets."

Klaus laughed.

"What? Are you some master cook?" teased Thea, shaking her head.

"I know my way around the kitchen," said Klaus, defensively. "Come. I'll show you."

She looked confused.

He tilted his head. "I know you're hungry. I've been listening to your stomach growling for the past five minutes."

Thea huffed. "Damn vampire hearing." She frowned. "You don't need to feed me though. I can wait until I'm home."

"Nonsense," he said.

He smiled and led her to the kitchen of his house.

"Pretty big kitchen for someone who doesn't need food to eat," she commented, eyeing the spacious and well-equipped kitchen.

Klaus shrugged. "Came with the house."

They talked about food, drinks, culinary customs, etc. while Klaus prepared a quick meal of pork, mashed potatoes and green beans.

"This is delicious," said Thea as they sat down at the table.

"You needn't sound so shocked," frowned Klaus.

"Sorry," she said, quickly. "I just... a vampire who can cook?" She smiled. "You're not what I expected from the feared vampire, Klaus."

Klaus smiled back. "I do hope that's a good thing."

"It's definitely a good thing."

Klaus watched her as she returned to her meal. She was beautiful, no doubt. Smart, ambitious. Not afraid to speak her mind. Not for the first time, he wondered if she'd let him take her to bed.

He done so many times in the past with witches who'd worked with him. Often, they would throw themselves at him and he was more than happy to oblige them. But Thea was different. She didn't flirt with him, didn't roam her eyes over him with interest.

It was almost refreshing, in a way. It was clear she only considered him a friend, which is why their conversations were so comfortable. She put him at ease. As 'at ease' as he could be with anyone these days.

Later, they were in his study with an after-dinner drink, seated in the window seat of the giant bay window while he pointed out constellations.

"It must be different," said Thea, after he'd finished talking about Lupus, the wolf.

"The stars, you mean?" he asked, turning to face her. "They are actually quite similar to how they were in my youth."

"Hmm..." she murmured, looking at him. "So I guess that makes you less than, what, 10,000 years old?"

Klaus chuckled. "You never turn that mind off, do you?"

Thea smiled and sipped her drink. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he said quietly. "Never apologize for being yourself."

Thea nodded. "Thanks." She sighed, looking back at the stars. "What a beautiful night. I can't remember the last time I stargazed."

"Not one for smelling the roses?" he mused.

"Not lately," she admitted. "I think the last time was when I was in high school. My ex-boyfriend had an astronomy kick... It was romantic. A late-night picnic."

"It does sound romantic," he nodded.

He frowned, wondering if he'd misinterpreted her disinterest.

She looked at his intense gaze and her eyes widened.

"I didn't mean..." she trailed off. "We're just friends, you and I. Right? I mean, you're a good-looking guy, but there's no..."

"Spark?" mused Klaus.

Thea shrugged. "I guess so. You didn't think, I mean..."

She looked embarrassed, wondering if he'd been thinking something different.

Funnily, her disinterest didn't hurt his pride as much as he thought. In a way, he was flattered. Most of the people he was associated with, his bed-partners included, were drawn by his looks, his power, his money, his sexual prowess.

Thea seemed to just enjoy hanging out with him. He couldn't remember when he'd last spent time with someone who didn't seem to have an agenda.

His heart ached for a brief moment, thinking it had probably been before he'd driven away Elijah.

"Relax, love," he said, smiling. "I had no expectations. I used to look at the constellations with my siblings, so I promise I don't find it romantic in the slightest."

"You had a family?" asked Thea, tilting her head as she gazed at him.

Klaus raised an eyebrow. "Did you think I just sprung from the ground, fully formed, like some kind of plant?"

Thea laughed. "I don't know what to think, Klaus. I know you're from the first generation of vampires, but nobody knows what that actually means."

"Ah, yes, well," he said, smirking. "That is, indeed, by design."

Then he turned the conversation to other topics and to her credit, Thea didn't press him.

Klaus looked at the phone once again, Maddox's text message still unanswered.

'Everything in place?' Maddox had asked.

Klaus looked at Thea one more time and responded. 'I'm ready.'

o – o – o

When Thea, Damon, Stefan and Elena walked into the gym, the music had been turned off and a student on stage was at the microphone.

"Thanks for being here, everybody," she said with a smile.

Everyone cheered. Thea clapped half-heartedly, not sure if she hoped Klaus would or wouldn't show.

"We have a special shout-out tonight," continued the girl on-stage. "This is for Elena... From Klaus."

Damon stiffened beside Thea and they all looked around the room. But she couldn't see Klaus anywhere. Where was he? Was this some kind of trick?

"That was a lame, cheap shot," sneered Damon. "He's just trying to bait us."

"I know everyone here," said Elena.

"Maybe he's not here," offered Stefan. "Maybe you were right." He looked at Thea. "It's a trap."

Thea looked around nervously. "I knew this was a bad idea."

"Stop being so negative," said Damon, shaking his head.

"You don't get it," said Thea, looking Damon square in the eye. "You don't want to meet him on his terms."

Elena and Stefan frowned, but Damon just shook his head dismissively.

"It's a party, people," said Damon. "Blend. Let him come to us."

Thea nodded her head numbly.

"There's Ric," said Damon. "Come on, Maleficent."

Thea rolled her eyes, but followed him. "Calling me an evil Disney witch isn't helping."

"I'll have you know, I've always admired the Disney villains. They're so much more interesting than the heroes and princesses." He looked over at her. "And let's face it, sweetheart, you're no damsel."

Thea laughed as they came up to Alaric.

"What's so funny?" Alaric asked.

"Damon trying to butter me up by comparing me to a horned cartoon witch," Thea responded.

Damon smirked. "If it works..."

"Can we just focus please?" asked Thea. "You know, Klaus."

"Yeah," said Alaric. "Special dedication... This guy is twisted."

Thea snorted. "Obviously."

Damon frowned. "I'm not impressed." He turned to Thea. "Do you see him?"

"No, he's not here," she answered.

Then she realized what she'd said.

"How did you figure it out?" she asked Damon.

"Figure out what?" frowned Alaric.

"You must think we're fucking stupid," said Damon, looking at her harshly. He looked at Alaric. "She knows him. Klaus."

Thea had been hoping this wouldn't come up. Elijah hadn't mentioned Thea's past association with Klaus yesterday, when he'd revealed Klaus was his brother, what the true curse was, etc. They already were suspicious of Elijah because of his connection to Klaus. She didn't want to give them reasons to doubt her too.

"I knew him," Thea corrected. She sighed. "Long story short, I used to be one of his witches. I found out what he planned to do once the curse was broken and I stopped working for him. And then he took my sister."

"As payback?" asked Damon.

"Partially," said Thea. "And to buy my silence."

"That didn't work though," commented Alaric. "Since you're spilling all his secrets."

Thea turned on the history teacher. "There's too much at stake now. He has everything he needs to break the curse."

"You'd risk your sister?" asked Damon.

"Greta doesn't want to be saved," said Thea, sadly. "I think she'd die for him."

"Guess you're not the loyal type," said Alaric.

Thea narrowed her eyes. "Fuck you! I love my sister. But she threatened me. And Luka and my father if we didn't leave Mystic Falls."

Damon frowned. "What did she say?"

Thea shook her head. "It doesn't matter. She made her choice."

"Just remember that when she and her boss are trying to kill us all," said Damon, dryly. "Let me know if you see him."

Thea nodded. "I'm going to get something to drink."

She took off before Alaric could say another word.

o – o – o

Thea was standing on the edge of the gym, surveying the crowd, when her phone buzzed.

She smiled when she saw it was a text from Elijah.

'How is your evening? Any sign of my baby brother?'

'Boring. Nothing so far,' she responded.

She was tempted to write 'wish you were here', because it was true, but she refrained. She was beginning to really like Elijah, but didn't want to scare him off or anything. Just because he'd kissed her didn't mean anything concrete. What if he'd just done it as a good-bye? To be nice? Since he knew she could die tonight.

He didn't seem the type to do something like that, but what did she really know about him? He could rival Klaus in the mysterious department, though he was more open about his past than his younger brother. But Klaus wore his heart on his sleeve to a great extent (even if he wished he didn't), while Elijah was one of the most reserved people she'd ever met.

She mentally shook her head. She should not be thinking about Elijah right now. She quickly scanned the crowd, but didn't see any sign of Klaus.

"Guy's a no-show, huh?" asked Alaric, coming to stand beside her.

"Dance is almost half over," said Thea, looking at her watch. "It'd just be like him to call us here and never show."

Alaric raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"To throw us off-balance," Thea responded. "To second-guess ourselves and our strategy." She laughed bitterly. "I always wondered if he was friends with Sun-Tzu, or Machiavelli."

"Sun-Tzu lived in the 5th century B.C. You think he's that old?"

Thea shrugged. "Who knows?"

They stood there in silence for a few seconds.

"Watch out for any suspicous behavior?" asked Thea. "I need to use the rest room."

"I need to go too," said Alaric, following her out the door.

And Thea didn't see it, but the smirking smile on Alaric's face as he walked behind her was pure, smug Klaus.

o – o – o

"Want any?" asked Jonas, holding up a glass of whiskey.

Elijah nodded. "Please."

Jonas poured another glass and handed it to Elijah.

"Where's mine?" asked Luka.

"Waiting for you when you turn 21," Jonas responded gruffly.

Luka huffed, but turned his attention back to his laptop. "I'll be in my room. Let me know if you hear from Thea."

Elijah frowned at Luka's retreating back.

"Don't mind him," said Jonas. "He wanted to go to the dance. Apparently some girl named Macy even agreed to be his date."

"I'm sure he will have another chance."

Jonas sighed. "I remember when I was 17. Thought everything was the end of the world too."

Elijah opened his mouth to respond, but didn't get a chance because there was a knock at the door. Elijah looked at Jonas, who shrugged.

"We're not expecting anyone," said Jonas, getting up.

Elijah made it to the door first and opened it.

"Elena!" exclaimed Elijah. "What happened?"

Elena looked disheveled. Her hair mussed, with blood spatters on her 60s costume.

Elena shook her head, clearly struggling to remain calm. "It's Thea. He went after both of us in the parking lot. She's hurt."

Elijah couldn't breathe. "Where is she?"

"She's in my car," sobbed Elena. "I had to get her out of there. I didn't know if he had help or..."

"Where's your car?" demanded Jonas.

"In... In the alleyway," cried Elena.

Elijah was out the door before Elena could say anything.

"Stay here," commanded Jonas, before using his vampire speed to follow Elijah.

o – o – o

Where was the witch?

Damon frowned as he surveyed the gym. One minute he was dancing with some cute girls in mini-skirts and the next no one was around.

He didn't see his brother or Elena. Alaric and Thea were missing as well. He spotted Jeremy standing near the punch bowl with Bonnie.

"Have either of you seen Elena?" asked Damon.

They both shook their heads.

"What about Thea or Stefan?"

"I think Thea was talking to Alaric," offered Jeremy.

"We'll help you look," said Bonnie.

Both Bonnie and Jeremy were aware of the full Klaus situation.

"You stay here," said Damon. "Text me if you see them. I'll check the rest of the school."

o – o – o

At top speed, it took less than two seconds for Elijah to arrive in the alleyway next to Jonas' apartment. He approached the only vehicle there and tore open the door.

He frowned when he found the vehicle empty.

"Where is she?" came Jonas' angry voice beside him.

Elijah turned, intending to speed back upstairs to Elena when he saw her standing there.

"Where is Thea?" asked Elijah, trying to keep the emotion out of his voice.

Elena raised an eyebrow. "Worried about your little witch girlfriend, Elijah? She's a little young for you, don't you think?"

Elijah growled. "Katherine."

He zoomed forward, only to be stopped by an invisible barrier. He looked down and saw that he and Jonas had walked into a large circle of salt that surrounded the vehicle.

"Where is my daughter?" demanded Jonas.

"I can't tell you," said Katherine, though she said it without any malice.

"She's being compelled," said Elijah. "What's the meaning of this?"

He pressed on the barrier, wondering what witch had set this up.

As if on cue, a tall man came strolling down the alleyway.

"What did we catch?" he asked, tilting his head. "An Original and a newbie vampire." He turned to Katherine. "I took care of Luka. You can go back now."

Katherine nodded and disappeared.

"What did you do to my son?" Jonas practically screamed.

Maddox held his hand out and Jonas immediately collapsed to the ground, holding his head in agony.

"Nothing permanent," said Maddox.

Then he twisted his wrist and Jonas' neck snapped.

"You cannot hope to trap me indefinitely," said Elijah, facing Maddox.

Maddox raised an eyebrow. "Even with this?"

He pulled out a dagger and Elijah took an involuntary step back before he surged forward, banging on the barrier.

"I've been setting this boundary up for hours," said Maddox calmly. "I know what it takes to hold an Original. I'm just lucky you took the bait."

"What have you done to Thea?" growled Elijah. "Where is she?"

Maddox smiled sadly. "Right where Klaus wants her."

Then Elijah felt his neck snap and he sank into darkness.

o – o – o

"Well that was a bust," groaned Damon as he sauntered out of the gym with the rest of the students.

Thea frowned. "Yeah, I don't get it."

The dance was officially over and nothing had happened. Other than Klaus' creepy dedication to Elena, it had been just a regular high school dance.

After bidding farewell to the Salvatores and Elena, Thea went to her car. She was surprised to see Alaric leaning against it.

"Ric?"

"Hey, Thea," he smiled. "Mind giving me a ride home? My car won't start."

"Do you need a jump?" she asked.

He shook his head. "It's not the battery. I already called for a tow."

"Sure," she said. "Do you need to wait for the tow?"

He nodded.

She quickly fired off a text to her father, saying she was fine, but that a friend had car trouble, so she'd be late.

o – o – o

"So you worked for Klaus," said Alaric.

He and Thea were sitting on the hood of her car, waiting for the tow truck to arrive.

Thea nodded. "I know it sounds bad. But, I didn't know it was him at first. And even when he told me... Well I'm not one of those people that thinks all vampires are bad. Plus he has this amazing collection of grimoires and dark objects. He asked me to organize them."

"And help him break the curse?" asked Alaric.

"Yeah. Creating spells has always been a hobby of mine- it's something my dad and I used to do when I was younger. Klaus thought maybe I could figure out how to break the curse without the doppelganger or the moonstone."

"Sounds like he had a lot of faith in you."

Thea shrugged. "I guess so." She smiled. "He said I was one of the cleverest witches he'd ever met. Decent power, extraordinary mind."

"You two were close," said Alaric, with a raised eyebrow.

Thea tilted her head. "You're very perceptive." She sighed. "We were friends. I mean if you count someone as a friend who lied to get your help."

Alaric sighed. "People lie for many reasons, Thea. Sometimes they're being selfish. Sometimes they're just... scared."

"Scared of what?"

"That you'll hate them if you knew the truth," said Alaric, peering into her eyes.

Thea blinked, then she realized what Alaric was talking about. "I heard about you and Jenna. I'm sorry."

Alaric looked a little surprised, but then he nodded. "Well, I guess I couldn't keep her in the dark forever."

"Probably not."

"So, you were friends with Klaus? Elijah is his brother? And your sister is working for him?"

Thea just nodded.

Alaric shook his head. "And you're ready to kill them both?"

Thea rubbed her head. "I'm less worried about Greta, to be honest. With all this power, subduing her won't be a problem."

"And Klaus"

Thea sighed. "What do you want me to say? It's not like I want to kill him. Klaus is... look, I know all you guys see is this big, scary ruthless monster with no face, intent on sacrificing someone you care about..."

Alaric cocked an eyebrow. "Are you saying he isn't a ruthless monster?"

"I'm saying nobody is just one thing," said Thea, quietly. "Besides, we're all monsters. In our own way."

Thea felt Alaric's intense gaze on her face.

"You're having doubts," he accused.

Thea whipped her head around to face him. "What if it were Isobel? Or your brother or sister? Or god, even Damon? Could you do it? Could you kill your friend?"

Alaric didn't respond, just looked at her thoughtfully.

"I know what I have to do," said Thea in a whisper. "As a keeper of the balance, I..." She sighed. "I won't let you down."

They lapsed into an uncomfortable silence.

"Drink?" he asked after a few minutes, holding a flask out.

Thea sighed and took the flask. "I guess since the big bad Klaus didn't show." She took a sip. "Not bad."

"I only drink the best, love," said Alaric.

Thea blinked. "What did you say?"

Alaric smirked.

Thea felt her head getting heavy. "What...?" She stumbled off the car. "What did you..."

"Ah, yes," said Alaric. "Maddox mixed it up. A bit of sedative with anti-magic herbs. You know he is quite crafty."

"Klaus..." she whispered as she fell to the ground.

o – o – o

Thea blinked and immediately closed her eyes against the harsh assault of the bright lights. She breathed in and cracked her eyes open a little.

She was lying on a soft surface- a bed that was not her own. What had happened? She was at the dance and then... Klaus. Klaus was in Alaric's body and he'd given her something.

"Good morning," came Alaric's voice.

She shot up and noticed her wrists were encircled in handcuffs as she held them out to use her magic against him. But nothing happened. She tried in vain to call her magic again, but it didn't respond.

"Special handcuffs," said Alaric, coming to sit beside her on the bed. "For witches. I'm sure you understand."

Thea looked at him warily. "Why aren't I dead?"

Alaric taken aback for a second, then shrugged. "What would be the point of that? Tomorrow night is the full moon. Soon my curse will be broken and you won't be able to stop me."

"The others..."

"Have no idea you're here," finished Alaric. He tossed a bag of food at her. "They don't know I'm in this body."

Thea looked around, realizing she must be in Alaric's apartment.

"Now," he said. "Be a good girl and don't get into trouble when I'm gone."

He stood up. "Katerina?"

Katherine appeared beside him.

Alaric looked her in the eye and compelled her. "You are to ensure neither you, nor she leaves the apartment until I tell you to. You will not remove the handcuffs and you will not harm her in any way."

Then he swept out of the apartment.

A/N: I'm trying to add some plot twists in addition to the relationships canon characters have with the Thea.

I felt like I should address Klaus' feelings about Thea and their (former) friendship, at least a little bit. I wanted it to be clear they are just friends and that both of them prefer it that way.

Let me know how I did...