Hitting the Pause Button

Bonnie's eyes opened. She looked around, only to see her reflection everywhere.

She licked her lips and tasted them.

No blood. But…

She didn't dream it though. She had been in the Salvatore mansion. She was sure of it. Talking with Caroline.

Tormenting her.

Kissing her.

It was like watching some movie from a hand held camera. A movie that had already been filmed and she couldn't pause it or rewind it or stop it. But she could feel emotions. Some were her own, while others were not. Her own emotions were filled with disgust, sorrow and pain. The other emotions were of malice, perverted joy and hatred.

And yet, in the midst of her despair, she got control. It was brief—barely a second. But she could feel it. She so desperately wanted to yell at Caroline to save her, to tell her what was really happening. And for a minute moment, she did. Somehow, the movie stopped and she got control. She didn't know how but she spoke her own words through her own mouth.

And then, to her sorrow and despair, the movie continued.

Declaration of War

"So he's in the hospital?" asked Matt.

"Yeah. From what I've heard, he's in an induced coma. Possible brain injury. I guess he fell really hard on that helmet," replied Tyler, walking behind Jeremy and Matt as they made their way into the Lockwood mansion.

"Can't believe you did that to the guy," Jeremy interjected, shaking his head. "And all because you took 'roids! That's messed up!"

"Hey!" Tyler exclaimed, shoving Jeremy from behind. "I didn't mean to hurt the guy, okay? And I don't need your judgement over the steroids either!"

"Whoa! Relax! Don't get defensive about it," Jeremy replied, turning around and sizing up Tyler.

Matt got in between the two and separated them. "Hey! Let's not do this, guys. We don't need this right now!"

"I am getting defensive, Jer! You don't know what it's like…you don't know…to…to lose all that—"

Jeremy relaxed and looked downward contemplatively before returning his gaze to Tyler. "Look, maybe I don't know what it's like to go from a hybrid to just a normal guy, but I can understand a little bit. Every time I cross that border, it's like I lose something. Like an energy that's suddenly gone. I feel vulnerable. So maybe I can understand why you did it. No hard feelings, okay?"

Seeing Jeremy extend his hand out for a handshake, Tyler relaxed too and shook his hand. Matt looked on approvingly and unlocked the door to let all three into the mansion.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving," Matt said as he headed into the kitchen. "And thanks to that damn vampire, I don't have a truck anymore!"

As Matt and Jeremy grabbed some leftover take-out from the fridge, Tyler went and turned on the TV.

"Well, not that I could go anywhere as it is, thanks to being on house arrest," said Tyler as he plopped down on the couch, flipping through channels until he got to the local news.

The reporter was already on the scene where their encounter with Valene had gone down. They also reported on the bodies found at the Grill and the missing persons, questioning whether or not it was a new menace descending on their quiet town.

"And that might not be a good thing considering we're under attack!" Tyler remarked offhandedly.

Jeremy and Matt brought some left over cold pizza to the living room and began watching the news report with Tyler.

"We have to tell Alaric about what happened," Matt said.

"Why? What's he going to do about it?" asked Jeremy.

"Well, what are we going to do about it? We have no truck. We have no way to get around other than on foot. We don't even know where Damon and Bonnie and that other vampire are. We have no idea what we're dealing with here, Jer!"

"And neither does Alaric! Look, he can't even get into Mystic Falls. We can and we do know what we're dealing with. Vampires! Plain and simple."

"Is it?" Matt asked.

"So what are you suggesting?" asked Tyler.

Jeremy went upstairs and then returned with his crossbow, some arrows and stakes.

"I'm a Hunter, even inside of Mystic Falls. It's time to do what I was called to do."

Matt sighed. He walked over to Jeremy and grabbed one of the stakes. "What about Alaric and Elena? We can't just go and hunt down Damon without letting them know about it?"

Jeremy moved past Matt and stared at the news report. He gripped his crossbow while slightly grinding his teeth.

"We may have no choice. Like Tyler said, we're under attack. And we're the only ones who can do something about it."

Tyler looked up at Jeremy from the couch. "What about Bonnie?"

Jeremy stood silent for a moment. He put down his crossbow, grabbed a slice of cold pizza and took a bite. He put the slice down and walked towards the window, chewing while staring to the outside.

"It's not her," Jeremy finally responded. "I don't know who that is, but it's not her. If she's in there, we have to save her."

"And if we can't?" Tyler asked.

Jeremy stared at Tyler and then picked up the crossbow. "Then we have to set her free."

"Jer," Matt said, sympathetically.

Resolute, Jeremy went into the kitchen and grabbed a laptop sitting on the kitchen counter. He returned and handed it over to Tyler. "We don't have Matt's truck anymore and we're going to have to be able to get around quickly. See what you can do about getting us some wheels."

"Me?" retorted Tyler. "How am I supposed to do that?"

"Your parents were both former mayors of this town. And you're the last of the Lockwoods, a respected Founding Family. I'm sure you can call in a few favours and pull a few strings to get us a cheap ride."

Tyler glared at Jeremy as he grabbed the laptop and opened it up, looking at nearby car dealerships.

Jeremy marched over to Matt, grabbed the stake from his hand, and then looked at him. "We're going to war, and we need some weapons to do it. C'mon on."

Jeremy motioned Matt towards the garage. Matt looked at Tyler who raised an eyebrow before returning to his laptop.

Temptation Rising

"They're still out," Elena commented, shaking her head as she stared at the unconscious bodies of Alaric, Caroline and Istas. "They should have recovered by now."

"Perhaps the rings did something to them," replied Abby, looking at the trio as they sat in the backseat of Alaric's car.

The soft glow of the afternoon sun was already signalling its departure from the sky and marking the beginning of evening. Elena, Abby and Stefan stood outside of Alaric's car in an isolated patch of the highway away from Mystic Falls and any other centre of civilization, just in case whatever bloodlust that Alaric, Caroline and Istas still had, that they wouldn't put any innocent people in danger. Luke had already left them to recover from their attack, and also to try and find Liv and perhaps his mentor, Nisha, to see about altering the Ambrosia Rings to diminish the effects of the dark magic on its wearer. But at the insistence of Elena, he was forced to leave the rings with her.

Elena opened the box where the rings were held. She ran her finger over the emblem on one of them, looking up and gazing into the distance at Mystic Falls. "I hope they wake up soon. We have to know what happened with Damon and Bonnie."

"Whatever it was that happened, it must not have been good. The blood stains on them imply something really bad happened in there. I can't tell if that's their blood or someone else's. Luke's blood is too mingled in there to say for sure," Stefan said.

"What about your phone? Is it still located in the mansion?" asked Elena.

Stefan checked the app on Caroline's phone. "Looks like it's still there."

"For whatever good that does us. We still can't get in and we obviously can't use those rings. We've seen the effect they have," Abby said.

"Do you think Luke might be able to do something about the rings, Abby?" Elena asked.

"—*sigh*—I don't know. We're dealing with different kinds of magic here that it's really hard to say what's going to work and what won't. I've never even heard of these Ambrosia Rings, let alone would even know how to manipulate them. They seem steeped in really old magic, older than anything I've ever known. I don't know if Luke or Liv would really know either."

Elena turned around in frustration and began walking up and down the highway, hugging herself as though she were cold. She once again stared in the direction of Mystic Falls, a scowl slowly overtaking her face as the annoyance of not knowing what was happening with Damon began to well up inside of her.

A slight growl could be heard amongst them, and both Elena and Stefan turned to Abby, who clutched at her stomach.

"Sorry. I didn't realize how I hungry was," she sheepishly replied.

Stefan smiled reassuringly. "None of us have eaten much. I'm feeling hunger pangs myself."

Elena's eyes lit up as she, with slight exuberance, walked over to Stefan and Abby. "We passed a diner on the way here. Stefan, why don't you go and get us something to eat? Maybe get something extra in case Alaric and them wake up."

"And if they do? I don't want you and Abby to be in any danger if they're out of control again."

"Don't worry. We have some of Alaric's vervain darts in the trunk. We'll be fine."

Stefan nodded, visibly unsure of leaving the two of them, but trusting Elena all the same.

As Stefan's figure disappeared along the horizon of the highway, Elena went into the trunk and grabbed some vervain darts.

"Do you really think we'll need those?" asked Abby as she watched Elena gather up the darts.

Elena smiled while looking at her. "I hope not."

Siblings of Yin and Yang

As she stepped towards the border to Mystic Falls, Liv couldn`t help but marvel at the power she felt. Everything seemed new. Everything seemed different. She imagined that it was the same kind of rush that a newly created vampire would feel upon turning. Except for her, her connection to Nature itself was heightened. The connection to magic was heightened—all magic. Much like a vampire could taste the difference between types of blood, so too could she feel the difference between the Traveler magic spell and the traditional magic she had practiced her whole life. Even this new magic that she had learned and absorbed from the Red Dragon grimoire was different from the other two. It was more potent, more powerful, more charged. It filled her with an energy that her own coven's magic could never hope to match.

She sauntered over to border and put her hand up to the invisible, magical wall. It was like putting her hand up to a thin wall of water, the tactile sensation was real. There was a tingling and warmth that she felt. Ever so subtle, but she could feel something. She pulled her hand away and looked at it. There was nothing there even though she felt like there should have been, like some kind of residue should have been left on her hand.

Liv stepped through the wall and into Mystic Falls. Again, she looked at her clothes, patting her arms and legs to feel any moisture or anything to suggest something was left on her, but there was nothing. However, she could feel her own magic was still with her. The Traveler spell apparently had no effect on the magic she had learned from the grimoire.

She could also feel something else—their presence. She was told she would by the creepy bearded man.

As she recollected her encounter with him, her body began to shiver all over. She didn't know why, but she was instantly afraid of him. Outwardly, there was no reason to be. He was less than ordinary; a balding, short, bearded old man with a fat belly and no fashion sense whatsoever. When he came to her at her dorm, he stood at her door with Prussian blue sneakers, brown corduroy pants, a navy blue golf shirt and crimson red bowling jacket. His head was bald save for some scraggly greying hair around the back and edges, and his beard that was so thick and disheveled that she instantly imagined all the food and other grotesque things that might be stuck in there. He looked at her with thick aviator glasses that went out of style in the 80's.

He was the epitome of what she thought of as a middle aged loser. She could easily see him being some kind of lonely virgin living in his mother's basement; a socially awkward loner who probably never got laid and gave every attractive woman he met the 'pervert alarm' because his entire image just screamed pathetic desperation.

And yet, when she looked into his eyes, she saw none of that. When she was standing in his presence, she didn't feel desperation but rather absolute power and authority, along with hatred and malice. She couldn't explain how or why. The only other moment she had felt something similar was when she and Luke had travelled to Chicago to see a friend, who by chance had gotten entangled with the Mafia. The Mafia boss had paid her friend a visit and she felt the same vibes of power and authority from him that she felt from the creepy bearded man. The feeling that he had absolute power, of not only himself but of others, and that he could change the lives of anyone he chose to with a snap of his fingers and a command to his soldiers.

But there was something else with the creepy bearded man; something…otherworldly. Even her encounters with vampires, werewolves and warlocks never gave her the sensation she was getting from him. It was his eyes that drove that sensation home. Looking into his eyes was like looking into darkness itself. Not a void or an empty space but darkness, where not even the slightest speck of light, love, or hope could ever be found.

In addition to the Ambrosia Rings, he gave additional commands that were clear—and non-negotiable. Liv would seek out Damon, Bonnie and Valene and eliminate them and any others "like them" and destroy the gateway to the Abyss that they had opened up. He never answered the myriad of questions that she had, other than telling her that she would know—or rather feel—who "they" were when she met them.

And Liv knew she had to obey. He didn't threaten her. He didn't have to. She just knew.

Standing in Mystic Falls, she could feel both the gateway and Damon and Bonnie, unnatural anomalies causing vibrations along Nature's web that Liv could sense. Night was rapidly approaching and she didn't want to have to hunt down all three of them separately. She marched back to her car when she was hit by the headlights of an oncoming vehicle. The driver blared the car's horn and Liv stood still. The car came to a halt and shut off. The driver side door opened with Luke stepping out.

"There you are!" Luke bellowed. "I checked back at your dorm room and you weren't there. You weren't answering your phone or anything. I had to do a damn locator spell to find you!"

"What do you want, Luke?" Liv replied, her face clearly showing signs of her dissatisfaction of seeing Luke there.

"I want answers! Those damn rings you gave me almost got me killed!"

"What? You put one on?"

"No! But Alaric and Caroline and that Amazon freak put them on and went into Mystic Falls, only to return and try to shred me apart!"

Liv's face softened. "They attacked you? Luke, I…I didn't know that would happen."

"Didn't you?"

"How could you ask me that question? You're my brother. I don't want to see you hurt."

"I don't know what to believe anymore, Liv. You're being secretive. Alaric and them are attacking me. Damon and Bonnie are wandering around Mystic Falls somehow. And I'm in the dark about what's going on. And—"

As Luke walked closer to Liv, his eyes finally adjusted to the darkness of twilight and his face contorted with surprise and confusion. She was dressed in black sneakers, black leather pants, a black suede jacket and dark grey V-neck top that was flashing some serious cleavage.

"—and what are you wearing?! What…are you taking fashion tips from Nisha now?"

"Again with the critiques? I don't have time for this!" Liv replied, brushing past Luke on her way to her car.

Luke grabbed her arm and yanked her closer. "I deserve some answers, Liv! What's going on? Why are you at the border on this side of town? You know that Elena and her friends wouldn't be here. What are you trying to pull?"

"The only one doing any pulling around here is you! Let go of my arm!"

Luke let go, with a flash of grief covering his face. Liv looked at him and her anger melted away. She grabbed one of his hands in between the two of hers and held it up to her lips. She looked at him, with tears pooling in her eyes.

"Luke…I…I wish I could tell you right now what's going on. And trust me, when this is over, I will! I will!" she said as she gripped his hand tighter. "But I can't right now. What I'm into is dark—really dark. I didn't know it would be. But Nisha came to me with this and now I'm in it. And I don't want you to be. I need you to be…clean…for lack of a better word. In case I need you to pull me back!"

"Damn it, Liv! What are you into? I want to help!"

Liv let go of his hand and walked away, wiping her eyes. She ran her fingers through her hair in frustration and looked at Mystic Falls. "You want to help? Okay. Then I need you to do something. Create a boundary spell around Mystic Falls."

"What? Why? There's a Traveler spell already there. What's the point of creating a boundary spell?"

"Because I'm afraid of that Traveler spell coming down. And whatever is that town cannot be let out. So make a boundary spell…and make it strong!"

Luke looked over at Mystic Falls. "And what is in there?"

"I don't know. I swear I don't. But I have to find out and try and eliminate it. And if I don't, then I need your boundary spell as a backup."

"You want me to lock you in there? Our magic doesn't work in there, Liv."

"Our magic doesn't work. But MY magic will!"

Liv got in her car and revved it up. She slowly drove past Luke and drew the window down. "Do this for me, Luke. When this is all said and done, I'll tell you everything. I promise."

With a reassuring smile, she drove past him and into Mystic Falls.

Luke looked on as Liv's car disappeared along the horizon. With pain and grief in his heart, he walked back to his car and popped the trunk open. Even though he didn't really trust Liv, her request seemed genuine. He gathered the supplies he needed to create a boundary spell around Mystic Falls.

As he did so, he glanced at his knapsack that contained the Red Dragon grimoire he had found it lying on Liv's bed when he went to look for her in her dorm room.

That Hand That Was Dealt

The aroma of frying burgers, greasy fries and freshly brewed coffee wafted into Stefan's nostrils as he walked into the diner. A couple of families seated at the tables, while truckers and a couple of bikers seated at the counter completed the typical scene of an American roadside diner.

As Stefan approached and stared at the menu on the wall, his attention was caught with laughs and chuckles being exchanged between some of the truckers and bikers and the young girl behind the counter. Stefan peered over the counter to see a teenager with Down Syndrome flipping burgers and preparing other food with startling adeptness, all the while giggling with embarrassment and pride at the compliments and comments the truckers and bikers were paying her for her cooking prowess.

"What can I get for ya, stranger?" the woman behind cash register asked with a Southern drawl.

"Uh, I've never been here before. What do you recommend?"

"Heh, heh! Don't ask me that. I'm always recommendin' mah daughter's specialty. Judy's Special is what we call it. Best burger combo you're gonna get this side of the U-S of A!"

Stefan smiled as he looked over at the young girl. "That's Judy, I take it?"

The woman looked over and smiled proudly. "That's her alright. She just looooves to cook for people. Loves it even more when they like what they eat and let her know it!"

The two bikers at the counter finished their meal and got up to leave. But they stopped at the end of the counter and looked over in Judy's direction. Judy saw them and immediately stopped what she was doing and giddily rushed over to them. Each of the bikers smiled as they bent over to give Judy a hug and a kiss.

The woman chuckled as she noted the look of confusion on Stefan's face. "That's part of the price you pay for Judy's Special. We don't charge a lot for it because one of the things you have t' do is give a big hug and a kiss to the cook herself. It's probably what makes Judy's Special so special!"

Stefan stood in awe as these two burly, tattooed and menacing bikers completely betrayed their image by happily embracing Judy.

"Delicious as always, Judy. You take care of yourself now, ya hear?" said one of the bikers to her. Both bikers smiled at her as they walked out of the diner.

"I'll take five Judy Specials to go, please," Stefan said once the bikers had left the diner.

"Five Judy Specials comin' right up," replied the woman, punching the order into the register. "Hey Jude! Ya got some cookin' ta do. Five of your specials, please."

Judy excitedly returned to the grill and started cooking. Stefan watched as she deftly placed the patties on the grill, then turning around and dicing up the lettuce and tomatoes, then focusing on her special sauce. Everything seemed like second nature to her. She was in a zone that no one could touch her in.

"She's quite amazing at it," Stefan said, off-handedly.

"She loves t' cook. We're lookin' to get her into a cookin' school. Her dream is to go on that show with that cook who cusses a lot, Gordon what's-his-name? That Master Chef show? That's what she wants t' do. An' she's gonna do it too! She never accepted the hand that was dealt t' her. Heh! She never even knew she was dealt a bad hand! She's just always lookin' ta do the things that folks thought she could never do," the woman said, a proud smile appearing on her lips. "She'll fight the rest of her life against what she has, but I think she'd have it no other way. Strangest thing she said t' me once. She said she liked the fight 'cos it meant she was still alive! Do ya get that?" The woman shook her head in confused delight.

Stefan got it though. Once the burgers were done, the woman put them in a bag and Stefan paid his money. He walked to the end of the counter and waited expectantly for Judy to come and give him a hug.

Judy happily obliged and ran into his arms. "Thank you, mister."

"No, Judy. Thank you," Stefan said, hugging her with appreciative warmth while desperately trying to keep his voice from cracking. "You've taught me a lot."

Stefan kissed Judy on the cheek, smiled as he watched her giddily return to the grill, and then exited the diner.

He was surprised to see how quickly night had fallen. Stefan hurried back to Alaric's car, only to find that he couldn't see Abby or Elena anywhere near it. As he got closer, he saw a body lying next to the car. He rushed over to see that it was Abby, unconscious and with a vervain dart in her back. Stefan looked around and saw the box with the Ambrosia Rings on the ground, with one of the rings missing. He looked over his shoulder towards the direction of Mystic Falls.

"Elena!" he muttered indignantly.

The back doors of Alaric's car suddenly opened. Alaric and Caroline both stumbled out, groggily leaning against the car, blinking incessantly as they looked around.

"Wha—what happened? Where are we?" Alaric asked.

"No time to explain," Stefan said as he reached for an Ambrosia Ring. "Abby's been hit with a vervain dart. Stay with her until she recovers and then meet me at the border."

"Wait! What's going on, Stefan?" asked Caroline.

"Elena's gone into Mystic Falls. I think she went to go and find Damon. I have to stop her."

"You're not putting on one of those rings! They're too powerful. You can't handle it," Caroline implored while trying to walk over to Stefan but losing her balance, eventually leaning against the car again while grasping at her head.

"Trust me, Caroline," Stefan said while clutching the ring. "I know what it is to fight my dark side. Just see to Abby and then meet me at the border."

In a flash, Stefan was gone.

Enter the Sorceress

As she walked into Salvatore Mansion, Liv could feel their presence intensify. But she didn't need to look for them. Damon and Valene were in the main living room in front of the fireplace, messily feeding on a couple of Mystic Falls locals. Bonnie was at the liquor table, looking over an old grimoire. They all looked up, their golden demonic eyes shining brighter than the fire behind them, giving them an ominous look.

"Well, well, well! How quaint. Looks like it's a bosom blonde for dessert!" said Damon grinning, the bottom half of his face swathed in blood. He contemptuously threw aside the body he was feeding on and slowly approached Liv.

"No," replied Valene, holding Damon back. "It's her! It's the Sorceress! The one who will help us!"

Valene began to approach Liv, but before she could touch her, Liv raised her hand towards the vampire. Valene immediately flew back and slammed hard against the wall. Shock and anger was plastered all over Valene's face as she recovered from the blow.

"You DARE?!" Valene screamed. She rushed towards Liv. But with a twist of Liv's hand, Valene was suddenly lit up in flames. She screeched and howled as she stumbled across the living room, eventually vamp-speeding towards the bathroom where she turned on the shower to quell the flames.

"Wow! It's just not been her day to be playing with fire, has it?" Damon said, chuckling.

Bonnie approached Liv with her hands already clutched to conjure a spell. Liv raised her other hand and Bonnie's right wrist suddenly broke—then her elbow—then her shoulder—then her other wrist, elbow and shoulder—then her ankles were twisted in the wrong direction—then her knees were bent backwards. Bonnie collapsed in a heap of pain and torment as she screamed as her body remained mangled and distorted on the floor like some modern art sculpture.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, ha, ha, HA, HA, HA! Excellent!" exclaimed Damon, clapping. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and then walked past a convulsing Bonnie, arriving at the liquor table and pouring himself a drink. "You've certainly come a long way, Goldilocks!"

Even the small distance between them didn't diminish the sensation that Liv was getting from Damon. It was the same sensation that she felt with the creepy bearded man. But the atmosphere was slightly different. It was more stifling and colder. She could smell something in the air but she couldn't pinpoint what it was or where it was coming from. And as for Damon, Bonnie, they didn't look like the creepy bearded man. Their faces were more pale and ashen grey, with cracks and lines appearing everywhere on their skin as though they were made of stone. Valene seemed different. For whatever reason, she looked normal. But the vibe she was getting from them all was the same nonetheless. They emitted darkness.

Damon chugged back a shot of whiskey. "And so now I suppose you're here to destroy us, yessssss?"

"That's the order," Liv replied, emotionless.

"And whose order was it?"

Liv's eyes and face went blank. She didn't even know his name. She couldn't give an answer that made sense, even to her.

"He didn't tell you who he was, did he? Of course he didn't," Damon said, staring away from Liv as though he was talking to himself. "That's never been how he's worked. And where did that get him? Where did that get US?!"

Seething, Damon poured himself another drink and then jumped from the liquor table onto the back of one of the living room chairs. He balanced himself on the frame and stayed there, perched like a bird on a wire. "And what did he promise you for your loyal service?"

Again, Liv couldn't answer. Damon chuckled as he noted the vacant look on Liv's face.

"Of course, he didn't promise anything. And even if he did, it would have been a lie. So you're doing this out of some sense of fear, right?"

Damon took a swig of his whiskey and looked at Liv. "Do you know who we are? What we are?"

"I'm beginning to get a sense of it now," replied Liv.

"A sense!? A SENSE?!," Damon protested, viciously hurling the whiskey glass against the wall. "WE—ARE—THE SOVEREIGNTY! WE ARE THE NEW ORDER!" His voice took on a more bass tone, with each word underlined by a slight growl. He breathed in and calmed down a bit. "And we are on the side of victory. Your…benefactor…is on the side of defeat, as he always been and always will be. And so are you if you choose to go with him."

"So, what are you saying? You want me to join your side? Seems to me like you and my so-called benefactor are one and the same. Why should I trust you over him?"

"When you go on a first date with the Devil, you're putting out at the end of the night, whether you want to or not! With ussss? You'll put out, but only because you want to!"

"Sounds like the end result is still the same," Liv said, unimpressed. She extended her hand out towards Damon. An invisible force pulled him off the chair and onto the floor. He was then suddenly lifted off the floor and suspended in the air.

"I've learned to extract any spirit from its host's body. I haven't had enough practice to do it without killing the host. But then again, I never really cared much for Damon Salvatore. You and your friends are going back into the gateway which you opened."

Damon's body began to convulse and tremble in midair. He could feel his body being ripped apart, the spirit within him being pulled out. Damon's eyes were wide and began to bulge as his mouth began to fill with blood.

"Wait! WAAAAAIT!" Damon pleaded. "You want to know…the…*gah*…the difference? We share…power! We share it! He won't share anything. His pride…his ego…it's what has been…his…downfall. And it will be…yours too! He won't allow you to live with your powers. He won't! But we…we will…*arrggghhh*…WE WILL! Once you've…served your purpose…your purpose for him…you will die! Believe me! YOU WILL DIIIIIIIE!"

Liv halted the extraction. She immediately thought of the Mafia boss that she had met in Chicago. She had heard stories of him using people and then disposing of them once they had served their purpose. She could easily see the creepy bearded man doing the same with her.

She dropped Damon and sauntered past Bonnie and went to pour herself a glass of bourbon at the liquor table. With the creepy bearded man, Liv sensed absolute authority. She could tell it was not to be questioned, even by the most powerful of personalities. She didn't know why or how but it was the impression that she got. But Damon and Bonnie were different. While the hatred, malice and darkness was there, the absolute authority was not. They were followers who were trying to become leaders, which meant that they could be manipulated, while the creepy bearded man could not.

Liv took a swig of bourbon, flung her blonde curls back and looked at Damon. "So what are you guys planning to do? And why should I help you?"

Damon slowly got up and smiled. He straightened his leather jacket and cracked his neck. "It's quite simple, really. We—"

He swiftly looked towards the door. He kept staring at it, with Liv eventually looking at the door as well, though she saw nothing there. But Damon's smile widened as his eyes glistened with obvious glee. Both of their attention was then drawn towards Bonnie who was slowly snapping her bones back into place.

"I'll leave it to my colleague here to explain everything to you. She can talk to you, witch to witch! Me? Seems like we have a bit of a romantic rendezvous to attend to. If you'll excuse us!"

Damon bowed and then disappeared in an instant, while Bonnie sluggishly got up and glared at Liv who poured herself another glass of bourbon, raised an eyebrow and flashed a grin and a wink at Bonnie.

Love Triangle

Elena paced back and forth along the road at the border to Mystic Falls. Wringing her hands, mumbling to herself, cursing under breath, she stared into Mystic Falls and then away in the opposite direction.

What have I done? How could I have done that to Abby? What am I doing?!

Elena turned around and began marching away from the town. She stopped suddenly, closed her eyes and lifted her head skyward, breathing out a big sigh.

I can't leave. I have to know what happened to him.

She turned around again and marched to the border. She pulled out the Ambrosia Ring that was in her pocket and slipped it on her finger. Elena immediately fell down to one knee as the effect of the ring took over.

As she got up, her emotions slowly began swirling into a tornado of anger and resentment.

Anger at Alaric for stopping her from going into Mystic Falls with him.

Anger at Stefan for picking Caroline over her to give the ring to.

Anger at Caroline for not sticking up for her.

Anger at Jeremy for not even trying to forgive Damon for what he had done.

Anger at Istas for just generally being a bitch to her.

Anger at Abby for caring more about saving Bonnie rather than both Bonnie and Damon.

She became angry at everyone.

Elena marched across the border and then stood still, closing her eyes. She held her breath as she awaited the sensations and effects of drowning that she had felt when Damon had pulled her over before. She waited and waited, but nothing happened. Elena smiled as she realized that the rings did indeed work. She took a step forward and opened her eyes but was stopped in her tracks.

"Damon?"

Damon stood before her, smiling. "Elena! You made it. I knew you could do it."

Elena rushed into Damon's arms. As opposed to before when the shock of seeing him and the Traveler spell ruined the moment, Elena was able to enjoy her reunion. She squeezed him tightly and then leaned forward to kiss him. She kissed him hard, passionately, violently. She could taste blood on his lips—human blood. It ignited a hunger and lust that began mingling with the sexual side of those emotions, bringing her to near orgasm. The climax of the moment overwhelmed her that she forced herself to break off from Damon, lest she lost complete control then and there.

Elena panted as she gazed at Damon. She was a mix of emotions, wanting to love him, bang him, bite him, beat him, kill with him, kill for him, feed with him, do every dark activity with him that ever grazed the periphery of her thought process during her wickedest moments. As she continued to heave in, she breathed in his scent. However, it wasn't the same musk that she had been used to. It was different—a smell that she couldn't identify.

She looked at his face and was startled. His skin was ashen grey with multiple cracks and lines appearing everywhere. She traced one of the lines on his face with her finger. "What happened to you? What's going on with your skin?"

"Bonnie's spell is losing its power. I don't know how much longer we have before we waste away. That's why we need your blood. And Stefan's too. We need you, Elena. I need you!"

"How did you know I'd be here?"

"I felt you approaching," Damon said, lifting her hand that had the Ambrosia Ring on it. "I just…felt you approaching."

Elena looked down at the ring. "I just had to see you. When Alaric and Caroline came back, they didn't tell us what had happened. They lost control and attacked Luke. We had to snap their necks to stop them and they haven't woken up since."

Damon smiled. "Is that so?"

"What happened, Damon?"

"I'll tell you all about it at the mansion. Come! Bonnie will be so happy to see you!"

Damon grabbed Elena's hand and turned around, starting to lead her back towards the town.

"ELENA!"

Both Damon and Elena turned to see Stefan standing outside the border.

"Stefan?"

"Brother!" Damon exclaimed, grinning. "This night just keeps getting better and better!"

"Elena, get away from him!" barked Stefan, his upper lip curled in a snarl.

"Are we at this again? We've been over this before, brother."

"Save it! I'm not buying it. Elena, come with me!"

"No!" Elena protested, sidling up next to Damon and putting her head on his chest. "Damon and Bonnie are in trouble and we have to help them. If you're not willing to do that, then go back to Alaric while Damon and I find a solution ourselves."

"You're not going with Damon!"

"You can't stop me!"

"Wanna bet?" Stefan said raising an eyebrow, stepping over the border into Mystic Falls.

Elena looked on in shock as Stefan walked towards her and Damon, not suffering any effects of the Traveler spell. She approached Stefan and lifted up his hand to see an Ambrosia Ring on his finger. "Stefan! What are you doing? This ring will destroy you!"

"I had to do it."

Damon chuckled as he walked towards Stefan and Elena. "Well, isn't this just a typical scenario? Elena wants to be with me while Stefan does everything in his power to win her back to his side. Haven't you figured it out yet, Stefan? She doesn't want YOU! She wants ME!"

"This isn't about that anymore. This is about saving her…and you."

"Do I look like someone who needs to be saved?!" Damon asked. "But we do need help. We need blood. Yours and hers. Which is why it's so ironic for you to show up here and now, hoping to save her, because you're going to be helping us!"

Stefan gritted his teeth as his eyes rolled back into his head. He closed his eyes while clenching and unclenching his fists. Beads of sweat started appearing on his forehead as he breathed in deeply through his nostrils.

"Heh, heh, heh! Looks like someone is having a bit of a struggle with his ring. What's the matter, Stefan? Feeling a little…Ripperish?"

Damon grabbed Elena's arm and pulled her sleeve back. His fangs protruded from his mouth and quickly disappeared into Elena's wrist. She gasped as he drank a little from her wrist. He whipped out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the blood of her wrist.

"This is what it's all about, Stefan. Blood! Her blood. Your blood. We need it. And apparently, so do you!"

Damon shoved the bloody handkerchief into Stefan's nostrils. "Breathe it in, brother! Savour the aroma. It's not human but it's close enough. Let the Ripper come out and play!"

Stefan pushed Damon's hand away in disgust. He continued to clench his eyes and jaw shut, tensing every muscle in his body, fighting the effects of the Ambrosia Ring.

"Damon, stop it! He needs help," Elena said, trying to help Stefan remain upright.

"You're right, Elena. We'll take him back to Bonnie. I'm sure she can help the both of you with the effects of those rings. What do you say, brother?"

With gnashing teeth and furious eyes, Stefan glared at Damon. "Agreed…brother!"

In a flash, Stefan grabbed Elena's hand and ripped off the Ambrosia Ring on her finger. He then launched her into the air with every ounce of strength he had, making sure that she cleared the border with room to spare. Elena landed roughly thirty yards away from where Stefan and Damon stood. She crashed onto the pavement of the highway and continued to tumble along before coming to a stop. With a broken arm and cracked skull, Elena remained motionless on the ground.

"AHA HA HA HA HA HA! Always with the damn heroics, eh little brother?" Damon uttered, grabbing Stefan by the throat and lifting him off the ground, his demonic eyes lighting up. "We're going to see what we can do about that!"

Damon and Stefan disappeared. Elena slowly regained consciousness and struggled to get up. She looked over to where Damon and Stefan once stood and stumbled along the road to get closer to the border. Clutching her broken arm, she began to weep as neither Stefan nor Damon was anywhere in sight.

"Damon! DAMON!" Elena cried, breathing in deeper with every shout of his name. "DAAAMOOOOONNN!"