"I'm going to need your blood Elena", Bonnie said quietly as they stood over a map of the area. The spell that Bonnie was attempting to locate Joey required the blood of a family member.

Elena stabbed the dagger into her palm and the blood dripped onto the map and began its eerie glide across the paper. The crimson trail winding its way to a location fifty miles south Mystic Falls.

The area was mostly rural farms with a few small settlements and mom and pop stores.

Jeremy quickly mapquested the location pinpointing it to an antebellum home near a historic church, "Let's Go, Damon said grabbing the ominous black duffel bag, he Stefan and Bonnie headed for the door, but Elena got there first.

"What do you think your doing ? Damon asked.

" I am going to get my son Damon . Elena stood before the door and it was clear that she would not be left behind.

"Don't you realize this is probably a setup ? Stefan reasoned. Please wait for us here where you can be protected.

"No, I am going with or without you. Elena picked up her bag of stakes slung them over her shoulder and walked out the door to the waiting car.

There would be no discussion she was going to get her child.

The drive from Mystic Falls to the ruins of the antebellum mansion continued in silence. Each was lost in their own thoughts wondering what would happen in this new and bizarre twist.

As they neared the location Damon slowed the car and let Stefan and Bonnie out , easing on the gas Damon pulled into the overgrown drive. The weeds brushed against the car with a scrape like fingers, it was almost as though they were urging them to stay and not continue forward.

Damon parked near the ruined front porch its marble cracked and broken , debris and graffiti littered the wild unkempt grounds. As they walked behind the house the stench of death burned into their nostrils. Elena covered her nose to keep from gagging as they saw the first body, a young woman had been killed her body casually cast aside.

Damon was the first to spot the overgrown crypt dangling with spanish moss it was almost hidden by the forest and weeds. The door hung eerily upon one hinge, the area behind it was pitch black.

Damon fell in front of her screaming on the ground and grasping his head, then he gasped and was silent.

" Hello Elena, a familiar voice said from behind her.

"No, Elena couldn't believe her eyes.

"Katherine !". Elena gasped, " but your dead."

"You and Klaus, you burned to death in the fire at the boardinghouse we saw you."

"I do appreciate you ridding me of the little Katherine problem, unfortunately for you Elena I'm Charlotte Petrova."

" The original Petrova who began the curse, and I still need it broken which still requires your sacrifice."

" So the choice is yours, Elena it can either be you or your son", the old witch stepped from behind Charlotte holding Joey.

" Take me, Elena said calmly, leave Joey here with Damon ." Your witch can undo what she did to him just let them go unharmed.

"Agreed, Charlotte snapped her fingers as the witch began to chant, Damon began to stir.

The witch brought Joey forward and handed him to Elena.

"Place him next to Damon, he'll wake up in a few minutes as soon as we're safely away."

"Try anything funny and the child still dies, if the sacrifice isn't completed by midnight then Joey still dies. "

"These witches and their spells, Charlotte smiled.

Elena placed Joey carefully next to Damon and saw the small cut on Damon's hand, in the spell the witch had placed on him he had not healed. Lifting his hand as though to kiss it Elena sucked in a mouthful of Damon's blood praying that it would be enough.

Bonnie and Stefan had listened in silence to the exchange, Bonnie motioned for Stefan to go to Damon and Joey. Carefully cloaking herself in a spell Bonnie followed at a safe distance behind Elena, Charlotte, and the witch.

They walked through the woods for a long time to a clearing. In the center there was an altar and on one side there was an unconscious boy, he was chained to a tree .

Isobel and John sat with vacant expressions on the other side of the clearing. Both of them staring unseeingly forward, obviously compelled.

The clearing darkened with the approach of twilight, and the full moon could be seen hanging on the horizon.

Too be continued …