Chapter Twelve

Damon Pov

The figures advance toward us and slowly dissipate into one. It is Klaus.

He walks slow, steady and dangerous. His face holds a cruel smile; one of laughter and torture as he reaches the one hundred yard distance from us. He stops and sighs a patient sigh. "So glad you made it." He says, lifting his arms as if addressing us all, but his eyes only on Lily. His eyes flicker to Katherine for a second and his smile widens. Then his eyes flit back to Lily. He doesn't blink.

Lily Pov

I hold Klaus's eyes for a long moment.

Where are the others? I think to myself. Where are they?

I scan around. Nothing.

"There's been a change of plans." Klaus says.

"Is that right?"

"Mmm hmm." He says, taking slow, casual steps towards me, I feel Damon tense behind me at his approach. "I felt that I was simply being too . . . unfair."

"Well. You seemed to have made quite a disadvantage here." I say, equally patient and teasing.

"Hmm?" His eyebrow raises slightly. "How's that, then, daughter?"

My blood runs cold at the word, daughter. He's testing you Lily. Don't take the bait.

"You see, Father. I seem to be the unfair one now. See, I have . . . these lot." I gesture to Damon and the others. "Whilst you are on your own." I look to his ghost of a smile and guess otherwise. "But, I'm guessing by the look on your face, you . . . are not alone, hmm?"

His ghost of a smile develops into a full blown grin. "Smart one you are. I should be very proud."

I smile sweetly and innocently, my voice the same but the hint of sarcasm obvious. "Oh yes, the approval of my own Father is the one thing I yearn for. What I live for."

"Thought so." He says, his tone equally sarcastic.

We stand a few more seconds in silence and I sense rather than feel the tension coming off of Damon and the others in waves.

"So, where are your friends?" I say. He ignores my question.

"Did you know how angry I was when you took little Alice and my second in command away from me?" He says, his face darkening.

"I kind of guessed what you'd be like, to be honest. And I didn't care." I'd had enough of his crap. Where are the others hiding? "Where are the others?" I ask again, regaining my patient tone.

His eyes dilate in frustration.

"I didn't bring as many as I was intending. But I did bring these." He places two fingers on his lips and swiftly whistles through them. A car emerges in the distance and I sense both warm humans and bloodthirsty vampires. What is this?

The car comes to a halt beside Klaus, his eyes never leaving me. He sighs, content. "I think I'm going to like this." He says and my jaw hardens involuntarily.

The car door opens and my breathing subconsciously picks up its speed, but stays quiet. Three figures are forced from the car, three others holding the ropes that bind their wrists behind their back.

At first I don't recognise them, but then it comes to me. Matt, Rick . . . Jenna. Oh, no.

My instincts send me lunging at Klaus in anger and his smile stretches wider. A hand grips my arm before I can reach him and I swing around, intending to be confronted by Damon. But it's not. It's Katherine.

Her eyes plead with me in a silent don't Lily. I frown then nod slightly, she releases my arm and I turn back to see the hands of the captures now rest around their victims necks. Ready to snap. Jenna is silently weeping whilst Matt's and Rick's gaze stay imperviously on me. I look away from their eyes and look to Klaus, who's face now seems to have sobered.

"I was thinking." He starts. He sighs patiently. "That, we could do a little deal." His voice sounds almost bored or tired.

"Hmm?" I raise an eyebrow and bite my lower lip slightly. Trying to hide my heated rage. "And what would this 'little deal' be then, Father?"

"That we do a little swap. These three . . . for you." He says calmly. Damon's tension rises to pure rage and hate behind me and I reach and clasp his hand and give it a squeeze. Klaus doesn't miss this. "I'm guessing by your body language, that you're considering it, but your boyfriend's not very happy about it."

I say nothing.

"Well, what do you say?" His eyes leaving mine and Damon's clasped hands and looking straight to my eyes.

I think it through slowly, all the while holding Klaus's stare. If I don't, they die and possibly Damon and the others. Ha, not possibly, probably. If I do, I die. If I don't they die, so do the others, and Elena, Bonnie and Jeremy will be devastated. If I do. Well, I don't know how they'll feel. They'll probably be okay since they should be used to the idea of me being dead by now. Stop it, Lily!

It's me or them. Me . . . Them.

"Okay." I say in the strongest voice I can manage. Klaus's eyes light up and his grin becomes too wide for his face.

"No!" Damon exclaims and leaps in front of me, his arms spreading out in front of me in protection.

"Damon, please . . . " I start, softly.

"No! It's not happening!" His eyes are cold as they stay trained on Klaus. He is far beyond pissed. He is furious. "I've already lost" - his voice breaks on the word - "you once. I am not losing you again. Understand?"

"Damon -"

"I don't want you, Salvatore." Klaus's voice interjects. What? "I know what you're thinking. Do you really think you that if you can't bare to lose her that she can bare to lose you?" He says, his voice softening. Then he becomes nonchalant again, "Besides, what would I do with you for a day? Torture? Hmm, yes, maybe. But my own daughter is a lot more precious than her lover boy boyfriend. You see, I can have plenty of fun with her for a day."

"Shut up, Klaus." I say as I step in front of Damon again. Klaus's face registers shock for a second before coming slightly angry.

I turn to Damon and talk so only he and the others can hear. "Listen, let me do this. Trust me, I know what I'm doing. You will not lose me again. I promised I would never leave you again." I grasp both his hands in mine. "Damon. I love you. I will not leave you." I say each word strongly. Then kiss him just as strongly. His eyes become watery for the first time I have ever seen and I turn away. I don't want to see him cry. If I do. I won't be able to do this.

"Klaus. Let them go and you can have me." I say loudly. He nods stiffly but proud of himself. Four other men jump out of the big car and head towards me cautiously. I push Damon back toward the others. "Go." I say. But they ignore me. Elijah and his family are still waiting somewhere to pounce.

The four men each grab me and pull me towards Klaus whilst the ones holding Jenna, Matt and Alaric begin un-doing the ties and pushing them towards Damon and the others.

When I reach Klaus, I am forced to my knees and my hands are tied behind my back. I look up into Klaus's face, my expression cold.

He smiles widly and slaps me hard across the face, my head snapping sideways and my breath rushing out of me in a groan. I fall to the floor, crumpled by his sudden power.

I hear Damon's roar then his gasp as the others grab him from behind.

Klaus pulls me to my knees again and I feel a rush of blood from my nose, my head pounding, my lip split. That blood did nothing for me, I'm still able to be hurt.

"Tell your boyfriend to back off or my friend here will kill little Aunt Jenna or better yet," he squats down to my level, his face in mine, then he leans closer, his teeth extending and ever so slightly grazing my throat. "I'll rip your throat out just enough that it hurts like hell, but you can still breath. Painfully." I turn my head to Damon with sad eyes, he's struggling against the hold of Caroline, Stefan and Demetri. Katherine stands a side.

"Damon, stay back, I'm fine. There's no need for anyone to get hurt." I glance at Jenna who is still sobbing whilst she kneels next to Alaric and Matt. "Nobody else should get hurt."

Damon stops struggling with the others reluctantly. And a deep frown appears on his face, his eyes turning deep black and bloodshot.

Klaus sighs. "That's better. Now . . ." He grasps my throat and lifts me to my feet, then off the ground. I gasp and grip his hand to steady my weight.

Damon growls low and deadly. The others seem regretful for holding him back now. I see Matt and Alaric tense. "I want you to come with me." He walks steadily to the van and opens the door, throwing me into it and successfully banging my head on the back seats. I groan and struggle to keep my eyes open.

He steps away from the van and I hear him tell the others to release Jenna, Matt and Rick. They do and all three scamper to where Damon and the others are. Damon's eyes still hold mine as I sleepily rest my head on the vans back seats. "I love you." I mouth to him.

He mouths something back, "Don't you dare leave me again."