"I'm going into town, do you need anything?" Klaus' eyes widened.

"No you're not, not when our enemies are out there looking for you." I turned, hand-on-hip, to face Klaus. "It's too dangerous."

"I've been in this house for nearly a week without leaving once. The only things I've have to occupy my time are my cell phone, you, or listening to your brother shouting from the basement every five minutes." Kol was chained down in the basement, and we'd drained as much of his blood as we could. There was no way he'd be leaving soon; he could barely move.

"And the only things waiting for you out there are people trying to take you away from me."

"Would you rather I just take myself away from you?" I slapped my hand over my mouth, not meaning to let that slip out.

Klaus' face hardened and he turned away from me and he shouted "Fine! Go get kidnapped, I won't come to get you!" He sped upstairs and I heard a door slam, followed by several loud crashes.

I just hurried out of the house, choosing to go into town in the DB5 rather than Klaus' Jaguar. It had technically been part of my 'surprise,' after all.

I decided to go to the cemetery instead of into town. I didn't have the slightest idea why, I just had the urge to.

There was no other cars nearby when I got there, and nobody else I could see. I walked through the older section of graves to the newer ones, noticing that there were a lot more of the never

headstones. It was a shame how many people had died here lately...

I know I wasn't responsible for any of them, but it still hurt to know that they were all dead.

I passed a medium-sized gray headstone; it was pretty average looking. The inscription was what caught my attention. Ivy Taylor. Beloved mother and wife, taken too early from her loved ones.

I had no idea my mother had a tombstone. It must've been another one of those things my dad 'neglected' to tell me about as I was growing up. I had a feeling it was put there by her family anyway, as my father probably wanted nothing to do with her after she left.

I kept walking and eventually came to another familiar headstone, a smaller one, with a burnt-out candle and a half-empty bottle of bourbon sitting beside it. I didn't have to read the engraving to know it was Alaric's, simply because of the bottle of bourbon sitting on the ground. It had to've been left there by Damon.

I sat on the ground and sat the bottle upright, for it had been lying on its side among the dead leaves on the ground. I heard leaves crunching but didn't turn to see who it was.

"Damon left that here, in case you were wondering." It was Alaric.

"I kinda knew that...He's the only one that would leave alcohol on someone's grave." He chuckled. "Things have been going so wrong lately...Me being back here is the number one thing."

"Look at who you're with. Things aren't exactly going to go right with a choice like him." I glared and he shrugged.

"It's not like I made a choice. You think I wanted to fall for the guy that kidnapped me twice and forcibly drank my blood? I didn't want to, but I did. There's not much I can do about it now."

"Besides toss that ring in the river and leave him?" I gasped and hugged the ring to my chest. "You're never gonna learn to control yourself and your powers if you let him treat you like a child. You're never gonna learn to control yourself if you keep acting like a child."

"I do not act like a child!" I stood up, brushing the dead leaves and dirt off my pants. "How could you even say that?! With what I've had to go through since I got here...there's no way you can say that."

"You had a disagreement with Stefan and automatically assumed he would try to kidnap you for your blood, along with everyone else that really wants to help you."

"If they wanted to help me, then Stefan wouldn't have asked to use my blood for Elena the same second he heard about it. Besides, I have a fiancé now that is taking care of me and loves me..."

"Do you honestly think he loves you?" I looked at Alaric questioningly. "There's no doubt that he cares about you, definitely enough to be with you...but to marry you? Have you ever considered that Klaus might be doing this for some other reason? Like maybe making you stay with him so he can have access to you?"

I shook my head. "He wouldn't do that..."

"You said it yourself before that he turned on his family just because they pissed him off. What's to stop him from lying to you if he can kill a member of his own family?" I backed up, almost tripping over another headstone in the process.

Still shaking my head, I said "No...It's not true! He wouldn't do that to me!"

"Dani..!" I turned and ran from his ghost as fast as I could, not caring the direction I went in.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Alaric's PointOfView)

I watched as Dani ran from me, but I didn't bother following after her. Ayana appeared beside me, staring after Dani too.

"Are you sure that was the best thing to do?"

"She's not going to grow up if she worships Klaus. She needs to know what might really be happening, and that there's a possibility that Klaus might not be the savior she's come to see him as."

"You sound like you really care for the girl. Perhaps she would have been better off if she had come while you were still alive. You could have been the one to care for her instead of him." I didn't respond to that comment. It would've been stupid to tell her or anyone what I was really thinking.

"It doesn't matter. She's hopelessly lost to Klaus. If she's really thinking about what I said, she'll question him and maybe mature a little in the process. Maybe then she could finally learn how to use her power on her own."

"Perhaps. But will you take advantage of the situation when she does?" I shrugged. I hadn't yet decided if it was worth it. "We haven't yet told her that her talents aren't limited to corporeal supernatural beings. She will find out on her own, and when she does, she may wish for you to be resurrected."

"We'll see."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Klaus' PointOfView)

"Where is she?" Stefan didn't answer and I gripped him by the shirt. "Where is she?!"

"What are you talking about?! I haven't seen Dani today!" Stefan pushed himself off and allowed me into the house.

"You should know full well what I'm talking about. Dani left this morning to go into town by herself, and I haven't seen her since. I searched every goddâmned street in this miserable city and can't find her or the car anywhere!"

"Maybe she left because you're still treating her like a prisoner and trying to turn her evil!"

I was ready to smash Stefan's face in and there was a knock at the door. I wrenched it open to find the most unexpected person.

"Elijah. Should I call it a coincidence that you've shown up again just as Dani has gone missing?"

"I should say not. Dani is no longer in Mystic Falls."

"And how do you know?"

"On your sweep of the entire town, you forgot to search the cemetery for your beloved. Rebekah called to inform me of your misfortune and I happened to see that little silver car of yours in the otherwise empty parking lot."

I pushed past my brother and sped to the Mystic Falls cemetery, which was not far at all from the Salvatore house. Indeed, the Aston Martin was left alone in the parking lot, Dani's fresh scent emanating from it. She had been inside no longer than two hours ago, right after she'd left the mansion screaming.

My brother came as well, and he now said "It seems you've driven her away, which is to be expected."

"And what exactly does that mean?"

"You've been deceiving Dani. Do you honestly think anyone would believe that you proposed to her simply because you care for her? It isn't, nor has it ever been your way of doing things Niklaus." I ignored him and went searching through the cemetery for Dani.

There were small traces of her scent all over, and the bulk of it was directly in front of Alaric's gravestone. She'd been here just before she disappeared.

"She was here visiting him...It had to've been his ghost that drove her away. He has been whispering in her ear ever since she began seeing him. Ayana is probably in on it as well, because she wants Dani to have nothing to do with me."

"I think you don't want to accept the fact that Dani has realized what you are really up to. Perhaps she may have had some help from the dead hunter, but it is your fault that she has gone."

"You may want to watch your words brother, or they may be your last. I have no problem locking you up like I did Kol and letting you desiccate. It's such a more devastating end, don't you think?" Elijah didn't seem deterred by the threat, which only made me angrier. "Why must you have any stake in Dani's life anyway? You've got nothing to do with her."

"On the contrary, brother, I perhaps have much more of a reason to be involved with her than even you do. There are things you do not know."

"Like what? What could possibly matter more than what I've already discovered?"

"Perhaps the fact that Dani's birth was not an accident. She was created intentionally."

"And how would you know?" The truth struck me as soon as the words came from my mouth. It couldn't be true though, could it?

"I know what you are suspecting, and let me be the first to say it is true. I am the one that turned Dani's pregnant mother, and it was purposefully to create a half-breed child. I also sent the witch that assisted in the birth."

I could barely fathom what my brother had just told me. He created Dani? He purposefully did this? And he didn't say anything?!

"Why didn't you say anything!? You knew who and what I was getting involved with and did nothing!"

"You are not the only one that can play god with those around you, Niklaus. The witch I sent had foreseen what would occur if Dani was to remain human, and I did what I had to to ensure her survival."

"What are you talking about?"

"Dani comes from a line of very powerful witches, some of whom I have used in the past. My witch foresaw Dani dying during her birth, and I could not allow that bloodline to end. I attacked her mother and turned her to keep her from dying."

"If Dani comes from witches...that's how she cures us!" Elijah nodded.

"Her blood is the key, because it contains the dormant magic of her family. When she feeds it to someone, that magic activates."

"Why didn't you say this earlier? With all the trouble we've had to go through, you already knew everything and could've prevented that circus of obstacles! As soon as Dani came back to this town, we could have used her blood from the beginning!"

"That isn't why I saved her. I intentionally made her a half-breed, but I did not intend for her to be used as your puppet. You're forcing me to become involved. I will go and find Dani, but I will not be returning her to you."

"And how do you expect to find her?"

"I am the one that made her Niklaus. You might understand the bond there, if you bothered to actually monitor any of your creations."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Dani's PointOfView)

"Where the hêll am I..?" I looked around at the unfamiliar lines of houses and other buildings, not recognizing at all where I was. I hurried along the semi-abandoned road, looking for any place that might be open this time of night.

I saw a few places and hurried into one, what looked like a dive bar. I was right.

There was smoke hanging in the air and mostly everyone was drunk, except for the employees and a designated driver or two. I went through the place without a word until I got up to the bar and the bartender asked "What'll you have?"

"I'll have...a Lynchburg Lemonade. You do serve those, don't you?" He smiled.

"Why, of course we do. Comin' right up." I sat down and took out my phone, seeing that it was indeed past midnight. It was almost 1:30am, as a matter of fact. How long had I been running? And how far?

When he came back, I asked "This might sound a little weird...But what town am I in, exactly?"

"You're think you're lost?" I shrugged. "Well, you're right south of Huntsville, Alabama, miss. It's maybe a ten minute drive into the city."

Alabama? Alabama? How in god's name did I run all the way into Alabama?! What about all the other states between Virginia and here!?

"Well, I think I went a little too far west...I'm trying to get to my fiancé's beach house in Florida." That wasn't where I was going, I actually had no idea where I was going, but it was all I could think of.

Now that I thought about it though, it seemed the perfect place to go. As long as Katie didn't say anything to Klaus when I got there.

"Well, you'd better check into a hotel when you're done here. It's dangerous to have a lady like you driving around by yourself around here."

"Are there any hotels nearby?"

"There's one about 5 minutes down the highway."

"Thanks..." He went off to serve someone else and I looked around hopelessly. I still couldn't believe that I ran all the way to Alabama in just under 12 hours. Alabama! I didn't even know if full-blood vampires could run that far in that short of a time!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The hotel phone rang and I quickly snatched it up. "Hello?"

"Miss Taylor? There is a man at the front desk here to see you. Shall we send him up?"

"Yes...And give him a spare room key please, I've been expecting him." I sighed as I hung up and climbed off the plush King-size bed. It only took a day for Klaus to hunt me down, and now he'll want to drag me back to Mystic Falls...

I knew I should've left for Florida or somewhere else this morning.

I went into the main part of the suite as a series of knocks echoed, and wrenched the door open. Standing in the hallway, twirling the room card-key between his fingers, was not Klaus.

"Elijah?"

"Mind letting me in?" He entered and I shut the door. "You should have checked in under a different name. It will be easier for my brother to locate you if you use your real name."

"Why are you here? And how did you even find me?"

"You are of my bloodline, I can find you quite easily." I looked at him oddly. "Yes, you were absent for that particular revelation...Sit, please." I dropped onto the plush hotel sofa and Elijah stood before me. "You come from a long line of witches, on your mothers' side. Did you know this?"

I shook my head. "I didn't even know my mother."

"And that is my fault. One of my witches foresaw that you would die during your childbirth, and so I turned your mother as she was going into labor with you." I froze. "I sent that same witch to assist in your birth, and it was she that discovered the dormant magic in your blood."

"Dormant magic..? You mean how I can cure people?" He nodded. "That...that was all you...You're the reason Klaus kidnapped me!" I jumped up and pounded on Elijah's chest, to no avail.

He pushed me back down on the couch and said "It was not my intention for my brother to do those things to you, nor for you to fall in love with him because of it. But if I had revealed my plans before you were ready, you would not have listened."

"Of course not! But you could've tried to prevent all of this!"

"The only thing I wish to prevent now is this." He grabbed my hand and tore Klaus' ring off. "You are too hopelessly lost to my brother, so lost that you can't even use your powers. It was I that caused you to come back to Mystic Falls, because it was time for you to become who you were meant to be."

"You..? I came back because my cousin moved and I couldn't afford the rent on my own."

"Why do you think she moved?" I gasped.

"You compelled her to leave so I would come back!" I stood again and slapped him across the face. The noise resounded through the silent room for several seconds, until Elijah spoke again.

"When Niklaus and others came to Mystic Falls, many suffered here that did not deserve to. There are too many supernatural creatures, and their presence is beginning to draw the attention to the humans. I brought you back because you have the power to turn them human again."

"And you want me to turn them human so they won't draw attention to us?" I realized I'd said 'us' instead of 'you.' Oh jeez, I was becoming more like them then ever before...

"Yes. If you don't do this, I can guarantee that many will come and try to kill you. New vampires have already come to Mystic Falls and are searching for you. Most of them are not friendly."

"So why are you here? To drag me back, right?" I was surprised when he shook his head.

"I am not as...barbaric as my brother. I am simply asking you to return and assist me in cleansing Mystic Falls of its garbage. I will provide you protection, should you agree."

I sighed. "This is the second...third time I've tried to leave, and it seems one of you vampires always pulls me back...Am I ever going to get away?"

"Perhaps. But do you think that can possibly happen with your hometown overrun with creatures trying to kill you?"