Chapter 16: The Next Day (Or Were Those Live Badgers?)

Alaric called in sick that day and he and the rest spent the day sleeping at the Boarding House. Except for Darwin, who went to the Library as usual. Jenna was already there, when he arrived. She was looking through some old yellowing documents. She looked up, when he entered.

"Darwin, you got a haircut!"

He ran his hand over his head. Damon had cut his hair earlier that morning, but being partially stoned and unused to the task, there was hardly one centimetre of hair left when Damon finally declared that it was even.

His hair hadn't been that short, since the day he was born.

Darwin smiled: "Yeah. Next I'm going to get a pair of leather pants and a rifle and shoot some baby seals."

"By that statement, I'm guessing it wasn't planned."

"Nope. Got too close to my birthday cake this morning."

"Oh, that's right, "Jenna looked slightly flustered, "It's your birthday. I'm sorry I forgot ... How old are you now?"

He had to think about it for a second. He had so many ages to remember; His actual age, his physical age, his official age, which would now be ... "Seventeen."

"Well, happy birthday. I hope your not too sad about your hair."

He shook his head, while he grabbed a stack of journals from one of the bookcases. "No, it'll grow back ... Jeremy was at the Boarding House this morning by the way, but he started to feel sick."

"Yes, I know, "she said, "He called me. Elena will pick him up after school."

They worked in silence for awhile, then he said: "Miss Sommers ... I was wondering if I could take tomorrow off? I have a paper I need to finish."

"Of course, "she smiled at him, "Your education comes first. Besides, we're almost finished here."

"Yes." He was already feeling a little nostalgic. "We'll probably be done this time next week."

"What will you do then?"

"Well, I have a couple of exams before christmas, and then I'll probably spent some time travelling. I don't have to be back in Denmark until the first of February."

And hopefully Kol would be coming with him.

(Break)

Jeremy woke late in the afternoon to the feeling of Bonnie in his arms. She was close enough that he could feel her heartbeat echoing through his body. He kissed her forehead and she stirred. "Goodmorning."

Bonnie looked confused for a moment, quickly lifting the blankets and seeing they were both fully dressed. Then she sighed, smiling. "Goodmorning. We missed school."

They were laying on a couple of mattresses in the parlour. The tv was on with the sound off. The room was semi-dark, illuminated only by the tv and the coloured lights on the christmas tree.

"I don't care, "he answered, "Frankly, the whole world could end, and I still wouldn't care."

She looked at him with an odd expression in her eyes. "What would happen if I kissed you right now?"

"You could try." He held perfectly still as she moved closer and closer to him. He could feel her sweet breath on his face, and then ...

The world stopped. His head went blank and there was a flutter in his stomach, like when he'd had his first kiss four years ago.

An eternity later they seperated, and she looked at him with that odd expression again, as if she couldn't believe she was here and with him. "Wauw, that was ..."

"What the Hell do you think you're doing?!"

They jumped up right in shock. An irate Elena was standing in the doorway.

"Elena! "Bonnie tried desperately to cover herself with the blankets, completely forgetting that she was fully dressed. "We were just ... Nothing else has happened between us, I swear!"

"No, I meant sneaking off to a birthday party in the middle of the night, getting stoned and then skipping school without telling me!"

Jeremy blinked. "Oh, that."

Elena crossed her arms over her chest. "Yes, that!"

"Well, it was sort of an impromptu birthday party. That's not why we snuck out."

"Then why?"

Jeremy made a face. "We helped Darwin break into Klaus' Mansion."

Elena looked stunned. "Since when do we know where Klaus is?"

"Since yesterday."

"What happened?"

"Darwin was caught, but Elijah got him out of there."

Elena shook her head, grabbed the remote control from the coffee table, and walked over to them. "Make room."

Bonnie and Jeremy moved over a bit, and Elena lay down beside them.

"What now?" Bonnie asked.

"We are going to watch tv, "Elena said, "Nothing else."

(Break)

Alaric was last to get out of bed. It was almost 7 o'clock. He entered the parlour, yawning and scratching his head. Jeremy and Darwin were watching tv, while Stefan, Bonnie and Elena were sitting at the table, books laying open in front of them. Elena was writing something down, while Bonnie was saying something to Stefan in a halting French. He seemed to have to concentrate hard in order to understand.

"Doing homework?" Alaric asked.

"Yes, "Elena answered without looking up, "Stefan's pretending to be a French rock star and we're interwieving him.

Stefan said something in what sounded like perfect French to Alaric.

"He asks if you're a musician too, "Bonnie said confidently.

"No, I'm the local badger salesman and I'm very annoyed because I couldn't get my badgers through customs, "Alaric said, and Bonnie started looking through her dictionary desperately, "And ask him if he knows a good doctor, because my wife is about to give birth in the bathroom."

"A simple 'yes' or 'no' would've been sufficient, "Elena remarked drily.

"I know, "he looked around, "Where's Damon?"

"In the kitchen with Elijah." Elena pointed in the general direction with her pen.

"Great." He went into the kitchen and found Damon and Elijah sitting at the kitchen table staring at something on the screen of one of Darwin's computers. "What are you looking at?"

Damon looked up. "Some photos Darwin took of a lease contract in Klaus' office."

"And that's important, because ...?"

"It's about a warehouse in Virginia Beach, "Elijah explained, "We're figuring that's where Klaus is keeping my family."

Alaric sat down across from them. "So what's the plan?"

"It's not complete yet, "Damon said, wearing his 'I'm-hatching-a-plot' expression, which wasn't that different from his 'I'm-about-to-deliver-a-sarcastic-one-liner' expression.

But Alaric knew the difference and answered by putting on his best 'let's-conspire' expression. "What have you got so far?"

"Well, so far we've agreed to sending a witch and a vampire, "Damon said, "Bonnie probably the witch and the vampire either Elijah or Darwin."

"Send Elijah, "Alaric didn't see the problem, "he can't be killed."

"That's my conclusion as well, "Damon agreed, "But the problem is that Elijah thinks someone should distract Klaus and Darwin cannot go back there, Klaus would kill him on sight. So I've volunteered to go instead."

"Which is madness, "Elijah remarked, "the only logical solution is that I go."

"Then send Darwin to Virginia Beach."

"Which is a bad idea, considering his projecting. If Klaus has witches or vampires standing guard at the warehouse, his emotions would betray him."

Alaric sighed. "Then send Stefan or Damon!"

Elijah shook his head. "They are not strong enough. Klaus has vampires in his service, who are much older."

"Darwin found this information, "Alaric said after a moment of silence, "Why not let him decide?"

Damon and Elijah looked at each other.

"We may as well, "Damon said, "You know we will never agree."

"Fine."

"Wise choice, "They looked up at Darwin, who was suddenly standing in the doorway, "Bonnie and I will go to Virginia Beach tomorrow and Elijah will go to Klaus."

(Break)

Late that night, Elijah found himself standing in front of the entrance to the tomb not intirely sure what he was doing there.

"Katherine? "he called.

She appeared from the shadows, cautiously. "What do you want?"

"Just checking up on you. How are you holding up?"

"I'm bored, but not in pain thanks to Darwin, "she paused, "Don't know for how much longer, though. It's only a matter of time before Klaus finds me."

"Yes, sadly."

"Sadly?" She frowned. "Hasn't that been your intention all along?"

He shook his head. "I don't know, anymore."

"I guess that in your and your brother's eyes, I do not deserve to live."

Was that really what had become of his once love for her?

Then he knew why he was there.

He sped into the tomb, grabbed her around the neck and stared into her eyes that widened in fear.

"You are free to go. And I want you to run and keep running until you are as far away from this place as possible." He loosened his grip on her neck, and touched her face gently. "For old times' sake."

She reached up and gripped his hand tightly for a second. "Thank you."

"Godspeed, Katerina."

And then she was gone.

AN: Next chapter: Bringing Out the Dead.