Chapter 56

Cassie heard her phone ringing.

"Cassandra" Klaus whispered, "phone" he rolled over wrapping his other arm around her.

Cassie chuckled a little bit "ignore it" she said curling into him.

But it rang again.

Cassie sighed and got out of the bed; she padded over to her phone.

"Hello" she said.

"Ready to get back to reality?" Damon's voice came from the other end.

"In four hours" she mumbled.

She felt Klaus's arms wrap around her waist as he rested his head on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry" Damon said. "I can't give you that"

"Damon what's wrong?" Cassie asked picking up on the tone of his voice.

"You don't want to hear this over the phone" Damon said "bring Klaus"

"Is it that big?" she asked.

"Right now" he answered, "its our biggest problem"

She looked up at Klaus.

"We are on our way," she said.

"I'll go lead us to the shore" Klaus said heading up there.

"I'll get our clothes," she said as she turned to gather up her clothes and change.

Damon turned to the group. "They are on their way," he said.

"What are we going to do?" Elena asked.

"First things first" Damon said walking around the house.

"What are you doing?" Jeremy asked as he heard Damon turning on every TV or radio in the house.

"Mikael knew I was taking vervain" Damon replied. "I didn't start until we got here"

"So you think Mikael has been listening here?" Stefan asked picking up on his brother's train of thought.

"That's exactly what I think," Damon said.

"I think Cassie is going to kill us if she finds out that all we have been doing is sitting and talking." Mason said.

"Right" Stefan said, "So what do you guys do?"

"Its terrible," Damon said moaning "Jeremy has to run while I supervise, mason does the dishes after Cassie cooks us breakfast."

"Oh poor you" Elena teased.

"Come on Jer." Mason said, "I need to run to after eating all that cake."

"I'll supervise" Damon called running after them.

Elena turned to Stefan.

"Oh" Damon said popping his head back in the kitchen "that leaves you two with the dishes" and just like that he left the two of them alone.

"So dishes?" Elena asked.

"I'll wash if you dry" Stefan offered.

Elena nodded and the two of them started to clean up from the party.

"So Mikael just let you go?" Stefan asked.

Elena nodded her head as she took a dish form Stefan "yep, I remember most of the things that I did but there are a few things that are fuzzy."

"Why didn't you say anything sooner?" Stefan asked.

"Because there are things that I've done that weren't because I was being compelled." Elena confessed. "The way I treated my sister for instance I don't know how many times I've told her that I want to fix things then I keep on doing what I've been doing"

"Well it took Damon and I a hundred and fifty years," Stefan offered.

Elena laughed a little. "Why are you being so nice to me?" she asked. "Caroline is nice but I can read her like a book, Bonnie hasn't really talked to anybody since Cassie got Shane locked up, Matt is on Cassie's side, not that Cassie is even asking for sides."

"I've said it before" Stefan said "you were there for me at my worst, always believing the best in my, challenging me. Now its my turn."

Elena took the dish a dried it for a little bit "sometimes I think that the old Elena died on that bridge, ever since I became a vampire I've been different. And its not that my emotions are higher, its like I'm driven by different things, what made me, me…. Doesn't matter anymore." She said softly.

Stefan remained quiet, not giving her any false hope because he didn't have an answer.

"We're home," Cassie said as she and Klaus walked hand in hand into the kitchen. "What's up?" she asked seeing Elena and Stefan.

"Damon said that you might freak if we left a mess for you to clean up and Jeremy hadn't done his training" Stefan explained.

"Oh, well thank you" Cassie said.

"Don't thank us yet" Elena said, "Wait till you hear what's going on

Klaus wrapped his arms around Cassie and pulled her back to his chest. "How bad?" he asked.

"You might want to sit down" Damon said walking in with Mason and Jeremy behind him.

"But, first" Mason said sitting down. "I have one rule"

"Excuse me?" Klaus asked. Cassie put her hands over his.

"Its more of a please don't kill anybody once you hear this, kind of plea" Damon said seeing Klaus's temper rising.

Cassie shot him a grateful look.

"What happened" Cassie asked.

"My stupid nephew made a deal," Mason said talking to Cassie.

"With who?" she asked concerned.

"Mikael" Stefan answered "to kill Klaus during the Christmas party in town"

Cassie rested her head back on Klaus's chest.

"How do you know this information?" Klaus almost growled out, his grip on Cassie tightening a little.

"Mikael" Elena said "remember when I was MIA for a while, well he stopped by at the grill when Caroline and I were having lunch. He released me from the compulsion and had us deliver a message to Tyler."

"What was the message?" Klaus asked.

"That if Tyler backs out, or if the plan doesn't work out, they are going to kill Carol." Elena answered him.

Cassie walked out of Klaus's arms and headed over to the cabinet and started grabbing ingredients.

Klaus sat down at the island "so I'm assuming that you "one rule"" he said using air quotes "is that I don't take the young Lockwood's heart and rip it out of his chest."

"Pretty much" Mason said.

"Do we know what his plan is?" Cassie asked as she started to put some ingredients in a bowl.

"We know that involves in the hybrids," Damon said walking over to Cassie as he started to help her.

"Buts that's all you got" she asked him, sliding him the bowl to stir as she moved around.

"Yep, and we don't know how to get ahold of him and shake some sense into him, without Mikael noticing." Damon answered her.

Cassie turned around and leaned against the counter.

"Your thinking the same thing I am" Damon said.

"What" Stefan asked as he watched the interactions between the two, from Mason's expression this was something the two of them did a lot, but it was weird for Stefan to see them so close and throwing ideas off of each other. And apparently if Stefan was going to go with expressions, Klaus was upset.

"That either way Carol is collateral" Cassie said taking the bowl that Damon was handing her.

"How can you say that" mason said

"Because its true" Cassie said. Pouring the batter onto the griddle. "Say Mikael did succeed which isn't going to happen, but say he does, they have no reason to keep her safe."

"Which means rescue?" Stefan said following the thought process.

"Right" she said.

"And how do you suppose we do that?" Klaus finally asked, his tone a little sharp.

"Well, the most strategic would be during the town Christmas party" Cassie answered him, just as sharply "when the two of them are away from her and their focus is away form Carol"

"When they are trying to kill me," Klaus said.

"Yes" Cassie answered flipping the pancakes over.

"Well what if we could get a set of eyes on the other side" Damon offered handing Cassie a plate for the pancakes.

"Behind enemy lines." Cassie said, "Tyler won't do it" she commented offhand "now that his mom is on the line, he isn't going to do anything to put her in any more danger."

"I was thinking a different Lockwood" Damon said staring at Mason.

Mason nodded his head.

Cassie did the same thing, "Mace, if you're up for it, we've got to sell this though. That we had a fight that you want Nik dead and everything."

"Are we really, going to trust another Lockwood?" Klaus asked.

Mason glared at him as Cassie slid a huge stack of pancakes onto the island as Damon set down plates and syrup.

"I trust Mason with me life, and by extension your life as well" Cassie said looking a Klaus "can you come up with a better idea that doesn't involve the eradication of the Lockwood family?"

Damon just chuckled and took some pancakes.

Stefan and Elena were watching the two of them.

Mason stood up "so I take it you can't come up with a better plan?" he asked.

Klaus remained quiet.

"So we need a fight" mason said turning to Cassie. "A big enough fight to that would destroy a lifetime of friendship."

Cassie held up her hands "that's your deal" she told him.

Mason just chuckled.

"So I hate to point out the obvious" Stefan said "but we have four days"

"Right" Damon said "so needless to say saving your ass is now number one on our to do list."

Cassie shook her head and rubbed her eyes.

Klaus growled a little.

"We need to figure out where Carol is," Elena said trying to defuse the tension between the two men. "Scope it out and figure out where she is"

"We do" Cassie said putting her forehead in the palm of her hand. "We don't have enough people we can trust with us still here so we need to go back to Mystic Falls"

"Is that safe?" Jeremy asked finally speaking up.

"Well Mikael knew I was taking vervain here, so its not really safe anywhere" Damon said.

"So what, we are going to find carol, figure out what Tyler's plan is and make sure there isn't any black lash." Klaus said.

"Well when you put it that way" Damon said.

"There will be black lash," Cassie said "the hope is that we can handle whatever its going to be"

"Put us to work" Elena said, "Stefan and I can help try to figure out where carol is."

Cassie stared at her sister for a little while. "Are you back on vervain?" she asked.

Elena nodded her head "ever since Mikael released me" she told her.

Cassie turned to Klaus "do you think Rebecca could help?" she asked.

Klaus shrugged her shoulders "I think she is still planning her Christmas eve ball" he told her "I'll see if she could help, but don't count on it."

"Your own sister won't stop planning her party to help stop a plan to kill you?" Damon asked.

Cassie slapped Damon on the back of his head. "Shut up" she told him.

Klaus stood up "is there anything I can do to help stop this plan to kill me?" he asked.

"Not really" Damon replied "you can just stand and be the damsel in distress while Cassie and the rest of us save you."

Cassie slapped him again "stop" she warned him.

Mason looked at Stefan and Elena and Jeremy and motion with his head that they should leave.

Slowly the four of them snuck out of the room and left the three of them alone.

"No seriously" Klaus said, "give me something to do. Come on you two are taking charge of everything"

"Nik" Cassie said "please don't, we are trying to save your life"

"By allowing the plan, to continue," Klaus said, "not trying to stop it"

"I don't know if you have notice but Cassie has come up with a plan that has the least amount of blood shed." Damon said coming to her defense.

"Of course I noticed" Klaus said "how could I not notice the two of you making plans and pancakes together."

Hurt coursed through Cassie as she took in what Klaus was saying.

"What exactly are you implying" Damon asked.

"I'm implying that you two have been getting closer and closer since you left." Klaus said.

"Nik stop" Cassie said.

"You seem to think very highly of your girlfriend" Damon retorted

"Damon" Cassie pleaded.

"It doesn't matter what I think, I know what I see." Klaus replied.

"Nothing happened" Damon said "which you would know that if you had bothered to pick the phone up and talk to her."

"STOP IT!" Cassie yelled finally throwing a cup on the ground. "Damn it stop it both of you."

Klaus and Damon just looked at Cassie. "Leave" she growled at the both of them. "Leave the two of you and go separate places."

Klaus turned and stomped outside.

"Cass" Damon began.

"Please don't Day" she begged, "I know what you were trying to do and I thank you but not now"

Damon nodded and left the other room.

Cassie bent down and started to pick up the pieces of the cup she broke.

How had things gotten so screwed up? Why was Klaus acting like that? Damon was helping.

She started doing dishes just to clear her mind when she heard someone turn pull a chair out and sat down.

Cassie turned around and saw Elena and Jeremy sitting there.

"Happy birthday" Jeremy said.

Cassie smiled at the two of them. "It wouldn't be my birthday of there wasn't a death threat on my boyfriend."

"How are you doing?" Elena asked seeing her sister.

Cassie just shook her head "I feel like I'm being pulled apart," she said softly walking over to sit across from her siblings. "Everything that's going on, and now we just add this"

"Well we are here to help" Jeremy said. "Right now our priority is this."

Cassie smiled and then put her head in her hands. "I gotta go find Nik" she said sliding off of the chair and walked outside.

She saw Klaus standing near the dock.

"I almost thought you were going to leave" Cassie said.

"Well you did send me away," Klaus said.

"I sent both of you two away" Cassie said, "You were fighting like a child."

Klaus just scoffed.

Cassie bit her lip "damn it Nik why are you acting like this?" she asked.

"Because I just sat and watched you come up with a plan with Damon," he sneered.

"A plan to save you" she countered "and everyone pitched in"

"You were standing next to him making pancakes." He shouted.

"Because he walked over there." She shouted back "it could have been you, hello it could have been Stefan who walked over there"

"So is that how its been these three weeks?" he asked "you two being buddy buddy out here in the lake house."

Cassie laughed, "Would you stop being jealous"

"I'm not jealous sweetheart, I have no reason to be jealous." He said.

Cassie took a half step back. "I don't understand" she said "why are you upset."

Klaus ran his hand through his hair. "I'm upset because the moment we walked in, I didn't matter anymore." He said.

Lies!

His mind yelled at him.

"Didn't matter?" Cassie scoffed "I don't know what conversation you were apart of but you were the center of that conversation."

"Could have fooled me," Klaus said.

"It was you who didn't speak up" she retorted.

"You never asked!" he returned.

"Oh I'm sorry maybe next time raise your hand and I'll give you a gold star"

"Stop joking around"

"I'm not joking! this is your life we are talking about. And you know what, I did ask you if you had any ideas and you didn't, so sorry for taking the lead on this."

"Taking the lead?" Klaus scoffed "you walked right in there and took control."

"Oh, I get it I'm sorry for showing you up" Cassie said.

"Excuse me?" he asked in disbelief.

"You wanted to walk in, and be all big bad original hybrid. And I showed you up" she said.

Klaus laughed, "If I wanted to be in the lead, there is nothing that you could do to stop me"

"Except come up with a plan" Cassie retorted.

"I had a plan" Klaus said "kill the Lockwood boy, there problem solved."

"Except that would be killing a teenager, and it would just make you more enemies." Cassie said.

"Do you think that I care how others feel towards me?" Klaus asked.

Cassie stopped as those words crashed down around her. "No" she said, "I don't think you care"

Klaus stopped hearing the tone in her voice. "Cass" he said, "I didn't mean it"

"No you did," she said turning around and heading back into the house.

"Cass" he called.

Cassie just turned back around, "I have to get everyone packed and ready to head home, is that ok? Or is it me taking control again?" she said turning and walking back into the house, leaving Klaus there alone.

Cassie walked into the living room of the lake house and saw everyone there.

"Um" she said shaking her head of her thoughts "we need to pack up and head back to mystic falls" she told them before heading up to her room.

Everyone looked around, not knowing what had happened between Cassie and Klaus.

Damon stood up and followed her.

"I guess we need to pack" Stefan said.

Damon stood in the doorway of Cassie's room "do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

"I just don't understand," she said as she continued to pack.

Damon took that as an invitation and walked into her room and sat down at the desk chair.

"I have to tell you something," Damon said.

Cassie looked up at him "what's wrong?"

"Mikael showed up after you left the party." Damon said, "He was looking for you."

"What did he want?" Cassie asked sitting on the bed.

"He said a birthday present, to which I had a witty retort." Damon explained "but it was what he said afterwards"

"What?" she asked.

"He said that this thing between you and Klaus will get you killed." Damon said.

"Well as far as threats go" Cassie tried to joke.

Damon gave a heartless chuckle "I pretty much said the same thing, but he came back with this is a promise."

Cassie looked at Damon.

"I think he is going to kill you Cass" Damon said.

Cassie put her head in her hands.

"Cass" Damon said kneeling on the floor taking her hands in his.

Cassie looked up into Damon's eyes. "I don't know what to do," she whispered.

"Well not dying would be a good start" Damon said.

Cassie gave a halfhearted smile and stood up so she could walk to the window.

"I'm not going to let it happen" Damon said.

Cassie turned around to face him.

"I'm not going to let him kill you" Damon said, "That's my plan. You save your boy and I'll save you"

Cassie smiled, "we got into a fight," she said as she started to pack again.

"I figured that much" Damon said as he lounged on the bed.

Cassie rolled her eyes and tossed a hoodie at Damon.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Damon asked again.

"It started out with us, you and me," she said not looking at Damon as she relayed what happened. "Apparently as soon as I walked into the room, he no longer mattered."

"Well, I do have that quality" Damon said "it has often been said women ignore other males when I'm in the room."

Cassie rolled her eyes, but continued "then it went to how I just took control of the situation."

"In all fairness that is why I called you in" Damon said.

"What?" Cassie asked confused turning to face him.

"I called you because I knew we were out of our depth, you are fantastic at keeping your calm and coming up with plans. As soon as Elena explained everything I knew we needed you." Damon explained.

Cassie had finished packing. "The last thing we argued about was how he was upset that he wasn't in control" she said turning back around so she wasn't facing Damon, "and we argued about how everyone would react to just killing Tyler. And he, he said he didn't care what others thought about him."

"Cass" Damon said, "He didn't mean you."

"I think he did" Cassie said.

Damon stood up and walked over to her and pulled her into a hug.

Cassie wrapped her arms around his middle and buried her face in his chest. "I cant," she said "I don't think."

Damon pulled back and looked in her eyes. "What?" he asked.

"I'm falling apart." She said "all of these problems involving my family, and friends and now this. How am I suppose to keep everything together?" she asked.

"You don't" Damon said simply "you smile and pretend, then at night I come over and we drink a bottle together."

Cassie laughed

"No, I'm serious, how do you think your dad and I get throw this." Damon said.

"Ok, I'm in" Cassie agreed taking a step away from Damon, and grabbed her bags.

Mason knocked on the open door. "Ready?" he asked.

Damon looked at Cassie who's back was still to Mason, Cassie took a deep breath and turned to Mason with a smile on her face. "Lets go back to Mystic Falls."

AN: so i've noticed lately that i haven't been getting as many reviews for these latest chapters. i'm extremely grateful for my readers who keep up and review every chapter, but as a writer no news isn't good news. So if you have a problem with where i'm taking the story or a plot string you might not understand/ like. Let me know, if you like the banter between the characters, or if you think a character isn't acting the way you think they should to the situation. Let me know!

Disclaimer: i do not own Vampire diaries, if i did, Klaus wouldnt be having a baby WITH Hayley

Also it has been brought to my attention that i haven't been using the correct spelling of our wonderful Originals, and its one of those things where i figured it out, around chapter 27 and by that time i had written so much... lets admit it, i didnt want to go back and fix everything. I figured that it wasn't taking to much from story. if i'm wrong and if its something that takes you away form the story, let me know. (because i get that way with certain things, so i understand!) if i can figure out have to stop my computer to changing it from Rebekah (spelling?) to Rebecca, then i will do that.

I hope you enjoyed!