A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews! I really appreciate them! Tomorrow is the season premiere of TVD! I so can't wait. Hopefully, I'll be able to catch up soon. They'll definitely be some Klaus and Beth and also a lot of Damon and Beth in this one! I hope you all like it! Thank you all again!

A Gain and A Loss:

Klaus didn't think she should go with them to the apartment but that was fine with her. She knew that whatever was there, was from Stefan's old ripper days. She knew it wasn't something she wanted to see. He let her stay in a bookstore, not far from where the apartment was. He went on with his warnings that she shouldn't leave and all but he knew that, she wanted to keep her friends and family safe.

Beth was sitting outside of it now. She was flipping through her phone and saw a new message from Damon. It was a few minutes ago. 'On a road trip, might see you in a big city?'

She started to smile but then didn't want to get her hopes up. 'Are you saying what I think you're saying?' She anxiously waited for his reply and then her phone rang. It was Damon. She was lenient to answer it but she missed him too much. "Damon?"

"The one and only." Beth smiled; she could practically hear the smirk he had. "You know, I should give you hell for not calling me but I missed you way too much to yell."

"I missed you too, Day. Klaus hardly leaves me alone and half the time he has my phone. Where are you?" She asked him quickly. "You said, you were in a big city."

"Well, right now, I'm in Chicago. I'm walking down the street, looking at this gorgeous girl, who's sitting outside a bookstore talking on the phone to a guy who's probably equally gorgeous." Beth laughed before turning around and seeing Damon. He put down his phone as she got up and ran towards him. He caught her and twirled her in his arms. Her tears ran onto his jacket he pulled her closer. He kissed the top of her head before finally letting her go. "I told you I'd find you."

"How in the world did you know where we were?" She asked him.

"A little birdie told me I could find you in Chicago and I couldn't let you see this city without me, now could I?" He smiled at her. She just smiled back. It had been so long since she seen him. His hair had gotten longer but he still was the same Damon. He wrapped an arm around her. "I'm surprised you haven't killed Klaus yet though."

She laughed. "Don't encourage me. I've been tempted on several occasions." He laughed with her

"That's my girl." He kissed the side of her head.

They walked over to the table she was sitting at and he sat next to her. "Wait!" She remembered why she was here and he couldn't be. "You can't be here! Klaus and Stefan are going to come back any moment. I can't let him see you." Beth told him quickly.

"Calm down, El. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, and healthy or else I would have to kick his hybrid ass." Damon assured her and she couldn't help but smile. "I have to leave soon but I'll be back. I know where you guys are going to be. Gloria's an old friend of mine too." He winked at her. "Besides, Elena wants to try and bring Stefan home and I'm not going to leave you with Klaus. I found you, El. I'm not going to lose you again."

She gave him a small smile. "I know. I've missed you all. How's everyone? How's Alaric?" She asked quickly.

He remembered the promise to find Beth and bring her back home with him. "Alaric's worried sick about you as always but he's hanging in there. I think that voicemail you left him, help him get back in the game." Damon told her encouragingly and she nodded. She was glad he was okay but she couldn't help but wonder if he was angry. Damon could tell right off the bat that, that's what her concern was. "He knows you did what you had to do. He just misses you." He pushed a strand of her hair back and gave her another smile that she returned before standing up. "And the piano's collecting dust. But now I have to go before the hybrid comes."

"Just be careful, okay?" She asked. She didn't think it was a good idea, even though Klaus didn't let him die she wasn't sure how long he'd keep that promise.

"You know me. I always am." He said with a wink before disappearing.

xxxxx

Klaus let her find a place to change clothes and then made her meet them at the Gloria's. She arrived wearing fresh clothes. She saw Klaus and Stefan sitting at the bar. Damon wasn't here with Elena yet, so it would be a while until they showed up. She sat besides Stefan who was on the other side of Klaus. "So I'm confused. If we were such great friends, then why do I only know you as the hybrid dick who sacrificed my girlfriend on an altar of fire." Stefan asked.

"Because he is the hybrid dick who sacrificed your girlfriend on a altar of fire." Beth reminded him simply. Even Stefan couldn't help but crack a smile at her remark but Klaus just glared at her.

"That really hurts, sweetheart." She glared at him for knowing calling her that, even though he knew she hated that. He just smirked. "I would have thought we've come a long way from name-calling." Beth just rolled her eyes at him. He turned to Stefan instead. "All good things must come to an end." He gave a glance at Beth, which made her think that there was a double meaning to his statement.

Klaus went on to explain that he made Stefan forget. "You compelled me to forget?" He asked him.

"It was time for Rebekah and I to move on. Better to have a clean slate." He reasoned. But that didn't make any sense to either of the companions, especially Stefan. If they were such great friends and Rebekah liked him, he would have thought, he'd go with them.

"But why? You shouldn't have to cover your tracks…unless you're running from someone."

Klaus obviously wasn't in the mood to share anything more. "Storytime's over." He told him sharply as he took another sip of his drink. Beth rolled her eyes and saw Stefan looking behind them. She glanced back and saw Damon, making a sign for Stefan to come outside. She tried not to make it look like something was off so she turned back to the bar.

Stefan glanced at Beth real quick and then looked to Klaus. "I'm going to get a drink. A real one." He got up and walked out of the bar.

Beth was looking at a painting over on the other side of the bar, while Klaus finished his drink. He noticed her line of sight and smiled. "You were never good at painting, love." She raised an eyebrow. "Drawing was your specialty. It took time but eventually you picked it up. You once drew a picture of a sunset over the lake near the mansion. I dare say, it was one of your bests."

He remembered the picture well. It was one of first ones that she did, without his help. Her best one, though, he practically had it memorized. It was the first one of himself that she did and actually let him see. She had captured his features and his conflicting emotions on his face perfectly. It was a wonder why he still had it with him, but he couldn't part with it. Beth blinked in surprise at his praise for her. "Careful, Klaus. That kind of sounds like a compliment."

He smirked. "It was, love. But sadly you were bloody horrible at painting, messier than toddler."

"Well, than it couldn't have been my fault. My teacher obviously didn't teach me well." She replied. He rolled his eyes.

"I assure you. That wasn't the case."

"It had to be cause I couldn't have just sucked at it." She reasoned with a smile. "It clearly had to be your teaching skills that were lax." He rolled his eyes at her.

"Whatever puts your mind at ease, sweetheart." He took another sip of his drink as she threw him a glare. She glanced back but saw that Stefan and Damon were still both outside somewhere. She drummed her fingers on the bar nervously. She started to get another headache, which reminded her of what happened earlier.

"Klaus….Elijah told me you were there, when I died?" She said carefully. Klaus kept his eyes on his drink. A look of worry came over him but left as soon as it came. "What happened? He said that you tried to save me."

"It's all a blur, love. That was a long time ago." He told vaguely. Beth didn't believe him though. There was something else he wasn't telling her but she just didn't know what. Before she could ask him another question, someone sat down next to her. Beth looked at Damon, worried as he just winked at her. Beth smiled seeing him here. Klaus knew who it was without looking at him. "I see they've opened the door to riff-raff now." He commented.

"Oh, honey. I've been called worst." He replied. Klaus gave a mischievous grin and that made Beth worried. This wasn't going to end well.

Klaus picked up a mini umbrella and twirled it in his hand. "You don't give up do you?"

"Give me El and my brother back and you'll never have to see me again." He promised him with a smirk. Beth's eyes quickly flickered to Klaus' and Damon.

"Well, I am torn. You see, I promise Stefan and Elizabeth here I wouldn't let you die, but how many freebies did I really sign up for?" He asked mainly to himself. "And clearly you want to die, otherwise you wouldn't be here."

"Let's just say he's an idiot for coming and give him the benefit of the doubt?" Beth suggested to him desperately. She knew this wasn't a good idea. Damon was testing Klaus' patience and he was about to snap. No matter how badly she wanted to go home, she'd rather have Damon alive instead. Klaus chuckled.

"What can I say? I'm a thrill seeker." Damon smirked at him. Klaus smirked back before standing up quickly and grabbing Damon by his throat and holding him up in the air. They all heard a crack and Beth cringed as she got up.

"Oh dear what was that? I'm a little boozy, so you'll forgive me if I miss your heart the first few tries." He taunted him. He grabbed the toothpick and shoved it into his stomach. Damon groaned in pain. "No, that's not it." He took it out and jammed it back in on the other side. "Oh, almost!" He twisted it.

"Klaus, please!" Beth pleaded with him but it fell on deaf ears. He was just getting somewhere with her when Damon Salvatore, of all people walked in.

"You want a partner in crime? Forget Stefan. I'm so much more fun." He said convincingly. Klaus stopped before throwing him back into a table and breaking glasses. Beth covered her mouth. Klaus walked over to him and snapped a leg off a chair. Damon was groaning trying to get his bearings.

"You won't be any fun. After you're dead." He told him as he stood over him.

"Klaus don't!" Beth begged as he positioned the makeshift stake over his heart. He rose the stake plunge it in his heart when Beth, without thinking, raised her arm and sent the hybrid flying across the room, knocking over a table and hitting the opposite wall. She ran and knelt besides Damon to make sure he was okay. "Damon." She saw he was still conscious, which she was thankful for.

"Damn, El. Almost sent him through the wall." He noticed trying to sit up and she rolled his eyes as she helped him try to stand up. Klaus stood up, brushing himself off as he walked towards him.

"That hurt, sweetheart." He said to Beth and she just shrugged. Klaus should have known better than to try and kill Damon, especially when he knew she wouldn't just stand by and watch. He turned to the vampire. "You don't have to negotiate your brother's freedom. When I'm done with him, he won't want to come back." He said with a grin. Beth gave Damon a look, that told him to leave but he wasn't budging. He wasn't going to let her stay here. "But…Elizabeth can go with you." He told them. Damon and Beth both looked at him surprised.

"Really?" Beth asked. She did want to learn more about her past. Her curiosity could wait though; he was letting her go back home. She would take that opportunity.

"Of course. I have no more use for you and you've held up your part of the deal. You're free to leave." He assured her. It was strange though. They finally seemed to tolerate each other and he wanted her to leave. Beth wasn't complaining though and neither was Damon, who put a protective arm around her waist. "Try not to get her killed, mate. I still may need assistance from my witch in the future."

Beth mumbled. "I'm not your witch." Under her breathe before Damon just guided her away from Klaus. He didn't want him to take time to change his mind. All he wanted to do was get her away from him and back home. Beth grabbed her bag on the way out to the car.

Elena was standing outside of the car in deep thought. She saw Beth and rushed to hug her friend. She had been gone all summer and she had been worried sick about what could have happened. Now, with Stefan the way he was, she was surprised that he hadn't hurt Beth. Elena got into the backseat of the car, holding her necklace in her hand. Damon got in the driver's seat while Beth got in besides him. "You okay?" He asked her worried. He heard some of what happened and he knew Stefan wasn't coming back with them. Elena didn't even look at him.

"Just drive."

And he did. Beth knew better than to say anything to Elena. She was hurting right now and she needed time to cope. After an hour of driving, Elena dozed off into a sleep while Beth was heading there but she was determined to stay awake. Damon looked over at her as she kept nodding off and he chuckled. "Sleep, El. I promise you, when you wake up we'll still be on our way home." He told her with a smile that she returned. She mumbled out a 'goodnight' before falling asleep on his arm as he drove with the other hand on the steering wheel. She was in a deep sleep within seconds. Damon carefully got his cell phone out so not to disturb her. "Hey, Ric." He greeted him. He smiled over at his sleeping friend.

"I'm bringing our girl home."