A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews! I'm so glad you all liked it! I really loved writing that one too, especially the flashbacks. I can't wait to get to Kol too! I hope you guys like this next chapter! Thank you all so much again!

Coming of Age:

Elizabeth's eyes fluttered open from the noise that was coming from the kitchen. She stayed at the apartment, last night, too tired to go to Elena's. She didn't think Alaric came back too. Usually, she would have just turned over and went back to sleep but she was afraid something happened. She grabbed her talisman and got out of bed, as she started towards the kitchen, hoping Ric didn't burn anything down. Today was the day they were going to take out Klaus, with Rebekah's help. But there was something else about today that was different. She doubted anyone would care though.

"Happy 18th birthday!" Alaric greeted her and she laughed as she looked at what he had set up. There was pizza and soda on top of the counter. A present, that made her curious was on the side of it and in front of her seat was a huge chocolate cupcake with a singular candle on top of it.

"Pizza for breakfast?"

"It's your favorite and you know I suck at cooking. Didn't think you'd want to spend your birthday in a hotel cause the apartment was burned down." He told her as he gave her a hug and sat her down in front of her plate. He felt bad that he wouldn't be home till that night, so he wanted to make sure her morning was perfect. "Plus your traditional birthday morning cupcake! Ordered specifically for you!"

"You didn't have to do this. But thank you!" She smiled up at him. He lit the candle on top of the cupcake.

"Of course I did. Now, make a wish." She closed her eyes and took a deep breathe before blowing out the candles. He clapped before kissing the top of her head. "Listen, I'm sorry I have to be out but I promise we'll do something tonight."

"It's fine, Ric. I told you that! Don't worry about it. I'm just going to be with Damon and them all day anyways." She assured him. She didn't want to bring up the killing Klaus plan cause thinking about it made her feel weird. She didn't really want him dead…. anymore. He saved her once plus he's kept her safe. It just bothered her they were planning his death. "So does this mean I can have my present now?" She asked with anticipation.

"No, you know the rules. No presents till after the cake." He chuckled. She rolled her eyes as she ate her unconventional breakfast. "But since I won't be hole till late so I think I can make an exception." She smiled as he handed her the box.

She ripped apart the paper and gently opened the box. She gasped seeing what was in there. "No way!" She exclaimed as she took out a crossbow. He chuckled seeing her expression. Beth was looking at it and he carefully pointed it away from him.

"Try not to shoot me, kiddo." He laughed.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" She said as she hugged him tightly. He smiled and kissed the top of her head. "This is awesome! Can we go practice later?"

"As long as you don't shoot me, than definitely." He teased her and she rolled her eyes. After a few minutes of him giving her basic instructions on how to use it, he realized he had to get ready to leave. She looked at the clock and saw it was nearing noon. "Well, I've got to get going but I'll see you late tonight, I'm sure you have plans."

"Nothing really. Just call me when you get home, if I'm not."

He kissed the top of her head. He hoped that Damon would keep her preoccupied with something special for her birthday while he was gone. He grabbed his book bag and went to leave before stopping. He smiled at her. "Oh and Beth? Happy birthday, again."

xxxxx

"I got your text. You said it was pretty…. urgent." Beth said as she walked into the Salvatore boarding house. She was hoping maybe Damon had a surprise for her and he did, just not the one she was expecting. There on the floor was a desiccated Original vampire with a dagger in his chest. Stefan was standing to the side, while Elena was near the vampire and Damon was next to her. Rebekah was standing off to the side, obviously uncomfortable with the situation. "Who the hell is that?" They all turned to her. Damon smirked.

"Good, you're finally here. That's Mikael, the vampire hunter who has a way to kill Klaus. We have to call Klaus and he's going to want to speak with you. It'll be more believable if we say that when you saw him, you freaked and sent him flying across the room." Damon told her. It was obvious that the date had completely slipped Damon's mind in planning to kill Klaus. He forgot about her birthday. Figures he would when he had to find a way to kill Klaus. She really didn't want to even do this but she told Damon she'd help.

Stefan started to dial the phone and put it to his ear. "Are you sure we should do this? I mean it's pretty risky and if it doesn't work out Klaus could hurt you guys." Beth asked cautiously. She honestly didn't want to put them in danger and she didn't really want Klaus dead anymore.

"Let's not do this, El." He told her. He knew that something was going to go wrong but he expected Rebekah to back out, not her. "You're starting to care and that's bad for the plan. You have sympathy for him, when he kidnapped you and tried to take your blood. You're just going to make it worst for yourself when it comes time to take him down."

"I'm not. I was just saying."

"Well, everything is in order, so it's going to be tonight." Damon told her firmly.

"Fine." She snapped.

She tuned him out as he started to talk. The feeling in the pit of her stomach just got worst as he lied to Klaus. Beth only came back into focus of what was happening in the room when Rebekah took a seat next to her and took the phone from Stefan. "Hello, Nik." She greeted him, but Beth could see she was nervous. "It's true. He's finally out of our lives for good." She confirmed. She nodded and passed the phone to Beth.

"Klaus." She said simply.

"Nice work, sweetheart. Stefan told me what happened. He didn't hurt you at all did he?" Klaus asked sounding, lightly concerned. That just made her feel worst for lying to him. Damon just nodded in encouragement for her to go on. Beth looked down in her lap. She couldn't talk to him, if they were all looking at her.

"He didn't hurt me, bit shaken up, but I'm fine."

"Good to hear. Need my witch to be safe, don't I? I expect I'll be seeing you later, it being a special day for everyone and all." He hinted. Beth looked confused. It was almost as if he knew about today. "Hand the phone back to Rebekah, please, love."

Beth gave it back to her and she took it. "I miss you. I'm miserable here." She told him truthfully. That was one thing that was true. She didn't want to be here scheming to kill her own brother but he killed their mother. Beth felt sad for her. "Good. I'll see you then, brother." She replied to him as she hung up the phone. She turned to the others. "He bought it. He's coming home." She confirmed.

Damon was pleased. "Now- was that easy or what?"

"Let's just get this over with." Elena said not as happy as he was. It wasn't over yet. It hadn't even begun and Beth felt bad. She felt even worst as Elena yanked the dagger out of Mikael's chest, knowing he would awake with a mission to kill Klaus.

xxxxx

Beth went home and got dressed and ready for homecoming where the plan was supposed to take place. Caroline had informed her, it was now supposed to take place at Tyler's mansion instead of the school. She was already dressed and ready when someone opened the front door. She heard them and went out of her room. "Change of plans, El. Though you do look amazing." Damon complimented her as he let himself in. She rolled her eyes and shut the door behind him.

"What do you mean change of plans." He looked at her slightly concerned. "Damon, what happened?"

"Well, you're going to stay here. It'll be too dangerous for you to come, especially if there are going to be hybrids there." He told her quickly.

"What? No way. You're going to need me!" She said to him.

"We'll be fine. Bonnie will come and you'll be safe." He quickly opened the door and stepped outside. It was more than that. He didn't want her ruining the plan, which he knows she would. She had grown to care about Klaus and that wasn't good for them. Damon knew that in the end if she was there, she wouldn't be able to go through with it. She went to follow him about to argue again when she hit an invisible wall. "Oh and one more thing, she sort of put it so you can't leave the apartment."

"Damon, you didn't!" She yelled at him but as she tried again, she kept getting blocked. After a few tries she hit the wall with her fists. "Damon! Get me the hell out of here!" Using magic against her was low, and he knew that, even if he did claim it was too keep her safe. "You asshole!"

"Sorry, El. Have a hybrid to kill." He winked at her before closing the door to her shouting protests. He knew that he was going to pay for that later.

xxxxx

After an hour Beth had stopped crying. She hated that she was crying. It was too much anger, frustration and hurt all pent up and no one to take it out on, so she cried, even now a few tears fell as she sat on the couch. Beth heard a knock on her door. She wasn't sure who it could be since Alaric wasn't coming home till later and he wouldn't knock and neither would Damon. Beth got up, still in her dress as she answered the door; the guest was the last person she expected. "Klaus?" She would have thought that he would have been at homecoming and the guys would have laid out their plans to kill him. Klaus being at her house, dressed up with a grin on his face was the last place she had expected him to be.

"Hello, sweetheart." He greeted her with a grin as he stepped into the apartment. Beth forgot that he could be here. It made her nervous cause that left Alaric in danger. It was a good thing that they didn't stay here all the time. "Missed you at the party, love. It was very exciting to say the least, but I think it would have been better if you were there."

"What happened?" Beth asked.

"Well, after your favorite Salvatore brother tried to kill me, Stefan saved me. In return I gave him back his freed will and I, then proceeded to kill my father." He said nonchalantly as he took a seat at the counter, waiting for her reaction. She looked at him in shock. Mikael was dead and Stefan saved Klaus. Beth knew that meant Damon would be angry with him. "But, the real question is why is my favorite witch all alone on her birthday?"

"How did you know it was my birthday?" Beth asked surprised. The last person she thought would remember her birthday would be Klaus.

"I have a very good memory, love." He gave her a wink as he stood up. "Becoming of age is a big thing. But you didn't answer my question." He told her as he wiped away a stray tear on her cheek. It was obvious she was crying before he had came. He could smell the salt from her tears.

"Damon had Bonnie trap me in the apartment while they went to try and kill you." She admitted sadly. It was obvious to him that she had to have known about their plans. But it was also obvious if that Damon felt he needed to keep her in her apartment that she wasn't comfortable with the idea of killing him, which made him happy. "I guess they were busy and they forgot today was my birthday and Alaric won't be home till later so I'm stuck here."

"That's a pity." He said his voice actually sounding sympathetic. "But, luckily a little birdie told me that you were being held prisoner and I had someone release you so would you like to take a walk with me, Elizabeth?" Beth was surprised that he did that for her, seeing as she knew what they were going to do to him. Another time she would have said no but she was sick of being told what to do. Beth nodded. He grinned. "All right, let's go then." He handed her, her jacket that was besides the door and held at his arm for her. She reluctantly took it as they left the apartment, hoping she wasn't making a mistake.