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Chapter 22

Klaus came in carrying Caroline a while later.

"I can walk you know!" Caroline protested.

"You were injured," Klaus replied with concern.

"You bit me," Caroline reminded him. "Thank goodness you are your own remedy!"

"You bit her?" None of his siblings looked happy. Everyone assembled in the study where Elijah had Elena in his arms.

"Guys, it was completely on accident," Caroline jumped immediately to his defense.

Elijah nodded while Rebekah looked concerned for her new sister. Walking over to her, she made sure that there was no lasting damage done to her before flashing away only to come back with a blood bag.

"You need this more than Kol's new hybrid does at the moment." She smiled at her. "She's okay-just exhausted. She'll wake soon probably." Her eyes were focused over to her second eldest brother as he stared at Elena. "She's going to wake soon so that's why there's a whole supply of blood in the kitchen at the moment."

Meanwhile upstairs in Kol's suite Bonnie's eyes finally opened halfway much to Kol's relief. She tried to struggle into a sitting position but instead Kol ultimately had to prop her against the multitude of pillows stacked against his headboard.

"I feel so weak...I thought vampires were supposed to have boundless energy," she groaned gently.

"They do but as you're also half witch...well, your energy level was wasted when you made sure that the house was sealed up."

She nodded with a grimace. She hated feeling weak.

Kol slipped off his shoes and then settled onto the bed with her moving her so that she was resting against his chest. He tenderly kissed the top of her head thankful that he hadn't gone through what Elijah did tonight.

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Meanwhile downstairs Elena groaned as she tried to open her eyes only to find that the light was blinding. When she did get them opened she was nearly overwhelmed by the sea of faces hovering over her. She was however, surprised to note how well she could see everything. Kol and Bonnie seemed to be missing though she recognized almost instinctively that they were in Kol's room. Finally her eyes focused on Elijah whose arms she was settled in.

"I love you," the first gentle words slipped out of her mouth as she reached up a hand to cradle his cheek.

He held her hand closer to his cheek and whispered back, "I love you my love."

She smiled and as she tried to sit up in his arms, it was difficult so he helped her by sitting down and pulling her upper body up, pressed against his chest.

"I'm...hungry." She whispered in his chest. He smiled and handed her a blood bag. She grabbed it but she was able to uncap it and drink every last drop without getting any on her. It was satisfying but she wanted more.

Elijah - knowing that she needed more - grabbed two more that went the same way as the first one. Looking back at him, he used his thumb to wipe away the blood that formed on her lower lip and she sucked his thumb into her mouth.

"And another vampire enters the world, congratulations brother," Kol said knowing that Elijah would have no trouble hearing him even from that distance.

"You're beautiful!" Caroline exclaimed as she hugged Elena and soon everyone was taking their turn until her rising emotions had Elijah stealing her away from everyone and quickly for his suite. He didn't want her to become overwhelmed.

Once they left, Caroline turned to Rebekah to ask.

"What did Bonnie do this time?" Rebekah shook her head.

"Elena told me that the little witch locked her in her house-Stefan told me that it was at his request-but she should have known better."

Caroline knew all about that day-Elena was barely speaking to Bonnie afterwards and it left Bonnie upset. She wanted to understand Bonnie's side, she really did, but she knew that Elena hated it when people tried to force their decisions for her life and that was one of them.

She was actually surprised that they were still friends.

"Elena has kind of a history of bad choices. Sometimes when she gets it into her head to martyr herself other people get hurt in the process. Bonnie was just trying to protect everyone, not just Elena. I seem to remember it was at Stefan's request anyhow," Caroline said, "I know you love Elena and I do too but Bonnie's my other best friend and I love her just as much. Bonnie was the first one that understood why I wanted to be with Klaus...I'm pretty sure the feelings she was trying to hide for Kol may have had something to do with that."

"So far the only people who would have been hurt by her 'so called' martyrdom would have been her family and friends and it would have been from her death." Rebekah could see where Caroline was coming from-to a point, anyway. "If she had done it at the very beginning then her Aunt Jenna would still be here just like that wolf girl Jules."

Stefan couldn't fault her for saying that.

It was all true. Jenna and Jules would still be alive today.

"Besides, the only reason Bonnie was okay with you and Niklaus was because she only wants to have fun with Kol. Didn't you even talk to Elena without your pet witch there? She had a bet with Jeremy about you and Nik getting together and she won."

The two blinked at the female Original.

Bonnie wished for the first time that she wasn't a vampire. Then her hearing would not have picked up what Rebekah said. Instead she had heard every word and she took a deep breath fleeing down the hall to a nearby balcony. She sank to the cement floor and pulled her knees to her chest. She didn't mind that the blonde didn't like her but that she felt Bonnie wasn't serious about Kol hurt. What if the blonde original convinced him of that? She laid her head against her knees and gave into her tears.

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