I finally got up from bed by dawn. I had tossed and turned all night, and didn't get a second of sleep. I took a long shower, trying to relax, but how can someone relax when people's lives are in risk? Mine included. I put on dark-wash jeans, a plaid dark purplish-red top, and light grey boots. I grabbed a bag and packed my grimoire, and other stuff I might need. I looked around my room, assuring myself I would be back later that night, after Elijah killed Klaus as we agreed. I went downstairs and was surprised to see food in the table.

"I bought it" Elijah answered to my shocked expression.

I smiled at him and we are breakfast in silence. Once all dishes had been washed, and I couldn't stall anymore, I turned to leave the house.

"If something happens…" I said as we got in my car.

"I thought you trusted me" he interrupted.

"I do. But if something goes wrong, I have my will ready… It's in the office's desk, on the second drawer. Can you… make sure my wishes are respected?"

"I will not need to" he said keeping his eyes on the road.

I nodded and stared out the window as he drove to the boarding house. When we got there, I saw Elena's car was already in the driveway. We parked and walked in the house. Elena was with Stefan in the living room.

"Where is Damon?" I asked dropping my bag in the couch.

"He refuses to join this meeting" Stefan said tensely.

"Whatever" I grumbled.

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

"We'll go on with the sacrifice, but my plan is different from Klaus'" I said. "I'll take power from my talisman and kill him"

Damon rushed down the stairs and stood in the doorway scowling at us.

"Are you fucking crazy?" he snapped. "You'll die"

"I won't" I said confidently.

"I'll kill Klaus, she only has to weaken him" Elijah said.

"It's dangerous" Damon said.

"It's our best shot" I said.

"You and Elena can still die" Stefan frowned.

"Klaus needs to kill a vampire and a werewolf first. Then he would drink from Elena, and then me, to the point of our deaths" I said. "I'll try to work as fast as I can so Elena is safe"

"And if it takes too long?" Stefan asked fearfully.

"We have a plan B" Elijah said and took the small vial from his pocket. "This is an elixir I got for Katerina, it will bring you back to life"

"This is stupid" Damon said. "Why do you trust him?"

"Do you have a better plan?" I snapped.

"Bonnie could kill Klaus" Damon said.

"Bonnie won't die for us" Elena said glaring at him.

"So, you'll trust his magic potion" he scoffed.

"Elena, take it" I said passing her the vial.

"Wait a sec!" Damon snapped. "What about you?"

"I already drank from Elijah's magic potion" I rolled my eyes at him.

He stared at me, not trusting my word and I stared back, hoping he would stay quiet.

"This might not work" Damon said.

"I'll take the chance" Elena said.

Damon stormed out of the room and I sighed before turning to the others and explained the rest of the plan. Ric, Jenna, Jeremy and Bonnie joined us a couple hours later, and it was agreed Jenna would stay at the boarding house with Jeremy, while Bonnie and Ric went to the abandoned mansion on the site of the witch massacre, in case the original plan didn't work and Bonnie had to intervene. I left the group as Elena and Elijah discussed the elixir, and went upstairs to find Damon. He was in his room, pacing back and forth, his hand fisting his hair.

"Stop" I said.

He stopped and turned to scowl at me.

"Whatever is what you thinking… planning, don't. I understand you don't agree with my plan, but promise me you won't do anything stupid"

"I always do something stupid" he retorted.

"Damon, please. I'm trying to save Elena…"

"You didn't drink that stuff, did you?" he narrowed his eyes.

"No, there is just for Elena"

"You'll die" he deadpanned.

"Elena will live. Bonnie, Jeremy, Caroline, Matt, Jenna, Ric, Stefan, you… You'll all live"

"I hate martyrs"

"Damon, just stay put until we are done" I said. "Don't ruin anything"

"How can you be so calm about dying?" he scowled.

"Freaking out won't help" I shook my head. "I have to stay focused…"

"I'll call Cullen and they will come to protect you…"

"Stop" I snapped. "Klaus will kill people if they are here. Don't you understand? We're doing this to avoid death"

"I… I don't want to lose you"

"Elena will be alive" I pointed out fighting my tears.

"And you will leave me alone here to watch her happily ever after with Stefan" he said. "You are my only friend"

"Exactly. That's why I'm asking you to stay put, Damon. Please, don't be reckless"

There was a knock on the door and Elena poked her head in. I left them to talk. I was halfway down the stairs when suddenly someone blurred past me and I heard Elena crying. Jenna and Ric ran upstairs, and we walked in Damon's room. He and Stefan were fighting again, while Elena was leaned against a wall, crying, blood dripping from her mouth. I ran to her to make sure she was alright, and Ric was yelling at the brothers to stop.

"Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" I asked Elena.

She continued crying and looked at the two men fighting.

"Stop" I snapped.

Damon staked Stefan in the stomach. Stefan grunted and fell on the floor, wincing in pain. I pushed Damon away from him and Elena crouched to help Stefan.

"What have you done?" I asked him, shocked at how fast Damon turned 180 degrees lately.

"At least she will survive, even if it's as a vampire" he said.

"Are you out of your mind? What the hell is wrong with you?" I yelled. "It should have been her choice"

"She chose to risk her life!" he snapped. "I won't let her"

I scowled at him, not believing what I was hearing. I looked at Stefan and Elena, Jenna was giving him a blood bag. I let out a mirthless laugh and turned to leave. I ran downstairs, and Damon followed me.

"What now?"

"Have you really seen what you've been doing lately?" I asked grabbing my bag. "I'm done with you. One thing is staying while knowing you love her… Other is staying and witnessing you ruin people's lives"

"That's the point, Bella. She will live" he said frowning.

"She will never forgive you. Never for a vampire can be really long"

"It's Elena… She'll hate me for some time, but eventually…"

"You resent Stefan for making you turn into a vampire… But look what you did" he just stared at me. "I can't. I refuse to spend what could be my last day watching you screw things up. It's tiring to be your friend, Damon. I give up. I try, and try, and it seems that it's just Elena come into the picture, what is very often, you have to prove yourself different from Stefan. Open your eyes, Damon, the bad guy eventually loses everyone. You succeeded on making everyone hate you, congratulations"

I opened the front door and walked out, not planning on coming back. As I got in my car, Elijah walked out of the house and extended his hand for the keys. I gave it to him, knowing I shouldn't be driving as angry as I was. Elijah drove to the park and when he parked the car I didn't move from my seat.

"You know, I kinda resent you for not marrying Blaire… Now I'm cursed to repeat her story, caring for someone who cares about a Petrova and does a lot of wrong stuff" I mumbled.

"I'm sorry for not marrying her, but in a way I don't regret. As part of my family, she would probably have been cursed to this life too" he said. "We wouldn't have children… And you wouldn't exist"

"So? This mess wouldn't exist"

"I prefer the mess with you, Isabella" he said and got out of the car as I frowned.

I got out of the car and we walked around the park for some time, in silence, I was immersed in my thoughts. Elijah was a good companion because he had the gift of silence. He knew when to give someone space and time to think.

"So…" I sighed some time later. "Is that trip to Europe still up?" I smiled and he smiled back. "I have no plans for my summer"

"I'll take you anywhere you want, Bella" he said, stopped and turned to face me. "You are worth much more… You deserve more than this small town life. You should see all that the world has to offer"

"How about South America after Europe?" I laughed.

"Good idea"

"Thank you, Elijah… I really, really appreciate all you're doing for me"

"I would do it all over again if I had to" he sighed and pulled the vial from his pocket. "Bella…"

"You want me to drink it now that Elena doesn't need it anymore" I said.

"Please" was all he said.

"Damon is right… It might not work"

"I know" he extended the vial to me. "But I need to have some peace of mind, to have some hope you will survive if I fail"

I took the vial from him and stared at it.

"My grimoire said it won't work" I mumbled. "It works only in humans"

"But it would work on Katerina" he protested.

"I don't know, Elijah. Maybe a doppelganger is different on what concerns the effectiveness of this" I shrugged. "I'll drink it, but please, don't get your hopes too high"

He nodded, and I uncapped the vial.

"Cheers" I mumbled.

I downed the sour liquid and gagged. I passed him the vial back and took my phone from my pocket. It had been vibrating for some time and I wanted to be left alone. I saw it was Ric, and worried, I answered.

"Ric?"

"Bella, are you alright?" he asked. "We've been calling…"

"I'm fine. What's going on?" I sighed.

"Damon and I…"

"Ric, seriously, I don't wanna know. I want to enjoy this day, and Damon won't ruin this"

"Sorry. I just wanted to let you know… Damon went to talk to Katherine after Klaus said he had everything he needed for the ritual. Klaus has Caroline and Tyler, he'll use them for the ritual. Maddox is guarding them at the tomb"

"I'm going" I said and hung up.

I looked at Elijah and with a sigh he turned to walk with me to the car. He tried to convince me to stay out and let him help Damon, but I refused. I wanted to deal with Maddox myself.

"Do you have your dagger?" I asked.

"It doesn't work on a werewolf" he said frowning.

I looked up in the sky. The sun was almost gone. Klaus would be soon looking for me. The moon would be out, and Tyler would transform.

"We have to get Caroline away from Ty quick" I mumbled. "Do you have the dagger?"

"Yes. Why?" he asked.

"I need it"

He told me it was in the glove compartment. I opened it and found a wooden box, with the dagger inside. I put the box away and fidgeted in my seat as we approached the tomb site. When we got out of the car I was about to run into the tomb but Elijah stopped me.

"Let me, please" he said.

"They're my friends, and he killed my father" I pulled my arm away. "I need to do this"

We ran into the tomb, and found Maddox using his powers to throw Damon away. Caroline and Tyler weren't in sight. Maddox saw me and Elijah and used his powers against him and Damon. They screamed in pain, Damon falling to his knees.

"Bella!" Caroline yelled from somewhere farther inside the tomb.

I focused on her and muttered the spell to break the seal. As I was halfway through it, I was flung against a wall and groaned at the sharp pain of the hard, sharp rock against my back. I blinked and wiped the blood coming from my nose, my vision a bit blurry. I heard a gunshot and saw Maddox jerk. I stood up in shaky legs, and daggered him in the heart. His eyes were locked on mine as his blood dripped down my hand.

"That's for my father, son of a bitch" I mumbled.

He fell on the ground dead, and I turned to Matt, aiming a gun at me.

"Matt, lower it" I whispered.

"What have you done?" he snapped. "Where's Caroline?"

"We're trying to help her" Damon snapped standing up.

Matt's gun fired, and I gasped as Elijah grunted, standing in front of me. Damon ran to Matt, but he shot again, and Elijah groaned. Damon knocked Matt out with his gun.

"Damon" I chastised.

"He has wooden bullets" Damon said dropping the gun.

"Elijah?" I asked worriedly.

"I'm fine" he groaned and sat down on the ground.

"That doesn't look fine to me" I said looking at the bloody holes in his shoulder and stomach. "Let me help"

"Break the seal" Damon demanded.

I pushed Elijah's shirt off his shoulders as I muttered the spell, and scowled as I pulled the pieces of wood from his flesh.

"Sorry, sorry" I cried as he yelled in pain.

Caroline and Tyler ran to us and she went to help Matt, who was waking up. I wiped the blood in my jeans and gave Elijah my wrist.

"No" he said sitting up with some difficulty. "You'll need magic later"

Right. I tried to help him up, but he waved off my help.

"I can tie myself in the cellar on my family's property" Tyler told Damon.

"Fine, let's go"

We walked out of the tomb, and started to run in the direction of my car. Tyler groaned and stopped just as we were reaching my car, and Elijah urged me to enter the car.

"Matt, no!" Caroline snapped as Matt aimed his gun at Tyler.

"Get out of here" Damon said.

"What are you going to do?" I asked narrowing my eyes.

"Klaus can't do the ritual without a werewolf" he said low.

"You are not killing Ty!" I snapped.

"Bella" Elijah said urgently, tugging on my arm and his eyes on Tyler.

"I can't let Klaus break the curse" Damon said.

"Get in the car, Damon" I said pleadingly.

Caroline grabbed Matt and ran as Tyler fell on the ground, his eyes changing and he growled. Elijah pushed me into the car, and ran to the driver's side.

"Damon!" I yelled.

"I'll go home" he said.

"Damon, don't!" I screamed as Elijah fired the engine.

He blurred and disappeared. Elijah drove top speed away from there, and I heard a wolf's howl. Elijah told me it was all stupid. Klaus wouldn't be so stupid as to not have a back-up plan, knowing people would try to stop him. I gave him the dagger back, and told him to go to the witches' massacre site, where he needed to be with Bonnie and Ric. He insisted on staying with me, but I reminded him that for now, he needed to make sure my friends were safe, that Bonnie wouldn't intervene, and that until the ritual begun he had to stay put. Ric's car was in front of the abandoned mansion, and we got out. He looked around, searching for any threats. I glanced at the full moon and then at the woods, hoping Damon was home, Caroline safe with Matt and that Tyler would be alright.

"Isabella" Elijah said.

I turned my attention to him and tried to give him a reassuring smile.

"See if one of them has internet connection so you can buy our tickets" I said.

He strode to me and cupped my face in his hands.

"Promise me you will stop if you think it's too much"

"It won't be, you just have to get there in perfect timing and kill him" I whispered.

"Promise me anyway. Don't be reckless with your life"

I nodded and gave him a hug. As one or other hugs we had shared, he seemed hesitant, freezing at first. But this time, once his arms wrapped around me, it was a bear hug. I sighed and pulled away from him.

"Make sure she's safe" I whispered glancing at the abandoned mansion, Ric walked out.

He nodded and I ran to my car. But before I could get in, Ric blocked me.

"I really have to go, before anyone else gets hurt" I said.

"Are they okay?" he asked frowning.

"Yes, Caroline escaped with Matt, and Tyler stayed in the woods he was in transition already"

"Damon?"

I shook my head and he sighed, grumbling something about recklessness and fucking idiot. He looked at me and extended me something. I looked down at it, and saw his ring in the middle of his palm.

"Take it" he said.

"Ric…"

"I won't need it, you do"

"Ric, you will need it. God knows what will happen while Elijah is there" I shook my head. "Besides, it wouldn't work. I'm a supernatural entity, it only works on humans"

"Oh" he mumbled disappointedly with a deep frown.

"Thanks"

He nodded and stepped out of my way. I got in and drove to the boarding house, calling Damon. He wasn't answering. Funny how earlier that day I had promised myself not to stress myself over him ever again, and hours later I was doing it. Klaus was leaned against the front door and Elena and Stefan were in the porch steps.

"Finally, I began to think I would have to hunt you down" Klaus said with a smirk.

"I'm here" I mumbled.

"Let's go" he said striding past Elena and Stefan and to me.

"No" Stefan choked out.

"It's okay" Elena said soothingly cupping his face. "You don't have to get hurt… It will be alright" she kissed him softly and my eyes got full of tears seeing Stefan's heartbroken expression. "I love you" she said quietly.

"Love you too" he said and kissed her again.

"Close your eyes" she said with a sad smile and wiped her tears with her free hand.

He leaned his forehead against hers, and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. She slipped her hand from his and I felt Klaus grab my arm before things became a blur around us. When it stopped we were in the woods, and Greta was waiting. She looked a lot like Luka, although she seemed so calm, that I knew her heart was lost.

"You two were fools" Klaus said pulling us forward. "Thinking you could postpone…"

"It wasn't us. I asked him not to" I said desperately. "Don't hurt anyone"

"I won't. I already have all I need" he smirked.

"What?" Elena asked confusedly.

"I'm going to get the moonstone" he informed Greta and she nodded. "Take them to the quarry"

He disappeared and Greta gave us an expectant scowl. We started following her through the woods and I explained what happened to Caroline and Tyler to Elena. I assured her they were all fine, not including Damon into the conversation. She begged Greta to help us, saying her father and brother wanted to save her and kill Klaus. Greta calmly answered that they were wasting their time for she wasn't lost. We arrived at the quarry and my blood ran cold at the sight as Greta lit fires around. I grabbed Elena's arm, attracting attention to the woman on the ground.

"Jenna" Elena cried and ran to her aunt. "Aunt Jenna! Jenna!" she called shaking the woman.

"Why? Klaus agreed he wouldn't kill anyone!" I snapped at Greta.

Greta looked up from her grimoire, looking at me with disdain.

"She isn't"

I gasped as Jenna woke up suddenly.

"She in transition" Greta said calmly.

Elena stared at her aunt as her eyes changed and Jenna touched her lips with a frown. It didn't matter what we did, someone would always get hurt. Caroline or Jenna.

Klaus showed up, dragging a weak woman I recognized as Jules.

Tyler or Jules.

Elijah had to get this over with. No one else could get hurt.