Damon didn't have to wait for long until Alaric arrived.

"What can we do?" Alaric asked as soon as Damon was in sight.

They didn't know each other since long but a connection was established between them and they both knew they could count on the other.

"We don't even know where she is!" Damon growled.

"Maybe we should ask your brother for help…or the Bennett's…" Alaric suggested.

"I don't want to involve them… But I don't really have a choice… I'll call Stefan right away… I'd like it if I didn't have to involve the witches… Sheila likes Rachel but she hates vampires… She'd probably end up sacrificing Rachel to save the town from the tomb vampires!" Damon said.

"And Bonnie is too close to Elena and Stefan to side with you and help Rachel!" Alaric admitted sadly.

"I have to talk with Stefan then… try and convince him to help me…" Damon declared, knowing it was a lost battle.

"Rachel is half vampire and half witch though, so she'll be fine right? She'll be able to fight back?" Alaric asked.

"Not yet she isn't... She won't be 18 before this summer... Right now she's as breakable as any human and could be killed like one of them..." Damon replied, angst audible in his voice.

"We'll find her and get her back in time then. Don't worry. What about your vampire friend Sage?" he asked.

"She'll never be here in time... Last we heard she was in Asia..." Damon shook his head and took his cell phone out, knowing he didn't have a choice, he needed to involve his little brother.

.

"What is it Stefan?" Elena asked him when he frowned.

"Damon, my brother just called me… he wants to talk… he said he needs my help…" Stefan said.

"With what? Maybe it's a trap…" She replied.

"No, that's not his style, he's pretty open with his intentions…I think it's serious… You want to come with me? He asked for us to meet at the Boarding house…"

"Sure, let's go." Elena agreed as she grabbed his hand and let him guide her outside.

.

When they arrived at the Boarding House, Damon (without the aging bracelet) was waiting for them outside with Alaric by his side. They both looked very serious and it worried Stefan.

"So, what's going on? Why did you need me?" Stefan asked.

.

While Damon and Alaric were trying to convince Stefan to help them look for Rachel without telling him anything they didn't want him to know, Rachel was slowly waking up.

Her head was throbbing and it didn't take her long to remember what had happen. She could feel more pain in her legs and ankles as well and she guessed that Anna must have hurt her to make sure she wouldn't run away. If the bitch thought it would be enough to slow her down she was dreaming. Rachel had a lot of will and a father with vampire blood that would heal her in the end. She was ready to run with a broken leg if necessary, or run on he hands.

She didn't open her eyes and pretended to still be asleep as she listened to her captors. They were talking, not worrying about keeping their voices low.

"Am I allowed to taste her?" A masculine voice asked.

"Not yet… let's give Damon and her father time to decide to help us. They love her; they'll decide to help us soon! Plus, she's loaded with vervain. Can't you smell it?" Anna replied.

"Where are you going?" The boy asked as Rachel heard a door opening.

"I have to pick up a few things for when my mother is free. Keep an eye on the girl, she should be out for a few more hours. After that, you keep her quiet but don't hurt her anymore than she already is. I don't want her to die on us yet." Anna replied.

"She'll have a hard time running away as it is since you made sure to break her left leg."

"It's the right one. I just twisted the left ankle." Anna replied as she walked. Rachel guessed it was the door since she heard it open.

"Hey, leave the curtain close! I don't have a ring. Sun actually burns me you know!" The masculine voice protested.

"Sure… See you in a bit!" Anna said before Rachel heard a door close.

Rachel tried to discreetly open an eye and saw that she was in some sort of bedroom. Since her captor was concentrated on the TV and not looking at her, she opened her second eye and looked around the room. There were two beds and she was laying on the one close to the window. If she wanted to run away, she would have to do it now and be fast about it. She would have to swallow her pain too.

Taking a big breath, she thought carefully about what she was about to do and after making sure that her captor was still concentrated on the football game on the TV, she silently got off the bed, ignoring the pain in her leg and ankle and she stood in front of the curtains. Still looking at her captor watching TV (He was so concentrated on his game that he didn't even hear her!), she opened the curtains as fast as she could.

He turned around only to be burned by the sun that was shining in the whole room. Cursing, he went to the bathroom and Rachel smiled. He had forgotten his cell phone behind. She grabbed it and put it in front of the window, where he couldn't get it anytime soon. Then she ran to the door, opened it and ignoring the throbbing pain in her head, in her leg and ankle, she ran as fast as she could.

Thankfully, the motel wasn't too far from the Boarding House if she cut through the woods. It was a good thing Zack had taken her for walks in those woods when she was little and once they had managed to get to the motel… She remembered using the bathroom there after Zack bought her a chocolate bar from the vending machine.

Shaking her head, Rachel decided not to think of this and run. It came to her that she could have stolen the cell phone and used it to call her father but it was too late now… She couldn't risk going back. Who knew, Anna might be back already? Maybe they were even running after her right now... She panicked and adrenaline helped her going faster...

At this moment, more than ever, she couldn't wait until she turned 18 and gained some power. She was tired of being human and weak. She wanted to be strong already.

.

"Why would we help you finding Rachel? I'm sure she must have done something for Anna to take her..." Stefan replied to his brother's plea.

"Anna wants to open the tomb under the old church and free her mother who's locked in there. Unfortunately, with one comes all and so I refused to help. Anna took Rachel to force me to help her!" Damon growled, tired of Stefan and Elena bad mouthing his daughter.

"Why would she ask you though?" Elena asked as Stefan nodded, also wanting to know.

"Because Emily told me what to do to open it back when I still wanted Katherine."

"So that's it, you want our help to open the tomb because you want Katherine back!" Stefan shouted liked he was having an illumination.

"No! I told you, I'm over Katherine. She's not even in the tomb, she's running around free somewhere. I don't care about opening this tomb! I want it to stay locked so those vampires can't hurt my…Rachel or anyone else in this town!" Damon snapped.

"I don't see why I would help you though…You've done nothing for me since we were changed! I came here to live a happy life with friends and family… I don't need you and I won't help you!" Stefan said.

"Rachel is a member of your family and she's innocent!" Alaric said, stopping Stefan mid-step.

Just as Stefan opened his mouth to talk, Rachel appeared on the edge of the forest, bleeding a little from the head and running in a way that showed her legs where hurt. She was crying and holding herself up with a hand on the tree.

"Daddy! Daddy I escaped! I need your blood daddy it hurts so much!" Rachel yelled as Damon took her in his arms.

"Daddy?" Stefan and Elena asked at the same time.

So, what did you think?

Don't forget to review! Every time I read a review it makes me happy!

Lorelei Candice Black