Volume III is a result of my working through the timeline for the other volumes that I plan to write. At the moment, it looks like it will be five in total. I have sections of Volume IV and Volume V in the early stages. By working on them, I came to the conclusion that this part would make more sense in order instead of my putting it in as a flashback in another volume. Sometimes flashbacks work, but I thought it would look like I hadn't planned the story out and come off as disjointed.

This is very short (3 chapters) and takes place over less than 24 hours, starting on the evening of December 25th, 1914, in New Orleans, the night Freya witnesses Klaus stake Kol at his Christmas party.

This very short volume is to set up the future story. I hope you enjoy it.

It had been fifty years since Elena lived through the death of almost all of her friends and the terror that Klaus was finally going to catch her. Watching as Bonnie died before getting unknowingly whisked into the past was still a chilling moment to remember.

She comforted herself with the fact that she saved Damon and Enzo. So far, she had been living up to the faith Bonnie had put in her —she hoped.

Stephan was still a sore spot for her. She sat down on the couch in the sitting room of the suite they were staying in at the St. Charles Hotel and stared down at her clasped hands. He died so young, and that hurt. Everyone she loved insisted that he chose to live his life that way, but she knew she had chosen to shorten his existence without ever asking him what he wanted. Even if he had died of old age, his life would have been shorter than before her decision. She wondered, not for the first time, what right she had to alter his path so much.

She shook her head at the roadblock she always came up against with that unalterable decision. She then stood and pulled out her date book from the suitcase. Damon had refused even to let her unpack while Klaus was in the same vicinity as them. He felt better knowing they could make a quick getaway.

It was Christmas Day of nineteen-fourteen. Freya had woken from her one-hundred-year sleep and would be arriving at Klaus's Christmas party soon, disguised as Kol's date, only to watch him be publicly humiliated and staked by Klaus. Her horror at what she was about to witness would ensure that immediately following the incident was the best time to approach her and ask for help against Klaus.

Opening the book, she looked down at her list of all the dates and times she could remember from the walking nightmare that had been her life in Mystic Falls before she had been sent to the past. This date, the one they were risking themselves over now, was huge for their plan to destroy Klaus and was circled in the book.

She let her finger slide down the page, caressing the dates. Some she had changed, and some would remain fixed, like this one. They were all important to remember, though.

Elena closed the book with a snap, and Damon breezed in and grabbed it from her hand. "Thinking about my brother?"

She shook her head as she looked up into his eyes. "You make me sound bad," she chastised.

"And you take too much credit for how he chose to live."

"How did you know?" She asked tentatively.

He tossed the book on the table next to him and raised one eyebrow at her. "You always pull that book out when you think about him. His death is the only date in that book written in red ink."

"I should have let hi-"

Damon cut her off, pressing her back against the far wall in an instant and whispering in her ear, "All he had to have done was not fuck his way into a disease. I planned on offering to turn him when we went back. He wouldn't have been as young, he could never be as handsome as me, but I would have given him this life if he wanted it.

"So you agree that I should have made him a vampire?"

Damon snorted, "Hell no. I expect he would have tried to stake me through the heart."

"Then why…?" She asked, confused.

"Because of this right here, Elena. I realized that you would hold yourself responsible, and I wanted to protect you —I failed." He cupped her cheek and looked deep into her eyes. "I won't fail like that again." He then leaned forward so she couldn't see his fierce expression, "I don't care how much I have to anger you. I will do anything to protect you."

Damon kissed her neck, glad she had no idea what his plan was. He would never lie to her. He would destroy anyone or anything to ensure her survival and her happiness. He was okay with risking her getting angry at him for a time to protect her.

Enzo relaxed at the bar, drinking top-shelf bourbon and watching the room behind him through the glass mirror that was part of the bar's back wall. He smiled to himself when a beautiful blond walked in.

He indicated to the bartender that he would pay for her drink and then watched her out of the corner of his eye. He had found Lexi, and now he just had to wait and watch her.

Rosa sauntered into Damon and Elena's suite with a large Black Chanel purse over her shoulder and Frank following her. "I have them, and we're ready to go."

Damon leveled a long look at her, "We're going to talk with a pissed-off thousand-year-old witch. Who said we're bringing the B-Team?"

Rosa scoffed, "I did. I know you didn't forget I'm the only witch here. She will be more comfortable talking to me."

"Not a very good witch," Damon shot back.

Frank's eyes got large, watching Rosa turn a shocking shade of red. "Careful," she snapped. "I would hate to have to accuse you of being like your father." He was afraid of how Damon would react until he noticed that Elena looked not only unconcerned but amused.

"I'm nothing like that man!"

"Then stop trying to bully those who are weaker than you!"

"I'm trying to protect you!" Damon yelled back.

"I might be a weak witch, but I have a hell of a temper, and I'm damn brilliant. Don't underestimate me, jackass."

"You're like a daughter-"

Rosa cut him off by making gagging noises and then pretending to wretch. "Ugh! That's just too domestic for me. Daughter? I'd say stop wasting your breath, but that misses the mark with you. I'm coming, so shut up and get over it."

"Frank?" Damon asked, hoping that he might be able to stand up to her.

Frank just held up his hands and shook his head, "You're out of luck. I'm coming too."

"Like hell you are!" Rosa yelled after whipping around to face him.

Elena was laughing fifteen minutes later as they all departed together. Rosa and Frank had won that battle.