The Gilbert twins had been sitting on top of Stefan's twin sized bed together for the past fifteen minutes after relaying the news of what happened to the elder Salvatore vampire. Emily and Elena were both anxious (for different reasons) as they had their hands tightly clasped together.
Emily was anxious because she didn't want to waste this opportunity. They had no idea if Klaus found the solution to fixing his hybrids. Hell, for all they know, Klaus and Stefan could already be on their way out of Chicago. Meanwhile, Elena was still buzzing with nerves from being inches from Klaus again. The human girl wasn't a fan of being so close to the reason why she had died.
It was another five long minutes before the front door of Chicago apartment was thrown open by Damon with the Lockwood werewolf quickly following behind him.
The Radkova witch had barely enough time to stand up from the bed before Tyler was tightly embracing her against his chest. Emily gasped in surprise at the sudden movement before she slowly relaxed into her best friend's arms.
Tyler kissed the side of the brunette girl's head before he pulled away from the hug. The Lockwood werewolf placed his palms on either side of Emily's face as he worriedly asked her in rapid fashion, "what happened? Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"
Emily squeezed the Lockwood werewolf's waist as she shot him a small and comforting smile. "I'm okay," the Radkova witch promised before she glanced over to her twin sister, who was wrapped safely in Damon's arms before Emily added, "we're okay."
"What even happened?" The Lockwood werewolf asked as he grasped Emily's hands in his own and tightly squeezed them. Tyler looked over to the Salvatore vampire with an angry glare before he snarked, "I thought you said they would be safe here."
Damon placed a soft kiss onto his girlfriend's forehead before Damon rolled his blue eyes when he turned to look over to the Lockwood werewolf. "I didn't know they were going to show up," the Salvatore vampire exclaimed in annoyance.
Emily had no interest in hearing the vampire and the werewolf argue like they had done several times during their road trip. Instead, Emily decided to answer their burning question. "It seemed like we weren't the only ones interested in Stefan's list of names," Emily announced.
Tyler's glare instantly disappeared as he quickly turned back to the Radkova witch in worry. "How did you stay hidden?" The Lockwood werewolf hurriedly asked.
Emily let out a humorless chuckle when she thought about her and Elena's small haven. "We were hiding in the room," the Radkova witch explained as she pointed her thumb back towards the kitchen. "Luckily, Klaus didn't walk inside," Emily mumbled as a chill ran down her body.
While Emily would have protected her twin sister with her life, it still had been quite a scary experience for the Radkova witch. It was even worse when Emily hadn't been prepared to see Klaus or Stefan that soon.
"We're okay," Elena quickly assured the Salvatore vampire and the Lockwood werewolf when she felt Damon tightly squeeze her waist. The human girl knew Damon was blaming himself but there was no need. Elena looked over to her twin sister with a small smile before she added, "Emily kept me safe."
The Radkova witch shot the human girl a smile back before she turned her attention over to Damon. "I'm really hoping you found what you were looking for while you guys were gone," Emily uttered before she stated, "we need to do something now while they are still here in Chicago."
"We did," Tyler exclaimed as he gave the Radkova witch's hand a short squeeze. "We know where Stefan and Klaus are going to be," the Lockwood werewolf stated.
Elena twitched her head to the side as she looked over at the Lockwood werewolf. "Where?" The human girl curiously inquired.
"A local dive bar that Stefan used to frequent back in the twenties." Damon informed the Gilbert twins.
"We can't just walk in there," Emily mumbled as she shook her head. "There is no way we can be quick enough when Klaus is constantly watching Stefan's every move," the Radkova witch stated as she explained her worry for this new plan of theirs.
"That's where I come in," Damon announced as she shot the Radkova witch a small smirk. "I'll distract the hybrid freak while you save brother dearest," the Salvatore vampire further explained.
Elena turned around in her boyfriend's arms before she looked up at Damon with her brows pulled together. "What about me?" The Gilbert girl questioned.
Emily immediately shook her head as she moved her green eyes over to her twin sister. "You need to stay as far away from that bar as possible," the Radkova witch ordered. There is no way in hell that Emily was going to let Klaus be that close to Elena again.
"What!?" Elena gasped in surprise as she quickly looked over to her twin sister. "But I want to help," the Gilbert girl mumbled with a deep pout displayed on her lips.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but she's right," Damon muttered as he placed his hand on top of the human girl's shoulder. "I can't distract Klaus and watch you at the same time," the Salvatore vampire explained. Damon nodded his head over to the werewolf as he stated, "you are staying here with Lockwood."
"Woah, what!?" Tyler exclaimed as he was the next one to disagree to this plan. "There is no damn way I'm going to let your psycho brother be alone with her," the Lockwood werewolf screeched as he waved his hand over towards the Radkova witch beside him.
"Watch yourself, Lockwood," the Salvatore vampire warned as he pointed his index finger at the teenager. "I may have tolerated you today but you better watch how you talk about my brother," Damon threatened.
"Listen, I'll be fine," Emily stated as she quickly placed her body in front of the Lockwood werewolf, so he wasn't glaring at Damon, encase a fight broke out between the two of them.
"Stefan was here. Stefan saw me and he didn't do anything," Emily informed her best friend. "He could have told Klaus where we were but he didn't," the Radkova witch murmured as she shook her head. Emily grabbed ahold of Tyler's hand as she tried to assure him, "I'll be okay."
Tyler frowned as he stared down at the Gilbert girl. "I don't like the idea of you being that close to him," the Lockwood werewolf mumbled.
"This is the whole reason we are here," Emily reminded her best friend. "My Stefan is still there," the Radkova witch swore before she confidently stated, "he won't hurt me."
The Lockwood werewolf released a heavy sigh. "You didn't see what I saw in those woods," Tyler muttered as he shook his head. "Stefan is dangerous," the Lockwood werewolf insisted.
Emily let out a small chuckle. "Even if he is, who isn't?" The Radkova witch exclaimed as she tossed her hands up in the air. "Look around this room," Emily ordered as she glanced at each face before she stated, "we have all killed someone one time or another. We are all dangerous in some way." Emily shrugged her shoulders before she murmured, "there is just some difficult things we have to go through."
Tyler stared across at the Radkova witch in silence. He knew Emily was right as bad as he hated to say it. They have all hurt someone even if they didn't mean to. Tyler just hated the idea of the Gilbert girl doing this because it was Emily, his best friend and the girl who owned his heart.
The Lockwood werewolf wrapped his arms around Emily's shoulders as he pulled her into a tight embrace. "Are you sure there's no way I can change your mind?" Tyler asked against the Radkova witch's temple.
Emily softly chuckled as she pulled out of the hug and looked up to her best friend. "It's too dangerous to have you there," Emily stated.
"Who knows if Klaus can sniff out a werewolf," the Radkova witch mentioned before she mumbled, "I wouldn't want him to turn you into a hybrid, only for it to kill you."
That was one of Emily's biggest fears with having her best friend here in Chicago. The Radkova witch wasn't sure how Klaus knew when someone was a werewolf but she didn't want Tyler to get in the middle of it when it cause his death.
Tyler bit down on his bottom lip as he stared down at the Radkova witch. He still didn't like the idea of Emily going alone, so he tried to think of a way that he could be there as well.
"How about I stay hidden?" The Lockwood werewolf suggested and swiftly described before Emily could shut the idea down, "I could stay in the car with Elena. This way I can get to you quickly if something happens."
"Yeah!" Elena exclaimed as she hurriedly jumped into the conversation, "we could be the look out!" Elena really didn't want to be left out of their rescue-Stefan-plan. The Gilbert girl wanted to help in anyway she could, especially when Emily and Damon's life were on the line with Klaus being there as well.
The Radkova witch furrowed her brows together as she stared at the human girl before she moved her green gaze over to the Salvatore vampire. "What do you think?" Emily inquired.
Damon carelessly shrugged his shoulders. "It couldn't hurt," the Salvatore vampire stated before he added, "they could have the car running if we need a quick escape."
The Radkova witch released a long and deep sigh as she took in Damon's response. While Emily understood the Lockwood werewolf's argument, she was still worried that the original hybrid could sniff out Tyler or he could spot Elena in the car. However, then again, that quick escape was looking really good.
"Alright, fine," the Radkova witch muttered after a few minutes of silence had passed as she finally agreed. Emily pointed each of her index fingers at her best friend and her twin sister before Emily instructed, "we're parking the car behind the bar and you guys will not leave the vehicle unless I give you a signal for help. Is that understood?"
Elena immediately nodded her head in agreement. "You got it," the Gilbert girl vowed.
"Fine. I guess if I have to," Tyler mumbled with a deep pout stretching across his lips. The Lockwood werewolf didn't like this plan one bit. Tyler didn't like the idea of the Gilbert girl facing Stefan alone. However, Tyler knew this was his best option, at least this way, he would be closer to Emily instead of staying here at the apartment.
"Alright, good," Emily murmured once the human and the werewolf agreed to her plan before Emily brought her hands together for a loud clap.
"I'm going to grab some new clothes from the car," the Radkova witch announced. Emily glanced down to her outfit with a disgusted expression as she mumbled, "I definitely need to freshen up before we go anywhere else." Emily could practically feel the stench on her skin from having to ride in a car for hours and hours.
"I'll come with you," Damon uttered as he pulled his car keys out of his jeans pocket. "The car is locked," the Salvatore vampire explained.
"Ooh, can you grab my bag, too?" Elena begged as she looked over to her twin sister.
Emily lightly chuckled as she nodded her head. "I got it," the Radkova witch promised as she shot Elena an amused grin. "We'll be back in a second," Emily stated before she followed her sister's boyfriend out of the apartment.
The Radkova witch and the Salvatore vampire walked down the flight of stairs in a comfortable silence before they headed outside to the warm Chicago air. Damon led Emily over to his blue Mustang before he unlocked the trunk.
Emily leaned over the trunk and dug around until she found what she was looking for. The Radkova witch grabbed her purple backpack and slipped it on before she grabbed Elena's light blue tote bag. Emily slung the bag over her shoulder before she closed the trunk.
The Radkova witch turned around and went to head back into the apartment but Damon quickly grabbed ahold of her arm to stop Emily from moving. Emily looked over to the Salvatore vampire in confusion as she asked, "what is it?"
Damon released the young witch's arm before he told her, "I hope you realize Stefan isn't going to want to come willingly." The Salvatore vampire shook his head as he mumbled, "he's gone off the deep end."
Emily released a heavy sigh as she slowly nodded her head to show her understanding to the Salvatore vampire's statement. "I know," the Radkova witch muttered.
Emily in no way thought this new plan was going to be easy. Emily understood that Stefan wasn't the same person anymore. She never expected him to be, especially when Stefan has been trapped with the original hybrid all summer. However, that didn't mean Emily was going to enjoy what came next.
"What's your plan when he doesn't jump in the car with us?" Damon inquired as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Stefan is more stubborn than usual," the Salvatore vampire commented.
The Radkova witch twisted her right hand until her palm was facing towards the sky before Emily conjured icicles from her fingertips. "I don't want to but I will use these if I have to," Emily vowed.
Damon raised an amused eyebrow at the Radkova witch. "What is that supposed to do?" The Salvatore vampire inquired as he gazed over at the ice sprouting from Emily's fingertips.
Emily rolled her green eyes at the Salvatore vampire and his doubt in her. The Radkova witch pulled a five inch icicle from her hand before she began twirling it between her fingers. "I can freeze a human to death with these," Emily recalled. The Gilbert girl lightly shrugged her shoulders as she muttered, "I'm sure I can get a vampire to pass out for the pain."
"Well, let's hope so," Damon mumbled.
Emily smirked as she stared over at the Salvatore vampire. "We can give it a try if you don't believe me," the Radkova witch taunted as a chilly smoke began to shower across her palms.
Damon cringed as he took a step back away from the Radkova witch. "I'll pass," the Salvatore vampire muttered as a shiver ran down his spine. Damon would rather not find out if ice could harm a vampire. He would just take Emily's word for it.
Emily giggled at seeing the Salvatore vampire scared of her before she quickly grew serious. "I can do this, Damon," the Radkova witch confidently stated before she murmured, "I don't have any other choice."
The Radkova witch hated the thought of hurting Stefan in any sort of way. Emily's chest tightened just by thinking about it. However, Emily knew if she was ever going to be able to get her old boyfriend back, then this was something that had to be done, no matter how badly it hurt either of them.
happy new years, everyone!
xx
