Damon groaned in pain as he sat on the couch with a bourbon in his hands. He was in a significant amount of pain. Apparently, when an original vampire beat the hell out of you, it didn't heal so fast. He was also pretty pissed. He'd come that close to ending the problem that was Klaus, and Elena of all people got in his way. How could she do that? He had done it for her, for all of them. How could she defend him? He didn't care if Klaus really was her brother, which he still didn't believe. Either way, he was a monster that had to die.

Damon did regret stabbing Elena. That was the last thing he had wanted. But it was her fault. If she hadn't gotten in the way, it wouldn't have happened. She stopped them from getting everything they had wanted for months.

Damon had attempted to call Elena several times, but she wasn't picking up. First, he wanted to know that she was okay. Then he planned to rip her a new one for her actions last night and get her get Mikael off his back.

Soon, Damon heard someone walk into the house. No doubt it was Stefan. When he heard the person come into the living room, he was unsurprised to find that it was his brother. "Where have you been?"

"Busy. You look like hell," Stefan commented in an unconcerned tone.

"Screw off, Stefan. I've had a hell of a night," Damon said.

"Yeah, I saw. Half the town saw you get tossed around like a ragdoll. Speaking of which, shouldn't you be on your way out of town?" Stefan asked. Mikael had told Damon to leave. Of course, Stefan was not surprised that his brother didn't listen. He was actually counting on that fact.

"I'm not going anywhere. No original is going to tell me what to do. Where's Elena?" Damon asked.

Stefan shrugged uncaringly. "How should I know? She took off with Klaus and Rebekah. I don't know where they went."

"She what?" Damon asked in disbelief before getting to his feet. It was not without difficulty. Even moving was painful. "How could you let them take her?!"

"It's not my job to worry about Elena anymore. Besides, it was her choice to go with them," Stefan said. Well, it sort of was. He doubted Klaus would've taken no for an answer if she refused.

"No. She wouldn't go with them willingly," Damon denied.

"Like she wouldn't wrestle you for a stake to save Klaus? By the way, I guess it turns out vampires can have children now, or at least originals can," Stefan mused before going over to the table across from where Damon had been sitting and pouring himself a drink.

"Oh, please! You're really buying that Mikael is Elena's father? I can somewhat understand Elena being that gullible, but you should know better," Damon said.

"Do you have a better explanation for her healing from being stabbed without a drop of vampire blood being fed to her?" Stefan asked. He'd listened to the entire conversation between Elena, Bonnie, and Caroline. He had been pretty sure it wasn't true until he heard that.

Damon looked surprised to hear that. He thought that one of the originals healed her. Klaus had been huddled next to her for a while. "No one healed her?"

Stefan shook his head before taking a sip of this drink.

Damon drank the rest of his drink in one big gulp. "Great. Klaus is still alive and now he's related to Elena. Worse, she seems to want to protect him. She's lost her mind."

"Probably, but all isn't lost. Yeah, your plan failed, but I have another one, one I've already put into motion," Stefan said with a smirk.

"Really? And what makes you think that whatever you're planning won't fall apart too? You do remember that you're compelled to follow Klaus' every command, right?"

"That's what I need you for, brother. What do you say? Let's get revenge on Klaus and take him down," Stefan said. His humanity had been turned on, though he had it dimmed, when he saw Mikael ready to kill Damon. Since then, all he felt was rage. It was the only emotion he'd allow out.

Damon slowly smiled. "I'm listening."

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Elena was sitting on the couch in the living room. Rebekah was nearby in a chair. They hadn't talked much since Klaus left. To be honest, Elena was kind of grateful for the quiet. It gave her time to try to process things a little more. It had basically been one drama after another since she found out Mikael was her father. She should at least try to come to terms with some of it before Klaus returned, possibly with Elijah. Of course, she also had to contemplate how the meeting with Elijah would go.

"Are we really going to sit here all day because Nik commands it?" Rebekah asked.

"Of course not. That's not why I'm not leaving. I'm not leaving because I don't want to deal with other people. The fact that it's what Klaus wants is an unfortunate coincidence," Elena said.

Rebekah chuckled. "I suppose I can understand that. I'd avoid my friends too if they were as annoying as yours."

"My friends mean well. They can just be overbearing. Caroline is really supportive though," Elena said.

"Yes, she is less annoying than the others, though only by a small margin," Rebekah said.

Just then, they heard the door open and slam shut, followed by Klaus screaming. "Elena!"

Elena flinched slightly at her brother's screeching. "I'm not deaf!" she yelled back.

Klaus made it into the room moments later, and he looked livid.

"What are you screaming about? And where's Elijah? I figured he was the reinforcements you were going to get," Rebekah said.

"He was, but he and the others are gone! Elena's little friends stole my coffins!" Klaus raged.

"What?!" Rebekah asked in alarm.

"Wait, coffins?" Elena asked.

"Yes, that's where he keeps us when we're daggered, in coffins," Rebekah said with a glare leveled at her older brother.

Elena found herself creeped out a bit, but not that surprised. It was Klaus. He was bound to have morbid hobbies. "This should surprise me, but it doesn't. And what do you mean my friends took them? How do you know that?"

"Because Stefan is the only one in this town who knew where they were, other than my hybrids, who are sired to me," Klaus said.

Elena groaned. There went her day to contemplate the drama that had infiltrated her life. Now she just had more drama. "Wait, but you've compelled Stefan to do what you say? Just ask him if he took them and make him give them back."

"That's a lovely plan, sweetheart, but Stefan isn't an idiot. Well, he did steal from me, so he's somewhat of an idiot, but more than likely he has a way around that, such as having someone else do his dirty work," Klaus said.

Elena swore under her breath. She would like to believe that Stefan wouldn't do something like this, but the Stefan she knew and loved wasn't there right now. The Stefan with his emotions turned off was capable of anything. Still, they didn't know it was him. Klaus probably had a lot of enemies. "Alright, but you don't know it was him."

"Don't be naïve. Of course it was him. I will slaughter this entire town if that's what it takes for him to give back what is mine! Then I will rip him to pieces!" Klaus snarled.

"A little problem with that plan, other than the needless murder, of course. You compelled Stefan to turn his humanity off, which means, he doesn't give a crap who you kill. That's a little something you might want to keep in mind the next time you think it's a good idea to flip a vampire's switch," Elena told him.

If looks could kill, Klaus would've murdered his sister a hundred times over by now. Now was not the time to test him. He was already pissed.

"Elena, assuming Stefan did do this, do you think your other friends are involved?" Rebekah asked.

"Other than Caroline, I can't be sure. Damon probably is, possibly Bonnie as well," Elena said. She knew Mikael had ordered Damon to leave town, but she doubted he did that. He was probably stewing and trying to figure out the next plan to hurt Klaus. This might just be that plan. "If Stefan wanted to get around the compulsion, he'd have to have someone else hide the coffins, probably Damon."

"Fine. I'll compel it out of him," Klaus said.

Elena shook her head. "Damon and Stefan both started consuming vervain after finding out that originals could compel regular vampires."

"Then I'll torture it out of them!" Klaus yelled.

"You know, Klaus, I know this is a hard concept for you, but sometimes violence isn't the answer," Elena said before standing up. "I'll talk to them."

Klaus caught Elena's arm as she went to pass him. "The hell you will!"

"No, Elena. The last time you confronted a Salvatore, you ended up with a stake in your shoulder," Rebekah said.

Elena sighed. "I guess you two agree on something. Look, I was drunk and slightly stupid last night. It won't happen again. The two of you going over there and using brute force won't solve anything. They're never going to give you what you want. It's better for me to try."

"And when that fails?" Klaus asked.

"We'll worry about it then. Let me go, Klaus," Elena demanded.

Klaus released her arm. "Fine. You can try it your way, sister, but when it fails, we will do it mine."

"I'll be back. Oh, and Klaus, this is just a suggestion, but maybe you can work on being less of a dick while I'm gone. I know it's difficult for you, but you're not too old to learn new skills," Elena said dryly.

Klaus gave her a wry smile. "How about I work on once our brothers are rescued and I've gotten you two out of this bloody town!"

Elena rolled her eyes before walking away.