Caroline and I were thrown back by the flames.
Stefan helped Caroline up and held her back, not allowing her to go inside as the flames engulfed the building.
As I watched the building burn, as I allowed my tears to flood my face, the fire was sucked away and it bursted outside of the chimney.
I heard coughing then, and all of them appeared. They opened the door and Ben came flying into my arms, coughing.
"What happened?" I asked his softly, holding his head into me. "Are you ok? What spell did you do?"
"Ms. Bennet and I-"
"Bonnie, Benny. Just call her Bonnie." I whispered, pulling away and looking at him.
"Her and me were stooding in the hallway to wait for the girls, then they came out then fire was everywhere." He said, making an explosion noise and showing me with his hands. "So Bonnie took their hands and I held Lizzies hand and she let us siphon off of her, she showed a spell and teached us how and then we did it."
"Good job." I said, smiling at him improper grammar. Smiling that he was ok.
He smiled back.
It reminded me of Kai. Though we didn't share bloodlines, I saw Kai's eyes in Benny. And they were my favourite eyes to gaze upon.
I looked behind him and at Bonnie who was standing on the stairs.
"When Kai gets back- can he teach me magic?" He asked, hope filled those eyes.
"Honey I don't know if... I'm not sure Kai is coming back." I whispered.
"Why? Did I do something wrong? Did he choose me over himself? He-"
"No, Benny. I don't think he would do that-" but he totally would. I knew that wasn't the case, but if it came down to it I knew Kai would sacrifice his life for me to have Ben. "At least that isnt the case here. Kai was... put away, in a very magical and horrible prison. And we can't get him our unless we have a very special tool, and Bennet blood."
He nodded slowly.
"I'll teach you more about prison worlds when your older. Maybe I'll even show you one some day, but right now, you need to go say thank you to Bonnie." I said, standing up and taking his hand. He looked at me, his eyebrows furrowed.
"Why?" He asked, disturbed.
"Because, she let you take her power and she taught you your very first spell. Whenever someone offers you their magic- take it and say thank you. You hear? If its offered, take it. Only in very little circumstances do you not take what is offered." I learned that from Kai.
"Like when?" He asked as we started walking over to Bonnie as she sat on the steps.
"I'll tell you that when your older, too." I said quietly as we stood before Bonnie. I kept my head high as I looked down at her, I let go of Ben's hand and softly pushed him ahead of me. He looked back at me, as if asking if he needed to. I nodded once.
He looked at her, as if trying to find the right words to stay.
"I'll start him off," I explained. "Ben wanted to tell you something."
He nodded once, so very small. "Thank you, Bonnie." He murmured.
I tapped the side of his head, it was light, but it annoyed him enough to scowl.
"Mind your manners, boy. And please, speak up with respect." I told him. He seemed to straighten and look at her highly.
"Thank you, ma'am, for the magic and teaching me my first spell." He said in a respectful tone, as respectable an almost five year old can get.
"You are welcome, Ben." She said, nodding once and then standing up, walking back up the stairs.
She walked inside, Ben turned towards me and looked at me.
"She wasn't even nice about it!" He complained, stomping his foot.
"It does not matter if the other person has so much as ruined your life. If they do something for you, you thsnk them. Especially if it has to do with siphoning, you hear? I have lived longer then you, Benny. I can assure you I wiser than I-"
The sound of a big bell sounded. It was the Maxwell bell in the clock tower. The bell Sybil assigned me to find with her.
It rung once.
"What was that?" He asked. I picked him up in my arms and teleported to Damon. Matt's mother was throwing up blood and had fallen over onto the floor.
"Damon, what is happening." I asked, more of a demand than an ask.
"Vicki- Matt's sister is ringing the bell. She was told by Katherine to burn Mystic Falls to a crisp." He said, shocked. "Keep him with the girls, you are coming with me." Damon said, picking Ben up from my hands, causing him to fuss around until Damon set him down next to the girls.
He took my hand, and then we were off.
***
The bell rang again, it pierced my ears uncomfortably. Damon ran us up to the top of the tower and pushed her aside.
"Sorry. I cant let you do that." He said as he shoved her into the wall.
"Sorry, but theres nothing you can do about it." She said, smiling as she was about to ring it again.
I got in her way and shoved her out the window. She screamed on the way down.
Matt came running up the stairs.
"Where is she!" He yelled.
"Down there, on the concrete, posing as a pancake." I smiled, wiping my hands off if my pants.
"Rae!"
"Dont Rae me! Despite what you may think- I like this little stupid town of yours. I want my boy to grow up here. Not in fucking ashes. So if pushing an already dead girl out the window is what I have to do, then I will." I smiled, turning towards the stairs.
"Damon! Your really going to-" Matt started, Damon cut him off.
"No, dont say my name either! Katherine Pierce just declared war, and I need a clear head." He scowled.
"Who the hell is this bitch?" Vicki asked as she stood on the stairs, looking at me.
"I'm Rae, pleasure to meet you." I smiled. She groaned and moved toward the bell, Damon grabbed her.
"Can you not?"
"Sorry Damon, but this is my ticket out of hell. Katherine is going to save-" Damon snapped her neck. Matt was about to protest but Damon put up a hand.
Vicki woke up, her neck cracked back into place.
"Yup, shes deader than a doornail. You need to convince her to stop ringing this bell." Damon told Matt, then walked over to me next to the stairs. "The fate of Mystic Falls relies on you and your family."
"Where are you going?" He asked as we started to walk down.
"Anticipating your failure, so it's kind of dumb to just sit around. We have things to do." Damon said, then put his hand on my upper back and lead me down the stairs.
We met Caroline and Stefan outside. She looked at me worried.
"What happened?" I asked her.
"Nothing! Well, not yet. That's not the problem here... what the problem is is figuring out what will happen- with Ben specifically."
"What do you mean?"
"Ric is taking the girls to the Armory for right now, and I wanted to know if you want Ben to come with us."
I looked around for a moment. I didn't know where I wanted him to be.
I want to be here, helping, maybe convincing Bonnie to make a new ascendant or find the same one. I want to help even if I cant get Kai out.
But I want Ben with me. And it's not safe here for him. Especially if a hell fire could happen.
I would ask Kai what I should do, but-
"Have him go with you. I'm assuming your staying here with Stefan so when you go back I'll come with." I answered.
"I still have to bring it up with Ric but... yeah, that sounds good."
"Thank you, Caroline." I said.
"Alright, what the hell is happening up there?" Stefan asked.
"Matt needs to convince his crazy sister that hell is so bad."
"There he is- Matt!" Caroline called out as Matt stepped away from us.
"Yeah, its sheriff Donovan. Activate the evacuation protocol." Matt said into his phone, looking over at us. "Gas leak." A pause. "Yeah, again." He said, disappointed.
Caroline and Stefan said a short goodbye- a farewell. I looked over at Damon.
"You guys have bad a gas leak here before?" I asked, Stefan stepped back over to once.
"Yeah. I blew up a bar with Elena- those were simpler fucking times." He groaned, touch Stefans arm and mine and running us back to the house.
"Theres got to be something we are missing." Stefan said as we walked in.
"Nope. Katherine won. She played a long game and finally beat-" He paused as we turned the corner, Elenad casket laid open, she wasnt in it. "Us..." he trailed off.
"Eariler Bonnie's heart stopped. She said she saw Elena." Stefan explained as we were both looking back at him.
"Damon?" A feminine voice sang. We turned around and saw Elena.
The girl looked confused as she stared at me. It wasn't Elena.
The other two didn't seem to notice.
"Elena." Damkm whispered, then ran up to her and hugged her. She held on tight.
That was Katherine.
God was she a good actor. And she was gorgeous.
Damon then dropped her and scowled.
"No." Damon whispered. "No no no no no..." he trailed off.
"Rude." She snapped, leaning back into herself and completely switching her act.
"You've got to be kidding me." Stefan said. "Katherine." He breathed.
"Hello, brothers." She smiled, then stepped down the stairs. She looked at me intently in my long, silky, beige dress. "Raya, what an absolute pleasure to meet you!" She sang, walking over to the bourbon behind Stefan.
"The pleasure is mine, Katherine." I said, nodding my head and smiling. I could feel Damon's glare through my back.
"Heard what happened to Kai. God, you really are turning that man around, aren't you? I mean-" She chuckled as she poured herself a glass. "He gets sent to a prison world and find the last bit of strength he has to pull your son out from my hell? He was very welcomed there with us, he loved it." She said, sipping the alchohol.
"He was in-?"
"Oh of course he was, darling. I mean Kai and yourself are raising him, that was where he went wrong- but I suppose you cant necessarily control that. But hes also a siphon, hes bonded to you, he was going straight to hell the day you both bonded."
"But he said he didn't remember anything."
"You think I would let that little boy back here with those memories? Oh god no, darling. I may be the ruler of hell, but I would never harm a child." Her gaze fell on Damon. "Let alone kill one." She snarled, then looked back at me. "I know what it feels like to have a child ripped away from you, he was in great hands when he was with us. And I would promise that when hes older but... I sense that you are all trying to kill me?"
Damon chuckled out, not in a humorous way.
"Pitty." She mumbled.
"Wheres Elena, Kathrine." Damon growled.
"Well, you see that's for me to know and for you to dot, dot, dot..." She smiled. "I hope you enjoyed the little show I put on for you. It has been a hoot watching you take on- the devil." She snickered. "I mean, I've had him wrapped around my finger since the minute I stepped into hell. Why did he think he wanted you? Because I wanted you."
She looked back over at me, and went soft. Nearly went soft. "You, Raya, are something I picked up along the way. God, you are an adorable little thing, aren't you?" She smiled. I felt my cheeks heat up.
Damon was pissed now. As Katherine went to take another drink, he sped up to her and threw the glass up against the wall.
"Damnit Katherine. Where is she." He demanded.
"She really is the perfect revenge." Katherine smiled.
I couldn't help but think about Kai.
"At 10:00 p.m. Mystic Falls will burn, precious Elena we'll burn-" As Katherine spoke, I saw Stefan take the bond dagger -her bone dagger- out of his pocket and nonchalantly walked up to her. "-and I'm guessing one of you to Salvatores are going down with her. Should I place my bets now?"
Then Stefan stabbed her in the shoulder.
"Well, that shut her up." Damon grumbled as Katjerine toppled over with a grown and laid still.
Stefan looked back at the clock. "Come on, we need to find Elena."
"Right, Rae go with Stefan and help him search for Elena." Damon said, and then I was forced off with Stefan.
Off to find a girl everyone cares about- but me.
Great.
***
The boiler room at the high school.
Why the hell she was in a boiler room, I don't know. But she was spelled in.
And it was a binding spell, I couldn't take it down, much less siphon it away.
I tried every few seconds after Caroline begged me to try.
It pained me, like my insides were liquefying and my brain was swelling way to big for my skull.
I couldn't take it down.
"I can't, Caroline. I'm sorry." I said, looking over at her as she talked on the phone with Ric, and Bonnie who was in the car with them.
"We cant come either, Care. We wouldn't make it back in time." Bonnie said.
"Well we cant just leave her here!" Caroline exclaimed.
"We wouldn't. Damon won't let her die alone." I said. Caroline looked at me with a horrified expression.
"She's right, Caroline." Stefan said, backing me up. She sighed heavily and closed her eyes.
"Wht don't you meet up with us, take the tunnels. It'll be faster." Ric told her.
She hung up and looked at me, then at Stefan.
"Do you think you'll convince him?" She asked, her voice higher than normal, she began to softly cry.
I could see Stefans eyes glass over, too.
"No." He said. "But I have to try."
She nodded, looked away from him for a moment and then back at him.
"I promised Ric that I wouldn't risk the girls growing up without a mother." She explained, trying very hard to now let the water works stream down her cheeks. So I can help you with Damon but..."
"No." He said, cupping her face with his bandaged hand from when Kai stabbed him. "No. I can do it alone. You get to safety, family first."
"We're family now, ok?" She said. "Just... please, please dont make me leave you. Please." She told him, not being able to hold back her tears.
"If I want to convince Damon I have to move fast, and I cant do that unless I know your safe."
"No." She said softly with a sob.
"He is my brother." He explained, a tear strolling down his cheek.
Caroline exhaled and looked up at him. "Family first." She repeated, then he kissed her.
I looked away at the passion. The I heard breathing again and focused back on the conversation.
"I love you so much." He whispered against her face.
"I love you too." She said, pulling away with a sigh.
She looked over at me.
"He's not doing it alone." I said. "I'm staying."
Her eyebrows rose with shock. "What about-"
"Make sure he is safe, Caroline. Make sure he is happy, and respectful, and make sure he is safe." I said, a few tears of my own slipping away from watching their goodbye and thinking about Ben. "And if something should happen to me-"
"Rae."
"No, Caroline. If I do not make it out, please treat him as your own." I begged. "He is no burden, and the girls love him. So please, Caroline." I said, stopping the tears with my finger.
"Ok." She whispered, then looked over at Stefan, then disappeared.