"I feel like I'm going crazy," Elena said frustrated after she had just finished tell Emma and Bonnie about her feeling of being followed, "totally paranoid all the time."
"You have a right to be," Bonnie was quick to defend her friend.
Emma nodded in agreement, "Klaus is still out there and he knows we tried to kill him."
"Why hasn't he made a move? There has been no sign of him, nothing. Just my slow spiral into insanity," Elena crossed her arms.
"Join the club," Bonnie sat back, "every time I close my eyes I have that nightmare, on repeat."
"The same one?" Emma asked.
Bonnie nodded, "Yeah, four coffins, Klaus is in one of them. It's weird."
Elena sat up slightly with a revelation, "What if it's not just some dream? What if it's like, you know, a witch dream?"
"It's just stress, I'll figure it out," Bonnie shook her head as if she was clearing it, "what about Stefan? Has there been any sign of him?"
Elena looked down sadly, "He betrayed us Bonnie, the Stefan that we know is gone."
"How is Damon handling it?" Bonnie said cautiously as she turned to Emma for an answer.
"Self destructive," Emma looked over to the bar where Damon was studying several bottle of liquor, "but judging by your tone, I'm guessing he acts out when he is hurt."
Both girls nodded. Emma sighed and pulled out her phone, hoping that she had missed the call that she had been praying for since her sister died. She didn't understand why it was taking Lexi so long to answer her repeated calls and messages. With lightning quick fingers she sent another text message to her friend and put her phone away. When she looked back up, Damon had stepped up to their table.
"So Elena," Damon looked down at Elena, "about Jeremy."
"Now what?" Elena said exasperated.
Damon scoffed and walked off to the dart boards without looking back. Elena gave Emma a frustrated look before following him. Damon grabbed the darts and made his first bullseye.
"What do you think that is about?" Bonnie asked Emma.
Emma looked over her shoulder at Alaric who had just been speaking with Damon, "My guess is something to do with school."
Alaric gave Emma a quick wave, she quickly turned back to Bonnie without returning the gesture.
"You have to talk to him eventually," Bonnie gave Emma a reassuring smile.
Emma started to stand up, "The hell I do."
She started to walk over to Damon who was clearly not doing well.
"What makes you think I'm not okay?" He said accusingly to Elena.
"You're day-drunk," she explained her reasoning, "it's not exactly your most attractive look."
"Hmm," Damon smiled, "what is my most attractive look?"
Emma rolled her eyes, not even phased by a drunk Damon flirting with Elena. He was hurt and Emma was familiar enough with that feeling to not judge his misjudgments.
"Come here," she motioned for Damon to join her on a bar stool, he did, she looked at Elena, "what happened?"
"Jeremy is cheating in school and got fired all in the same week," she said and looked down at her phone as she tried to decide if she should call her brother again.
"Is it a Mystic Falls thing, that the guys can't figure out how to properly deal with their emotions?" Emma pointed at Damon who was using her shoulder to support his head.
Elena smiled and shrugged.
"Don't mind me," someone said as they leaned on the table beside Emma.
"Klaus," Elena scowled.
Damon was sobered and alert at the sound of the name, he was already standing and stepping in front of Emma, "You gonna do this at the Grill, in front of everyone? It's a little beneath you don't you think?"
Klaus scoffed, "I don't know what your talking about, I'm just came down to my local pub to grab a drink with my mate."
Emma glanced over to Elena when she gasped as Klaus's 'friend' stepped over to the bar. Clearly she had recognized the guy.
"Get a round in will ya Tony," Klaus smiled at Elena.
"I'm surprised you stuck around town long enough for happy hour," Damon mocked Klaus.
"My sister seems to be missing," Klaus looked at Damon suspiciously, "need to sort that out."
"Those damned sisters," Emma glared at Klaus, "mine is dead, yours is missing. Will they ever learn?"
Damon gave Emma a soft push behind him to shut her up, "Cute, blonde bombshell, psycho. Shouldn't be too hard to find."
"Truth is I've grown to rather like your little town, think I might fancy a home here," Klaus looked around to see how what he said had affected those around him, "oh I imagine you're wondering how does this is affect you. The answer is, not in the slightest. As long as I get what I want and everyone behaves themselves you can go on living your little lives however you choose. You have my word."
"What more could you possibly want?" Elena asked.
"Well, for starters, you could tell me where I might find Stefan," Klaus looked indifferently at Elena.
Damon spoke up angrily, "Stefan skipped town the second he saved your ass."
"You see that is a shame," Klaus grabbed a dart and threw it at the board, hitting a bulls-eye, "your brother stole from me, I need him found so I can take back what is mine."
"That sounds like a 'you' problem and not an 'us' problem," Emma crossed her arms, daring Klaus to make a move.
Despite Damon already standing in front of her, Klaus stepped closer to Emma, when Damon didn't budge Klaus smiled.
"We'll see about that," Klaus said smugly before walking away.
Once Klaus was out of sight Damon finally relaxed his stance and grabbed Emma's hand, he pulled her behind him and out of the Grill. Emma glanced back to see a concerned look on Alaric's face. Damon opened the passenger door and waited for Emma to get inside, she hesitated but ultimately decided to get into the car. Damon drove them back to the boarding house in silence. When they arrived he didn't say anything as he got out and entered the house, Emma was on his heels.
"So what's our plan?" She asked him as he walked over to the bar in the foyer.
Damon poured himself a drink and was just about to reply when he looked up and saw Emma's reaction to something behind him, she was tense and ready to fight. Damon turned around uncaringly. It was Klaus.
"I think it's time we had a drink, don't you?" He asked Damon.
Damon nodded, "I'd say we're over due."
"Well, you've been so busy with your plotting and scheming," Klaus clasped his hands in front of him.
"You know me," Damon smirked, "never miss a chance to plan an epic failure."
Klaus clicked his tongue before speaking, "Don't be so hard on yourself, who would have guessed that your own brother would betray you."
"Well, we did have a front row seat when your sister lied to you," Damon motioned between himself and Emma.
"Yeah, well she is fickle that one," Klaus shook his head disapprovingly, "and you say you have no idea of her whereabouts."
"That's the thing with younger siblings, you just never know what they're gonna do," Damon took a sip of his bourbon before feigning to realize that he had been rude, "drink?"
Damon poured Klaus a drink and handed it too him.
"Cheers mate," Klaus said as he took it.
"Down the hatch," Damon threw back his drink at the same time as Klaus.
"You know we actually have a lot in common you and I," Klaus said, trying to invoke empathy from Damon.
"Really?" Damon asked, "Well, yeah, maybe we can bond over our mutual loathing of my brother. Why are you so mad at him, he stole something?"
"My family, the Originals, I had them daggered, boxed-up awaiting the day when I saw fit to wake them. And he went in and pinched the bloody lot," Klaus growled.
Emma failed to hold in a laugh, "I'm sorry. Actually, no I'm not, the dramatic irony is too beautiful."
Damon let out a laugh too, "Of course he did, such a buzzkill, my baby bro. Well, I'd love to find him, the trouble is, I sure as hell don't work for you."
"You know, your drink stinks of vervain so I can't compel you. There'd be no point in killing you because you're actually the one with the most hope of getting me what I need; and yet it would seem a demonstration is in order," Klaus said menacingly, "perhaps I wasn't clear enough when I told you to find Stefan. Well, it seems you people respond best to displays of violence. Why don't you take this as an example of my reach?"
Both vampires ran to grab Emma, but Klaus was faster and pulled her into his chest with one hand around her neck threatening to squeeze and crush her airway. Damon stopped and held still as he calculated what his next move might be.
Klaus used his free hand to take out his phone and call someone, "There he is! So that thing I told you to do, why don't you go ahead and get on with it."
"Who did you just call," Damon demanded.
Emma had been close enough to see the name on his phone and hear the voice who answered, she relayed her information to Damon, "Tyler."
Klaus tightened his grip around Emma's neck, forcing her to make choking noise. Damon flinched towards her but stopped when Klaus glared at him daringly.
"The only reason she isn't dead is because I want her, so you keep protecting her like a good dog," Klaus released Emma and sped off out the door.
Emma fell to the floor on her knees, gasping for air and coughing, Damon rushed to her side and began looking her over, Emma grabbed his arm for support.
"So dead, so very, very dead," she said when she finally could, referring to Klaus.
Damon's phone began ringing and he looked at it, he held it up to show Emma that it was Elena who was calling. He answered it and after a quick conversation with her he hung up.
"We need to get over to Elena's house," Damon helped Emma to her feet, "Klaus had Tyler set it up for Jeremy to get killed. Alaric pushed him out of the way but he is currently laying dead on the Gilbert's living room couch."
"Alaric's dead?" Emma said in a panic, "Was he wearing his resurrection ring?"
Damon nodded and saw Emma take a visible breath to steady her nerves.
"How is he?" Damon asked about Alaric as soon as he was through the door to the Gilbert household.
Elena answered, "He's dead, but he had his ring. It was Klaus's hybrid that hit him, so now we just wait."
"Jeremy," Damon turned his anger to Elena's brother, "why aren't you wearing vervain, where is your bracelet?"
"I don't know," the Gilbert boy looked at both of his hands to confirm what Damon had said.
"It was Tyler," Elena accused, "it had to have been, that's why he was hanging out with you. To get you off of vervain."
Damon brushed his hair back with his hand as he watched Emma step over to Alaric with her arms crossed, she stood over him just staring down, Damon would give anything to be able to read her mind in that moment.
"Klaus is trying to send us a message," Damon looked over to Elena, "he wants us to find Stefan, who stole his coffins full of his dead family members."
"Coffins?" Elena asked.
"Yep, so all we have to do is find four coffins and viola; no one else on your family's Christmas list needs to die," Damon clasped his hands together, quite proud of his plan.
"Wait," Jeremy finally joined the conversation, clearly having heard enough, "that's your big plan? To steal back four dead Originals so this evil hybrid doesn't kill me and everyone else we know."
Damon crossed his arms, "You got a better idea?"
Jeremy stood up very agitated, "Yeah! Let's get the hell out of here, pack our bags and go."
Elena stepped closer to her brother, "Hey, Jeremy calm down."
"No, no," Jeremy started off towards the door, "I'm not gonna calm down, Elena! This happens every time, no matter what we do! Get on my case about school and work. Who cares? None of us are gonna make it out of this town alive."
Jeremy slammed the door behind him.
"He's probably right you know," Emma turned to look at Elena, "considering the size of our town, the cemetery is huge and most of the dates on the headstones don't exactly tell stories about long, happy lives."
"Emma," Damon started to try and talk some sense into his girlfriend, but Elena interrupted him.
"He said he wants his family back," Elena walked over to Emma who she was hoping would side with her.
"No," Damon contested, "no, I know what you are thinking. The answer is no!"
Emma stepped away from Elena, "I'm with Jeremy here, you just have to go. We can't let him have anyone."
Elena wasn't ready to stand down, "If we give him Rebekah-"
"Yeah, then Klaus undaggers her, first thing she does is kill you," Damon argued, "frying pan, fire; not an option."
There seemed to be a light bulb that went of in Elena's head, "Klaus's coffins, how many did you say there were?"
Emma snapped her fingers and pointed at Elena, "Bonnie's dream!"
Elena nodded and pulled out her phone.
After a quick conversation with Bonnie the trio of Damon, Emma, and Elena were headed out towards the witches house. A place that at one point of time held a great deal of power after a great witch massacre had happened.
On the way Emma decided to call Lexi again, again she only got her voicemail, "Hey, it's me...again. I'm about to bring out the big guns to find you if you don't friggin call me back."
"Who are you trying to get a hold of?" Elena asked.
Damon quickly answered before Emma could, "A friend of hers that she thinks can help Stefan."
"I hope they call you back then," Elena smiled at Emma.
"Me too, this is out of character for her," Emma sighed.
It was a short hike from the street to the house which sat in a clearing in the woods, Damon kept Emma's hand firmly in his while they walked.
"I thought this place lost all of it's mojo," Damon commented as the house came into view.
"The dead witches were mad at Bonnie for bringing Jeremy back to life," Elena shrugged, "I guess now they have something they want her to know."
Damon shook his head, "I hate witches, so fickle, passive aggressive."
Elena stepped ahead of Emma and Damon and opened the door to the house, letting herself in, "Stefan?"
"Come on Stef, Olly Olly oxen free," Damon sang out, just as he began to step into a sunny spot in the house he reeled back in pain as the sun began to burn his skin, he dropped Emma's hand and rushed into a shadowy corner, "really! Still?"
"What?" Emma's eyes were large as she looked Damon up and down, making sure he was okay.
Damon pointed at himself, "Witchy spirts aren't a big fan, and they use their juju to mess with my daylight ring."
"Then wait outside," Elena suggested as she stepped further into the house.
"Elena," both Damon and Emma shouted after her.
"I'm not leaving until I know if he's here," Elena started heading down a set of stairs that led to the basement.
"I'll go with her," Emma gave Damon a reassuring smile.
"Uh, no," Damon protested but Emma was already heading down the stairs behind Elena.
Damon growled before he rushed for the front door to get away from the house. He listened in on what was going on downstairs in case he needed to step in.
"Stefan?" Elena called out again as she rounded a corner that entered a room full of dust and candles.
"Go away," both girls turned towards the corner that Stefan was standing in, "you shouldn't be here."
"Stefan," Elena breathed out a sigh of relief, "I need your help, Bonnie said you would be here."
Stefan rolled his eyes, "Well Bonnie sucks at keeping secrets."
"Listen, you have to give Klaus his family back," Elena explained.
"Oh really," Stefan scoffed and looked almost like Damon for a brief moment, "is that what I need to do?"
"Klaus compelled Jeremy to stand in front of a speeding car," Elena pleaded, "don't you get it, Stefan, he's not gonna stop until he gets what he wants."
Stefan took a few steps towards Elena, "Elena, stop talking. I'm not giving Klaus anything."
Elena's jaw dropped but she recovered quickly, "Are you listening to me? He is gonna kill Jeremy."
"Not really my problem," Stefan shrugged.
Elena wound her hand back and brought it forward, slapping Stefan hard, "Go to hell."
She stormed out of the room, but Emma stayed downstairs. Stefan motioned for her go as well but she shook her head and stood her ground.
"I wish that I had met you before all of this happened, maybe then my sympathy would actually be for you and not Damon," she glared at Stefan.
"I don't want your sympathy," Stefan returned her glare.
"You do realize that the only reason you're still alive is because I love Damon, and I can't put him through what you put me through. I won't let him loose his sibling too."
"Cute; a bit misguided, but cute," Stefan began to cross the room over towards Emma, as soon as he began to bare his fangs Emma let a stake drop into her hand from its wrist holster and she stepped back slightly.
A rush of wind passed by Emma and Stefan was suddenly up against the wall with a slightly burning Damon holding him there.
"Wow, that was impressive," Stefan gave his brother a smug smile, "but the coffins aren't here, so you can take your toy and go away now."
"I don't care about the coffins," Damon slammed Stefan against the wall harder, "we need to talk."
"Okay, let's talk."
"Nothing's ever easy with you, is it?" Damon growled as he pulled Stefan towards the front door.
Emma let out a breath of relief as Damon passed her and their eyes met. She holstered the stake back in place on her arm and followed behind both men.
As soon as they reached the porch Damon shoved Stefan down and kicked him in the stomach before he reached over to a tree and pulled off a branch and stabbed it through his brother's stomach.
"That is for screwing up my plan! You stopped me from killing Klaus and you steal his family! Why? Doesn't make sense," Damon shouted as he held Stefan down on the ground, "answer me!"
Stefan coughed before he could speak, "Piece by piece Klaus took everything from me, I'm doing the same to him."
"But I had him Stefan! Why did you screw it up?"
"I did it to save you," Stefan regained enough of his strength to match his brother and he threw Damon off of him.
Damon quickly stood and put himself between Emma and Stefan ready to attack if he needed to.
"What?" Damon couldn't believe what he had just heard, "No, no way! You didn't do this for me."
"He was one step ahead of us," Stefan explained, "if Klaus died, his hybrids would have killed you."
"When are you going to get it through your head?" Damon grabbed another branch off the ground and charged his brother, staking him in the stomach again, "Stop saving me!"
Damon began to stomp of towards the forest, Emma ran to catch up to him, but he stopped short as if he forgot something and turned back around.
"Damon," Emma called out for him but he was already staring down his brother who was leaning against the porch.
"Do you know what I can't figure out? Why save me?" Damon glared at Stefan, "Was it brotherly love, guilty conscience? Is the switch on, is the switch off?"
Stefan pointed at Emma, "You have somewhere you need to be Damon."
"Reflection," Damon scoffed, "that's not going to work on me, I invented that."
"We're done," Stefan stopped leaning and stood up straight, "can't you just go away? Go have that, 'awe you love me' conversation with Emma."
Emma's cheeks flushed suddenly and she took a step back from Damon's side. She hadn't thought of what she was saying in the moment, much less the fact that Damon could easily hear her.
Damon ignored him, "Not until you tell me why you saved me, you owe me that."
"I don't owe you anything."
"Fine, next question. Why did you steal the coffins?" Damon continued his interrogation.
Stefan sighed, "Because Klaus's family is the one thing I can use against him."
"Use against him to do what?" Damon looked at Stefan like he was crazy, "You're not gonna kill him, you know how I know? Cause there was only one way to kill him and you blew that, to save me."
"You know, I'm sure Emma is grateful that I saved you," Stefan glanced behind Damon to the red head behind him, "but your wrong Damon. Klaus isn't going to live forever, there is another way, there has to be."
"Fair enough, but whatever you're doing, I want in."
"I don't need your help."
"Really? Last time I checked you were hiding out in a haunted house."
"I'm in this alone Damon."
"You're go after Klaus you have to be cutthroat and devious," Damon became arrogant, "I'm so much better at that than you. Come on brother, what do you say? If you're gonna keep saving my life at least make it for a good reason."
"You want in?" Stefan asked.
"Yeah," Damon said.
Stefan looked over at Emma, "You too?"
"I literally have nothing to lose Stefan," Emma stepped up to Damon side, "you made sure of that."
"Okay, but it's only the three of us, Elena stays out of it," Stefan laid out his terms.
"Done," Damon agreed for both of them.
"Follow me," Stefan began to enter the house.
"Wait," Damon looked at the house nervously, "I'm not so welcome in there."
"Don't worry, we all want the same thing," Stefan explained.
Stefan led Damon and Emma down the stairs and back into the basement. Damon felt Emma tense up as they entered the room, ready to go into defense mode.
"Have a look," Stefan showed off the room.
"Is Klaus allergic to dust?" Emma asked sarcastically before she looked at Damon for an explanation.
"Look again," Stefan said.
Both Damon and Emma turned back to look at Stefan, now four coffins were in front of them. Emma jumped slightly at the sudden reveal.
"Witch spirts hate Klaus as much as we do," Stefan explained his trick, "they're using their powers to hide the coffins."
Damon's eyes were wide, "So even if he comes in the house-"
"He won't be able to find them," Stefan finished.
"I'll admit I'm a little impressed," Damon said just before his phone began to ring.
He answered it with a quick 'yeah'. Emma watched as his face changed from indifferent to worry. When he hung up she had no patience, and immediately started to ask him what was going on but he spoke before she could.
"We need to go, now," Damon looked at Stefan, "I gave my keys to Elena, please tell me you have a car stashed close somewhere."
Stefan reached in his pocket and tossed a set of keys to Damon, "Probably parked around the same area you did."
"What's going on?" Emma asked.