(1) The Phoenix (D. Salvatore)

Chapter One Hundred and Eighteen

Pad sits on Damon's shoulder, playing with his watch as they both watch Daphne pacing the kitchen floor as she tries to think back on her books and her lessons, trying to figure something out that might work on Alaric. She doesn't want to kill him, that would just be a kick in the teeth after everything that they've all been through already, but maybe she can figure out how to restrain him, permanently. But they don't even know what sort of risk he is going to be. Yes, the Originals have proven to be dicks, but Alaric is still their friend. Some of that might still be there too. She wants to hope that it is. Not just for Elena and Jeremy, but for Damon too. Alaric is his friend. Someone he has been through a lot with. She knows that this must be killing him. If she can protect him from having to go through Alaric's death again, then she'll do it. Bonnie sits at the island counter with her head in her hands, the blood on her neck now drying. Suddenly, the doorbell rings at the Gilbert house again. Daphne lets out an annoyed sound and turns to glare towards the door. They don't need distractions now. Jeremy heads down the stairs to answer it though with Stefan moving to the kitchen doorway to watch. The door opens to reveal Klaus on the other side.

"What the hell do you want?" Jeremy asks.

"Now is that any way to treat a guest?" Klaus counters with a sly smirk. Stefan comes up behind Jeremy, glaring at Klaus.

"What are you doing here, Klaus?" Stefan demands of him. No one is going to be happy that he's turned up here and now. Not with literally everything else going on.

"Well, for starters, young Jeremy here could show some manners and invite me inside" Daphne lingers in the kitchen doorway as Damon walks over to join his brother at the door, just as Stefan steps in front of Jeremy, to block him from Klaus.

"Why don't you go up to your room?" Stefan tells Jeremy who glances back at Daphne, she nods agreeing with Stefan here. Jeremy sighs and then heads back upstairs.

"Hm, poor lad" Klaus comments. "Loses one questionable father figure only to be replaced by the likes of the two of you"

"Yeah, about that. Something happened" Damon starts to explain what happened to Alaric.

"Oh, I know all about my mother's invulnerable little creation and that's why I'm here" Klaus stops him. "I'm leaving town, just need to pick up a few road trip necessities. Spare tire, flashlight, doppelgänger"

"Can't help you there" Damon claps Stefan on the shoulder, pulls him back, and shuts the door on Klaus. Damon moves into the living room and Stefan goes towards the stairs. Daphne moves closer to Damon who holds out his hand to stop her, just in case. Klaus is after something and if they have learnt anything it is that Klaus will do anything to get what he wants. And he might just hurt them all, or worse, to get to Elena.

"Elena!" Stefan shouts for the teenager.

"What's he doing?" Daphne asks Damon who shrugs and shakes his head. He watches as Klaus picks up a newspaper from outside.

"Reading the paper" He answers and then glances over his shoulder at her. The two of them share a look, both worried, but he tries to give her a reassuring smile, it does nothing to reassure her. The Originals have proven to be effective enemies to have. Effective and dangerous. A moment later, Stefan returns from upstairs, looking rather worried. "Where is she?" Damon asks.

"She's not here" Stefan answers, Damon and Daphne both give him a weird look. Elena was literally just here. Daphne saw her before Damon and Bonnie turned up.

"What do you mean she's not here? Where did she go?" Daphne demands.

"Can you....?" Stefan motions to his head. Daphne nods and closes her eyes. Bonnie walks into the living room.

"What's going on?" She asks them. Damon looks out the blinds and sees Klaus pacing with the newspaper still in his hands.

"Klaus wants in, we have to keep him out" Damon sees Klaus pull back his arm and throw the newspaper at the window with vampire strength. "Ah, duck!" The newspaper smashes through the window and flies into the living room. Damon grabs Daphne around the waist and yanks her down out of the way, at the same time Stefan grabs Bonnie to pull her out of the way.

"I think you're probably gonna want to let me in!" Klaus shouts towards the house. Damon pulls Daphne up to her feet, as Stefan helps Bonnie up. The four of them head into the kitchen and away from the window. Pad scrambles after them, having fallen from Damon's shoulder when he lunged for Daphne. Daphne holds out her hand and Pad jumps into her palm, holding tight to her with his own fear.

"Can things just like not fuck up for one day?" Daphne complains as she leans against the kitchen counter.

"You'd get bored" Damon comments, she turns a look at him.

"I gave up working with dragons for this shit" She points out. "I gave up being an auror...." She notices the blank faces. "A wizard cop...for this"

"Yeah, my point" He steps closer to her. "Dragons...wizard police...you'd be bored with nothing to do" She purses her lips slightly and then lets out an annoyed breath through her nose. Because he is right. He is actually right. Her job offers were all tempting because of the danger involved. He kisses her head. "Try again" He whispers knowing he disrupted her telepathic search for Elena.