Book 1: Time Of Our Lives

Chapter 49: A Lending Hand

Chapter 49:
MOTEL ROOM
Elena and Bonnie have resumed their seats on the beds. Ben paces in front of them.

Ben: Witches don't have eternal life, right? So you guys can die.
Bonnie: Yep. We can die.
Ben: Ah. That sucks.

All of a sudden, Stefan kicks the door in. Ben screams as the sunlight starts to burn his skin.

Stefan rips the curtain open, allowing more sunlight to pour in. Ben hides in the dark between the two beds.

Elena: Stefan!

Bonnie and Elena get up and dash out the door.

Stefan: Let's get outside!

Stefan walks over to Ben, looking down at him.

Stefan: When the sun goes down, leave town. If I ever see you again, I will kill you.

Stefan leaves.

SHEILA'S RESIDENCE
Bonnie and Sheila sit at a table, conversing.

Bonnie: How did you know where we were?
Grams: Many things can fuel a witches power. Worry. Anger. After Stefan told me they had taken you, I had a lot of both. Simple locater spell was easy after that.
Bonnie: I'm sorry. About all of this.
Grams:(with a smirk) Not as sorry as they're gonna be.

Stefan and Elena enter the room.

Elena: So what do we do now?
Stefan: Well, for now, you need to stay here.
Grams: A prisoner, in my own home? I don't think so.
Stefan: I can't protect you if you leave the house.
Grams: We'll protect ourselves.
Elena: We need to let him have Katherine back. He's not going to stop until he gets her. If we help him, maybe that ends it.
Bonnie: No! He doesn't deserve to get what he wants.
Elena: What other choice do we have?

Elena looks up at Stefan.

Grams: Witches being pulled down by vampire problems. As much as we tried to do to stay out of it. I'll open the tomb. You get your brother's girl and destroy the rest with fire. Then this will be all over.
Stefan: We still have to get Damon to agree.
Elena: He already agreed once.
Stefan: Yeah, and then we double crossed him. So now he's angry.
Elena: He's hurt. There's a difference. I think I know what I have to do.

Elena and Stefan exchange looks.

MOTEL ROOM
Anna walks back up to the motel room. She sees that the door is wide open and Elena and Bonnie have escaped.

Anna: You've got to be kidding me.

Anna walks in and looks over at Ben, who is still crouched between the two beds, his hoodie over his head.

Ben: It was Stefan. There was nothing I could --

Anna holds her finger up at him.

Anna: Shut up! Stop talking.

She rubs her face with her hands and sits down in a chair.

Anna: Without the witch, we don't have Damon or the grimoire. Damon's not gonna stop. He'll find a way in. And we're gonna be there when he does.

SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE
Damon puts on his jacket, preparing to leave. Giselle comes in and said to him.

Giselle: Damon where are you going?
Damon: I got some business to take care of
Giselle: Damon...
Damon: Giselle but out of it
Giselle: but I want to help
Damon: remember what happened the last time you tried to help
Giselle: *frowns* I got myself into trouble, but I just wanted to prove to you that I can open it, you wouldn't even give me the chance
Damon: Giselle! I had enough arguing with you about it, the answer is no end of the discussion

Giselle was about to say something and Damon gave her a look and said.

Damon: say another word one more time and it's with the belt

Giselle huff and crossed her arm frustrated she doesn't know why her brothers won't trust her with this. If she believe in herself why can't her brothers.

Elena enters the room and removes her scarf. Damon looks up at her as well as Giselle, Giselle just left without saying a word and Damon said to her.

Damon: I'm gonna have to change the locks. You stage a jailbreak?

Damon picks up the grimoire that he thought it was.

Elena: Stefan.
Damon: Ah, brother. Ever the white knight.
Elena: I convinced Bonnie to help you.
Damon: I doubt that.

Elena walks around the edge of the study towards the stairs, leading to the sunken part of the room where Damon is.

Elena: I'm not gonna say that I'm sorry we got the grimoire without you last night, because I'm not really.
Damon: Well, at least you're honest.
Elena: I was protecting the people I love, Damon. But so were you, in your own, twisted way. And as hard as it is to figure, we're all on the same side, after the same thing.

Elena descends the stairs.

Damon: Not interested.

Damon starts to leave.

Elena: Yes you are, because you were willing to work with us yesterday.
Damon:(turns around) Fool me once, shame on you.
Elena: Okay, when we were in Atlanta, why didn't you use your compulsion on me?

Damon places the grimoire on a table and walks towards Elena, crossing his arms.

Damon: Who's to say I didn't?
Elena: You didn't. I know you didn't. But you could have. You and I...we have something. An understanding. And I know that my betrayal hurt you, different from how it is with you and Stefan, but I'm promising you this now, I will help you get Katherine back.
Damon: (groans, unconvinced) I wish I could believe you.

Elena unclasps her necklace, takes it off, and holds it in her hand, showing it to Damon.

Elena: Ask me if I'm lying now.

Elena places the necklace down on a table and waits for Damon to respond.

Damon: You know Anna won't stop, by the way, no matter what I do.
Elena: Then we'll deal with it.

Damon picks up Elena's necklace and clasps it back around her neck.

Damon: I didn't compel you in Atlanta because we were having fun. I wanted it to be real. I'm trusting you. Don't make me regret it.

Damon starts to walks away but then realize something was weird and looked down at the book and realize it wasn't the grimoire.

Damon: damn it
Elena: what's wrong?
Damon: the grimoire is missing
Elena: what?
Damon: someone took it when I wasn't looking
Elena: who?

Damon thought for a moment then it hit him.

Damon: oh no, she wouldn't
Elena: you mean Giselle?

Damon ignore her and vampire speed upstairs, he stormed into her room and found her nowhere to be seen but her window wide open and the wind blowing.