The hunter named Connor had Jeremy and God knew who else held hostage at the Grill, saying that he would kill all of them at sundown if Damon, Stefan and Tyler didn't turn themselves over to him. 

Elena, Tyler, Damon and I were talking in the Lockwood mansion

"So, we each take a different entrance, hit them at the same time," Damon told us. 

Stefan walked into the room.

"Stefan!" Elena said, standing, walking toward him. 

"Where the hell have you been?" I asked.

Stefan wrapped his arms around Elena. "Coming up with a plan." 

"Yeah, we have a plan," Damon told him. "The plan is I'm gonna rip Connor's heart out and I'm going to feed it to him."

"That's not a plan," Stefan told him. "We need  to be careful. Connor has Jeremy and who knows how many other hostages." 

"Hence, the open heart surgery," Damon told him.

"Damon's right," I told him. "Connor's strong, but he's not going to be able to take all of you." 

"I called in the hybrids to help too," Tyler told us.

Caroline walked into the room. "My mom put squad cars blocking the streets. They're saying it's a faulty gas main. We're good to go." 

"Good, great," Damon told us. "No cops, no witnesses, no reason to wait around." 

"All right, hold on, you're not all going," Stefan told us, looking at Caroline, Elena and me.

"He shot me like nine times," Tyler told him. "If we're killing him, I want in."

"He's got Jeremy," Elena told him. "I'm going." 

"Listen, nobody is going anywhere until I figure out what we're walking into," Stefan told us.

"Until you figure it out?" I repeated. "Is that where you've been all morning? Out buying bossy pants?" 

"This guy is known for setting traps, right?" Stefan asked. "We'd be pretty dumb to walk into one, especially if he has werewolf venom."

"Does he?" Elena asked. 

"He's had it before," Stefan told us.

I made a face, rethinking the plan.

Damon was angry. "Fine. Fine, if you want to take some time to do recon, you get one hour. But we’re gonna need some extra help. So, where the hell’s the Wicked Witch of the West?"

"She can't do magic," Caroline told us.

"Really?" Damon asked. "Well, call her, tell her Jeremy's life is in danger. Maybe that will bring her out of retirement." 

Damon pushed past Stefan to walk out of the room.

I looked at Stefan, knowing something was up with him, but I didn't know what.

~~~~

I had been told to go home to "stay safe", and since I was just recovering, I did reluctantly.

When Damon got home, he told me what was going on with Stefan.

Klaus told him that there was a Cure for vampirism, and Stefan was trying to get it for Elena, to help her, to save her. 

Elena had killed Connor, and she was torn up about it, and she didn't know about the Cure, so she was angry at Stefan for keeping secrets.

They couldn't tell anyone else because Klaus' death threat.

Damon and I were in Stefan's room.

Damon was reading Stefan's journal.

Stefan walked in.

I didn't look at him. "How is she?" 

"Angry, full of guilt, hasn't said a word to me other than that she wants to be left alone," Stefan answered, walking closer, looking from Damon to me. "Please tell me that you didn't tell Nikki." 

"Can't," I told him. "That'd be a lie. He did tell me." I looked at him finally. "Are you insane?" 

"I prefer the term 'dedicated'," Stefan told me.

"And I prefer you to be alive," I told him.

Stefan looked at Damon. "Is that my journal?" 

Stefan took the journal away. 

"I had to go through six locks to get it," Damon told him. Stefan walked away, putting the journal back on its shelf. "I needed something to back up your insanity." 

"You figure out how to tell Klaus you lost a hunter and a hybrid?" I asked. 

"He's on a plane, which means I get to live for another six hours," Stefan told us. 

"Well, I got your back, you know, when he comes to murder you," Damon told him.

"Thanks," Stefan told him. "Thanks for not say anything to Elena." 

"About what?" Damon asked. "About the Cure we don't have, can't find, and probably doesn't exist? You're welcome."

I poured myself a drink, pouring another drink.

"She doesn't need to know that she killed her chance of being human again," Stefan told us. 

I handed one of the glasses to Stefan. "Alleged chance." 

"I believe him, Nicola," Stefan told me. "You didn't hear Klaus' story. I believed every word he said." 

Damon stood, pouring himself a drink.

I looked at Stefan. "Well, I'll remain a skeptic for now. So what's your next move?" 

"He said there was a Brotherhood of the Five, which means there are other Hunters out there, and I'm just gonna keep looking until I find one," Stefan told us.

"Sure, Stefan, since you asked, I'd be happy to go on a suicide mission with you for a potentially non-existent Cure," Damon told him sarcastically. "No problem." 

Stefan chuckled. "Yet a couple of hours ago, you were ready to rip my heart out." 

I raised my eyebrows, looking between them. 

"Because you were being a pain in the ass," Damon told him. I took a drink. "Tell me one thing Why do you want to cure her?" 

"What kind of question is that?" Stefan asked.

"A legitimate one," Damon told him. "You want to cure her because she's a vampire and she's not cut out to be? Or you can't love her if she is one?"

"I'll always love her," Stefan told us. "But she's not supposed to be this person. I don't want her to be." 

"Well, if I'm gonna ride this fairy tale to its conclusion, I want to be clear about one thing," Damon told us.

"What's that?" I asked.

"I'm fine with her either way," Damon told us. He looked at Stefan. "So, if I do this, I'm doing it for you." 

Damon took one last drink, putting his glass down, walking out of the room.

Stefan looked at me. "Why can't he show that much compassion for anything besides my girlfriend?"

"Because he's Damon," I answered, taking a drink, turning around and walking out of the room, leaving Stefan alone.

This was going to get messy.