❝switching sides❞

"YOU BROUGHT BACK JOHN GILBERT? THAT WAS YOUR BIG SAVE-ELENA MOVE?" Damon looked at his brother incredulously, barely containing the urge to throttle him.

"I went to go look for Isobel and I got John instead. He said he could help us, and we're desperate."

"We are not that desperate, Stefan. The guy tried to barbecue me."

Stefan stepped towards his brother, confused by his argument. "Damon, Bonnie's new witch friend is working with Elijah, so we have to assume the moonstone was never destroyed. Elena is putting all of her faith into some deal with Elijah to keep everyone safe. I mean, do you trust Elijah?"

Damon shrugged. 

Stefan gave him an imploring look. "I mean, I don't trust him, he's an Original. He can't be trusted. But it's not like we can just go up and kill him because, apparently, he can't die."

"I'm still waiting for the part where John Gilbert is the answer,"

"He knew about the sacrifice, Isobel told him. He said he knew a way to keep Elena safe."

Damon scoffed, rolling his eyes. "And how does he suggest we do that?"

"He's not talking. To me, at least."

The raven-haired vampire was visibly frustrated. He needed more information on John's sudden return, because it definitely put a roadblock on his plans. "Great work, Stefan. Top notch. As if I didn't already have enough problems with no solutions." 

He stormed past his brother, walking towards the front door. 

"I heard about Rose. I didn't know there was a cure for werewolf bites."

Damon stopped, looking over his shoulder at Stefan who was watching him suspiciously. "The universe works in mysterious ways." 

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"So, John, rumor has it, you know a lot but won't say anything."

John looked at Damon as he lit the candle at the small vigil, smirking smugly. "How do I know you can be trusted, Damon? Originals can compel vampires. According to Stefan, that's why Katherine is still in the tomb; because an Original compelled her to stay there."

Damon resisted the urge to roll his eyes. People just kept telling him things he already knew, and it was entirely frustrating and counterproductive. He lit up a match, holding the flame to one of the candles in front of him. "Only because all of the vervain had left her system. Stefan and I, on the other hand, are chock full."

He blew the match out, blowing the smoke towards John, and smirked at the shocked look on the man's face.

"You guys are drinking vervain?"

Damon shrugged nonchalantly. "It's an acquired taste," He eyed John briefly, relishing in the fact that he had the ability to make the man's undeserved cockiness away. "I don't see that magical ring on your newly-attached finger, so if you know something about Klaus, you better start talking."

Damon stepped forward, pushing into John's personal space. "Or I will kill you in your sleep."

John raises his eyebrows like he's not surprised by Damon's threat. "Now, is that any way to convince me that you and I are on the same side? First, I need to know that I can trust you, Damon, that I can count on you. Then we'll talk."

Damon's straight-faced for a moment before he laughs. He takes pride in the fact that it makes John's face fall. Damon laughs, dark and cold, and then scoffs. 

"You and I?" He gestures between them, and shakes his head. "We are not on the same side. We will never, and have never been on the same side no matter what I've made you think. So here's what's really gonna happen, John."

He steps forward and grabs John's shoulder, squeezing it tight enough that the man winces. "You're going to go out and gather all of the information you or anyone else has on Klaus, and then you're gonna give it to me. And if you don't, I won't even have to worry about killing you because Klaus will do it for me." 

He steps back and releases his painful grip on John, patting roughly where there's most likely a bruise forming already. With a smirk, Damon turns around and walks towards the bar, gesturing to the bartender to get him a drink.

He sits down, swishing the bourbon in his glass as he thinks about the threat he's just put out there. John's most likely going to go straight to Elena, seeing as it's his daughter, and she's been hanging around a vampire that has every intention of letting her die in a sacrifice. John already wasn't a fan of Elena being around vampires, this was sure to be the final nail in the coffin. 

Though, the thought doesn't worry him. By now, he and Elijah have done enough that Klaus won't have any choice but to come to Mystic Falls himself. The full moon is approaching, they've got a werewolf, a vampire, and a doppelgänger. And there's the glaring fact that the hybrid douchebag has his wife, so Damon's dead set on getting Klaus here whether he likes it or not. He'll threaten his precious dopplegänger sacrifice if he needs to. 

"So, my friend wants to meet you,"

Damon looks over his shoulder at Jenna as she approaches him, a wry and somewhat disdained smile on her face. He huffs at her apparent irritance at her admittance, and looks at the blonde that walked up with her.

"Damon Salvatore, this is–"

"I know you– the news lady." He ignores Jenna, mostly, looking to the woman who's got a light flush on her cheeks at his rapt attention.

She smiles, happy that the man recognized her. "Yeah, Andie Star. Nice to meet you."

Damon forces a half smile and looks away, suddenly understanding what's happening. Andie swallows nervously, and looks up at him through her lashes. "Can I buy you a drink, Damon?"

He stands, looking at the bourbon in his hand. "My glass is all full, Andie. Thank you."

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Damon stands in his room with Rose beside him and the witch, Jonas, across from them, while Elijah leans against his mantle nonchalantly. 

The raven-haired vampire glares at the Original and the witch for a moment. "You were a little late on the rescue mission, don't you think?"

Elijah points to Rose. "Surely if you had help from your friend you could've done it on your own,"

Damon slings an arm around Rose's shoulder, knowing she was still hesitant around Elijah. Damon would probably share her nerves if he had any sense of humility left in him. "Rosie here is just enjoying her new lease on life, I don't want to drag her into the mess just yet."

"As long as she is under my protection and vowing loyalty to my family, she will do what I ask of her." Elijah eyes her with a stern glare that makes her stiffen under Damon's arm.

Damon rolls his eyes at the dramatics. "Loyalty aside, what more do we have to do to lure Klaus here? We've pretty much destroyed all of his other options of sending someone to get Elena, and there's the part where he's got my wife."

Rose looks up at him confusedly, and he grimaces, giving her an apologetic look. "I'll explain later." 

"My brother should arrive soon. He's got to tie up a few loose ends, and gather a few extra helping hands. As soon as I am made aware of his departure, I will tell you." Elijah nods to Damon, assuring his words.

Damon nods, and is quiet for a moment. "I got the dagger from John. And the white oak ashes."

Elijah looks at him, a mixture of impressment and curiosity. "How did you manage to get that? Isn't he Elena's father?"

"Yeah," Damon shrugged nonchalantly. "But you mention Klaus to anyone, and you'll get a lot more done."

Elijah goes to question him further but suddenly stops, and the four of them all straighten up when a presence breezes into the room. 

Damon spins around, dropping his arm from Rose's shoulders. He frowns when he sees who's standing in his room.

"What are you doing here, Caroline?"

The blonde vampire straightens up and looks at Elijah, before looking back to Damon. "Tyler almost let me die tonight. If it weren't for you," Her eyes go to Jonas, who dissuades her thanks with a nod. "I would've. We all would have."

"Eh," Damon grimaces at her words, but silences when she glares at him.

"I am so tired of everyone picking Elena," She grits out, and Damon can feel the surprise wash over all of them. "I was turned because of Katherine, because Elena's life was on the line again. I was nothing but collateral. And I would've been killed for good tonight if it weren't for you all." 

Caroline steps forward, a determined look on her face. "I'm done trying to save people that wouldn't save me. I want in."

Elijah steps forward, a cool smirk on his face. "What exactly do you think this is, Caroline?"

She shrugs his daunting words off and Damon scoffs a bit. "You do understand that we are actively trying to kill your best friend, right?"

Caroline hesitates for a moment before that angry look in her eyes comes back with a vengeance. She lifts her head up and clenches her jaw stubbornly, looking at Elijah. "I want in."

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author's note; the start of something beautiful (klaroline) 

edited and published; 3.18.22. 

- liz