(2) Just Magic (D. Salvatore)

Chapter Ninety-One

Elena is sitting next to the fireplace with tears in her eyes. Stefan walks in holding two mugs of something hot for the sisters. The only way he knows to help them right now.

"Hey. Here, drink this" He hands a mug to Elena.

"I can't" Elena argues.

"Yeah. Yeah, you can" Stefan tells her, Elena takes it from him and then turns "Cassandra, please drink this." Stefan hands another one to Cassandra who stands at the fireplace instead, she shakes her head and waves off the drink. Elena puts it to her lips but before she can drink it she starts crying.

"This is my fault" Elena whispers. Cassandra glances at her. Whilst it was Bonnie's choice, that doesn't mean Cassandra doesn't feel bad about it.

"This was Klaus. Listen to me. Klaus did this" Stefan tells Elena softly. Just then, Damon arrives back, closing the door behind him. Elena sees him and gets up.

"What did you do with her?!" Elena snaps at him. Damon looks at Cassandra, wiggles his fingers.

"Will you please calm her down?" He asks. Elena points at Cassandra.

"Don't you dare use your powers on me" She warns and turns back to Damon. "And you don't talk like I'm not standing right in front of you" She pokes at his chest, Damon looks down at her finger. "You knew! Didn't you? You knew that if she harnessed all that power, that she would die, didn't you?" Elena snaps and then seems to realise. She turns on Cassandra. "So did you" She accuses. "You and him...." Elena moves closer to Cassandra. "You keep saying you're connected. So you knew too" Cassandra swallows a little. She knows this blowback is going to be bad.

"Yeah" Cassandra answers. "I knew" Elena slaps her. Damon takes a step to defend her but Cassandra holds out her hand to stop him. Cassandra licks her lips and lifts her head to look at Elena. "You need to listen to me, Elena...Bonnie had to die. Klaus using Alaric's body was a total surprise and a dick move. She wasn't prepared for that. And he wasn't going to stop, and we weren't going to be able to stop him until he knew she was dead. He had to believe it" Elena frowns at her sister. "She cast a spell. Bonnie's okay" She assures Elena who blinks a little.

"What?" Elena whispers.

"Bonnie's fine" Cassandra adds. "She's absolutely fine" Elena stares at Cassandra who then shrugs and leaves, heading upstairs. Elena turns to Stefan who turns a look on Damon. Damon taps his fingers on his arm, turns around and walks to the stairs to go after Cassandra. Stefan follows him.

"You know, you and Cassandra could have told me" Stefan scolds Damon.

"How do I know when you're going to go blabbing things to your girlfriend?" Damon asks.

"You tell Cassandra everything, how is that any different?"

"Because Cas takes a step back" Damon counters. "She thinks about everyone and then she lets people make their own choices instead of making them for them and works that into her plans"

"You understand what you put her through?" Stefan scolds.

"See, that's why I didn't tell you. 'Cause, you would have never been able to do it. Don't get me wrong, Stefan. I don't mind being the bad guy. I'll make all the life and death decisions while you're busy worrying about collateral damage. Cas understands that about me and she trusts me to do whatever it takes. And that's enough for me. I don't care about Elena but I know she does, so if Elena is saved by association, then fine, but she is not my main focus...Cas is...And I will do anything to save her. Anything" Damon then heads upstairs.

..........

Cassandra draws her fingers through her hair as she gets comfy in Damon's bed. He lingers in the doorway, watching her. He knows she is upset about Bonnie, despite her being alive. She is upset that Bonnie had to get hurt for this to happen. For her. For her and Elena. She hates the thought of anyone getting hurt, but she is a big believer in free will, and Bonnie could have said no and they would have dealt with it. With whatever would have happened.

"About Bonnie" Damon starts. "I urm..."

"It was your idea" She stops him. "I know..." She assures him. "I just voiced it"

"I know but..." He starts and then stops. "I could feel you weren't...100% behind it" He sits on the bed with her.

"Do I like the idea of Bonnie dying, even fake dying, for me?" She asks. "No" She whispers. "I will never be happy with any of you dying for me..." She adds. "But I was no state to fight and to fight him in Ric's body, no...no, I couldn't have done that. Faux sacrificing Bonnie, was the best play we had, and I hated that" He reaches up and brushes his hand over her cheek. "I hated that hurting her was the best thing we could do, the only thing we could do to get in front of him. But it was her choice and that's what she chose, so...I accept it"

"Cas, look..." He lets out a sigh. "If it comes down to you and the witch, if it comes down to you...and anyone.....I will always choose you. Each and every single time...it'll be you"

"I know" She whispers. "It's why I trust you with my life...because you actually...will do whatever it takes to save me even...the dark stuff" He nods. "Even when my own sister will sell my soul to the big bad" He hums a little, can see why she feels that way.

"We should be celebrating not crying" He clears her cheeks of tears. "We may have faux killed the witch, but we did get one up on Klaus" He kisses her forehead and stands from the bed, turns to leave the room. "And I still have no champagne" He complains, realising that he hasn't had a chance to restock.

"Lucky for you...I do" He turns and finds that Cassandra is holding a bottle of champagne in one hand and two glasses in her other. Little wisps of red mist disappearing around them.

"Where did you pull that from?" He asks her with a smirk which falls when her nose bleeds and her eyes flutter. "Okay" He hurries onto the bed and grabs the glasses and bottle from her, because she is about ready to pass out and that's not going to be comfy if she lands on them. He sets them on the side and then cups her face gently. "Bonnie said you'll be wiped for days" He reminds her. "Maybe let's cool it on the powers for now" She hums in agreement and closes her eyes. "Guess I'm drinking all that champagne on my own"

"Nap first" She whispers, pulling him closer, he chuckles and nuzzles into her neck, getting comfy against her, his lips brushing over her neck with a soft sigh. A nap does sound pretty good.

........

Elena goes into the basement, opens the cellar, looks at Elijah's body and removes the dagger. She sits down next to the body to wait.