(1) The Phoenix (D. Salvatore)

Chapter One Hundred and Fourteen

Daphne is still sitting on the ground when Stefan, Damon and Jeremy leave the school building, rushing out after the sisters and none of them are sure what they are going to find. Considering Jeremy's warning it could be anything. Stefan spots Daphne first.

"Daphne" Stefan moves to her as she pushes herself up to her feet. Damon and Jeremy are close behind them.

"Esther has Elena" She voices, brushing dirt and dust from her dress.

"Which way?" Stefan asks and Daphne points behind her as Damon looks over her, checking for injury, but she is starting to get really annoyed by how often, recently, she is getting her but kicked by this family. Stefan and Jeremy head off in the direction that Daphne points only for Stefan to suddenly stop, while Jeremy continues walking until he stops as he realises that Stefan is not following him. On the ground, there is a line of salt going around the school. Daphne and Damon move closer to find out what is happening. Daphne crouches and touches the salt.

"Salt" She whispers. "It's a boundary spell" She realises.

"We're trapped here," Damon adds and then lets out a sigh before he turns to Daphne. "Can you bring it down?"

"With time" She mumbles and looks at him. "She's more powerful than me"

"No, she's just older" Stefan corrects her. "It's different" She scoffs a little and shrugs. They are giving her way more credit than she deserves. Damon gives her a look.

"He's right" Damon agrees. "I've seen you use your magic for things that they don't have spells for" He points out. "And no nose bleeds when you do too much" She glances at him and he shrugs. "Just sounds like you get all the good stuff...."

"Wow, if you two are agreeing on something it must be true" She teases a little. Damon rolls his eyes fondly, a small smirk on his lips. Stefan turns to Jeremy.

"Find Bonnie," He tells the younger boy. "Tell her what happened. If we have two witches on this, it might be better" They all hear his meaning. That if Bonnie is helping then it might make Daphne feel better about things. If she has another witch to bounce ideas and plans off of. A way to appease her current feelings of inadequacy.

"I need a smoke" Daphne mumbles as she turns and walks away from the group. They mean well, but it is not making her feel better. It's just a reminder of her failures.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Damon asks her, she stops and glances back at him over her shoulder.

"No" She argues, sharply. "No" She repeats softer. "I just need...." She shakes her head and continues walking away. She needs a moment to herself. To think about this. She has to clear her head to work out what needs to be done. But she is not going to get her mind there with others hovering. It's going to be hard enough trying to persuade herself that she can do this, without them trying to do it too. It's not helping.

......

Around the side of the school, Daphne sits on the ground with a cigarette clasped between her fingers. She rests her head back against the wall and lets out a long breath. She knows why they are saying all these nice things to her, but it just does nothing to help her mood. All it does is place more pressure on her shoulders to get it right. She leans up when Klaus leaves the school, his phone pressed to his ear.

"Rebekah, call me back immediately! I only came to this ridiculous dance because you begged me to and now you're nowhere to be found" He hangs up and then slides his phone away, his eyes drifting down to the ground where he sees the salt, causing him to stop. "What is this?" He asks, annoyed and angry by being kept stuck in this miserable place. Daphne literally can't fault him on that.

"Your mother's back" Daphne states behind him, he turns and looks across at where she's sat on the ground. He moves towards her.

"And you are wallowing because?" He asks as he crouches in front of her.

"Because I can" She argues and the blows smoke into his face. He wafts his hand through it and gives her a small glare. "Because your family are getting on my tits" She adds. He chuckles a little and tilts his head.

"Welcome to the club" He offers, she narrows her eyes at him. "That is still no excuse for you to be sitting out here all on your own looking pitifully" He then pauses. "What?" He asks, noting the look on her face.

"You are being...almost....nice" She comments, completely surprised by this version of him. "It's confusing"

"You should be feeling joy" He comments, she turns a glare at him. "You did say that if we were on the same side, you would consider me a friend"

"Having the same enemy is not the same as being on the same side" She counters. "And that was before your brother...." He frowns at her.

"Kol?" He asks, and she nods. "He said you put up a fight; if I am honest, he sounded.....worried" He admits, she snorts. "I think you wounded his pride"

"That's what I was going for" She snarks. "His pride" She mumbles. He snorts, amused.

"I've met many of your kind" He reminds her. "The Dark Lord among them.....if there was one thing I took away from each of them, it is that they were always to be feared" He admits. "Your magic works differently; it isn't granted to you by nature or the spirits, it is a part of you, an extension of yourselves, it comes from a place deep inside of you. You are truer witches and wizards because of it. This wallowing is beneath you" He motions with his hand and then points a finger at her face. "This self-pity is beneath you" She slaps at his hand. "You are acting as if you are weak and insignificant" He moves his hand back. "My mother is old, true, she has time to learn spells that you likely haven't heard of, but you are an ancient witch, and I have seen your kind do wonders when backed into a corner" She glance at him and he raises an eyebrow at her in question.

"I think I like you better when you're cranky and homicidal," She tells him.

"I can try and kill you if that would make you feel better" He counters as he pushes himself up to stand. Daphne stubs out her cigarette on the ground next to her before he holds out his hand towards her.

"Not sure it would right now" She argues and takes his hand, he pulls her up to her feet.

"What did Kol do?" He asks her, keeping hold of her hand.

"What?" She counters and snorts. "He didn't tell you"

"He called to rant about you being tenacious and more....sturdy than he thought" He answers. "But I stopped listening" She smirks a little and glances up at him. He smirks back and shrugs. Her smirk falls and she sighs.

"He killed my friend," She tells him. "A house-elf that had served my family for centuries"

"Ah," Klaus offers. She knows he won't apologise on behalf of his brother because he knows that she won't accept it. Not that he would feel any remorse for those actions considering he would have done the same in Kol's place, and they both know that.

"Hey," Damon snaps as he walks towards them. Unnerved seeing Klaus with a hand on Daphne, even if it is a simple handhold. Which he is banking away to ask her about later. He's not sure what they would have to talk about, or why she would look so calm about it.

"Relax" Klaus defends, releasing Daphne's hand. "It seems your....fiery lover.....simply needed a pep talk from an enemy" He regards Daphne who rolls her eyes before she moves to Damon. He raises an eyebrow at her, asking her if she is okay. She nods, reassuring him that she really is fine. Klaus was actually rather pleasant. But she assumes that is because he thinks he needs her help to deal with his mother.

"Bonnie's waiting" Damon whispers to Daphne, she hums a little.

"Fine" She states and then taps her fingers on her arm. "But he's coming with us" She points out, nodding at Klaus who turns a smug look at Damon. Daphne walks away before Damon can ask or argue about it. He still tries to though, hurrying after her.

"What?" He asks, she glances at him.

"I have a spell, and he's going to help" She answers. Damon gives her a confused look back. Confused as to why she is even considering involving Klaus in this after everything that he and his family have done.