(1) The Phoenix (D. Salvatore)

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty

At the Salvatore Boarding House, Bonnie is pacing while Damon is sitting on the couch next to Daphne who has her legs stretched across his, his fingers toying with the bottom of her skirt. They are waiting on Abby. Daphne thought Bonnie would have a better shot at persuading her mother to hand over the spell that they need. Damon glances at the clock. It's almost midday.

"Well, this is promising" Damon complains and sets his head back against the back of the couch, his fingers dancing up the inside of Daphne's thigh, she smacks at his hand and he smirks.

"Relax, Abby will be here" Bonnie assures them.

"I'm sorry, I forgot about her stellar track record in the dependability department" Damon grumbles under his breath. Bonnie shoots an annoyed and scolding look at Damon.

"Jamie said she was coming, okay. Just give her time" The bell rings. Bonnie goes to answer the door as Damon and Daphne push themselves up to their feet.

"Don't get your hopes up! Might be a Girl Scout" Damon teases as he pulls Daphne closer to him, nuzzling into her neck, drawing his teeth across her flesh. She pinches his side to get him to behave himself. He chuckles and leans away from her just as Abby and Bonnie walk into the room.

"What is this about?" Abby asks, glancing between the three of them.

"We called you here because Daph and I need help with a spell" Bonnie answers. "Esther created a vampire that can't be killed. Daph wants to desiccate him like you did to Mikael"

"Bonnie, it's too dangerous" Abby argues. "Your magic comes from the Earth. It's pure. This spell asks you to tap into dark places. Places of temptation....places you can't handle"

"You turned your back on me for sixteen years, you have no idea what I can handle" Bonnie scolds. Daphne smiles a little, proud of Bonnie for standing up for herself. She has come a long way since they were kids. Bonnie is a lot more confident and sure of herself.

"Gotta say I'm team witches on this one. How hard can it be to parch a vampire?" Damon asks.

"The spell allows you to stop a vampire's heart" Abby explains. "The blood will stop flowing and his body will desiccate"

"That's exactly what we want to do." Daphne comments.

"To stop a vampire's heart, you need to find a balance among the living" Abby answers and then turns to look at Bonnie. "Can you handle that?" Abby asks and Bonnie stares at her, unsure.

"What? What does that mean? Bonnie, I don't speak witch" Damon demands, noting the worried look on Bonnie's face.

"I have to stop a human heart" Bonnie answers.

"Oh!" Daphne suddenly shouts causing them all to jump. "Why didn't I think of this before?" She scolds herself, moving to where Damon had set her trunk, she flips the lid and digs around inside of it. "It might not even work on a vampire" She talks to herself. "I suppose I could add vervain" She muses to herself. "But altering it might...." She shakes her head, pacing slightly. "Be difficult to get him to drink it too..." Damon gives her a look. Confused.

"Daph" He scolds, she looks at him. "What are you talking about?"

"Draught of living death" She answers. Abby turns to her with a smile.

"Crafty" She offers. "And could possibly work....if brewed right"

"If it will even work on a vampire" Daphne counters. "I already tried the killing curse on his brother and he got up and walked away"

"You used the killing curse?" Abby asks, Daphne shrugs and nods.

"Yep," She answers. "I'm two for three on the unforgivable curses" She turns back to the trunk. "Hmm perhaps there is a way to put it into spell form" She whispers to herself.

"Perhaps we can do the desiccation spell with ancient magic" Abby counters, Daphne frowns and looks at her. "Dessicate him without the need of a human heart....your magic is different, Daphne, it doesn't rely on spirits or the balance of nature...it has non of the limits we have....if there is a way of doing this spell with your magic instead...."

"Then we don't have to kill anyone to do it" Bonnie realises.

"And you won't have to tap into dark magic" Abby adds, looking at her daughter. "Ancient witches draw their magic from inside of themselves, it is a part of them...as if it is their life force"

"How long will it take?" Damon asks. "To figure out this...spell" Daphne shrugs.

"Traditional to ancient spell conversion is rather simple" She explains. "In theory. But I've never had to do it myself" She adds and shrugs. "Give us an hour, if we can't figure it out by then, then we go back to the old version of the spell"

.....

"Hour's up, witches" Damon states as he moves towards where Daphne, Bonnie, and Abby are sitting, huddled around a large book. "What's it gonna be?" Daphne looks across at him.

"I can do the spell" She answers him.

"Are you sure?" He asks, she hums and nods. She's as sure about this as she is ever going to be. The basics of switching the spell were easy enough, but it's not like they can test it beforehand. They do not have that option. It is going to be a do-or-die spell.

"Call Stefan and Klaus" She adds. "It's still going to take all of you" Damon hums a little, digging around his pocket for his phone he types out a quick message to both Stefan and Klaus, calling them to the house. Bonnie stands from the floor and moves towards them, holding her phone in her hand.

"I just got this. It connects me to Caroline and Elena through our phones" Bonnie turns on the app and it locates Caroline and Elena. "They're in Alaric's classroom. You should go in from the south entrance"

"Digital locator spell" Damon teases, looking over the map on the phone. He hums a little. Just then, Klaus and Stefan enter the room, joining them.

"Look at this, one big, happy family" Klaus comments. Abby, Bonnie, and Daphne all glare at him. He just smirks at them. Daphne shakes her head and moves back to the table where she picks up three vials from where they were nestled against the open book.

"Drink this" She hands out a vial to each of them as she moves back towards them. "It's my blood. It bridges us all together so I can channel my magic through you, that you'll have the power to stop Alaric's heart. You need to make a physical connection to his bloodstream; a vein, artery, something connected to his heart" Damon drinks the vial without any hesitation, trusting Daphne on this matter.

"If one of us gets a clean shot, take it, the other two: hold him down" Stefan points out before he drinks the blood in the vial. Klaus looks down at the vial in his hand and purses his lips.

"Before we all walk through these doors, let's get on the same page, shall we?" He asks, brushing his thumb over the glass. "I was the one who created your vampire bloodline, therefore I am responsible for your lives and Tyler's life, and Caroline's life, should anything go wrong...." Klaus warns them.

"Or you're just lying to save your ass" Damon counters.

"I'm not lying. But go ahead, call my bluff, let the teacher kill me. You'll all be dead soon thereafter" Klaus drinks the blood and then hands the empty vial back to Daphne as she collects the others.

"Let's just get this over with, shall we?" Stefan asks, turning and walking away. Klaus follows after him. Damon lingers for a moment and glances at Daphne. He kisses her softly and then rests his forehead against hers. It's the first time in a while they've split up to do anything. It's a strange feeling. He's gotten so used to having her at this side that walking away feels wrong. She touches his stomach and then pushes. Encouraging him to go. He pulls away from her and then walks away. Daphne lets out a breath and then takes a deep one.

"Okay," She whispers and turns back to Bonnie and Abby. The three of them know that if this works, it might be the key to stopping other powerful vampires. Specifically, the Originals that have slipped through spells and strength so far.