(1) The Phoenix (D. Salvatore)

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Two

Once Damon and Stefan leave with Tyler, Abby has left the two younger witches to their spells and has gone to take Jaime out of town, just in case. It is probably a smart move. Bonnie lingers close to her friend, watching her work. She's worried about what she saw when Daphne was casting that spell. Considering the warnings they had about doing the spell, she didn't think it would be so easy as to just having a different type of witch do it. she fears that there is a clause in the spell.

"What happened?" Bonnie asks Daphne as she redraws the marking on the floor. Daphne hums in question. "When you were doing that spell, what did you feel?" Daphne turns to look at her and raises an eyebrow. "I saw" Bonnie scolds a little. Daphne sighs.

"It felt...like there was a side-effect to the spell" Daphne answers, pushing herself to her feet. She is still slightly unsteady, but it is not as bad as it was. "Like I was being drained....."

"Of magic?" Bonnie asks, Daphne shrugs and then shakes her head.

"Of....everything" She whispers. "I think Abby was wrong about the spell needing a balance....even with my magic"

"You are saying it was...taking your magic from you?" Bonnie asks, more alarmed now.

"I'm saying that it was taking my life" Daphne counters. "I could feel it..."

"Daphne" Bonnie scolds as she moves towards her friend. "If this is going to kill you, then we find another way" Daphne shakes her head and smiles sadly at Bonnie.

"If it happens it happens" Daphne stops her. "I go out the way I choose; that's more than any of us can hope for right now"

"This would kill Elena and Jeremy, they have both lost so much already, I don't think they'll survive loosing you too" Bonnie takes Daphne's hand. "You can't do this"

"Bonnie" Daphne whispers softly. "Look at everything you've all been through. How many of you have died with no choice in how you go?" Daphne asks. "And with what I am...this way I know that you will be safe from me....Damon knows what to do with me once I'm gone, make sure he sticks to that, will you? For me?" Bonnie nods, tears in her eyes.

"If you can find a way around it" Bonnie tries. "A loophole or a spell, or a potion or something...." Daphne nods and squeezes her hand.

"Don't tell them you knew that it would happen" Daphne adds. "They don't need to know you knew"

"Okay" Bonnie's voice break before she lunges forward and hugs Daphne tightly. Daphne sighs softly and hugs her back.

"I have to get into place" Daphne whispers. "Before they reach Klaus" She pulls back from her friend, Bonnie nods, rubbing at her eyes as tears fall. If Daphne can see this through with some level of bravery, then Bonnie can too. Daphne sits in the centre of the markings and takes a deep breath.

......

In Klaus' Family Mansion, a nurse switches out a filled blood bag that is attached to Elena, who appears to be weakening with the blood loss. They should have expected Klaus to do something like this as soon as he could. But Elena knows that her friends and her family will be working towards helping her, she trusts them to help her. Klaus enters the room and moves towards where Elena is tied to a chair. She glances at him.

"What about your hybrids?" She asks. "You'll need more than this to create your army" Klaus takes one of the blood bags from the nurse and turns it around in his hand.

"These last few litres will have to suffice" Klaus answers. "You see, by attempting to kill us, my mother strengthened the bond between my siblings and I. I don't need hybrids. I have my family"