(1) The Phoenix (D. Salvatore)

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Seven

Outside of storage unit 1020, Damon leans his head against the wall, his hands clenched into fists at his side. He's not used to feeling this way. The pain gripping at his chest. The desire to cry is something he hasn't felt in years. He wasn't going to cry in front of Bonnie. But it chokes at his throat, stings at his eyes. He is going to cry. He closes his eyes, trying to fight it off. But it doesn't work. It's too much. Too painful. They had plans. He never makes plans. He never plans ahead for a future, but he wanted one with her. He wanted to spend however many years he could have at her side and she's gone before he's gotten even one year with her. He got no time with someone he was actually excited about being with. He hasn't felt this way since Katherine and that says everything because he knows now which is real, which is deeper, which is meaningful. And it wasn't Katherine. What he feels for Daphne, it's something more than anything he's ever felt for anyone before. And she's gone. Gone. He lashes out, and punches the wall, his fist going through the concrete, knuckles bleeding but he doesn't care. All of this has been for nothing if he gets nothing out of it at the end. They got rid of Klaus so that he and Daphne could be safe and happy and together and that's gone.

"Fuck" He complains, voice breaking. It's not fair. He turns and slides down the wall to sit on the floor, resting his arms over his knees as he stares at the wall ahead of him. He feels numb and emotional at the same time. He wants to scream and shout and cry and curl up into a ball. He never thought it would hurt this much to lose someone he loved. He thought he knew how it would feel. It was going to be a possibility, Daphne warned him as much, and he thought he would know how it felt, he's lost people before, he's felt loss before, but what he's feeling now. It's like all of that loss he's ever felt was nothing. He hangs his head and closes his eyes, curling his fingers into his palm just as Bonnie leaves the storage unit.

"It's done" She assures him, not looking at him, she feels like acknowledging his hurt will make things worse. Damon is a proud man and he's hurting. She feels bad about it. He clears his throat and nods.

"Good" He offers and lets out a breath. "I'll wait here for Rebekah"

"Damon" Bonnie starts because she feels like he's going to do something stupid. Daphne is gone and he feels like he has nothing. He might do something stupid and suicidal to put that right.

"Bonnie, don't" He stops her from saying anything else. "I'm not going to do anything stupid" He looks at her. He made Daphne a promise and he can't keep that if he dies before seeing to it that her body is safe from interference. Bonnie lets out a breath and then nods. Understanding. She then walks away, leaving him sitting there. Damon rests his head back against the wall. He knows he promised Daphne, but the idea of burying her in some cement hole feels terrible. Like she deserves better than that. She deserves better than all of it. He lets out a breath when his phone rings in his pocket. He really wants to ignore it, but circumstances won't let him. He pulls it from his pocket and then checks the caller-id. He rolls his eyes seeing Stefan's name flashing there. He isn't really in the mood to talk to any of them. Not knowing that they kept the truth from him. But he knows he has to keep focused and prove them wrong about why they didn't tell him. They think he's going to screw this up because of it. "Bonnie just left," Damon tells his brother as soon as he picks up. He's not in the mood for idle chit-chat. "Rebekah should be here soon to pick up the body"

"I've got Caroline and Elijah in place" Stefan adds. "Jeremy is gonna lead Alaric to us" Damon hums a little, but he doesn't really care anymore what happens.

"Bonnie told me about Daphne" He admits and Stefan is silent on the other end of the phone.

"Damon...." He breaks it. "I didn't know how to...." Stefan admits. "I'm sorry"

"Yeah," Damon whispers, agreeing. They are all going to be feeling this one for some time to come.

"Look, just as soon as we get the stake, hand over the coffin and get back here. Alaric's got half the police looking for Klaus' car" Stefan tells him.

"Will do" Damon mumbles. The elevator bell dings announcing its arrival. "Gotta go, the Original sister is here" Damon hangs up and then pushes himself up to his feet. "It's about time" He complains. But it's not Rebekah. Alaric comes up from behind Damon and grabs him in a chokehold.

"Where is Klaus?" Alaric demands.

"How did you find me?" Damon asks, considering that there was a plan in place, a plan that didn't involve Alaric finding him and Klaus' body here.

"Oh, you'd be amazed at how competent law enforcement is when it's not corrupted by vampires" Alaric answers. "Now, where is Klaus?"

"In a storage locker. There's only about a thousand of them, have at it" Damon mocks slightly. Alaric breaks his neck and drops him on the ground before he walks off to begin his search for Klaus' body.

....

Alaric breaks the locks off and opens the doors to several of the storage units. After not being able to find Klaus' body in any of them, he hears the elevator bell ding followed by Rebekah coming out of the elevator to meet Damon.

"Damon! Damon, where are you?" Alaric pulls out the white oak stake and begins to walk towards Rebekah's voice.

......

Rebekah roll her eyes when Damon doesn't answer her, believing this to be some joke, some way to screw with her. She sighs and shakes her head.

"Damon, this isn't funny" She walks down a row of storage units and is suddenly grabbed from behind by Damon, who covers her mouth so she won't scream. She pulls her back so they are hidden behind a unit.

"Rebekah. Shhhh" Damon warns.

.....

Alaric continues searching for Rebekah but stops in front of the storage unit 1020, he tilts his head as he looks at the lock of the unit, and finds that it has been broken off. He opens the unit door, but Klaus' casket is gone from the inside. He clenches his jaw before he stalks away. Annoyed.

.....

In another part of the warehouse, Rebekah and Damon are wheeling Klaus' casket to a car, but suddenly Alaric appears out of nowhere. He grabs Rebekah and slams her head against her car, then throws her to the ground. Damon rushes at Alaric but Alaric kicks him out of his way. Damon hits the ground with a groan, rolling to push himself to his feet again. Alaric opens the casket and pulls out the white oak stake. Klaus' eyes fly open. Rebekah rushes to get up.

"No!"

"No, don't!" Damon warns.

"No! No! No!" Alaric stakes Klaus in the heart. Klaus gasps. Damon grabs Rebekah so that she can't run to the casket as Klaus' body is set aflame. Damon's eyes are locked on Klaus as Rebekah continues to scream and cry. Alaric turns around to face them, pulling the stake from Klaus' body.

"Next," He tells them, his eyes on Rebekah.

"Rebekah, run. Run!" Damon pushes Rebekah towards the opposite direction and she rushes off. Damon rushes towards Alaric to distract him, but Alaric throws him to the ground and then advances on him. Damon lets out a breath and pushes himself up again. Alaric is going to be a tough fight.