Vulnerable § Klaus Mikaelson

51

edited chapter

Chapter 51: Tugging on my Heartstrings

{D. K}

         Thirty minutes had passed and Dakota used that time to paint her nails with a color she had lying around at the bottom of her purse. Damon was still knocked out cold and she was bored.

         After she finished admiring the —now dry—pretty blue color Damon groaned, his leg twitching and lifting up to allow proper blood circulation. "Wakey, wakey."

         "I'm going to kill him," Damon raised up, yelling loudly in pain as the sun rested on his skin, burning everything it touched.

         Dakota glanced down at his hand, not noticing earlier the absence of the necessary piece of equipment. "He took your ring?"

         "He's playing us," Damon rolled off the couch, his insides burning still as the last wave of the vervain filtered out of his system. "All this stalling, getting hybrids, taking my ring, add it up." With much effort, he finally stood to his feet, avoiding the sunspots that peeked form the open curtains. "Either he made a deal with Klaus, or he's compelled."

         "I doubt Klaus compelled him."

         "I bet you also doubted Klaus would get a bit more acquainted with vampire Barbie, but guess you were wrong."

         Dakota went quiet, not using her energy to hide the hurt that displayed across her features, and instantly Damon regretting taking out his frustrations on her. "Low blow, Damon." Dakota snatched up her purse, draping it around her shoulder like a satchel. "You can find another way to kill Connor, because I'm no longer helping you."

          "Stop," Damon groaned. "—he's dangerous."

          She averted her gaze to him for a quick second. "So am I."

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          Dakota crossed the street, and her ears picked up on Stefan's voice accompanied by Connors who was much more hostile. Underneath their voices, was the loud and steady beeping of the timer that connected to a bomb. Dakota thought quickly, finding a back door that led to the kitchen, she opened it and snuck her way to the door, seeing the scene better.

           Stefan sat crouched behind the low-rise wall that split the bar from the sitting area, his eyes wild as he worked on his toes. Behind him, Connor stood, a gun planted firmly between his hands, the weapon pointed at Jeremy Gilbert when was steeping on a land mine that remained hidden underneath the mat on the ground. A few feet behind, at the front door, Elena stood, her doe-like eyes staring worriedly at her brother while she thought of ways to sacrifice herself to save him.

            Words were exchanged, and all of a sudden, Connor was counting down, his finger tightening around the trigger. "One," He began counting, threatening the youngest Gilbert's life. "—two."

            Stefan got to his feet, revealing himself and becoming the new target of the black gun. At the chance of distraction, Elena used her speed to get to Connor, pushing him out of the way. Out of shock, he pulled the trigger, a bullet encasing itself in the stomach of Jeremy, causing ample amounts of blood to stain his shirt and spill through the creases of his fingers.

            While Elena and Connor fought on the ground, each taking turns gaining the upper hand and loosing them again, Stefan took the time to rescue Jeremy, effectively setting off the bomb.

            In the midst of everyone's confusion, Stefan nodded to Connor when he made eye contact. Taking action, she sped out, grabbing Connor and disappearing before Elena could see his absence. Recalling the map that she had briefly studied during Damon's happy nap, she guided he hunter down the tunnels of Mystic Falls, but she didn't make it far before running into the oldest Salvatore.

            "I underestimated you, Kota."

            "Another mistake on your behalf."

            Damon glanced at his hand that still lacked a daylight ring, but now it was covered in dried blood—his blood. "I just had to punch through a boiler room basement into a septic tank to get this stupid tunnel." His blue eyes traveled to Connor, growing wide with greed to kill. "But it'll be worth it."

            "You can't kill him," Stefan proclaimed, walking out from behind Dakota. "We're going to take him."

           "Like hell you are." Damon declines, growing angry very quickly. "I don't know what you're up to or what Klaus has over you, but even if I have to get through you, I'm going to kill him."

           Dakota stepped back, passing Connor over to Stefan. "No, your not."

           "Dakota, I pissed you off, I get that, but shouldn't that anger be used into a sabotage plan for Klaus, not me."

           Her mind was racing and her hands were twitching with fury. "Of course I do, but he has something I want."

           The two vampires were so angry, they barely hear Connor and Stefan run away. "Really, and what's that?"

           "It's none of your business."

           Damon growled in frustration, speeding to Dakota so quickly that their bodies made a shallow indent in the solid ground. They wrestled, Damon gaining the upper hand as his hand should through Dakota's chest, gripping her heart. It took none but five seconds for him to realize that even if he was on top, Dakota own hand was buried deep in his heart, holding onto the vital organ that could end a vampires life if taken away. "One move and we're both death," He groaned at the uncomfortable pain.

          Dakota despised the tight, constricted feeling she felt as Damon's fingers tightened around her heart. "Then let go."

          "Not until you tell me what it is that Klaus has, that you want bad enough to save Connor."

          Dakota cried out as Damon began pulling his hand out, her heart still in his clutch. "Connors tattoo, it has the key to a cure."

          The oldest Salvatore's face smoothed out and he pulled his hand out, leaving her heart in its rightful place. "What'd you just say? A cure, too what?"

          "A cure for vampirism. I haven't killed Klaus for sleeping with Caroline, because I want the cure."