11. By The Light Of The Moon

"You trapped her in the house?" Stefan asked Damon and Aria in shock.

"Stefan trust me, it was for the best" Aria said.

"Aria's right, Elena's on a martyr tear that rivals your greatest hit" Damon said, "And let's not forget, if Klaus gets to know about your girlfriend's existence, then he will get to know of my girlfriend's existence, something I'm not willing to risk, plus you should be glad the witch and I are getting along".

"We brought you some things" Aria said, handing Stefan a bag, "It's got some candles, lanterns and some blood to stop your from desiccating".

"Give that to me, I'm just gonna have to share it with her" Stefan said, gesturing to Katherine, who was eavesdropping on the trio's conversation.

"I could knock her out with my magic" Aria suggested, glaring at Katherine.

"Rude" Katherine commented, "You know, you three are surprisingly calm considering Klaus will hunt you down and kill you if you mess with his little plan".

"I've been dead before, I got over it" Damon mocked.

"And I'm already dying, so I really don't care" Aria said, giving Katherine a mock smile, she then turned to Stefan, "While Bonnie's trying to deal with the moonstone, I'm going to find a way to get you out of here".

"Ah, don't worry about me" Stefan assured, "Just make sure your safe Aria".

Aria gave Stefan a small smile, "With two Salvatore's by my side, how can I ever be unsafe?".

Both Stefan and Damon chuckled, and Damon forwarded his hand for Aria, "Shall we?".

Aria nodded and placed her hand in Damon's, and after giving Stefan one last glance, the couple left the tomb.

***

Damon and Aria entered the Gilbert household, to see a sulking Elena sitting on the couch.

"You should really lock your door" Damon commented, Elena didn't say anything, simply ignored Damon, "Oh, come on pouty, least give me two points for ingenuity".

"How come you didn't trap Aria in the house as well?" Elena snapped, "Klaus is also coming for her".

"Because unlike you, I have no wish to hand myself over to Klaus" Aria replied.

Elena glared at Damon and Aria, both of them had amused expressions on their faces, they were enjoying this way too much, "Do you both think this is funny?".

"Yes, Elena" Aria said, "I find it so funny the lengths people go to save your life, yet you stay so ungrateful".

Elena scoffed, "What did Stefan say about this?".

"We had a good laugh" Damon replied.

"And what did he say about Elijah still being alive?" Elena asked.

"Yeah, that" Damon said, as Aria sat down next to Elena, "We didn't tell him".

"Why not?" Elena asked confused.

"Well, A, he can't do anything about it, and B, what I just said" Damon replied, "Uh, where's Bonnie?".

"I thought she was meeting you guys" Jeremy said, entering the living room.

"No she's on moonstone duty" Damon said, "And me and Aria are on Elena patrol".

"Then who's on Tyler Lockwood and the full moon?" Jeremy asked.

"Vampire Barbie asked me if she could handle it" Damon replied, "I said, why not? If she screwed up, he'd bite her, then I'll be rid of two of my problems".

Aria lightly slapped Damon's arm, "Caroline isn't going to screw up, have some faith in her".

"Hold on a second, tonight's the full moon?" Elena asked, just as Damon's phone started ringing.

"Yeah, but you were too absorbed with sacrificing yourself to notice" Aria answered, as Damon went to answer his phone.

After a moment, Damon came back to the living room, "Change of plans, Jeremy you babysit", Damon grabbed Aria's hand and helped her stand up, while Jeremy took Aria's spot and placed his head on Elena's lap, "Me and Aria have some business to take care of, hey Elena, you know, you should get out, enjoy the sun, oh wait, you can't".

Elena threw a pillow at Damon, which he easily dodged, making both Jeremy and Aria laugh, causing Elena to push Jeremy to the floor.

***

Damon and Aria arrived at the Grill, both of them went over to Alaric, to see him staring at a woman who was talking to Matt about Tyler's whereabouts.

"Hmm, Mason's mystery woman" Damon said.

"Yeah, where is Mason anyway?" Alaric asked.

"Decomposing in his truck" Damon replied, causing Aria to look down at her shoes, her guilt about Mason was still very much there, and she didn't think it was going away anytime soon, specially not if people kept bringing him up.

"So you guys think she's a werewolf?" Alaric asked curiously.

"Let's hope not" Aria replied, "It is a full moon tonight afterall".

"We should definitely find out" Damon said, pulling out something from his pocket, something Aria was very familiar with.

"Damon, no" Aria warned, "This is a bad idea, did you not listen to me when I said it's a full moon tonight, if she is a werewolf, she's going to kill you".

"Relax Ria" Damon said, "It's just a small test, nothing will happen to me".

"What is that anyways?" Alaric asked, taking the packet from Damon.

"Wolfsbane" Damon answered.

***

A drunk Alaric went over and sat next to Jules, the woman who was asking questions about Mason Lockwood, "Well, hello" Alaric said, drunkenly, "Can I have a Scotch and whatever this beautiful woman is drinking?".

"Oh, no, one's my limit" Jules said.

"Oh, come on, it's not like I'm a freak" Alaric said, "Just being friendly to somebody who's new to town".

"Okay, if you insist" Jules said, finally giving in, "How do you know I'm new?".

"Because I've never seen you here before" Alaric replied, "And I am here every night".

"Excuse me, is this guy bothering you?" Damon asked, sitting next to Jules, while Aria sat next to Alaric.

"I am not bothering anybody" Alaric denied.

Aria patted Alaric's shoulder, "Sure, whatever you say buddy".

"Perfect, well, do it elsewhere" Damon said, just as the bartender placed down the drinks, "Don't worry, he's harmless, he's sort of a--The town drunk", while Damon was distracting Jules, Aria carefully spiked her drink with wolfsbane, "And when we get tired of him, we just put him in a cab and send him back to wherever he came from".

"Please don't talk about me like I'm not here" Alaric said, placing Jules drink infront of her.

"Why are you here again?" Aria asked.

Alaric ignored Aria and instead drank his drink, "Thank you for the drink" Jules said, lifting her drink up.

Alaric nodded and with that both Alaric and Aria got up and sat away from Damon and Jules, hoping whatever Damon does, it doesn't land him in trouble, because they already had enough of that.

***

"There's a B & B down the road and a motel off I-9" Damon told Jules, "But you know if you ask me, I think it's kind of a mistake".

"No frills is fine" Jules said, "I'm just here for the night, it's a long story, looking for my friend".

"Oh, who?" Damon asked, pretending to be oblivious.

"Mason Lockwood" Jules revealed.

"I know Mason" Damon informed.

"You do?" Jules asked.

"Yeah, he's a great guy" Damon replied.

"He's missing" Jules informed.

"What do you mean? Like, I mean, missing, missing?" Damon asked.

"How do you know Mason?" Jules asked curiously.

"Friend of friends" Damon replied, he lifted his drink up but Jules made no effort in doing so the same, causing Damon to look towards Alaric and Aria, annoyed.

Aria got up help Damon out, when suddenly her phone started ringing.

"Hello" Aria answered.

"Aria" Elena said, in a slightly panicked voice, "You need to get home, now".

***

After Elena's call, Aria told Alaric to inform Damon that something urgent had come up and she had to go back home, and also to tell him not to worry as she will okay.

Aria quickly opened the front door and ran upstairs towards Elena's room, despite them being on severe odds, Aria couldn't help but be immensely worried for the oldest Gilbert.

"Elena!" Aria yelled, barging into Elena's room, only to see her sitting on her bed, with her head in her hands, in her worry for Elena, Aria completely missed someone standing in the corner of the room, looking at Aria with a small smile on his face, "Is everything okay, why did you call me in such a panicked voice?".

"Hello, Ariana" Elijah greeted, finally letting his presence known to Aria.

"Elijah" Aria whispered shocked.

"Elijah wanted to talk to both of us, that's why he made me call you" Elena informed, confused with Elijah calling Aria, Ariana.

"Why?" Aria asked Elijah.

"Forgive the intrusion" Elijah said, "I mean your family no harm".

"Why'd you kill those vampires when they tried to take me and Aria?" Elena asked.

"Because I didn't want you both to be taken, specially not Ariana" Elijah answered.

"How did I know?" Aria whispered, "How did I know you were alive this whole time?".

Elijah smiled at Aria, while Elena looked at her in shock, wondering how she could have hid this from her, "All in right's time, my dear Ariana, right now, we have other pressing matters to discuss".

"Like Klaus?" Aria asked.

Elijah nodded, "Klaus is the most feared and hated of the originals, but those that fear him are desperate for his approval, word gets out the doppelganger and Connor witch exists, there'll be a line of vampires eager to take you both to him, and I can't have that".

"Isn't that exactly what you're trying to do?" Elena asked.

"Let's just say my goal is not to break the curse" Elijah answered.

"Then, what exactly is your goal?" Aria asked.

"Klaus's obsessions have made him paranoid" Elijah replied, "He's a recluse, he trusts only those in his immediate circle".

"Someone like you?" Aria asked.

"Not anymore" Elijah replied, shaking his head.

"You don't know where he is, do you?" Elena realised, "So you're trying to use me and Aria to draw him out".

"Ariana, not so much, you, maybe" Elijah replied, confusing both the girls, "And to do that, I need you stay put, stop trying to get yourself killed, stop trying to get Ariana killed".

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" Elena asked, slightly unsure.

"Well, if I wasn't truthful, all your family would be dead and I'd be taking you to Klaus right now" Elijah answered, "And Ariana, you always knew when I'm lying, do you think I'm lying right now?".

Without even realising what she was doing, Aria shook her head, "No" she whispered, "You're not lying, but how do I know that?".

"I'll explain everything, when we don't have company" Elijah answered, knowing Aria was losing her mind with how well she felt like she knew Elijah, "Right now, I'm here to offer you both a deal".

"What kind of a deal?" Elena asked curiously.

"Do nothing" Elijah replied, "Do nothing, live your life, stop fighting, and then, when the time is right, we shall draw Klaus out, and I shall make certain your friends remain unharmed".

"And then what?" Elena asked.

"Then I kill him" Elijah replied, looking at Aria's face for her reaction.

As soon as Aria heard those words come out of Elijah's mouth, her heart dropped, she doesn't know why but Klaus dying, didn't sit well with her.

"Just like that?" Elena asked.

"Just like that" Elijah replied, "I'm a man of my word Elena, I make a deal, I keep a deal".

"How are you going to make sure everybody we care about stays safe?" Aria asked.

"I have some friends, who have similar gift as you Ariana" Elijah replied, "The gift of magic".

"You know witches" Elena realised, not even surprised.

"And together, we can protect everybody that matters to you both" Elijah said, "So do we have a deal?".

"I will accept your deal" Aria said, "But before I do, you need to prove you mean what you said".

"We're negotiating now?" Elijah asked amused, expecting nothing less from Aria.

"Yes" Aria replied, "We are".

***

Damon entered the Boarding House, looking around and making sure no one had sneaked into his house. Damon's plan to expose Jules had failed, as it turns out, she knew what Damon was and what he was trying to do, and she told Damon that he was now marked, worrying Damon.

Damon wasn't worried for himself, he was worried for Aria, who has been recently spending every night at the Boarding House, Damon tried calling Aria to tell her not to come to the house tonight, but she didn't pick up, at first Damon got really worried, he thought Jules went after Aria, since she mentioned going after the girl who spiked her drink, but then Aria messaged him, letting him know that she was okay and will meet him at the house, which is why Damon was making sure the house was safe, he couldn't risk Aria getting hurt because of his stupidity.

Damon walked over to the living room, where he saw Rose waiting for him.

"Just can't stay away, can you?" Damon asked.

"Well, you or Aria didn't answer your phone" Rose replied, though Aria had texted her, letting her know she was busy and she would call her later, she also told Rose to come back home as she wasn't angry with her and she understood why she ran.

"What do you want?" Damon asked.

"I wanted to apologise" Rose admitted.

"Just admit it" Damon snapped, "You don't have anywhere else to go".

"I'm sorry I let Elena try to hand Aria over to Klaus" Rose said, with genuine regret in her voice, she would never intentionally hurt the Connor witch, specially since she was the reason Rose was walking in the sun after 500 years, "I wasn't thinking straight, I didn't know Elena had a death wish and was planning to take Aria down with her, after everything Aria did for me, I would never want her to die, I'm sorry Damon, and yeah, I have nowhere else to go, Aria said I could come back here".

"Of course she did" Damon whispered, he then turned to Rose, "There's nothing here for you, Rose".

Before Rose could reply, both her and Damon heard Aria's yell.

"Damon!" Aria yelled, running into the room where both the vampires were.

"Aria" Damon said, looking at Aria in worry, "What's wrong?".

Aria gave Damon a huge smile and ran into his arms, catching him off guard but nonetheless he wrapped his arms around her.

"Not that I mind this, but may I ask, why this sudden hug?" Damon asked.

"Stefan's coming home" Aria said excitedly.

Damon looked at Aria in confusion, but before he could ask any questions, the trio heard glass breaking in the other room, confusing them.

"Stay behind me" Damon ordered Aria, he had an idea of who was here and he didn't want Aria to get hurt.

Aria nodded and with that the trio went towards the noise, reaching the room, they saw the window broken and glass everywhere, Damon quickly grabbed a sword from the wall, when all of them heard a wolf snarl, but no sign of the wolf.

Suddenly, Rose's eyes landed behind Aria where she saw a wolf about to attack the young witch, "Aria!" Rose yelled, pushing Aria into Damon, causing both of them to fall to the ground, while the wolf attacked Rose instead, Rose tried fighting the wolf but she wasn't strong enough and the wolf ended up biting her shoulder, cause her to let out a loud yell.

Damon quickly stood up and stabbed the wolf in the stomach, causing it to run away.

"Rose" Aria whispered, kneeling infront of the 500 year vampire and examining the werewolf bite, "Why did you push me away?".

"I had to repay you for everything you did for me" Rose cried.

"No" Aria cried, shaking her head, "You can't die, not like this".

"How bad is it?" Damon asked, looking at Rose's bite.

"It hurts" Rose admitted.

"Oh my god" Aria whispered, looking at the bite, the bite that was now healing, "It's healing".

"Oh, my god" Rose cried, grateful that she wasn't dying, "I thought a werewolf bite was fatal, I thought--".

"It's not though" Aria said, with happy tears in her eyes, "It's not fatal, you're not dying".

Aria hugged Rose and both the girls sobbed into the hug, it was stupid how close they have gotten in such a short time, while Damon rubbed Rose's back and looked at the scene infront of him with a small smile on his face, Rose wasn't just Aria's friend, she was also Damon's friend, and Damon was glad they weren't losing her.

"You're gonna be okay" Damon whispered.

***

Stefan sat in the tomb, with his eyes closed, trying his best to ignore Katherine and not let her get into his head, something she had previously done.

"Are we seriously not gonna talk at all?" Katherine asked, Stefan's silence frustrating her.

"No, we can talk about how you regret all you've done to make my life miserable" Stefan said sarcastically.

"What do you want me to say, Stefan?" Katherine asked, "That I'm sorry for everything that I've done? Well, I'm not, okay? It's called self preservation, I've been looking out for myself for 500 years".

Stefan chuckled, "Wow, look where it's gotten you".

"Yes, I've done terrible things" Katherine said, "I know that, but I do love you Stefan, even if you don't believe it".

"You want me to believe you?" Stefan asked, "Show me, do something, prove to me that there's something inside of you that's actually worth trusting".

"And then what, huh?" Katherine asked, Stefan shrugged, "You're still gonna hate me".

"Well, maybe" Stefan replied, "Or maybe I'll see that there's still hope for you after all".

"You're playing me" Katherine realised.

"Am I?" Stefan asked.

"You wanna find Klaus?" Katherine asked, "Kill him so that you can protect your precious Elena, sorry I meant, your precious Aria".

"Let me guess, you know where he is" Stefan said, ignoring Katherine's words about Aria.

"No, I don't" Katherine confessed, "But I could help you find him".

"For a price, I'm sure" Stefan said.

"Start with Isobel, Elena's mother, Aria's aunt" Katherine said, "She was a research expert, she found me" Stefan gave Katherine a grateful nod, "You're welcome".

Before Stefan could reply, there was a huge thud on the entrance of the tomb, which caught the attention of the two vampires trapped in the tomb, Stefan quickly grabbed a lantern and both him and Katherine went to see what caused this, reaching the front of the tomb, Katherine gasped in fear, seeing Elijah standing infront of her, while Stefan looked confused, he thought Elijah was dead.

"Elijah" Katherine said, terrified.

"Good evening, Katerina" Elijah greeted, "Thank you for having the good sense to be frightened" Elijah turned to Stefan, "Your release has been requested".

"What? By who?" Stefan asked confused.

"The lovely Aria drives a hard bargain" Elijah replied, a small smile coming on his face when he talked about Aria, something missed by Stefan but not Katherine, "However, we've reached a peaceful agreement, her, me and Elena, please" Elijah gestured for Stefan to come out, "Come".

"I can't" Stefan replied, very apprehensive of believing Elijah.

"Yes, you can, I've had the spell lifted" Elijah informed.

Stefan slowly walked towards the exist of the tomb, still not believing Elijah had managed to remove the spell from the tomb, but to his shock, he manged to successfully leave the tomb.

Seeing Stefan leave, Katherine tried to run but Elijah stood in her way and started to compel her, "As for you, however, you shall not exist until I say so, when Klaus comes, he'll want to know exactly where you are" Elijah turned to Stefan, "You're free to go, Aria and Elena will explain the arrangement to you, I have no doubt that Aria will keep her word, but make sure so does Elena, if she keeps her word, I'll keep mine".

"Stefan, no, please, don't let him leave me in here" Katherine pleaded.

"Goodbye, Katherine" Stefan said, walking out of the tomb.

***

Aria sat in Stefan's bedroom, waiting for his arrival, while Damon was downstairs busy making Aria her favourite hot chocolate.

Aria looked at her watch in frustration, "Come on, where are you?".

"Aria".

Hearing her name, Aria looked up, to see Stefan Salvatore standing infront of her.

"Stefan", Aria quickly got up from the bed and hugged Stefan, "Welcome back home Stefan".

"All thanks to you" Stefan whispered.

Aria broke the hug and smiled at Stefan, "I promised I would get you out of there, didn't I?".

"Yes you did" Stefan smiled, "But does Damon know, what you did to free me?".

Aria sighed, "No, I tried to tell him, but then we had a bit of a wolf problem, but I'll go tell him now".

"Wolf problem?" Stefan asked confused.

"Long story" Aria replied, "Right now, you need to go meet Elena, while I tell Damon about Elijah and my deal".

***

"You did what?!" Damon asked shocked.

After Stefan left to meet Elena, Aria went downstairs to talk to Damon about Elijah.

"Damon, before you explode, would you just listen to me for a second?" Aria asked.

"Oh please, do tell Aria, what were you thinking when you decided to make a deal with an Original?" Damon asked.

"I trust him Damon" Aria whispered, "And I know you don't trust him, you have every reason to not trust him, but I need you to trust me, I don't know what Elijah's plan for Elena is, but I know for a fact, Elijah isn't going to hurt me, instead I think he might be our only chance at saving me and Elena from Klaus".

"Why do you trust him so much?" Damon asked frustrated.

"Because, in my past life, I don't think Elijah was just Kol's brother, I think he meant something to me, I think I meant something to him" Aria said, "I think we were family Damon".

Damon opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, a panicked Rose ran into the living.

"Aria, Damon, we have a problem" Rose said, extremely panicked.

"What is it Rose?" Aria asked concerned.

Rose turned around and showed the couple the back of her shoulder, "The bite" Rose whispered.

"It didn't heal" Aria said shocked.

"Instead it got infected" Damon said, equally as shocked.

***

Thank you so so so much for 11K reads, means the world to me and I can never express in words how grateful I am to everyone who decided this book was worth it.

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