Her eyes flutter open to rays of light. Heart in pieces and numb. Covered by a thick comforter. That fails to warm the cold deep in her soul. Gwen stares at the ceiling. Only switching focus when the door opens. Stefan Salvatore enters. Warm eyes full of sympathy. He joins Gwen on the bed.

A question falling from his lips, "How are you doing?"

A huff escapes Gwen, "I don't even know anymore."

"What happened? What did they do to you?"

"The ghost of my ancestor Sam Jordan,the one who created the crystal. He showed me all the life it took and denied to give back. Person after person driven to weeping masses. Because it can't give them what they want, what I want, It can't restore life. "

Damon's voice warms Gwen's heart despite his doubtful tone, "Stupid ghost is probably lying."

"My magic forces a ghost to speak or show only truth. Trust me it's been tested again and again if they can lie. Not a fun experience from what I've heard and seen," Gwen switches her gaze back to Stefan. The sympathy shining in his, digs into her vulnerable heart, "It hurts so much more than the night they died. Is that even possible?"

"Maybe because you are accepting they are gone."

Gwen can't deny his words. With her hope gone. Nothing is left to block the pain of saying goodbye. Stefan pulls Gwen to him. Offering a comforting hug. Her chin testing on Stefan's shoulder. Yet it's Damon's eyes that offer comfort. Her gaze locking with his. Finding a fierce promise. A promise to pick her up. To rebuild what was broken. To not run away from her. A promise to help Gwen find a reason to keep living.

Stefan pulls away, "We are having a meeting with Elijah, if you want to join."

Damon halts her reply, "Yup going to team up with the enemy and hope he doesn't screw us over."

Stefan, "Klaus is his brother and I believe angry with Klaus."

Gwen interrupts their conversation. Part in hopes to defuse a potential fight, "I'll join."

Stefan leaves with a nod. Damon only lingers a moment longer before pushing off the door frame to follow. Gwen jumps up from the bed. Hand quickly grabbing Damon's in a loose grip.

"Thank you, for calming me down last night."

Damon shows a sign of being uncomfortable, "No problem, my shoulders always free if you need one to cry on."

With one simple joke, Damon eases the weight off Gwen's shoulders. Mending a few pieces of her heart. With a nod Gwen heads for the stairs. Walking side by side with Damon in comfortable silence. Until they reach them, Gwen heads down first. Damon only two steps behind her. Elena quickly wraps her arms around Gwen.

Releasing a sigh of relief, voice full of it, "I'm glad we found you."

"Me too," Gwen admits, the warmth and love surrounding her easing the pain.

"Stefan told me what happened and all of us are here if you ever need to talk," Elena pulls away fingers running through her hair. Knowing no amount of sorry can heal Gwen's pain.

Needing to think of other things, Gwen switches topics, " How is your aunt?"

"Okay, hidden in a guest room most of the time."

A cough interrupts them, drawing everyone's attention to Elijah. Who stands in front of the fire place, " Tonight is the full moon. We should assume that Klaus is prepared to break the curse. He is a vampire born of a werewolf bloodline. The curse has kept his werewolf aspect from manifesting. But if he breaks it...He'll be a true hybrid."

"Why not let Bonnie kill him today?" Damon questions earning glares from both Stefan and Elena.

"No she would die from using that much power," Elena informs him.

A desire to help prompts Gwen to speak, "What if I help her and weaken him a with a powerful curse."

Damon quickly shoots it's down irritation clear in his voice, "Not an option."

"I don't want to risk anyone's life," Elena gives Gwen a small smile.

"We stick to my plan," Elijah voice leaves no room for argument, "The Bennett witch while weaken Klaus to point of near death and then I will finish him off," His eyes slide over to Gwen, "I will take your offer of helping weaken Klaus with a curse," Elijah cuts off Damon's protest without pause, "The ritual itself is relatively straightforward. A witch will channel the power of the full moon to release the spell that's bound within the stone. After that, Klaus, being both werewolf and vampire, will sacrifice one of each," he takes a wooden box from the fireplace mantel, "Klaus must drink the blood of the doppelganger...to the point of your death."

Elena shallows, hand taking a hold of Stefan. Who gives it a reassuring squeeze. Opening the box Elijah revealed a jar full of black liquid.

"And that's where you come in," Elena reminds Elijah.

Elijah nods, " This is an elixir that I acquired some 500 years ago for Katerina. It possesses mystical properties of resuscitation."

" So I'll be dead?"

"And then you won't," Elijah reassures her.

Damon scoffs, "That's your plan? A magical witch potion with no expiration date?, "He looks at Elena, " You want to come back to life, what about John's ring?.

Elijah sighs, "Those rings only work on humans. The doppelgänger's a supernatural occurrence. Odds are, the ring won't work."

"So don't put your trust and hope in that potion," Gwen eyes sweep over everyone. Lingering on Damon's before landing on Elena's, voice confident, "Trust me, I will bring you back."

Stefan, eyes shining with concern, questions Gwen, "Can you do both? Help Bonnie and bring Elena back without being in danger yourself of dying?"

Gwen's gut screams no, recalling her first try at cursing Klaus. How quickly it drained her and barely affected him. Plus to bring someone back cost more than when cursing someone.

Keep the curse small and dig deep into my magic. Pour every bit of it into Elena.

"Yes, I will just be carefully while helping Bonnie," Gwen keeps her doubt hidden, "It will work out and Klaus will be the only one dead."

"Okay," Stefan nods.

Elijah puts the jar away, "Now that is decided, here is the final part of the ritual. To fully break the curse, Klaus must spill what was used to seal it, blood from a necromancers heart.

Gwen stiffens, that is great.

"It would not hurt to assume my brother already brought a Wiccan with him, or a vampire and werewolf. Considering he has waited so long to break this curse," Klaus points out.

Gwen can't help but hope Elijah is right. Still Gwen takes out her phone. Typing a quick text,

Klaus might be on the hunt for a Wiccan. Be careful or come to the Salvatore boarding house. Safer option then being along.

Clicking on Trent's number Gwen hits send.

"Best to stay inside until we attack," Stefan suggest.

Gwen agrees, "Yeah."

●Damon●

Jaw clenched shut and body tense, Damon leaves. Picking up a bottle of scotch on the way out. Hoping to drown out the fury in his veins. While breathing in fresh air in their backyard. Within seconds Stefan joins him.

"Breakfast of champions, huh," Stefan remarks, closely watching his brother.

Damon snorts, "I'm surrounded by idiots. I need all the help I can get."

"You know, you're not helping."

"Elijah is an original vampire, Stefan. One we tried to kill. You're going to put our lives at risk and believe this guy?"

I won't, I will not put Gwen's life in danger again by trusting another vampire.

"What else is there to do Damon?" Stefan sighs, "Elena has made a decision and I'm going to put my faith in her."

"Why? So she can get someone else killed instead."

For a moment Stefan stays silent. Watching his brother's eyes flickering with desperation. Until a name, the answer to why, pops into his mind.

Stefan tries to reassure Damon, "Gwen understands better than any of us how her magic works. I trust her to know the limit to what she can do."

I don't, not now, not after seeing the doubt in her eyes. When she hesitated to answer. Not after learning about the crystal's true power.

Jenna's panicked voice, "Get out!" halts father conversation. Both brothers run inside joined by Elena, Gwen and Klaus. Merging together at the front door. Where Jenna aims a crossbow at a pale Alaric.

Who desperately tries to reason with her, "Jenna, Jenna! put the crossbow down."

Jenna doesn't budge, "Stay away from me."

"It's me," Alaric eyes plead with them to believe it's the truth, "He let me go, Klaus let me go."

"How do we know you are telling the truth?" Gwen asks.

At the same moment Damon demands, "Prove it."

Alaric shifts his gaze back to Jenna, "Okay, uh, first night you and I spent together, Jeremy walked in right when I was about to..."

Jenna lowers the crossbow, " Okay, it's him."

"Why did he let you go?" Stefan asks.

Alaric eyes travel over every face, "He wanted me to deliver a message. The sacrifice happens tonight."

No one moves or speaks, as if an invisible weight anchors them down. Damon's eyes fall on Gwen. A strong urge to lock her in a room. Away from those willing to risk her life, claws at his heart. Silently Damon leaves, heading to the safety of his room.

●Gwen●

Her eyes follow Damon's retreating back. Not failing to notice his tense posture. What is he so angry about?

She half halfheartedly listens to Stefan question Alaric, "So you don't remember anything that happened?

"No. It's like I blacked out and woke up three days later. Katherine was there," Alaric responds.

"She's under compulsion. Damon gave her some vervain, but it will take awhile. As of right nowshe can't leave until Klaus tells her she can.," Stefan responds.

Saving Stefan's drop of information, in case it's needed later. Gwen heads for the stairs determined to find out why Damon is upset. Casually Gwen makes her way to his room. Finding it open and him staring out the window. Gwen leans on the door frame. Waiting patiently for Damon to acknowledge her presence.

Without turning around Damon addresses Gwen, "Why are you not plotting your life away with the others."

Ignoring the bitter tone she responds, "Think all plotting is already done now, plan being decided and all," Is he scared for me, stressed or both? Unsure Gwen walks to him, placing a hand on his arm. His eyes meet hers. A mass of light blue struggling to keep emotions locked away, "I'm going to be alright."

He snorts at her, "Yeah, is that why you hesitated to answer? Or doubted yourself for a second?"

Gwen is taken back, Am I that easy to read or does he pay more attention then I realized?

"Yes," Gwen keeps her voice stern, " "I will be fine, Elena will be fine, Bonnie will be fine and Klaus will be dead. "

"They can do it without you,"

"Why? Why should I stand back, do nothing. When there is this power inside me that can help another."

"Because it could kill you!"

"So what," Gwen breaths in deep, mind searching for the right words, "I'm not wasting more time worrying about being safe, if I have enough power to bring someone back," Not again, never again will I second guess my magic, "I can and will make sure Elena gets a second chance at this life, now, no waiting."

Like I should have done for my family.

"What if I don't let you."

Gwen huffs, "Let's not be childish. The potion could be useless, but I'm a guarantee. Freshly dead are easy not like months of being dead."

Or bones void of any flesh.

In a blink Damon stands a breath away from Gwen. Eyes unguarded, letting fear swirl in his blue sky. Leaving Gwen speechless, heart beating faster. Invisible butterflies fluttering around inside.

Damon breaks the silence with a low but stern voice, "Screw all of this, it's not worth risking your life."

"That's not for you to decide," Damon's eyes harden at her words, "I'm going to help take Klaus down and bring Elena back."

Damon stays silent as Gwen steps back. Only sharing his gaze a minute longer. Before quickly retreating out of his room. Finding her old temporary room. The bed still made, ready for her to use again. Gwen crawls onto it. Crossing her legs over each other, knees bent. Letting hand rest on her knees open palm up. Eyes closed Gwen sits Indian style breathing in deep and releasing. Calming her nerves and mind.

I apologize a thousand times over for the long wait. We are close to the end for book one of Gwen's story. Already have the remaining chapters written. So now it is just posting every Friday. Also fair warning some these might be a littler long.

Just wanted to say thank you for every one who reads this story, hope you have enjoyed it.