I don't own The Vampire Diaries.
A/N: This is set after the episode Damon turns Abby and everything is AU.
The Solution
Chapter 1
Bonnie went to the witches' house to see if there was anything she could do. If anything could be done about Abby, the Originals – Klaus. She begged for their help with Caroline – Klaus felt betrayed and bit her so she was in the process of dying from a wolf bite.
"Bonnie." Emily Bennett's visage appeared in front of her and Bonnie looked at her brokenly.
"It needs to stop. I need to stop it." Bonnie pleaded as tears streamed down her face. "Caroline's dying. Too many people have died. He has to be stopped." She sobbed.
"We have a solution for you but you will not like it." Emily replied.
"What's the solution?" Bonnie asked.
"We can help you cast a spell that will turn every vampire in the world – hybrid included – into a human again." Emily said and Bonnie gasped in shock.
"Why haven't you told me this before? We could have done that months ago." Bonnie replied.
"Because although vampires were not natural to begin with, they have become necessary to the earth. They are part of human population control. They help with the balance. They are needed now." Emily said wishing Bonnie to understand and Bonnie looked stunned.
"How can you say that they are needed?" Bonnie asked shocked.
"Vampires all over the world kill about half a million humans per year. Could you imagine if that suddenly stopped? The population boom? The worldwide crisis that would happen? They have become a part of nature." Emily replied willing her to understand.
"Then why are you telling me now if they are needed." Bonnie replied.
"Because we agree that Klaus has to die." Emily replied. "And this may be the only way to kill him." She said softly. "However. If this is done, you will need to ensure that vampire populations do not diminish." Emily said and Bonnie looked confused.
"I don't understand. If all of them are turned human, how can I ensure that they don't diminish?" Bonnie asked confused.
"You will bring Damon to us. We will make him a vampire again then it will be his task to travel the world and create vampires." Emily replied and Bonnie's jaw dropped.
"Damon? Why Damon?" Bonnie asked shocked that they would trust him with such a task.
"You do not see it, but Damon is a good man. He will create good vampires. He has made very many excellent vampires in his time. I trust no other vampire with this task." Emily replied and Bonnie was sure she was going to fall over in shock. "This will mean that Abby will be human again too." Emily said and Bonnie nodded –pleased with that answer.
"But Caroline?" Bonnie said confused.
"If we are able to complete the spell in time, she will be human too and will no longer be affected by the werewolf poison." Emily replied.
"So how many vampires will Damon have to make?" Bonnie asked biting her lip.
"There are currently over 50000 of them in the world. He will have to make many." Emily replied and Bonnie's jaw dropped.
"What about Stefan?" Bonnie asked.
"Stefan will need to be our leverage." Emily replied and Bonnie gasped. "Damon will not undertake the task otherwise, I think." She said.
"What do you need me to do?" Bonnie asked defeated.
Caroline lay shivering in her bed with the blankets over her and her mother sat by her side with tears streaming down her face.
"Mom?" Caroline whispered.
"What can I do, sweetheart?" Liz sobbed.
"Can you call Damon?" She whispered and Liz looked surprised.
"Of course." She replied then left the room.
Damon was having a drink in the living room of the boarding house when his phone rang. He was surprised to see Liz calling him.
"Evening, Sheriff." Damon answered.
"Damon?" She sobbed.
"What happened?" Damon asked immediately.
"Can you come to my house, please? It's urgent." She replied.
"Sure, I'll be right there." Damon replied wondering what new fresh hell this was.
Damon knocked on the Sheriff's door minutes later as he'd run there. Liz opened and he saw her watery eyes.
"What's going on?" Damon asked her confused.
"Klaus bit Caroline." Liz replied and Damon paled.
"What?" He asked in disbelief.
"She wants to see you. Can you talk to her?" Liz asked with a sob and Damon looked confused but he nodded anyway. He walked down to her room and Liz went into the living room to give them privacy. He opened her door and slipped into her room and closed it behind him. He looked at her pale and tiny fragile form lying in her bed and a lump formed in his throat. He wanted to see the fiery blonde vampire goddess who kicked his ass – not this fragile and broken looking frightened girl.
"Thanks for coming." Caroline whispered and Damon walked over to her and perched at the side of her bed.
"What happened?" He asked her seriously.
"Klaus said I betrayed him when I distracted him and there was no deal that anyone could make that would make him heal me... I'm going to die." She sobbed and that broke Damon's heart. He felt it was his fault. It had been his plan.
"That's my fault, Caroline. I'm sorry." He said softly.
"Can you do something for me?" She asked him in a small voice and he nodded.
"Anything you want." He replied because although he'd personally tried to kill her before, now the thought of her dying made him want to cry his eyes out.
"Lie with me?" She whispered and internally he was kind of shocked that she would want that. He took his jacket off and kicked his boots off then climbed under the covers next to her and pulled her fragile form into him so that her head was resting on his arm and she cuddled into him. Damon was shocked that she snuggled right into him like that's where she wanted to be – he was seriously confused. How could she look so content and look like she felt so safe with him?
"Is Bonnie looking into it?" Damon asked her softly and she nodded.
"She went to the witches' house." Caroline replied. "Not that it'll do any good." She mumbled.
"Why not?" He asked her confused.
"Because Klaus' bite will kill me much faster." She whispered sleepily and Damon felt a wave of panic at that.
"We need to tell her that." Damon replied seriously and moved to get up and she held him in place and looked up into his eyes and he looked at her confused.
"She's not going to find anything." Caroline whispered. "The only cure is his blood. Please don't leave me." She said as tears welled in her eyes and Damon didn't understand why she wanted him with her in her final moments.
"I won't." He replied then pulled her closer. He rubbed one hand down her back soothingly. They lay in silence for a few minutes then she started to shake a little and he saw that she was in pain and she was trying to be strong and he was so proud of her. He felt his eyes prick with tears at the fact this beautiful creature... would be dead. "I have to tell you something." He said softly and Caroline was surprised that there was a tinge of emotion in his voice.
"If this is bad, then don't tell me." She replied and he blinked his eyes so that he wouldn't tear up.
"I didn't mean any of the awful things I said to you. You're none of the things I said you were and I'm so sorry I did all of the things I did to you. I'll regret it forever." He said and she was quiet.
"You're forgiven." She replied.
"How?" He asked confused. She looked up into his face and her eyes welled with tears.
"Because I love you." She said softly and she had never seen anyone look so shocked in all of her life. "I don't matter in the grand scheme of things and that's okay." She said absently. "But you need to know that you're perfect just the way you are. Elena doesn't deserve you, Damon. You should find someone who will only love you. You and only you with their whole heart. Elena can't love you and Stefan like that because she doesn't want to be a vampire. I just wanted you to always know after I die that you are loved by someone. Just the way you are." She said and internally she was really surprised that tears had streamed down his face throughout everything she said.
"How can you feel that way? I was so bad to you." He let out a tiny sob.
"Not always." She replied weakly remembering all the times he was sweet to her. "Like now. I just wanted to see you one last time and you came." She said as tears streamed down her face and Damon was trying so hard to control himself from bursting into tears because the beautiful and innocent creature lying next to him loved him when he'd been nothing but terrible to her. That, her dying wish was to see him. He'd never felt so much guilt in his life.
"I'm so sorry." He sobbed and she shook her head with the little strength she had left.
"No. Don't be." She whispered. "I got to tell you how I feel. I don't have to die with regrets." She said and Damon was pretty sure he was going to lose it.
"Why didn't you say anything before?" He asked wiping his face.
"Because I had a plan." She whispered as she let out a tiny chuckle but she was fading fast and they both knew it. It wouldn't be long now.
"A plan?" He asked confused.
"Mmhmm." She said closing her eyes. "I was going to wait a couple hundred years until you got over Elena then I was going to make you fall in love with me." She whispered so quietly that he almost missed it and he felt like such an idiot.
"I could easily fall for you." He said because it was true and he saw the smile on her face.
"I'm tired." She whispered and he sobbed. He didn't want her to die.
"Fight it, Caroline." He said and she sleepily opened her eyes and looked at him.
"Fight what?" She asked weakly.
"Fight the poison. Hang on for a little longer. Bonnie will find something." He said wishing it would be true. She gave him a small smile for that.
"Can you promise me something?" She asked.
"What?" He asked staring into her baby blues. He saw the life draining out of her and he was distraught.
"Always be yourself and don't let anyone make you second best because you're not." She whispered and he was pretty sure he was going to stake himself. She let out a whimper before he could reply and her hand went to her neck where the vicious bite mark was.
"I swear I'll find a way to kill that hybrid. Nobody else will die because of him." Damon said to her and she nodded. She tucked her face into his chest and he held her tightly.
"Tell my mother I love her." Caroline whispered and Damon's shoulders shook a little at the fact she was saying goodbye.
"Not yet, Caroline." He said and he felt her arm tighten around his waist ever so slightly.
"Thank you for staying." She whispered then he felt her arm loosen. He looked down at her and her eyes were closed and... she was gone.
"No." He gasped. "Caroline! Wake up!" He exclaimed as he shook her. He just had to get her to hold on a little longer. Bonnie would come up with something. Bonnie wouldn't let her die. She couldn't just die. No. It wasn't happening. Damon was pretty sure he was having a panic attack. "Caroline! You can't die." He said as the tears blinded him. Seconds later her room door flew open and Liz was staring in shock as Damon shook her. "Wake up." He ordered and Liz slumped on the floor in realisation.
"No." Liz gasped and she cried.
"She's not dead. She can't be dead. Wake up, Caroline." Damon shook her and Liz couldn't think straight. It couldn't be happening. Damon's phone rang and he got it out as he continued trying to shake her awake with no success. "What?" He answered the phone.
"I need you to come to the witches' house." Bonnie said.
"I can't. I need to keep Caroline alive." Damon said emotionally.
"You're with her?" Bonnie gasped.
"Bonnie." He sobbed which shocked her. "She's gone." He sniffed and Bonnie burst into tears.
"No! She can't be!" Bonnie exclaimed.
"She hasn't greyed but she's... lifeless." Damon sobbed.
"Then she isn't dead! Get to the witches' house now! I can save her but I need you." Bonnie replied.
"I'll be there in under a minute." Damon replied then hung up. "Bonnie thinks she might be able to save her." Damon said to Liz who was crying her eyes out.
"I'll stay with her." Liz promised and Damon nodded then was gone in a blink.
Bonnie stood outside the witches' house and Damon appeared in front of her. Internally she was shocked to see his face tear streaked.
"What do you need?" He asked immediately.
"They want you to make them a promise." Bonnie replied.
"I promise I'll do it. Whatever it is, I'll do it." He said shocking her.
"You're not going to like it." Bonnie replied.
"I don't care. Do it." Damon replied. "Caroline can't die." He said and Bonnie was shocked that he cared that much about her.
"Then I need some of your blood." She said and he held out his wrist to her without a second thought. She slit his wrist with a knife and his blood poured into a goblet of sorts. When he healed, she did it again until the goblet was full.
"What else?" He asked when he saw that she no longer needed his blood.
"I need you to come back here tomorrow night at quarter to midnight." She replied and he had a feeling.
"Sacrifice?" He asked her and she nodded. "I'll be here." He promised.
"Good." She replied. "Get back to Caroline's. The spell will be done in minutes. Call me if she wakes up." She said and he nodded.
"I will." He replied then took off back to Caroline's house.
Just as he got in the door of the Sheriff's house, he gasped at the pain in his chest and he slumped to the floor. His body burned with pain, his mouth hurt, his lungs burned, his stomach hurt, he was pretty sure that he needed to vomit but that hadn't happened since he was human. His heart hurt. He clutched at his chest as he writhed on the ground. He lay there for what felt like hours but it was probably only minutes – then the strangest thing ever happened... His heart started to beat. His jaw dropped in realisation.
When the aches calmed he managed to manoeuvre to his feet. He extended his hearing and heard nothing. He tried to change his face and he had no fangs. He had to breathe.
"Holy shit." Damon said shocked. He ran down to Caroline's room and went through the door and found Liz sitting next to her unconscious daughter. He hurried over to Caroline and held two fingers to her wrist – she had a pulse. "Oh thank God!" He gasped.
"What? What happened?" Liz asked confused.
"She's human again." Damon replied. "She's not going to die." He said and Liz's jaw dropped.
"How do you know?" Liz asked in disbelief.
"Because I'm human again too." Damon said and her eyes bugged. He pulled his phone out and called Bonnie.
"Is she okay?" Bonnie asked immediately.
"She's human." Damon said and Bonnie was quiet. "As am I." He said.
"I know." She replied.
"Is Klaus human too?" Damon asked.
"Yes. I need you to kill him." She said.
"I will." He replied then hung up. "Liz?" Damon asked her and she looked at him. "Bonnie made Klaus human. Got a gun I can borrow?" He asked her and she looked surprised.
"My gun can be traced back to me." Liz said and Damon thought about that.
"Are you going to arrest me if I go kill Klaus?" Damon asked her and Liz looked at him like he was crazy.
"No, of course not. I'll do it if you don't want to." Liz said like he was stupid and Damon smirked.
Damon let himself into Klaus' mansion. He'd had to borrow Liz's car since he couldn't flash over there anymore. He wasn't over thinking the human thing yet. He found Klaus and Rebekah in the living room shouting at each other.
"Problem?" Damon asked them with a smirk and they both snapped their heads to look at him.
"What are you doing here?" Klaus asked him and his nervousness was apparent.
"Just thought I'd swing by and say hello." Damon smirked. "You look nervous, Klaus." He said amused.
"What did you do?" Klaus seethed and Damon chuckled.
"You shouldn't have bitten Caroline. If you hadn't, you'd still be a hybrid." Damon said amused and Klaus looked stunned.
"You..." Klaus said shocked.
"Yeah, I'm well aware of the fact that you're human now." Damon said amused and Klaus' eyes bugged.
"So you are here to kill me." Klaus said in a small voice.
"Hell yeah." Damon replied like it was totally obvious.
"Please don't kill us." Rebekah pleaded.
"I'm not going to kill you, Rebekah." Damon said. "Just Klaus." He said shocking her.
"Why?" Klaus asked confused.
"Because Rebekah's a good person deep down. She deserves to have a life. You don't." He said to him seriously. "Caroline did nothing to you yet you bit her." Damon said with narrowed eyes. He pulled out Meredith's gun as his hands were covered in gloves then he pointed it and shot Klaus in the leg and he fell to the ground and screamed in pain. "If you want to live, leave now and don't speak of this to anyone. Go to the boarding house. I'll be there soon and I'll help you." Damon said to Rebekah who bit her lip. Stay and die or leave her brother and live?
"Goodbye, Nick." Rebekah said then ran out of the house. Damon walked over to where Klaus lay gasping on the floor.
"Please don't kill me. I am human. No longer a threat." Klaus begged.
"Did you give Caroline that mercy?" Damon asked him stonily and Klaus winced. "She was no threat to you." He said shaking his head. "I hope you burn in hell, Niklaus." Damon said then shot him in the heart with no hesitation. Klaus gasped a few times then he took his last breath and his eyes became vacant. Damon dropped the gun as it had Meredith's fingerprints on it and he didn't care if Klaus' death was pinned on her. He turned on his heel then left the house without looking back...