[THE DINNER PARTY]

What you seek will find you.

"STEFAN? WHAT? WAIT, SLOW down," Juliette said into the phone, her voice tense. Her brows knitted as Stefan finally regained composure and told Juliette what was happening.

When Stefan finished speaking, the blonde stopped dead in her tracks and groaned in frustration, knowing that the moment John arrived, he was up to something bad. She pinched the bridge of her nose and whispered under her breath, "That asshole."

Why had I actually believed that this evening might be quiet?

"I'll go tell him now, thanks, Stef." Juliette ended the call, pocketing her phone. She was aware that John was not there solely for dinner; he was not attending the party for free.

The blonde grabbed Andie as she headed towards the study, needing someone to divert Elijah's attention while she explained the situation to Damon.

"Gentlemen, we forgot about dessert," Juliette announced as she entered the study, her gaze fixed on Damon as she felt Elijah's gaze on her, but she did not look at him as Damon placed the dagger down, an annoyed expression on his face.

Andie called out, extending her hand to the Original, "Elijah?" Elijah looked between Andie and Juliette, his gaze drawn to the blonde, almost as if he was trying to figure out if something was wrong.

When he couldn't, he walked up the steps and grabbed Andie's outstretched hand, twirling her around before the news reporter dragged him out of the room, leaving Juliette and Damon alone.

Salvatore gave the blonde a rough nudge as they both watched Elijah leave. Juliette rolled her eyes and pushed him back, not as hard as he was, but enough to cause him to stumble. She pointed to the dagger on the table before dramatically implying that if Damon used it, he would die. Unfortunately, he did not quite understand.

Damn, maybe acting is not for me...

The blonde groaned as she approached the table, picking up a pen and piece of paper and scribbling on it. Damon loomed over her shoulder, watching her write.

Juliette then raised the paper so the vampire could read it clearly.

John is trying to get you killed, if you use the dagger, you will die.

Damon snatched the paper from Juliette's grasp, his eyes scanning it before angrily throwing it to the table. He pursed his lips as he sighed.

"What am I supposed to do?" Damon mouthed to the blonde. Juliette furrowed her brow, studying his lips until she got what he was saying. Then, with a frustrated sigh, she rolled her eyes and mouthed back. "Don't try to kill him then, idiot," she said, holding her hands out to the side in frustration, as if to say, "Is not it obvious?"

Damon narrowed his eyes as she exited the study, the blonde passing Alaric as he entered.

The blonde let out a sigh of relief as she quickly sent a message to Stefan informing him that Damon was alive and had not gotten himself killed. Juliette could finally relax; she knew Damon would never try anything else because he knew he would die if he used the dagger.

Elijah might make it out alive. The keyword is "might."

Juliette walked into the dining room, her gaze immediately drawn to Elijah, who smiled softly at her. The blonde returned it as she was about to sit down, but something stopped her.

A sharp pain shot through her head, similar to the excruciating sensation she had previously experienced. Her fingers gripped the chair, her knuckles turning white with strain. She tried to steady herself and hold back the scream that was about to escape.

"Juli? Are you okay?" Elijah asked, rising from his chair as his hand covered Juliette's on the chair. Concern washed over his face as he raised one hand to touch her cheek, his thumb gently caressing her soft skin.

"I'm fine," she breathed out, taking a step back from the vampire as she groaned in pain. Elijah watched as she quickly turned on her heel and exited the room.

Damon and Alaric returned to the dining room just as he was about to follow her to see if she was okay. Elijah decided to wait until she returned to make sure everything was okay.

Juliette hurried to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her and clutched the sink. She let out a groan and sank to the floor, biting her tongue to muffle her screams. She did not want anyone to worry, especially Jenna.

She just needed to get through this without alerting anyone.

It had been weeks since she had experienced the same headache. How come she was getting it again? Why had she gotten them in the first place?

"Your fate is sealed, Juliette Gilbert."

The blonde sobbed, unable to concentrate on the chilling words echoing in her mind. The pain worsened as she breathed in ragged gasps, clenching her fists and digging her nails into her palms as she struggled to stay conscious.

The room felt like it was closing in on her, the walls pressing together with an agonizing pulse. Juliette leaned her head back against the cold tiles, attempting to ground herself.

"You can not avoid the retribution you have sown."

Why were these things happening to her?

Tears streamed down her face, mingling with the sweat of her effort to stay quiet. The voices echoed in her mind, a constant reminder of what was happening to her, the pain intensifying with each echo.

Juliette curled up in a fetal position, holding her head in her hands as she tried to remain conscious and get through the pain.

Juliette's vision began to blur, and black dots appeared as she realized she was about to pass out, like last time. But she knew that she couldn't, someone could found out.

But then, as quickly as it started, the pain and voices stopped. Instead, a heavy, pulsating ache settled into her chest. The intense throbbing felt almost physical, spreading throughout her body.

Juliette sat up quickly, wincing and clutching her chest. She looked down at her dress, gasping at the sight of blood seeping through the fabric. Her brow furrowed in confusion and fear as she attempted to comprehend what was happening.

Juliette touched the skin where the blood had been, but found nothing. There was nothing to cause her to bleed or feel pain. Why was this happening, and why did it alleviate her headache?

The blonde stared at her blood-stained fingers, searching for an answer. Everything came to a halt when she had a sudden realization.

Elijah.

Juliette scrambled from the floor, ignoring the agonising pain as she gripped the door handle, swinging it open furiously. She dashed down the hall, her legs trembling beneath her as she tried to balance herself.

She emerged into the dining room, slowing in her tracks as she noticed everyone, minus Jenna, was standing still, shocked expressions covering their faces as they stared at one chair at the table.

Juliette silently prayed that it wasn't who she thought it was as she began to walk closer to the table, her heart pounding against her chest.

Her blood ran cold when she saw Elijah dead, with a dagger stabbed through his heart. Her gaze scanned the grey veins that covered his face and neck, as his lifeless eyes stared directly at hers.

A gasp escapes her lips as tears form in her eyes; her trembling hands move to cover her mouth as she took a step back from the table, her gaze still fixed on Elijah.

Though, she willed her eyes away from the gruesome sight, her chest still panging in pain, as she looked toward Alaric, who pulled the dagger from Elijah's dead body.

"Now, get rid of him before Jenna comes back with dessert," the history teacher instructed, his voice flat and emotionless. He handed the dagger back to Damon, who looked stunned.

Juliette then realised that it was Alaric who killed Elijah, the guy who didn't want anything to happen tonight.

Damon nodded, putting the dagger in his pocket. "Alright," he responded, watching Alaric walk away, leaving Andie, John, Damon, and Juliette alone.

The Salvatore turned to the blonde and said, "Juju, help me." He grabbed Elijah's arms, lifting him from the chair, and dragged him to a closed door. Damon looked at Juliette and motioned for her to hurry.

Juliette snapped out of shock, wiping away a few tears, before opening the door for the vampire, following him.

She remained silent as Damon dropped Elijah on to the cellar floor. She had kept her cool as best she could, hoping Damon would not become any more suspicious than he already was.

Juliette couldn't believe the night she was having. Everything was simply too much. When one problem is solved, another one arises almost instantly.

Her gaze swept Elijah's body, her mind racing with thoughts. She was confident that once Damon realized that the dagger would kill him, Elijah would not die tonight. But Alaric, the one who wanted nothing to happen tonight, was the one who killed him.

"Finally, one problem solved." Damon sighed, brushing his hands against his jeans. He appeared to be completely unaware of Juliette's angry stare.

"He was not a problem, Damon; he did not need to be killed." She seethed as she walked deeper into the cellar, fists clenched at her sides.

Damon furrowed his brows, "Don't come at me, I wasn't the one who killed him!" He argued back.

The blonde scoffed as a chuckle passed her lips, "It doesn't matter who killed him! He didn't need to be killed, he had a deal! Elijah was helping us with Klaus."

"He may have had that deal but Elena wasn't involved in it. Elena has to die for Elijah to be able to kill Klaus." Damon exclaimed, his voice raising slightly.

"What?"

"I suppose your little boyfriend didn't tell you that?"

Juliette took a step back from the Salvatore, glancing at Elijah on the floor. "When did you find this out?" she inquired.

Damon crossed his arms over his chest and responded, "Bonnie got the information from Elijah's witch, Luke."

"Does Elena know?"

"Elena made that deal knowing she wasn't included." The Salvatore hesitated, watching as anger grew on Juliette's face.

"Why wasn't I told about this?" She asked, doing her best to keep herself calm. Why is Elena always on some suicide mission? And why didn't Elijah tell her?

Why does everyone keep everything from me?

"Elena didn't want you to know, Juju. She knew you'd be mad." Damon replied, giving the blonde a small smile as she scoffed. "Trust me, Stefan and I aren't as thrilled about it. But she won't listen to anyone."

"Yeah, she never listens to anyone." Juliette snapped, rolling her eyes as she pinched the bridge of her nose. So many different types of thoughts were running through her mind.

Juliette turned on her heel and walked towards the door, hearing Damon call after her. "Where are you going?"

"To kill Elena."

✧✧✧✧

JULIETTE TRIED TO CALL Elena, but she wouldn't pick up. The blonde suspected Elena knew Juliette was aware of her little suicide mission, so she stopped answering the phone.

The blonde sighed and placed her phone on the table, a wave of frustration and sadness coursing through her.

Tonight went exactly as she expected, with Elijah dead at the end. It didn't matter that he was the bad guy, Juliette truly felt at her happiest whenever she was around him.

He made her feel things she thought she would never feel again. He brought out the best of her, the person Juliette thought had died along with her parents.

The person who was happy, and enjoyed going on long walks. The person who wrote in her diary about her day and who all her friends could always come to whenever they had an issue or a problem.

But for Juliette, she liked the way Elijah made her feel like she was able to be loved again.

He was the only person who had seen through the walls she'd built around herself. Elijah had a way of looking at her that made her feel vulnerable but safe, as if he could see every aspect of her—the good, the bad, and everything in between—and accept it all without hesitation.

But now he was gone, and with him, the sense of hope she'd dared to hold on to, however fleeting it had been was gone too.

The blonde sighed, watching Damon's phone vibrate against the couch. The vampire sighed and set the glass of bourbon down on the tabletop. Juliette considered getting up and grabbing the glass and running away with it since she was still on her 'ban' until she paid Damon back like that would ever happen.

Damon jumped out of his chair and dashed out of the living room. Juliette, confused, ran after him. She followed him down to the cellar, watching as he swore under his breath.

"What's the matter?" Juliette asked, catching her breath as she walked towards the door. She peered in and gasped, Elijah was no longer dead on the floor. He was gone.

"Where did he go?"

"We weren't supposed to take the dagger out." Damon groaned, kicking the door as he rubbed his face. "He will go after Elena; we need to get to the lake house."

What else could go wrong tonight?

✧✧✧✧

    "HEY, ELIJAH. ITS ME, Juliette. Uhm, do you think you could like not to go after Elena? pretty please? Call me back." Juliette sighed as she hung up the call, sitting on the stairs.

Damon and she had rushed to the lake house, fortunately, Elijah wasn't there yet, but they knew he was coming. He wouldn't care about the deal anymore, the people he was supposed to be protecting had went against him, that's enough to warrant that the deal is over.

Juliette would not mind if Elijah killed Damon and Alaric instead of Elena. They were both idiots.

She had told Damon multiple times not to try anything tonight, Elijah was keeping to his deal, even if that meant that Elena wasn't included, and no one had gotten hurt. But the Salvatores and everyone else have been trying to figure out ways to kill him.

The blonde was also furious with Elena. She accepted that deal in front of Juliette, knowing that she wasn't a part of it. How didn't she notice? She was stood in the same room as they made the deal.

Juliette understood that Elena was just scared, she wanted to save everyone around her even if that meant sacrificing herself to do so. But Elena needed to understand that she has family, friends and two vampires, who are in love with her, that will be there for her.

They will be the ones who miss her whenever she gets herself killed. The ones of will grieve her death and struggle to move on. The ones who have done everything in their power to protect her so far.

Elena had people who were willing to sacrifice everything for her safety. And her little suicide attempts were not making it easy.

Juliette was dealing with her own issues—she was literally going insane. But she did not want to find out what was going on with her until she knew Elena was safe from Klaus and the ritual.

And Elena didn't care. She didn't care that she had people there for her. Juliette was not sure how much longer she could stand Elena's indifference.

"Juliette, maybe you should go wait upstairs. I don't want you getting hurt." Elena said as she emerged from the kitchen, her arms crossed over her chest.

The blonde scoffed, watching as Elena shook her head, she knew Juliette was going to rip her head off when they got home. "No, I think I'll stay right here. Don't want you making any more death wishes."

"Juliette-"

"Elena." Stefan's voice could be heard from the kitchen causing Elena to sigh, giving one last final look to Juliette before walking off.

The blonde rolled her eyes as she stared at the wall in front of her, picturing herself bashing Elena's head against it for being so stupid. Juliette adored Elena, but she occasionally considers killing her just to avoid worrying about her plotting her death with someone else.

Juliette could hear the original's voice from the front door, but she didn't dare show herself. Because if she did, she would beg Elena and the Salvatores not to kill him again.

If they had just respected the deal, none of this would have happened.

Elena's cries jolted Juliette out of her reverie as she dashed toward the front door. She was met with Elena bleeding out and Elijah dead, once more.

Her chest panging with pain but she didn't dare to make a noise as she made sure Elena was alright, kneeling next to her as Stefan fed her his blood, the wound on Elena's torso immediately healing.

Damon emerged from behind the door. "Little tip. Don't pull the dagger out."

✧✧✧✧

    "WAIT, HE WHAT?" JULIETTE had just gotten home when Bonnie had called her. She sat at the edge of her bed, the bracelet Elijah got her sitting in one hand as her other held the phone.

"Jonas took my powers, Juliette." The witch replied, her voice cracking as she spoke.

"Oh my God, Bonnie," Juliette sympathised, pinching the bridge of her nose. Even more problems they had to deal with. "Are you okay?"

Bonnie sniffled before answering, "Yeah, I think so. Jonas just burst in and took them, saying it was for my own good."

"For your own good? How does that make any sense?"

"I think because when I put Luka in a trance, he told me Klaus had his sister. I think he was just protecting his son."

Juliette shook her head in disbelief, "He could have protected his son differently, he didn't need to take your powers. I am so sorry, Bonnie."

"How am I going to help Elena?"

"This isn't about Elena right now, this is about you, Bon Bon. She will be fine, I have a friend who will be able to help until we figure out how to help you." Juliette said, pulling at the charms adorning the gold bracelet.

The blonde and Bonnie talked for a few more minutes before the witch had to go. Juliette felt terrible that Bonnie had her powers taken from her, she was just getting used to them before they were stripped away from her.

Juliette sighed as she stared down at her hands, her mind running