1. The Hurt He's Caused

Elena's POV

I turn and watch as Jeremy descends down the staircase, leaving me alone with my biggest enemy. "It was a wise choice." Elijah says. Fear stirs inside of me.

"What do you want?" I say, taking a deep breath and putting on a face to let him know that he scares me and that I don't trust him. His hands are in his pockets as if the discussion that the two of us our having is the most normal thing in the world. As if we aren't about to start talking about my possible doom. But I guess to certain vampires, especially originals who are probably used to killing at least a person a day, this would be a normal conversation.

"I think it's time you and I had a little chat." I give him a questioning gaze, he wants to talk first? No one ever wants to talk to me about a decision these days. They always decide without me. Lie to me.

I follow him down the hallway towards my room.

…

"I'm sorry for the intrusion. I mean your family no harm." He says as he walks towards my window seat. He looks as it, checking to see that no clothing or anything is covering it before he takes a seat.

I close my door and take a deep breath, turning to look at him with a serious gaze, "Why did you kill those vampires when tried to take me?"

"Because I didn't want you to be taken." He pauses before he speaks again. His voice is calm and half-way friendly, as if he's trying to gain my trust, "Klaus is the most feared and hated of all the originals. But those who fear him are desperate for his approval. Word gets out that the doppelganger exists and they'll be a line of vampires eager to take him to you." He pause and looks me in the eyes with a I need this to happen kind of look, a I'll do what ever it takes, expression. "And I can't have that."

The reason he's here and what he's trying to do confuses me. "Isn't that exactly what you're trying to do?"

"Let's just say that my goal is not to break the curse." What the hell? Doesn't want to break the curse? If I were him I'd want to… I get the nagging feeling that I'm missing something.

"So what is your goal?"

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

"Like you?" He is in that circle, isn't he.

He shakes his head, as if he half way despises the fact. "Not anymore."

Curiosity fills me."You don't know where he is, do you?" I think about that for a moment before the fear flows like ice through my veins. I sigh, but it's the total opposite of a relaxed sigh. "So you're trying to use me…to draw him out."

"Well to do that I need you to stay put and stop trying to get yourself killed."

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" I get the fact that he's trying to make a deal, and that he's hinting in something that I might be interested in.

"Well if I wasn't being truthful, all your family would be dead and I'd be taking you to Klaus right now. Instead, I'm here and I'm prepared to offer you a deal."

"What kind of a deal?"

"Do nothing. Do nothing, live your life and stop fighting. And then when the time is right, you and I will draw Klaus out together and I shall make certain that your friends remain unharmed." He says it matter of factly, like he knows that what he's doing will happen exactly as he's saying it.

"And then what?"

"Then I kill him."

Sounds to good to be true. "Just like that?"

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

"How are you going to be able to keep everybody safe?" That confuses me. He's only one vampire. Given he's one hell of a powerful vampire, but still.

"You know, I noticed you have a friend. Bonnie, is it? She seems to posses the gift of magic. I have friends with similar gifts."

"You knew witches?"

"And together we can protect everyone that matters to you."

"So, do we have a deal?"

I'm fully ready to execute the idea, but then something dawns on me. If he knows witches…"I need you to do one more thing for me."

"We're negotiating now?"

"I'm the doppelganger, you need me."

He shrugs." I can always grab you and run."

"Not necessarily. My friend put a spell to keep me trapped here. So you can't take me."

"I have witch friends."

"Please, just this one thing. If you want to protect me 'till Klaus comes, then I think this will be in your best interest."

"What will be in my best interest?" The skepticism in his voice tells me I'll get my way. Heck, I'm willing to push as hard as it takes.

…

"Elena?" Elijah asks as he turns to leave.

"Hmm?" I ask, making sure there's authority in my voice as I turn back to face him.

"My witches need the power of the full moon to lift the spell off the tomb. And since the moon is not yet at it's highest point, they can't."

"We had a deal," I say.

"Yes, yes, we do. And I will complete it as soon as I can. I just wanted to tell you that they lifted the spell off of your house, I texted them to ask. So you're free to go. But just remember to keep your side of the deal…and I'll keep mine." He's gone by the time I blink. Vampires sure as hell can move fast. You'd think I'd be used to it by now.

After that, I rush into the bathroom, combing my strait, smooth brown hair. Then I put on makeup, wanting look my best to see Stefan. I mean he might be stuck in the tomb and have to look crappy, but I sure as hell don't have to.

I know I have to hurry and get out of here, because there's no telling when Damon will come back to relieve Jeremy of his babysitting duties, and decide to actually watch me and make sure I'm not a danger to myself. Better to hurry and actually manage to escape. "Hey Jenna," I say as I thump down the stairs, "I'm heading out, alright? Can I borrow your car?" I still hadn't gotten a new one yet.

"Sure." She answers from the couch were she's resting. Her stab wound still causes her to have to rest at times, because it hasn't been too long since the incident. Not even a month has passed yet. With that thought in mind, I grab the keys and head out the door.

…

As I drive, I wonder if he'll be happy to see me. To get the news. But to make extra sure he is, I head over to the boarding house to grab one of the bottles of animal blood from Stefan's fridge. Part of the reason is because I know he must be thirst by now, and I don't want to tempt him too much.

Damon's not there and I knew that. But for some reason, it disappoints me. A small part of me is wishing that he'd stop me. Because watching Stefan suffer while being trapped by Katherine, is already making me feel horribly guilty.

Stefan's POV

It's Katherine. It's always been Katherine. The truth of that echoes throughout me as I kiss her.

I forget about everything. About Elena, the promise I made with Damon. The sacrifice. She kisses differently than Elena did, yet it holds a familiarity I haven't felt in such a long time. Haven't wanted in such a long time. But now that I feel it, I never want it to stop.

"Stefan!" The call wakes me up from the stupor I'm in as I kiss Katherine.

And that's when I remember.

All our moment together come flooding back like a Tsunami, filling me in an overwhelming amount of passion and love. But then another emotion fills me. An enormous amount of guilt and disgust at myself. And hatred towards the woman I hold in my arms.

What the hell am I doing?

That's when I see her. Elena, standing in the arched entry of the tomb. Her eyes are filled with shock and hurt.

"Stefan." The sound is a whisper, a half-choked sob hanging in the air. Her brown eyes fill up with tears and she just stands there, causing the emotion within myself to grow.

"Elena, "I call, but the sound of my voice fades quickly.

Elena's POV

Shock freezes me, and suddenly it feels hard to breathe and to move.

Tears run down my face as Stefan stares at me guiltily. That's when I know what I'm seeing is the truth. That Stefan really is cheating on me.

Okay, so It's not really cheating. I did break up with him. But I still love him, and I can tell as he stares at me with his guilty expression that he feels the same. Our plan was never to be apart for forever. We were always going to be together. Or at least that was the fantasy I had.

His face only make it hurt more…It makes me want to go to him. But how can I now…now that he's…?

My legs feel like jello, yet somehow I finally manage to move them, running away from the scene as quickly as I can.

When I reach the car, my cell phone rings. It's Damon.

I push the ignore button, slump back in my seat, and turn the keys in the ignition, tears nearly blinding me.

Damon's POV

She won't answer my calls, and she's not at home. Jeremy, Bonnie and I don't know how it's possible that she escaped. But unless she found a secret room that no of us know about (which I wouldn't put it pass Elena to know where one is and not tell us), she's not here. And it freaks us out, because if she's not here, we know whatever she's up to is not good.

I'm about to head out in search of her, with my first destination the tomb, knowing she'd probably go first, when she pulls into the driveway.

Seeing us watch as she pulls into the driveway, she wipes her eyes on her sleeve, revealing to us that she's crying. Immense worry fills me, because Elena's strong, so much so much so that there doesn't seem to be enough going on to even cause her to get close to crying. The last time she cried was when she broke up with Stefan, and the crying she's doing right now is even worse than that.

"Elena?" I question, as she closes her car door and starts walking to the porch where Bonnie and Jeremy are sitting and I'm pacing.

"Just shut up, Damon." She avoids meeting my eyes as she brushes past us, opening the front door and then closing it with a loud bang.

"What's the matter with her?" Jeremy asks, questioning us with a concerned look. I shrug and walk towards the door.

…

I find her upstairs, sitting on her window seat, tears pouring down her face as she looks out the window. When she hears me coming, she turns to look at me, "Da-mon."

It pains me to see her look so saddened, so upset. My eyes tingle, and I fear I might cry, too. But I know she needs me right now, for the first time, someone needs me. And so I push the tears back and take a few steps closer. "Elena?"

"I-I'm fine. I'm fine." She brushes away her tears, smearing her mascara and making me worry even more because I fear she'll try to hide whatever is hurting her so greatly.

"No." I refuse to accept her answer. "You're not. I'm not an idiot, Elena." I take a step closer and sit down next to her. Then I pull her into my arms so her wrecked face is resting on my shoulder. And although her tears soak my shirt, all I'm aware of is how much I love her. How much I want to make whatever is hurting her disappear.

"Kath-erine." She says, and suddenly, I think I understand why she's in tears.