a/n: So here it is! This is my attempt at a fake season three. It is set right after the last episode. If you haven't seen that episode, there are spoilers in his chapter. I will try to have around 21 chapters to this story and update about once a week. I hope everyone enjoys this. As always, please remember to review! =)

Chapter One At the Point of Breaking

And if my heart just stops, pack my memories in it-
I want to know all the love I've got.
And if my heart just stops, keep me alive for a minute-
I want to know if a curtain drops.
-Why It Scares Me by La Dispute

Elena collapsed onto Damon's bed. There wasn't anywhere else for her to go. Thankfully, Damon was enough of a gentlemen that he pulled his barely healed body off the covers and stood on the hardwood floor. She lay there in shock for moments as she debated what to even say.

"We have to get him back," she finally whispered as her brown eyes met Damon's pained blue ones.

"I know," he finally nodded. He didn't look like he was strong enough to walk, but he slowly moved toward the bedroom door. "I'm going to go find her."

Unfortunately, Elena didn't have to ask who he was going after. She had watched Katherine leave the room only moments before. Despite Elena's hatred toward her doppelganger, Katherine was currently the only one who knew anything about how they might get Stefan back.

She had never known how hard it was going to be to see Damon leave. While her heart belonged to Stefan, he wasn't here. And all she wanted to do was stay in bed and wallow in self-pity.

Yet, that had never been Elena's style. With everything that had happened lately, after all the deaths she had seen and felt, she wasn't one to crawl in a corner and give up. Gritting her teeth, Elena pushed herself from the bed.

She had just reached the doorway when she heard her phone ring. Glancing back at the bed, she saw it lying on the covers. A frown crossed her face as she picked up her cell. She didn't know why anyone would be calling her now, and she couldn't handle more bad news.

"Hello," she said uncertainly.

At first no one spoke. All Elena could hear was a soft crying in the background, and that sound set Elena on edge. Despite the fact that she wanted everything to be fine, she was slowly letting go of that hope.

"Caroline," Elena spoke softly. "You have to talk to me. What's going on?"

"I told my mom," Carolina said between sniffs. "I told her the truth about everything that has happen. About Klaus, and the Lockwood's, and how I once made her forget everything. She hugged me Elena." There was a short pause. "I think everything is going to be okay now."

Elena let out a small sigh. "I'm glad everything worked out for you." She knew she needed to tell Caroline everything that had happened, but she also knew the bad news could wait until the morning. "Damon is alive," Elena finally said.

"That's amazing," Caroline replied. "What happened?"

"I'll explain it tomorrow."

"That sounds good." Caroline's voice was filled with happiness. "Goodnight Elena."

"Goodnight Caroline."

As Elena hung up, she let out a deep breath. For once, she just wanted things to go her way. Instead of having a happily ever after, now, she needed to find Damon and work on coming up with a rescue mission.

Jeremy blinked again and shook his head. Although he had seen Anna and Vickie standing in the room with him only moments before, now, they were gone. Alaric's sleeping body lay on the couch, and he barely stirred when Jeremy spoke aloud. Thinking he had only gone through too much that day, Jeremy walked into the kitchen to find something to drink.

The cold water felt good as he allowed it to flow over his hands. He threw some of the water into his face before wiping his skin with a towel he had grabbed nearby. As he moved the refrigerator, he contemplated what he wanted to drink. A pitcher of lemonade sat on the top shelf, so he grabbed a nearby glass, and filled it to the brim.

With glass in hand, he turned to face the rest of the kitchen. When her haunted face came into his view, he dropped the glass and heard it shatter across the floor.

She looked beautiful, he thought sadly, as he stood frozen. Her dark strawberry blond hair fell in curls to her shoulders, and her blue eyes looked to him with question in them.

"Jenna?" Jeremy finally found the strength to ask. "Is that you?"

She didn't respond. Instead, she crossed the kitchen to where her nephew stood. When she reached out to touch him, however, she merely went through him.

"Can you hear me?" Jeremy asked as he tried to interpret any recognition in her features.

"Um, yes?" A voice came from the kitchen entrance. Jeremy turned around to see a confused looking Alaric. "Is everything okay?"

"I'm just tired," Jeremy replied truthfully. After chancing a glance to where Jenna had stood, he realized there was now only air there. "I'm going to go to sleep. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

As Jeremy walked back up to his room, he thought back to the three images he had seen tonight. Although he knew those three woman were dead, they had seemed so real. And when Jenna had crossed the room toward him, he would have sworn she had seen him too.

Collapsing onto bed, Jeremy fought to keep his eyes closed. Maybe after some sleep he'd stop having these strange hallucinations.

Damon moved into the living room and frowned.

"I knew you'd come after me," Katherine grinned before she took a drink out of the glass she held in her hand.

"And how did you know that?" Damon almost growled. Although he felt far from his normal self, he wasn't opposed to putting up a tough façade.

"I'm the only one with answers," she shrugged smugly. "If you want Stefan back, you have to work with me."

As Damon crossed the room, he eyed Katherine warily. "And why would you want to help me?"

Katherine stood up then and set her glass on a side table. With a smile on her face, she skimmed her fingers across the center of Damon's chest.

"It's very simple really," Katherine purred. "If we help each other, we both get what we want."

Her brown eyes danced with mischief, and Damon was sick of it. Using all of his strength, he grabbed her around the neck and threw her against the wall.

"Let me make this clear," he began heatedly.

"No." Katherine pulled free before slamming Damon in the position she had been only moments earlier. "Let me make this clear." She looked deep into Damon's blue eyes. "I want to survive through all of this with what I want. I want Stefan. You want Elena." She released her grip. "It's not that farfetched for us to work together."

"With our past?" Damon almost laughed. "No greater depths have been crossed in the history of this world."

Katherine rolled her eyes. "I have the answers you need," she made clear. "And you have the resources I need. We need each other Damon."

"So what do you propose?" There was a deathly gleam in his eyes.

"I'll tell you as much as I know. In return, I want you to promise me that I can operate in the shadows. I want you to swear to me that you will not give me over to Klaus, even if it means sacrificing Elena."

"And why would I agree to that?"

"Do you really have a choice?"

Damon's eyes trailed then to Elena as she walked down the staircase. At that moment, he knew he had to listen to Katherine, and he absolutely hated it.

"So tell us Katherine," Damon spoke loudly. "What exactly does Klaus want with Stefan?"

A true smile crossed Katherine's lips as she realized she had won. "Klaus is the most powerful being I know to exist," she began. "And that will never be enough for him."

"But what could he possibly want with Stefan?" Elena questioned as she moved farther into the room. "Stefan isn't as powerful as the majority of the vampires out there. Why not choose someone else."

Katherine's smile grew. "Stefan is by far one of the most powerful vampires in existence. While on animal blood, he may appear weak, but we all know how powerful he is when he's on human blood."

"Stefan wouldn't do that," Elena frowned.

"But he would." Katherine shrugged before returning to her seat. After Damon glanced in Elena's direction, they both followed and sat down too. "I've never seen a vampire consume that much blood in that short a time."

"Why would he do that?" Damon inquired as he leaned forward in his seat.

"Stefan always blamed himself for turning you into a vampire," she continued. "I don't see the need for hanging onto regret, but that's Stefan for you."

"That still doesn't seem like enough for him to just leave Elena."

"But he was also looking out for Elena," Katherine grinned. She was gaining too much pleasure from this. "He knows she cares about you, and knew how much it would hurt her to see you die." She paused for emphasis. "I doubt he knew exactly how much she cared about you though."

At those words, Damon's eyes involuntarily drifted to Elena. Her brown eyes weren't looking at him though. Instead, they were staring straight at Katherine.

"Do you know where Klaus was headed?" Elena asked fearlessly.

"No. I'm sure he was putting Elijah's body wherever the rest of his dead relatives were though."

"What?" Damon was on his feet now. "You didn't tell us that piece of information before."

"I needed to know you wouldn't turn me into Klaus first," Katherine shrugged.

"That was noble of you."

"So do we have a deal?" Katherine smirked.

Damon glanced back to Elena. Her eyes pleaded with him to help in any way that he could while still reflecting her hatred of Katherine. Making deals with Katherine had never worked out before, and he was certain this time would be no different. Still, she was holding information back that they needed in order to find Klaus and Stefan. Damon turned to Katherine with determination in his blue eyes.

"Deal."

"Good," Katherine smiled. "Let's start planning."

Tyler raced down the sidewalk in a full sprint. Although he had tried to fall asleep hours ago, that rest had eluded him, so he had decided to go out for a run. The cool night air felt good on his warm skin, and he found solace in the night. Part of him knew that this was the only time of day he'd ever love. He hated the fact that he was forced to walk in the sun.

He had just rounded the corner of the square when he ran straight into someone. In that moment of imbalance, Tyler crashed to the sidewalk below. He heard a soft groan that sounded masculine, and he glanced over to see Matt sitting on the concrete in front of him.

"What are you doing out so late?" Tyler asked after he had jumped to his feet. He offered Matt his outstretched hand, but Matt got up on his own.

"I could ask you the same thing," Matt retorted.

"I'm a creature of the night, remember?"

"Yeah," was all Matt said in reply. "Look man, I have to go. I'll catch you later."

"Wait." Tyler blocked Matt's path to stop him from leaving. "There's something I need to tell you first."

"What?" Matt replied in agitated tones. "You almost killed me Tyler."

"And you know as well as I do that that wasn't me."

"Whatever." Matt turned to race across the street, but Tyler grabbed him to prevent him from walking out in front of the vehicle that sped through the area. Tyler was vaguely aware that Matt had pulled himself out of his grasp. Now, all of Tyler's attention was focused on the area the police car had just disappeared into.

"Did you see that?" Tyler questioned to Matt.

"Of course I saw it," Matt retorted. "It almost ran me over."

"A thank you would have sufficed." Tyler stood there in silence for a few moments. "That was Sheriff Forbes?" Tyler spoke in question. "I wonder what she was doing out this late?"

"Probably taking care of some vampire or werewolf problem," Matt replied, but then he frowned and shook his head to clear it. "I didn't mean it like that."

"It sure sounded like you did."

"I'm new to this," Matt snapped. His blue eyes were swimming with anger. "Give me time to understand this."

"There's not much to understand," Tyler replied truthfully as his brown eyes met Matt's. "We all die, whether or not we're human. People I have loved have died because of all this nonsense. I don't like it any more than you do," he made clear. "Ignoring it, however, isn't a choice."

"Fine," Matt responded. "So what do you suppose we do?"

"Go make sure Caroline is fine."

"No," a voice came out of the shadows. Tyler could barely make out the slim body and brown hair of the girl. "I have other plans for you."

a/n: Please remember to review!