A Warning (or Two)

Story starts where the TV season left off.

Elena heard the noise in the kitchen and instinctively walked in that direction. Before she reached the door, however, she felt his hand over her mouth and heard a brief "Shh". He didn't try to hide himself. She knew it was Damon.

She froze. She felt the fear rise in her, even though she had come to trust him recently. But she did not know what he was doing or what the noise was. A thump, but not much else until a voice – her voice it seemed –from the kitchen.

"You know I know you're there. Both of you. Bring her in Damon."

Damon was sure now that it was Katherine he had talked to and kissed just minutes before. Maybe he had known before. Maybe that was why he had stayed when she went inside with Jenna.

He dropped his hand from Elena's mouth, but made sure she saw his finger raised to his lips. He briefly considered keeping her behind him, but knew it wouldn't matter. He did put his arm around her as he they entered side by side.

Elena gasped briefly as she saw John's body. It only lasted a second as she realized who was standing above him, knife in hand. She was speechless. Damon held her tightly.

Katherine didn't look up from John's body as she spoke. "Finally we meet, Elena. Pity the circumstance."

Elena was in shock or fear – she wasn't sure. "You killed my father" she said, much calmer than she would have thought.

"She knows" Katherine said, finally pulling her eyes from the body and looking at Damon.

Damon nodded slightly, eyes on Katherine. "She knows."

Elena finally pulled her eyes from the body and looked at Katherine. "Am I ... next?" Her voice did break this time.

Damon nudged her and said in a whisper "Elena! Don't."

Katherine, looking at the body again, only shook her head and smiled. Then finally looking at her, "I didn't come here to hurt you."

"He's my father." Elena repeated. "How could it not hurt me?"

"Don't pretend. We both know he had no redeeming qualities."

"And yet you sent him here." Damon finally spoke.

"I thought you might take care of him. Again you disappoint. I had to take matters into my own hands."

"And my mother?" Elena asked.

"Isobel still lives, though you might be interested to know that it was she who told John to kill Stefan and Damon along with the others." Katherine's demeanor turned icy cold. "That's where they crossed the line. "

Elena gasped again. Damon continued to hold one arm around her, hugging her tightly.

Katherine spoke to Damon now "You trusted a witch because of her?"

"I'm alive because of Emily – the witch's ancestor. And so are you."

Katherine walked towards Elena. Damon tensed.

Katherine looked at Damon with exasperation "Damon, you know I'm not here to hurt her. I have had countless chances to kill her, yet she is fine."

Katherine faced Elena, who couldn't decide how to react. She tried to stay calm. "You trust the witch, but she lied to you. And your boyfriend, both of your boyfriends, almost died."

"Bonnie saved them. And Damon is not my…" Elena retorted.

"You saved them." Katherine interrupted. "She would have let them die. You need to remember that."

"She was trying protect the town."

"At the cost of the Salvatores. Is that a price you're willing to pay? If they die here, there will be nothing between me and the destruction of Mystic Falls."

Elena could only stare into her cold eyes.

"Is it true that you knew where I was and didn't care?" Damon asked into the silence?

"Who told you that?" Katherine asked.

"Anna."

Katherine turned back to Elena. "Another death caused by the witch's treachery. And what was her crime? Being who she was. Who Stefan is. Who I am."

"Katherine, answer my question." Damon interrupted.

"What does it matter? You've shown me your feelings for Elena."

"I knew it was you." Damon said, though not terribly convincingly.

"Oh? And how is that."

"Elena would have hit me. Again"

"What did you do?" Elena asked Damon.

Katherine didn't let Damon respond. Instead she turned on Elena. "I don't know what game you're playing with Stefan and Damon, but you need to remember that long after you're dead and buried, they will be here. And so will I."

Elena looked back to Damon, but couldn't read his expression. "I'm not playing a…"

Katherine interrupted. "Your aunt is coming. Oh and your brother is upstairs committing suicide."

She started to leave, but turned back and spoke to Damon just before she went through the door. "Oh, and if Anna told you that, she was only half right."

Damon turned quickly to Elena, who seemed stunned, her eyes starting to fill with tears "Get Jenna and take care of Jeremy. I'll clean up after Katherine.

(A day or 2 later)

Elena thought she would not need to seek him out, he usually just turned up. But she wanted to talk to him on her terms, so she went looking for him. She was not surprised where she found him.

"You come to me without Stefan?" Damon asked her as she sat next to him at the bar.

"I have nothing to fear from you." she said.

Damon turned to her. "Finally figure that out?."

"It wasn't always true, Damon."

Damon faced away from her again. "If you think back, Elena, I think you will realize it has always been true."

Elena decided to get it over with quickly. "Bonnie talked to Stefan. She told him if you killed another innocent person, she would destroy you, even if he gets in the way."

Damon's face turned hard. "Innocent person. Innocent in whose mind? Like the Mayor? Like Anna? Who your brother loved? Who did she hurt? Does he know what the witch did?"

It caught her off guard. She could only say "Damon, I'm just passing the warning along."

"And what did my brother tell her?"

"I don't know. I didn't want to know."

"And who was it who was last chasing an innocent girl? Could it have been Stefan?"

"Damon…"

"No Elena! You care about Stefan, and so do I. There are not a lot of people I care about, but I can tell you that none of you will be hurt because I trust the witch again."

"I know, Damon. I don't know what happened. I don't know what to say."

"Katherine wasn't kidding when she said Bonnie could not be trusted."

This brought another worry to Elena. She hadn't, mentioned Katherine's return to Stefan, but did not know if Damon had.

"Where is Katherine? Do I need to worry about her too?" Elena asked.

Damon looked like he was considering his reply. He turned back to face her again.

"I haven't seen her. I don't know. I think you can believe her when she says she doesn't mean you any harm – for now at least. I'm more concerned about Bonnie."

"Damon, she's my friend. She tried. And she saved you."

"Katherine was right. You saved me. She lied and she didn't care who was hurt."

"Damon, she was just trying to protect the town." Elena began.

"Which doesn't include us?"

"Damon…"

"I'm not going to tell you what to do." Damon interrupted. "But if I didn't trust her before, I absolutely do not trust her now. You've accused me of not caring about who gets hurt. Do you really think she cares?"

"I won't let it come to that point again. No one will be hurt, even if I'm wrong. Could Katherine really destroy the town like she said?"

"She could do it. And she would. She doesn't make idle threats. She wasn't lying."

Elena laughed to herself. "Finally. A vampire that doesn't lie."

Damon let out a breath. "Doesn't lie? You mean a vampire that doesn't try to protect you? You mean a vampire that doesn't love you."

"I love … I love Stefan." But Damon could hear the hesitation.

"Yes you do. And I love Katherine. But we both know that they aren't the only ones we love."

Damon looked at her intently. Elena finally lowered her eyes. "I've asked you not to look at me like that."

Damon sighed. "There's a choice to be made. But we don't have to choose today."

"I choose Stefan," she said softly, barely looking at him.

Damon stared at her a moment, shook his head and said "Honestly Elena, I don't know what you see in him."

When she did not respond, he added "But I know what he sees in you. And if I ever hear of something out there trying to hurt you, I will be between it and you."

Damon turned and walked away. Elena could only stare at him as he left.