Thank you all for your reviews and support!

Prom's coming up in a couple of chapters, but a tonne of drama can happen before that, right? Enjoy!


"Elena, please tell me what's wrong." Caroline said as the two of them walked down the hallway at school on Tuesday morning. Elena had been quiet all day and she didn't appear to be listening whenever Caroline said something. She looked so down; Caroline was beginning to get very concerned.

"Nothing, Caroline. I'm fine." Elena said, her voice emotionless.

"You are most certainly not fine! What's happened? Is it Stefan and Damon?"

"What?" Elena said startled. "Oh, no it's not them."

They arrived at Elena's locker. She opened it, and placed her books inside. She got out her History books and started putting them in her bag.

Caroline shook her head. "No, Elena you have English next."

Elena paused, confused. "Oh, right." She got out the right books and Caroline watched her closely. What was upsetting her so much?

"You know you can talk to me about it, right?" Caroline said kindly.

"There is really nothing to talk about. It doesn't even matter. I've got to get to class."

Caroline watched as Elena walked off. She bumped into a freshman and they said "Hey!" but she didn't even notice. Elena was so upset, she was in her own little world.

Caroline's eyes widened. Elena was definitely not ok. But why didn't she want to talk about it?

And if it wasn't Stefan or Damon, then who was it?

"Caroline!" a voice called, pulling her from her thoughts. She saw Rebekah heading over to her.

"Rebekah, how's Prom coming?" Caroline asked.

Rebekah beamed. "Brilliantly. I picked these up this morning. I designed them." She handed Caroline something which she saw were the Prom invitations. They were in the shape of a Fairytale castle and the words were printed in a beautiful pink font. Caroline was impressed.

"Wow, they're great!" Caroline said handing them back to Rebekah.

"I know right! The Prom is this Saturday! Can you believe it?" Rebekah said.

"Yeah, it does seem to have snuck up on us."

Rebekah smiled. "Don't worry. Everything will be prepared and ready. I've sorted out the decorations too and we should be able to put them up in the gym on Friday."

"People might start to think you're the head of the Prom Committee at this rate."

Rebekah grimaced. "I don't have anything against you, Caroline. Actually, I hope we can be very good friends. But you're just going to have to accept that I'm a better event planner than you are."

And with that Rebekah turned and walked off down the hallway. As Rebekah passed some other students she said brightly, "Vote for me for Prom Queen." Caroline looked after her in disbelief.

Fuming, she strode off to her next class, very offended by Rebekah's words.


Caroline arrived home that afternoon. She went into her room, placed her bag on her bed and began looking in it for her History homework.

"Caroline." a voice said. Caroline jumped, and looked up into the face of Klaus.

"I startled you again?" he said amused.

Caroline grinned. "At least I didn't scream this time."

"True." He moved closer to Caroline and pulled into a hug. "My Caroline is getting better at being less scared."

"I'm 'your' Caroline, am I?" she said as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Of course you are. You have been for a while. Actually that's, um, why I came over." Klaus said nervously.

Caroline pulled back to look at him.

Since when did Klaus get nervous?

"What it is?" She asked.

Klaus paused, composing himself before continuing.

"Caroline, I came to make an announcement. I love you." He declared proudly.

Caroline stared at him amazed. "Really?"

"Yes, really. I never use the 'L' word lightly. And I have never loved anyone like I love you."

Caroline's face pulled into a huge smile. She pressed her lips to Klaus's and they kissed passionately.

"Klaus," Caroline started after they pulled apart. "do you understand that I can't say it back yet?"

"I understand. I know that you were hurt in the past. We are taking it slow, but I just had to tell you how I feel."

Caroline smiled. "Thank you. I'm glad you told me. One day soon, I think I might be ready to say it back."

"I look forward to that day, love. And do you know what other day I look forward to?"

"What's that?"

"The day you agree to go to Prom with me." He said.

Caroline remained silent for a moment, and then said with a grin, "Ok. I'll go with you."

Klaus eyes widened in shock. "Really? You'll go? You'll take us public?"

"Yes, Klaus. I want you to see me in my beautiful dress and I want you to be the one who slow dances with me on the dance floor."

"I'll do all that and more love. Thank you so much, Caroline."

Klaus pulled her close again. "So does this mean we're dating?"

Caroline laughed. "It sure does."


That evening, Rebekah stood in front of the mirror. She was wearing her Prom dress that she'd bought that afternoon. It was bubble-gum pink, floor length, strapless, and frilly. She turned from side to side, admiring it from every angle.

Kol was sitting on a couch in the same room, his hand on his chin. He was thinking of ways to get Bonnie to go Prom with him. However, Rebekah was being very annoying. She'd been doing this for an hour. When it was too much he groaned.

"Rebekah, can you stop, please. You look fantastic. Now will you go and annoy someone else! I'm busy thinking here."

Rebekah turned to him. "You. Thinking? Please!"

"As a matter of fact, I happen to be thinking of ways to win our little bet." Kol said, irritably.

"Oh, taking the Bennett witch to Prom? I thought you would have given up by now. " Rebekah asked amused.

"I'm never giving up. I just need to prove to her how amazing I am."

Rebekah laughed. "Well, she'll never be going with you at this rate." Kol's eyes flared and he threw a cushion at his sister but she dodged it. She smiled and took one last look in the mirror before walking out of the room.

Kol relaxed and went back to thinking. Bonnie had rejected him so many times. How many times had he asked her to Prom? 9 or 10 times now?

There had to be some way to get Bonnie to spend some time with him. Then she would definitely want to go to Prom with him. But how?

At that point, Klaus walked through the room, smiled at Kol as he passed and left out the other door.

This gave Kol a stroke of inspiration. Kol grinned, a plan forming in his head.

Watch out Bonnie, he thought, you're about to have the best date of your life.


Elena sat on the couch that night. She held her head in her hands as the tears she'd been holding in all day were freed and they slid down her cheeks, one by one.

Why was she so upset? It's not like anything had actually happened between her and Elijah. There was nothing to be heartbroken about. They hadn't admitted their feelings to each other. Elijah might not even have feelings for her!

What did he mean by things 'being better this way'? How could it be better if they were both miserable?

She sat in silence in the living room for an hour and a half before a knock on the door broke her out of her daze.

Elena stood up and went to the front door. She pulled it open and standing in front of her was Elijah.

"Elena." He said in greeting.

Elena remained silent, staring at him. There were so many things she wanted to say, but she couldn't find the words for any of them so she just waited.

"I know you must be upset about how I have treated you. Not just by declining to talk to you last night but every time we have interacted these past few weeks. My plan was to cut myself off from you, like I did last night, but I realised today that you deserved some kind of explanation."

"Is there someone else?" Elena blurted out almost before he'd finished speaking.

Elijah's expression became confused. "Someone else?"

"I don't know. Are you with Katherine or something?"

Elijah smiled sadly. "Trust me, Elena, there's only you."

"Then what's the problem?"

"That's what I came to explain."

Elena fell silent. So Elijah continued. "May I come in?"

Elena thought for a moment. "No, I don't think you should." She replied.

Elijah lips pulled into a line. "I understand. I shall try to explain."

He collected himself before beginning.

"Elena, I never planned for this to happen.

"You were just the doppelganger that my brother had been searching for for centuries. You were my plan to lure Niklaus out so I could kill him for the wrongs he had committed against my family. But soon, I began to feel a desire that Niklaus would not kill you for the ritual that would break his curse. However my brother did kill you and I broke my end of the bargain, again when I fell for his tricks.

"At the Ball my mother hosted, you played a part in the spell she invoked that would kill my siblings and I. I knew that you did not want to kill me. You were just doing anything you could to stop my brother. But still I was prepared to let Rebekah kill you, Elena! You have no idea how much I loathe myself for that!

"Then when I learned that you had drowned, I was so upset. You can't imagine the relief I felt when you came back as a vampire. Yet I hated that you now had to put up with this terrible fate. No one should have to endure this misery!

"I soon became wary of what feelings I had for you, but I felt I could be your friend, so we talked and I came to your house, but the way you looked at me, it was too much.

"I realised how deeply I felt for you and I had to cut myself off. Because what I feel for you is wrong, Elena. So terribly wrong and I apologise for each and every crime I have committed against you."

They gazed at each other for a few long minutes as Elena took in Elijah's speech.

"I don't understand. Why are your feelings wrong?" She said eventually.

Elijah breathed deeply before saying. "What I feel for you, it's as though I've interchanged my feelings for Tatia and Katerina because of the fact that you are identical! It's like I believe you to be the same person as them!" He said as though disgusted with himself.

"It is sick, Elena. I hate myself for it. How is it right that I loved Tatia, Katerina and now you?"

Elena looked at him wide-eyed as she took in what he'd just said.

"You, you love me?" She gasped.

Elijah froze. He closed his eyes slowly and whispered.

"Goodbye Elena." He strode off down the path.

Elena looked after him. Her face set in determination. She wasn't going to let him walk away from her again. She chased after him and stopped in front of him.

"Elena -," He began but Elena shushed him and slowly and deliberately placed her lips on his.

Elijah's eyes widened and he went to push her away but his will collapsed and he began kissing her back.

In that moment he forgot everything he'd been telling himself. That being with Elena was wrong. His feelings for Elena were just the jumbled up remains of his feelings for the other doppelgangers, Tatia and Katerina.

But how could all that be true when kissing her and holding her felt like this?

Then he did realise what he was doing. He pulled away and turned from Elena. His mind racing with the battle between reason and desire.

"Elijah, please, your feelings aren't wrong. We should be together!" Elena declared.

Elijah closed his eyes for a moment, knowing what he had to do.

Ripping his heart in two he turned to Elena and whispered in a voice devoid of all emotion.

"No, Elena, we shouldn't." And without another word he left.

Elena stared into the empty space he had left behind and she felt her heart collapse into a thousand pieces.