a/n: ah! So now the brothers are aware that they are going to be hoodwinked! How will they prepare? Will they allow the girls to go along with their plan or will they pull the rug out from under them before the plan can even really begin? Read to find out...Happy Reading!

_Gilbert Home_

Elena had a wonderful afternoon with Katherine, as shocking as that was. After lunch they had gone back to Caroline's to talk some more. There were no pillow fights or braiding of each other's hair but there had been popcorn and a great deal of bonding. Elena had gone home still laughing, pleased that at least Bonnie and Katherine could spend a few hours together without ripping each other's throats out. She arrived home, newly designed dress in hand and a pleased smile on her face. The smile quickly faded away when she found Damon sitting on her bed.

She sighed and walked to the closet t hang the dress bag up, not quite ready to deal with him yet. "Aren't you even going to say hi?"

There was something different in his tone, something that made her think of the old Damon, her Damon. She looked up, noticing the smile he had on his face. No smirk; no sneer, just a smile. "Hi."

"That's a little better." He slapped his thighs and stood up, walking around the room. "I figured it was time we talked, you know...about last night."

She blushed deeply at the memory. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that."

"It's alright." He waved her apology away like it was nothing and continued. "We were fighting and I cornered you. It was just a reaction to say those things and I apologize for putting you in that position. I'll forget all about it if you forgive me for the fights."

She looked at him like he was on crack, one eyebrow raised. Her Damon would never let her get away with a comment like that. Something was going on here, either he had gone insane or he wanted something. "Of course I forgive you."

"Good," he clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "now that we're over that, I figured I would try and start making up for being such an ass lately."

Elena's mind rushed with all the possible ways she could make Damon pay for being an ass as he came around the bed to stand in front of her. He extended his hand and it took her a full minute before she realized he was offering it to her to shake. "I don't understand."

"Friends." He shrugged, looking down at her. "I want us to be friends. I want things to go back to the way they were."

She couldn't really remember a time where they had ever been friends with no sexual tension, but she hesitantly extended her hand and shook. "Friends?"

"Yes, and I was thinking we could start by going to the Masquerade Ball together next week."

Now she was speechless. He was ruining everything! "No, I don't think that's a good idea."

"I just mean go together as friends. No funny stuff."

She panicked, this was not how it was supposed to happen. He was supposed to go with her, but her as Katherine. Then they would go home together and in the morning he would wake up and discover it was her! "I can't go with you."

"Why not?"

"I'm going with Stefan." She panicked, nearly slapping her hand over her mouth when the answer slipped out. Damon's eyes instantly glazed over, the lines of his face turning his expression cold and hard.

"Oh." He stepped back and away, moving toward the door. "Of course you are."

"I'm sorry Damon." She stepped toward him, but he held up his hand to stop her.

"Don't worry about it, I understand. You're free to make your own choices Elena."

She watched as he left, the bedroom door closing behind him with a loud click. She felt lost, completely torn. She moved slowly to her bed, sitting down and shaking her head. She didn't see the smirk on Damon's face, and she didn't hear his slightly evil laugh as he walked downstairs.

_Boarding House_

Stefan sat in the living room waiting for his brother, congratulating himself on how well he had done with Katherine. She'd been shocked, nearly speechless when he'd asked her to go to the Ball with him. He could still remember the look on her face when she'd told him no, told him she was already going with Damon. These girls were in quicksand up to their knees already and the game had just begun. The front door opened and Stefan stood to greet his brother. A glass of whiskey already in his hand, Stefan handed it over.

Damon took a long swig of it, clapping his brother on the back. "I did it. She's completely freaking out. Were you aware that you're going with her already? According to her she's already asked you."

Stefan laughed and poured himself a less stronger drink. "Katherine said the same thing about you. I bet they're calling each other right now."

Damon smirked into his glass, finishing it quickly. Stefan would probably still be nursing his first by the time Damon was on his third. "Silly girls, thinking they could get away with this."

"I expect something like this from Kat, but Elena's a shocker. You do realize it's all her idea."

"I know, it's kind of exciting."

Stefan was silent for a few minutes. "Not that I'm not enjoying this new sense of brotherhood, but are you sure we're doing the right thing here by tricking them? Wouldn't it be better to just tell them we know?"

Damon shook his head and filled his glass. "Not at all. Make them sweat it out, and just when they think they've got us, we show them who's really incharge."

"I still think they're gonna be pissed." Stefan shook his head.

"And what are they gonna do? Stake us, yell for giving them a taste of their own medicine. Look at this way, the worst that will happen is a huge fight and then you get makeup sex after."

_Gilbert Home_

"What the hell are we supposed to do now?" Elena whispered hurriedly into the phone.

"Calm down." Katherine snapped. "Nothing is different, in fact this might make it easier. Now at least they know we're going with the other brother. Tomorrow, we'll go over to the house and you'll invite Stefan and I'll ask Damon. We do nothing, we don't panic. We go through with this 'till the end. Understand?"

Elena nodded. "Yes."

"Good, now let me go back to sleep." Katherine hung up the phone, but did not go back to bed.

She hadn't even been to bed yet. Stefan had surprised her, and she still hadn't completely recovered from the almost kiss they'd shared. Whatever he was up to, he was playing his game well. He'd surprised her, caught her off guard coming out of the shower. She'd wanted to use it to her advantage but he'd shocked her by grabbing her and pressing her to the bed. Something had come over this post-Ripper Stefan, something she found intoxicating and sexy.

He was faster, he was stronger and there was a dangerous undertone to him that she hadn't seen when he'd been human. She'd nearly blown the whole plan right there, but he'd asked before she'd been able to kiss him and that had thrown her for a whole new loop. He'd looked so hurt when she'd said no, and then he'd just left her there. If she'd had a beating heart it would still be pounding. She shook herself out of it and went to get dressed.

She need a drink, and not one she could find in the kitchen.

a/n: that's all for tonight folks! If you haven't already check out my 'It's Okay to Love them Both' two shot i finished this morning. Talk to you all tomorrow.