Red and blue lights flashed repetitively as Elena stared blankly out the police car window at her house. Her mind was spinning, she couldn't process how this had happened to her family. Just yesterday she was cooking dinner with her Aunt, laughing about how they forgot to put the timer on the stove resulting in a burnt lasagna. Naturally they ended up eating take-out, which had become quite routine in the Gilbert residence. A warm tear glided down Elena's cheek and she quickly wiped it away before anyone saw. Elena had never felt so alone and small in the world, the only family she had left was her brother Jeremy. It was then in the back of a Mystic Falls police car, Elena vowed to herself that she would never let anything happen to her brother. Outside she watched as Damon smoothly walked down her front stairs towards the officer guarding her car door, she heard muffled talking and followed Damon's arms as they grasped the mans shoulders as he seemed to lean closer into the mans face. The cop gestured towards the car door and Damon peered in before opening the door and shifting himself into the spot beside her. "Do you want to tell me what the hell is going on Damon?" Elena blurted out, her voice trembling with fear. Damon stretched his arms forward and let himself rest into his seat. "Damon, why do they think that I'm the last person who saw Jenna? That I'm the person who killed her? For gods sake she was my Aunt, I loved her. Why would anyone think that I could be responsible for this?" Elena brought her hands up to her face and let out heavy sobs. She felt Damon put his hand on her knee, and he cleared his throat. "Well, there's one possible scenario that I'm thinking could be quite possible here Elena.. and I'm not sure how much you're going to like what I have to say." Elena moved her hands from covering her face and wiped away a mix of tears and snot, eventually making eye contact with Damon. She felt her face get hot as she realized how horrendous she probably looked from bawling her eyes out and she let out a soft giggle. "Okay, should I be worried? You went from hysterics to laughing? Perhaps we should send you to the asylum instead of the cop shop." Damon smirked at her as he squeezed her knee. Elena smiled and looked down at his hand, and his lapis ring that glistened in the day light. "No, it's not that.." she breathed. "I just, I guess I'm embarrassed looking like hell in front of you." Damon stared at her without saying a word. "And now I'm mortified for saying anything." Elena brought her hand up to her forehead but Damon grabbed it and pulled her into his chest. His hand rested on her head, holding it to his shoulder. "Elena, I don't care how you look right now, we have bigger problems to deal with than bodily fluids leaking onto your face." Elena clenched her eyes in embarrassment. "I think Katherine is here, in Mystic Falls Elena. It's the only logical explaination as to why they think you've done this. It has to be your doppelganger." Elena contemplated his words, and to her surprise it made sense. "Do you think she's here for revenge? For me visiting her with Bonnie's spell? Wait, would she even know that that happened?" Elena turned her head to look up at Damon's face. "I'm not sure, but if I know anything about Katherine, I know she means business if she's pissed." The police officer got into the car and began to pull away from Elena's house. Elena closed her eyes and tried to think of better times as the lull of the car helped ease her mind, Damon's hand lightly stroking her hair sent shivers throughout her body.
"Elena, wake up. We're here and they're going to question you now. Are you ready? Or..." Damon looked as if he was thinking really hard about something. "I'm ready, but are you?" Elena began to get out of the car, feeling the cool air surround her. "Elena I could make this go away, if you wanted me to." "What do you mean.. make it go away how? If you're thinking of slaughtering the entire police force, no thanks I think I'll go in and get questioned." She began walking away from the car. Damon caught her by the arm and span her around to face him. "Vampires have kind of a cool party trick if you will.." he smirked down at her. "See, I could look into your eyes right now and tell you to drive yourself off a cliff, and you'd do it. It's called compulsion, and I could do it to Officer Blaine and make this all go away." Elena blinked and looked down at her shoes, turning this thought around in her mind. "Well, what would you tell them?" Damon clapped his hands together and said "Do you trust me?" Elena clapped her hands together, making fun of Damon and said "Do I have a choice?" and just like that Damon span around on his heel making his way for the entrance to the station. Elena pulled out her cell phone and tried to call Jeremy, he didn't answer. She had no idea how she was going to explain this whole thing to him, he's just found out that vampires actually exist.. she wondered how much more her little brother could take. As she was zoning out staring at her phone, it lit up with the name Stefan across the screen. "Hello?" "Elena?" Stefan sounded breathless on the other end of the phone. "Yes Stefan, it's me. What's going on?" "Look I know you're probably pretty shaken up with all thats going on with you right now but I think I have something that you're going to want to hear." Elena sat herself down on the curb and sighed "and what would that be?" "Well I was just at the grill and I know you are slightly preoccupied, so it struck me as odd that you'd walk in the front door of the grill." Elena's whole body began to tingle as she felt anxiety wash over her. "Elena, I think Katherine is here. Katherine is back in Mystic Falls." Elena dropped the cell phone from her hand and clutched her arms around herself. Damon picked up her phone off the wet grass. Elena had no idea how long he'd been beside her for. "Stefan, you say you saw her? Are you sure?" Damon nodded and looked distressed as he listened to his brothers responses over the phone. "Okay, we'll be home soon. Yes, we'll deal with everything then. In the mean time, think you could get ahold of a certain witch to not only aid us in our mission but to also console her friend? Great, you're a peach." Damon hung up and threw the phone back onto Elena's purse. "Get up, we're going on a hunt to find your long lost dead ringer."