Author's Note: I'm so sorry I haven't replied to anyone's comments yet! It's been a busy couple of days. I have read them and they absolutely mean the world to me. I promise I'll get back to you soon!


Elena woke to sunlight streaming in her eyes. She shifted unhappily, burying her face further in the pillow under her. In response, she felt something around her shoulders shift, pulling her closer to the warmth beside her. She let out a soft, content sigh, safe, secure, and warm.

She was just about to fall back into sleep when she heard a soft click, echoing in the silent, massive house. Her eyes flew open, taking in a long black torso and lean, jean-clad legs beside her. The heavy weight of the arm around her shoulders suddenly lifted, and then the body beside her was gone in a blur so quick she almost missed it, leaving behind only the faintest scent of cologne.

Damon.

She quickly caught herself before she fell over, sitting up and running her fingers through her hair. She tried not to flush, her heart hammering against her chest. She didn't remember falling asleep, only reading the journals with Damon long into the night. At some point her eyes had grown blurry and she had closed them… She must have leaned against Damon.

And they had slept there. On the couch. Together.

Guilt gnawed at her even as she heard Damon's low drawl through the hallway. "Guess you two survived another night."

"Good morning to you, too, Damon," Elena heard Caroline return dryly. "Is anyone else awake? We brought doughnuts."

"You know, usually people knock when they enter someone's house," he reminded, appearing behind them as they stepped into the living room.

Elena flashed a smile at Caroline and Tyler. "Hey, guys," she greeted. She looked at Tyler, who wore a slightly exhausted look. "How're you feeling?"

He smiled weakly. "I'm okay." He arched an eyebrow at the books on the table. "Doing some light reading?"

"We're overachievers. Hoping for an 'A' in Ric's class." Damon stepped past him, taking the boxes Caroline held. She protested, but he set them on the table, opening them and taking one for himself. Elena's heart skipped as he dropped down onto the couch with her, about a foot away, and put his feet up on the table.

"I'm giving you an 'F' on principle," Alaric announced, appearing in the living room. He patted Tyler on the shoulder. "How're you feeling?"

Tyler looked up at him, as if surprised and a little pleased at the question. "Good. Thanks."

Alaric nodded. "We brought doughnuts," Caroline offered, gesturing to the pastries on the table.

Alaric flashed a smile at her. "Thanks." He made a face at Damon. "Good to know someone knows how to feed guests." He reached down and picked up a doughnut out of the box, dropping down into the chair by the fire.

"I give you whiskey," Damon objected. "My finest whiskey. My prized whiskey. Don't complain."

Alaric waved a hand at him, taking a bite of the doughnut in his hand. He looked down at the books in front of them an arched an eyebrow. "What's all this?" he asked.

Elena's heart skipped. "We were doing a little research last night," Damon answered. He stood, picked up one of the journals from the table, and flipped it to a page. He held it out to Alaric. "Tell me that isn't the thing of nightmares."

Alaric stared at the page, swallowing hard around his doughnut. His face turned suddenly serious as he stared, slowly looking up at Damon. "Is that…?"

"Yup. And apparently my great-great-great something-or-other."

Caroline made a face. "What's going on?" she asked.

Alaric turned the book to face her and Tyler. They crept closer to get a better look at the page. Caroline stared at it, then reeled back, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Is that…?" she asked.

"We've been over this," Damon reminded impatiently.

Caroline turned on him. "Why is Katherine getting freaky with your ancestor?" she demanded.

He flashed a cocky grin. "Being that damn good runs in my family?"

"Damon." They turned back to face Alaric, who stood, his face flooded with concern. "What's going on?"

Damon picked up another journal from the table—his mother's journal. Damon handed it to Alaric, who took it with a slight frown. "Apparently Stefan and I are cursed. Our mother was a descendent of the woman who came before the doppelganger—the original woman. And the doppelganger decided to turn the original's family into creatures of the night." Alaric's head shot up, focusing on Damon in disbelief. "The original vampires."

"Klaus and Elijah?" Alaric repeated, stunned.

Damon nodded.

"There's a way to stop the doppelganger," Elena spoke up. "A way to break the curse." She met Damon's eyes, then looked down at Alaric. "The woman told their mom Stefan and Damon need to be taken to the original woman. She said her sons would know how." She looked around the room. "We need to find Elijah."

"What's the curse?" Caroline asked cautiously, looking between Damon and Elena hesitantly.

Elena faltered, looking up at Damon fleetingly before dropping her eyes. "To chase the doppelganger to the ends of the earth," Damon answered, pointing at the picture Alaric still held.

"Some curse," Caroline breathed, dropping down onto the couch behind her.

"But we can break it," Elena insisted. "We can stop it." Again, she scanned the room, seeking support. "We just need to find Elijah."

"Didn't Elijah betray us?" Damon reminded, scowling impatiently. "Besides, if finding him were that easy, we would already know where Klaus is."

"He was just trying to find his family." She dropped her eyes to the journal in Alaric's hands. "And now we know why." She looked back up at him. "It was his wife who caused all of this to begin with."

"I say we start with someone easier," Damon declared.

"Who?" Alaric asked.

Damon flashed a dark grin. "Katherine."

"Katherine?" Caroline repeated, alarm ringing in her voice. "Why? Do we want her on our side? Are we suddenly team Katherine now? Can I point out—she killed me?"

"Katherine has been following my ancestors around for centures." Damon gestured to the journals on the table. "And I'd like to know what she knows about this curse." He turned to Elena, leveling her with a look. "Wouldn't you?"

After the sordid tales of love, betrayal, and anguish she had read the night before, she didn't know if she could face Katherine again without staking were too many tales of brother turning on brother, pining for her love, and in the end, Katherine choosing neither, leaving the brothers broken shells of their former selves—if they even survived at all.

But then, if Katherine did know, they needed her help. They needed to know everything she did to help break this damned curse that had destroyed so many lives.

"How do you know if we'll be able to find her?" Elena asked uncertainly.

Damon shrugged. "Why not? Klaus let her go, didn't he? He broke his curse. She has no reason to run anymore."

"That doesn't mean she's going to want to help us," Elena pointed out.

"Sure she will, because she isn't going to want us chasing after her for all of eternity." Damon turned to Alaric. "Ready for another field trip?"

Alaric stood. "Should I pack a lunch?"

"And a couple of shirts."

"Where are you going?" Elena asked, standing.

Damon faced her, his eyes dark. "To find Katherine. And then to find Elijah, so we can locate Stefan and remove this curse and get him away from Klaus for good."

"So… you're saying I should bring another set of pants, too," Alaric said, from over Damon's shoulder.

Damon glanced back at him. "Might be best," he agreed. He and Alaric nodded at each other.

"Damon," Elena began, trying to keep her voice even; trying to reason with him. "You searched for Katherine for 150 years. What makes you think you're suddenly going to be able to find her now if she doesn't want to be found?"

Damon leaned in toward her. "The last time, I thought she was in a tomb," he told her, his voice low, his eyes intense. "And blinded by love. This time, I know better. On all accounts." He straightened, stepping past her. "We'll bring you guys back souveniers. Wolf-boy—you collect hats?"

"Hats?" Tyler repeated.

Damon held his hands above his head in the shape of a baseball cap. "Hats. You know." At Tyler's blank face, he went on. "No? How about shot glasses?" He waited a second, then made a face and shook his head, waving a hand at Tyler. "I'll get you a postcard."

Elena watched as he headed out of the living room, turning back helplessly to look up at Alaric. "Ric," she pleaded.

He hesitated. "This is for him, Elena," he said quietly. "The curse is his. His and Stefan's."

"But he's chasing someone who might as well be a ghost!" she protested desperately.

He let out a deep breath. "I know." He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'll try to keep him in check. Make sure he doesn't… eat anyone." He squeezed her shoulder gently and stepped past her, heading up the stairs to the guest room.

Elena looked back at Caroline and Tyler, who traded looks before looking back at her. She let out a deep breath, slowly sinking down onto the couch.


Elena stood in the entrance to Damon's bedroom, taking in the open small suitcase and the clothes carefully folded on the bed beside it. Damon stood with his back to her, setting items into the suitcase.

She wasn't foolish enough to think he didn't know she was there, but he said nothing as he continued placing the perfectly folded stacks into the suitcase. Jeans on top of shirts, bag of toiletries to the right.

She tried to find the words to speak, but all that came to mind was, Don't go. She finally entered the room, watching as he stopped moving, his head lifting. He turned back to look at her, his face expressionless, but his striking blue eyes soft.

"You don't have to do this, you know," she said, trying to keep her voice strong. "We can find Klaus and Elijah and Stefan another way."

"Any ideas?" he asked pointedly. She fell silent. "Me, either. So…" He turned back to the bed, shutting the suitcase.

"What are you hoping she'll say, Damon?" she asked, trying one last time to reason with him. "She's not going to tell you where they are, if she even knows. And if you ask her about your ancestors, she's just going to lie, just like she always does. And that's if you find her."

"It's better than sitting around here doing nothing," he returned. He zipped up the suitcase and set it on the ground with a soft thud.

And that was it. Damon was really leaving. Damon was really going to go chasing after Katherine. End of story.

She stepped forward, crossing the distance between them, and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Be careful," she requested quietly.

She felt his arms close around her waist, holding her tight. "We will," he agreed, his voice soft.

For a long moment she could only stand there, reveling in the feel of his arms around her. And then she forced herself to release him, stepping away to look up at him. "And don't forget to call," she instructed, trying to keep her voice bright.

He cocked his head at her. "You guys just keep working on saving Jeremy and getting Bonnie's powers back," he returned.

Elena nodded. "We will."

His hand caressed her cheek, and then he lifted his bag, stepping past her and heading out of the room. There was a splintering sensation in her heart, an ache that hurt so vividly she thought someone might be squeezing it. She whirled around, looking after him.

"Damon!"

He turned back, looking back at her.

She flashed a weak, embarrassed smile, her vision blurry. "Hurry back, okay?"

He nodded, a deep, elegant nod that made her think of a time long past, and then he was gone.