Chapter 14

VA

Caroline woke up with the sun shining in her eyes her neck was cranked and her head was mashed against something hard. She managed to disengage herself from it and sat up rubbing her eyes. Her mouth dropped open when she looked at who she had been all tangled up with. She remembered watching a movie with Stefan. She didn't remember falling asleep…on him?

"Caroline?" Stefan sat up rubbing his head a sheepish expression on his face.

"I don't remember falling asleep." She laughed awkwardly glancing at the door, maybe she could flash out of here and pretend this whole thing never happened?

"No big deal is was just sleep right? Not like we did anything." His voice got low.

"Right." She would be five shades of red if she was still human.

"The best friend." Katherine said dramatically coming down the stairs. She was dressed just like Elena in a blue fitted shirt and some dark jeans. Her hair straitened and down. She looked exactly like Elena. She was supposed to but still it seemed to mock Caroline even more. She felt so guilty.

"Wow Stefan, when you get revenge you get it." Katherine smirked.

"We just fell asleep Katherine." Stefan said, "Nothing happened."

Katherine raised her eyebrows at him then walked over to the bar and started fixing herself a drink.

"That doesn't mean she doesn't want something to happen. You really want to go there Stefan haven't you had enough teenage drama for one century?" Katherine asked.

"Excuse me, nothing happened but even if it was it would none of your business." Caroline said standing up just irritated at this point.

"Everything Stefan does is my business." Katherine said a strange edge in her eyes that frightened Caroline a little. It reminded her of Katherine acted when Caroline first turned and Katherine was using her against Stefan and Elena.

"Are you kidding me?" Caroline shot back refusing to let this woman intimidate her any more. "You left him, you don't get a say in his life now."

"It doesn't mean I don't still love him. I will never stop." Katherine said staring at Stefan who had been pretty quiet.

"Caroline if you don't mind. I'd like to talk to Katherine alone." Stefan said glancing at her awkwardly avoiding direct eye contact. Carline hated the stab of pain that caused; he didn't really just reject her for Katherine did he? After she stood up for him like she always does. She couldn't let Katherine manipulate Stefan again. Regardless of whatever these confusing feelings were. As his friend she figured she owed him that much.

"No Stefan, she's trying to manipulate you and I'm not leaving you alone with her." Caroline said.

"Could you be any more obvious?" Katherine scoffed. "Stefan if you don't nip this in the butt now it's going to get messy and fast."

Stefan looked at her with a pained expression on his face.

"Nice to see you are all focused." Elijah interrupted them and they all stiffened in his presence.

"Elijah." Stefan addressed him. "Why are you here?"

"I have everything I need now and the full moon is two days away." He said as if they were planning some simple everyday event.

"So it's time to set him up." Katherine her eyes lit up a bit in almost wonder. Caroline felt empathic for a moment imagining having to run for that long, her empathy turned to annoyance though when Stefan shot her a sympathetic look. Caroline groaned inside what was happening here?

"Word will be spread to him today and we can expect him to show up for the ritual." Elijah nodded.

"So should we all meet and plan this out?" Caroline said forgetting her drama for a moment the adrenaline pumping through her veins, she couldn't wait for this.

"Just be here." He handed Stefan a map, "Before dusk on Friday."

Elijah was gone as fast as he appeared and the three of them stood their lost in their thoughts. Caroline was excited more then she should be. Stefan would warn her about being overconfident, but she felt like this was her chance to show them all how worthy she was. She figured Stefan was probably trying to figure out how to protect everyone in this. Katherine seemed strange almost worried.

"I don't think we can trust him." She said in a quiet voice. "Something is off."

"What choice do we have now?" Stefan asked. "Klaus is coming here, we work with Elijah and watch our backs or go against him and then we have two originals as enemies."

Bonnie and Jeremy walked in interrupting them with Alaric in tow.

"Elijah was just here..." Caroline started to inform them.

"Not now, we have to go to the church a memorial is being held." Alaric said his face stiff.

"What happened?" Stefan asked.

"A bunch of teenagers were killed in a house fire last night." Jeremy sighed. "At least eight I think."

"Oh my god," Caroline gasped. "A house fire?"

"What if it's a cover up? If Klaus is already here…" Alaric trailed off looking worried.

"He's not here yet." Katherine said and Bonnie threw a sharp glance at her. The two of them exchanged a glance that didn't go unnoticed by Caroline or Stefan who looked really curious.

"How do you know?" Jeremy asked.

"Elijah just told us he's letting the word get to Klaus about the ritual today." Katherine said. "He wouldn't show up here before he needs to."

"He's planning the ritual in two days at the full moon." Stefan informed them.

"So soon," Bonnie mumbled.

"You can handle it." Katherine nodded at her surprising everyone.

"We have no plan though." Caroline said.

"Right now we need to so support our classmates, then we come back here and plan." Stefan took charge and started ushering everyone out the door.

Stefan rolled his eyes seeing Katherine already sitting in his front seat when he got outside. Caroline started to follow him and he sighed.

"Caroline I need to talk to her alone. Thank you for trying to watch my back but I can handle myself around her." He said gently.

"I can see the way she gets to you." Caroline argued.

"We really don't have time for this right now." Stefan sighed. "Can you ride with Ric?"

"Yeah fine," She mumbled looking hurt.

"Look; the fight of our lives is coming and I need to talk to her about that she's our best bet here she's the oldest and knows Klaus. This works better if we get along." Stefan said his eyes pleading.

"It has nothing to do with you having feelings for her?" Caroline asked bluntly.

"I don't want to get in to that right now Caroline." Stefan sighed.

"Okay, but can we talk later?" She asked.

"I don't think we should talk about Katherine." He said slowly.

"What?" She asked looking offended. "I poured my heart out to you about Matt several times, and you talked to me about Elena after she left…"

"I know but Caroline you hate Katherine. It's not something we can talk about without conflict. "He said slowly.

"Whatever Stefan," Caroline muttered spinning on her heel.

He pinched the bridge of his nose watching her leave before he turned to look at Katherine who was watching them looking smug.

How the hell did I manage to get in to this? He wondered shaking his head.

Stefan sighed when he got in and started the car.

"She's such a twit." Katherine snapped.

"Stop," He rolled his eyes. "Jealously isn't a nice color on you."

"Liar I look good in every color." She batted her eyelashes as he started the car.

"I like your car it's sexy." She put her hand on his knee.

"Katherine stop, we're not going there."

"You want me, you still love me you basically just admitted that to Caroline." She pouted.

"I did not." He groaned.

"Yes you did. You picked me and told her to ride with someone else."

"I want to ask you what you did." He said quietly.

"What are you talking about?" She asked looking out the window.

"You and Bonnie exchanged a strange glance when Alaric mentioned the teenagers. You knew it wasn't Klaus right away, your skin is glowing and you didn't get yourself any blood his morning." Stefan said.

"You've been watching me just as closely as I knew you were." She smirked looking smug.

"Katherine?" He glanced at her.

"I lost control." She admitted looking down at her hands. "I had this weird moment with Bonnie and everything came rushing back all the emotions, how bad it hurt to leave you all those years ago. Stefan; Klaus and Elijah were after me and they killed everyone I ever loved in my life to get to me. I couldn't let that happen to you!" She imploded her eyes filling up with tears.

"You…you left to protect me?" He whispered.

"Everything I did was to protect you." She confirmed her expression sincere.

"Why did you turn me?" He asked.

"I gave you my blood, I didn't turn you." She replied.

"But you knew I would die to protect you." He said.

"Yes I did and I made sure I could see you again." She said biting her lip.

"And Damon?" He asked taking a breath.

"Was a distraction at first, I never meant to fall in love with you. The plan was to draw attention to myself and then die quite publicly so Klaus and Elijah would give up. But I did fall in love with you and when I did...I knew I had to see you again so I gave you my blood because I was afraid you would die trying to save me and I was right, I gave Damon blood because you needed your brother." She said softly.

"You turned Damon so I wouldn't be alone?" He questioned surprised, touched and angry on his brothers behalf all at the same time.

"Yeah." She shrugged.

"When you say you came back here for me…" He started.

"I did." She said her eyes wide and sincere. "I knew word was spreading about me not being in the tomb, and word about Elena would follow. Klaus would come for her and you would die to protect her. I couldn't let that happen to you."

"So you were going to just turn her over to save yourself and me?" Stefan questioned.

"I don't love anyone but you Stefan. If that was the only way to keep you alive, then yes that's exactly what I would have done. My plans weren't decided yet when I got here and finding you so in love with her really pissed me off." She admitted.

"You were going to tell me all this last night weren't you?' he asked his voice soft.

She just nodded in reply.

"But you saw me with Caroline?" His eyebrows furrowed. "I made you snap last night; you did all this for me and I've been cruel to you."

"You had good reason to hate me." Katherine admitted. "I should have just been honest with you."

"I never would have left your side, no matter who was after you." He said.

"That's why I left." She said stroking his cheek. "Klaus would have killed you just to torture me."

"We're here." He took a breath pulling into the church parking lot. "Can you handle this?"

"No." She said. "I don't go to my victim's funerals this is going to make me feel like shit."

"Good." He said.

"What?" She looked surprised after the tender moment they had just had.

"You need to feel like shit it's what reminds you of the human you still are inside." He said stroking her cheek and gazing at her for a moment before getting out of the car.

WI

"I don't understand why I can't just come with you." Elena said again as Ben worked on preparing for the shield spell Elena insisted he put on Damon. They had found the same contact Slater had for Ellijah through some digging on the computer through him they had managed to get in touch with an associate of Klaus's and set up a meeting. The sunlamps were a success, and they were finalizing a plan.

Elena had made it clear that if Damon doesn't return from the meeting she will end her life and they won't have a doppelganger. Damon hoped to make this quick and get a gauge oif the type of people that worked for Klaus. He seemed pretty amped up to get on with this whole thing going and Elena was just wracked with worry.

"Ready?" Ben asked standing up.

"This is bad ass." Damon smirked holding his hands out and closing his eyes.

"It's a shield Damon. You still need to be careful. Klaus could send an original to meet you." Elena reminded him.

"You worry too much." He waved her off. "This makes me un-stakable. I can't wait to provoke Stefan."

"Damon." Elena sighed.

"This shield only protects your heart." Ben laughed, "Careful cowboy."

"Just do it already." Damon said.

Ben nodded and started chanting while he held his hands over Damon's chest.

"Done." he said.

"That was fast." Damon looked down at his chest. "How do I know if it worked?"

"Try and stake yourself?" Ben suggested.

"No!" Elena exclaimed.

"Well not with a wooden stake." Ben laughed. "Use a fork or something."

"A fork? You want me to try and stab myself in the heart with a fork?" Damon asked.

"If you can't just trust my skills," The warlock grinned.

"Here goes nothing." He picked up a fork and Elena turned closing her eyes.

"It worked!" He said hitting an invisible force the second he tried to pierce his skin.

Elena turned and smiled a look of relief in her eyes.

"Come here sweetheart." He said nodding at Ben to make himself scarce.

"I don't want to stay here without you." She frowned.

"I'll be back in a few hours and Ben will be here." He said brushing her hair back.

"He should go with you in case you need him. What if Klaus's men take you to draw me out or something." She said her eyes filling up with worry.

"Stop worrying. He wasn't expecting you to contact him we have the upper hand here." He said kissing her softly.

"Just please come back soon and in one piece." She said throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him deeply.

"Watch her, she's very sneaky." Damon warned Ben when he got upstairs.

"I figured she'd try a jail break." Ben agreed with a chuckle.

"Be careful Damon." Ben called after him as he walked out of the house.

Damon sat in the small restaurant only a few short hours from where Elena was which worried him. If they followed him back his safe place for her would be comprised. Now that the reality of what they had to do had settled in Elena's staying alive quickly became the number one priority again. It was time to eliminate this dark cloud named Klaus once and for all so he could just focus on loving her.

A man walked in and sat across from him. Damon instantly felt his power it was strong this guy was an original. He had dirty blond curly hair and an old look about him much like Elijah. His eyes pierced into Damon's.

"Damon Salvatore I presume?" The man asked.

"The one and only." Damon smirked.

"Lose the cocky attitude it annoys me." The man said.

"Klaus?" Damon gulped.

"I wouldn't trust anyone else to handle this." He smiled and his eyes darkened with a warning that Damon heard loud and clear. No one was going to prevent him from breaking the curse this time.

"Now where is she?" Klaus asked.

"Safe." Damon said. "Isn't that what matters right now?"

"And pumped full of your blood no doubt," Klaus said.

"That is why we agreed to meet with you; we believe the curse can be broken with my blood in her system. She will still die in all purposes and you would get what you want." Damon proposed.

"What if it doesn't work?" Klaus asked. "I would have turned a perfectly good doppelganger for nothing. Five hundred years I've waited."

Damon wasn't expecting to face Klaus so soon he couldn't let his complete disregard for Elena as a person bother him, if he started getting angry he had no chance to strike the deal. If they couldn't get Klaus to meet them on their terms their plan to kill him would go up in smoke quickly and they wouldn't have a chance even with Ben's powers. He put his walls up quickly feeling somewhat safer with the protection spells Ben had put on him.

"I see no reason why it wouldn't work." Damon said keeping his face cool and impassive. "She still dies."

"What else can you offer me?" Klaus asked.

"If you work with us I can hand you Katrina on a silver platter." Damon offered quickly assuming he was still pretty pissed at the original doppelganger for escaping.

Klaus's eyebrows lifted, "There is only one thing left to hurt Katarina with, are you willing to turn over your own brother to me to spare your girlfriend?"

"Yes." Damon said without flinching.

"There is a full moon in two days." Klaus said staring at Damon searching for the truth he imagined but Ben had a spell to block compulsion too. Damon was really enjoying the perks of having the warlock witch on their side.

"So we do the ritual and then I'll bring you to Katherine and Stefan." Damon said.

"I want to talk to the doppelganger myself." Klaus said. "I need to ensure her cooperation."

"You want to ensure it will only be her and I showing up. I'm telling you it is, I don't care about anyone but her, I took her as far away from her home as possible." Damon said.

"I need a werewolf, a witch and the moonstone." Klaus said.

"I can give you the moonstone and the doppelganger." Damon said keeping his face blank and calm. "I'm sure you will have no trouble finding the rest."

"So long as she can turn?" Klaus shook his head looking annoyed but Damon could tell he believed it.

"Love, such a wasted emotion. Look at you your pathetic." Klaus said looking at him distastefully.

"I won't argue with you, but I'll give you want you want, can we make a deal here?" Damon asked

"I will consider it. I need to do some research regarding her turning after being sacrificed. Of course I can always just make sure she bleeds out." Klaus said.

Klaus phone rang and he nodded dismissively at Damon. "I'll be in touch."

Damon left keeping an eye out for any vampires Klaus may have brought with him to follow Damon back to Elena when he was suddenly thrown against the side of the building.

"You thought you could fool me?" he hissed.

"What are you talking about?" Damon winced.

"Do not lie to me!" Klaus screamed.

"I'm not lying." Damon groaned.

"Really? Then why was I just told Elijah is planning to do complete the sacrificial ritual in Mystic Falls Virginia on Friday night?"

"What that's impossible Elena is here." Damon struggled against Klaus iron grip on his throat.

"Where is the moonstone then show it to me?" Klaus demanded.

"It's with her."

"Bring me to her."

"No." Damon said thinking this was it and hoping Ben could keep her safe.

Klaus stepped back glaring at him.

"Tell Elena I'm going to her home town and I'm going to slaughter everyone if she doesn't show up at dusk on the full moon for Elijah's little game."

He was gone faster than Damon could blink he stood there numbly holding his throat.

"What the hell did those idiots do?" He finally groaned.