So sorry for taking so long to post the new chapter. But I have two chapters at once, to make it up for the wait. I was thinking these we're going to be the last two chapters but

there's more. I'm already working on chapter 16.

Arriane

I was leaning against Cam's shoulder on the back of Ash's convertible. Gabbe was sitting on my other side, asleep. Cam wasn't sleeping; he was looking dreamy and distracted.

Daniel and Ash were taking care of the driving. We would probably get to Mystic Falls before dawn. Cam yawned.

I looked at Daniel. He was driving and Ash was sleeping next to him. He looked back at me. I wondered about why he was looking concerned. Then I felt his thoughts in my head.

Is Elijah doing anything to you? He asked me, and looked back to the road.

No. Why would he?

He wants you back, Daniel whispered into my head.

He can't really have that, I said, trying to sound certain.

Arriane, do you still want him?

No! Why are you asking me that? After all he did, I said I would never forgive him.

But you did. I know you've been seeing him. A lot of him. He wants the girls, doesn't he? The Petrova doppelgangers. And he wants you.

Well, the Petrova doppelgangers are not worthy of him anymore. They're not human. Damon and Trevor made sure of that. You know that.

Is that why you want to get Misao to come? You want her to turn Katerina back into human, don't you? For…Stefan.

He's in danger, Dan. And if the werewolves break the curse first, they'll be able to turn whenever they want, whether there's a full moon or not.

But you want Elijah's help. Why do you? I could practically see his eyes widening thoughtfully at me. We knew each other too well and that was the problem. We could never keep anything

from each other. No matter how much we tried.

He's useful. He wants that. To break the curse. That's why I worked with him in the first place. To break the curse, remember? Capture Katerina.

That failed and I know you helped Katerina Petrova escape her death. You gave her the moonstone. You wanted to save her. You cared about Trevor and you did it for him.

I did it for her. Because she had something I wanted, I said unwillingly.

What did you want? He turned fully to me now, and his were silvery.

Nothing. Katerina is just a good ally to have. I willed him into not realizing the truth behind everything.

You wanted…Elijah to yourself. You wanted to stop hunting for Katerina and just disappear with him. His voice sounded hushed and faraway. He was right. He was bringing it all back.

Daniel, stop it… I clutched closer to Cam and felt his eyes on me. He looked at Daniel.

You went to New York. Abandoned Klaus, without Katerina and the moonstone…you stole them from him. You and Elijah spent years in New York, until Klaus finally found you.

I started sobbing, and Cam pulled me into his chest. "Daniel, that's enough. You can stop now."

Ash and Gabbe were awake now, and they looked confused. They were looking between Daniel and Cam.

And then…he killed your sister. You blamed Elijah and you left him. What Klaus wanted to achieve. He wanted you to suffer. He knew about what you did. He killed someone you loved…because he

couldn't kill you. So, you disappeared…and then Elijah found you again.

NO! That's not true…that never happened. That never happened. That never happened…

I pushed Cam out of the way and pulled the door open, unfurling my wings. I couldn't be with him.

He read me better than anyone, and I should have known he would figure everything out.

After a while of flying, when I could see the road that went to the boardinghouse, I stopped flying and just ran to the boardinghouse, to Stefan, crying.

Damon

I was swirling the scotch around and around my glass, and staring blankly at a wall across the room. Elena was lying on my legs, where there was a pillow. She was asleep. I set my glass

on the table, and started playing with a lock of her hair absent-mindedly.

Stefan was sitting in a chair across the room and staring blankly at nothing. Caroline and Rose were asleep, curled up in each other's arms on the other side of the couch. Bonnie was

upstairs, sleeping in Stefan's room. I glanced at the clock.

It was already midnight. I looked at Stefan. Even though he looked blank, I knew he was counting each second for Arriane to arrive. He checked his phone every five minutes.

And then, all of a sudden, he stood up. He walked to the door, and I wanted to stand and go after him. Instead, I stood still, and alert.

And then he and Arriane stumbled inside. They were kissing. And practically ripping each other's clothes out of the way. I smirked.

"You can use my room." I told them and winked.

"Thank you." Stefan said breathlessly as the two of them stumbled through the stairs. I smirked again. Then my eyes landed on Rose. She was watching them with a smirk.

Her eyes turned on me and we just stared at each other for a long time. Then, slowly, I drifted and fell asleep.

Arriane

I woke up at 5AM. I knew they were coming soon. I could feel Daniel and Cam around. I was hurt.

Maybe Daniel meant well, but he just made it worst. I don't want to feel anything about Elijah. But he was making it harder.

I moved to the door and opened it, walking outside. I sighed. I could see the car. Cam was the one driving now. I took a cigarette from my pocket.

I never smoked or anything, but things were going downhill from here. I had to see Elijah. If I didn't get to him, he would get to me, like it always happened between us.

Cam parked in front of the boardinghouse, and got out of the car. Everyone else was asleep. I knew he wanted to talk right away, so I led the way to the back of the boardinghouse.

I held out my cigarette for him to finish it. It always made me nauseated after a few drags. Pot was better.

He took a drag and looked at me. "You want them both, don't you?"

"Sort of." I said. "You know, Elijah and I were never truly done. We always came back to each other over the years."

I watched as Cam rolled a pot joint skillfully and offered it to me. I put it on my lips and he lit it.

"I wish things were that simple." He said, and I knew what he was talking about.

"What did you and Daniel fought about anyway?" I asked, knowing.

He took a drag of his cigarette and shrugged. "Luce."

"You need to get over her, Cam." I said gently, looking at him. "She'll always pick him instead of you."

"Well, I'm trying. You know it's never that simple. I dated exactly fifteen strangers this year and hooked up with at least thirty. I'm not better though, am I?"

"I know what you mean." I looked at him thoughtfully. "Isn't it strange that you understand me better than he does right now?"

"A little. But," he added with a wink, "isn't that how everything begins?"

I hit his shoulder with my fist and he chuckled. We were silent for a while.

"I need your help, Cam." I told him and looked up from the joint.

Stefan

I opened my eyes and sniffed the air. Arriane was gone and it was snowing. We had been up late last night. When she arrived, we hooked up. And then I fed from her. I wasn't scared of

hurting her anymore.

I knew Elena was in the kitchen with Caroline and Rose, and they were making breakfast. For Bonnie. They were giggling. Damon was out in the backyard. I wasn't sure about what he

was doing. Bonnie was asleep.

I stood up and made my way downstairs. There were two boys asleep on the couch. Elena looked up. She motioned for me to go into the kitchen.

"Who are they?" I asked her softly.

"Arriane's friends." Rose said. "She went out with Cam about an hour ago."

As she said this, I noticed a girl standing next to her. She was blond and she looked a lot like Arriane, only her hair was curly, sort of like Katherine's. She put her hand out to me.

"I'm Gabbe." She smiled. "Arriane told me so much about you."

I smiled. I knew what she was instantly. If I looked closely, I could see the shape of her wings. The boys in the living room had wings as well.

"Really?" I asked. "I didn't think I was interesting enough to talk about."

Rose, Elena and Caroline rolled their eyes at me in sync. I shrugged.

"Well, you must be the real deal. Arriane doesn't date much." Gabbe said, with a shrug.

"Why not?" I asked. "She's pretty."

"Oh, not because guys don't want her." She said. "Because she gets bored with them in, let's see…three days tops. You're lasting."

I raised my eyebrows at this. "Is that good?"

"Yeah, probably. Arriane kind of needs stability. It's not like her last relationship was exactly good for her."

"How long did it last?" I leaned forward, eager to learn more about Arriane.

"About…a year or so. She came to hang out with us once it was over. I can't say Arriane was a mess, because she's never a mess. Arriane is controlled all the time. That's why, when

something bad happens, she falls apart for real." She took a bite of a chocolate cookie. "Because she keeps everything in, and when she can't take it anymore, she breaks, you know?"

I stared at her, drinking it in and thinking of someone I knew that was just like that. Cold, controlled.

"Hey, Stef, come with me to the Grill? I need vervain-free booze." Damon said, coming back into the house through the back door.

Damon. Damon was cold and controlled most of the time. Sarcastic. Merciless. Could Arriane really be like that? I thought as I watched Damon.

"Yeah, sure." I said, and moved to follow him out the door.

"Bye, girls." Damon and I said together. He winked at them, and I rolled my eyes at him.

Then we waved at them and got into our cars.

Arriane

Cam, Misao and I were sitting at a table in the back of the Grill, discussing ways of breaking the curse. Who we would use for what.

"Okay, so I'm sure we can get Bonnie Bennett to break the spell." Cam was saying.

"Yeah, Bonnie will agree not to tell them anything, if it's for the best." I told him.

"And who will the werewolf be?" Misao asked me.

"Jules. Tyler doesn't need to die. Once the curse is broken, he won't be dangerous anymore." I said.

"And Jules, on the other hand, is a problem." Cam said. "All werewolves are dumb, but Jules is creative and merciless. She's like a vampire, only dumber." He winked. "A lot dumber."

"Right, Cam." I said, turning to him, and smirking. "We all know of your distaste when it comes to Jules. We feel the same way, which is why we choose her."

"So, the vampire." Misao said. "Who did you choose?"

"We wanted to use Klaus." Cam said, looking miserable. "But we couldn't because it was too risky."

"Look, vampires are easy to find." I said. "It could be anyone. They're so easy to find, I bet there's one right here."

I lifted my eyes from Cam's to scan the bar, when, funnily enough, Damon and Stefan crossed the doorway.

"Shit!" I said, and hid under the table. "Act normal. The Salvatores are here."

I could hear Cam and Misao talking and I willed Stefan and Damon into not seeing them. At last, I heard the going out the door and into their cars.

I stood up from under the table slowly, self-conscious. I looked around and then at Cam.

"Okay, so it can't be anyone from here." I said, and started to think of the vampires I knew.

"So, who we don't like or don't care about?" Cam asked me, and it was clear he was thinking too.

"Savannah?" I asked, uncertain. "She was a total bitch."

"Yeah, maybe." Cam said, and bit his lip. "What about Blaise?"

"Yeah, she's annoying." I said, thoughtfully. "So, the one we find first?" I smirked at him.

"Yup." He laughed. "Our game. Should be fun, right?" Cam winked.

"Okay. Let's call Blaise." I said wickedly and got my phone.

I tossed the phone to Cam. He raised his eyebrows at me and put it to his ear.

"Hey, Blaise." He licked his lips, looking excited. "I want to see you tonight."

I smirked at him in approval. Misao was looking back and forth between us.

"I'm in a small town, Mystic Falls. North Carolina. Oh, you're around?" He licked his lips.

I looked at him and we smiled at each other. Things would work out.

"Yes, see you at 4PM. Bye." He flipped my phone shut and winked at me, tossing me my phone.

"Done. Now, go get Katerina." Cam told me. "Blaise will be good to go by sundown."

I dragged Misao out the door and winked at Cam, thinking that he, like Elijah, wasn't what he seemed to be at all.

Caroline

I was driving to my house with Bonnie. We decided, after a lot of talking, to make the Christmas party at my place, even though most people attending were vampires. Including the hostess,

whose Mom would hunt all her daughter's friends, and her daughter, if she knew what we were.

I parked the car in the garage and Bonnie and I went inside, to find Mom working on the Christmas tree. I gaped.

"Oh, hello, girls." She said and waved. "Would you guys like to help?"

"Sure, Mom." I said and moved to the tree, after recovering.

"I was hoping you would stay here for Christmas this year." Mom said, sounding hopeful.

"Yeah, actually, I was thinking of inviting some friends. If you don't mind, of course."

"Oh, why would I mind?" She said cheerfully. "Just tell me who they are so I can get presents for them."

I gaped happily at her and looked at Bonnie. She seemed surprised.

"Well, it's kind of a big list, Mom." I said, apologetic.

"Shout, sweetie." Mom said, cheerfully.

"Elena, Stefan, Damon, Bonnie, Arriane…um, Rose and Cam…" I trailed off, trying to remember the names of Arriane's friends. "Oh, Daniel, Gabbe and Ash as well."

"Well, that really is a big list." Mom said lightly.

"Look, you don't need to get presents to all of them. I already got most presents. Just need to get…Ash's and Gabbe's and Daniel's, right Bonnie?" I asked and Bonnie turned to me, startled.

"Um…yeah, I guess." Bonnie said, awkwardly.

"Well, you two can get on with that then and I'll finish the tree and dinner." Mom rubbed her jeans.

"Yeah." I said. "I'll take your car. The presents are in the trunk."

"Sure, sweetie." I pushed Bonnie to the door. "Just be careful."

"Always." I said, turning the knob and opening the door to find Elijah standing there.

"What do you want?" I hissed under my breath, pulling Bonnie out, and closing the door before Mom could see him.

"Actually, I wanted to see your friend, Bonnie." He said calmly. "Arriane needs your help to perform a spell. It's an easy spell, shouldn't be too hard."

Bonnie looked up at him and bit her lip.

Bonnie

I watched him suspiciously, wondering what his game was. Then I sighed as he seemed to be telling the truth. Vampires were being awfully trustable these days.

"Okay. What does she want me to do?" I asked him.

"That I don't know." He said distinctly. "She refused to tell me."

"Why would you do something for her without knowing what it was about?" Caroline asked him fiercely.

"She wants me to. She is a good ally to have." He said. "She wants Bonnie to go alone."

"What?" Caroline almost screamed. I turned to her.

"I'll be fine, Caroline." I said, reassuringly, patting her arm. "They'll protect me."

"But, Bonnie…" She whispered. "I don't trust him."

"He's just the messenger, Caroline." I said. "He's got nothing to do with anything."

After I said that, I turned to Elijah slowly. "Where does she want to meet me?"

"The tomb beneath the church. She needs you soon; she wants to make an agreement with you."

"Right." I said and bit my lip. "Can you give me a ride there?" I glanced at his bike.

"Sure." He followed to his bike and I was going after him when Caroline gripped my arm, pulling me back.

"Are you crazy, Bonnie?" Caroline asked.

"No. I trust Arriane, that's all." I said, pulling away from her grip. "You go get the presents. I'll see you tonight." I followed Elijah to his bike and hopped in, without another glance at Caroline.

He gave me a helmet and started driving.

Arriane

Katherine was asleep in front of Misao. She was human again. I knew she would be angry the minute she woke up, but this was necessary. Cam was bringing both Blaise and Savannah.

We decided to sacrifice Savannah, not Blaise, because Savannah was younger, and Blaise could be useful.

We would drain every ounce of blood from Katherine's blood, then try to bring her back. That's why we needed Blaise.

As to Jules, we already had her tied up and asleep. Misao had subtly made her come here looking for Mason, after having told Tyler to suggest it. She was tied and would wake up soon. I

couldn't wait.

Then Elijah came in with Bonnie and just stood looking around. I looked at Misao.

"Keep him out." I told her. "Make him forget."

All of a sudden, Elijah just walked out and I heard him turn on his bike. I stood and smiled at Bonnie.

"Hi." I said warmly. "We need to make a deal, Bonnie."

"What do you want from me?" She asked. "Elijah didn't say what it was."

"We need you to break the curse for us." I said and looked somberly at her.