*Flashback*

"Let's run far away from here." Buffy said.

"But where would we go?" Faith asked.

"Anywhere. Everywhere."

"Ah, Buffy. You know we cannot."

"I hate it here, Faith. Father has become most disconsolate. It has gotten worse. Nothing I do pleases him."

"It will get better, Buffy. I know it will."

"I am not so sure, dear sister."

*End Flashback*

"Katherine's where?!" Buffy asked.

"She's in the basement. She's chained up in the basement, to be exact." Stefan said.

"So... Hold on. Let me get this straight. She came here, tried to get all touchy feely with you, and you... you staked her in the back with a vervain dart?"

Stefan nodded his head. "Uh huh."

"Wow."

"I have questions. Katherine has answers."

"All right. So you're gonna, what? Interrogate her?"

"Actually, yes. Wanna be my muscle?"

Buffy grinned. "Absolutely."

Buffy and Stefan walked downstairs to the basement. They walked into the cell where Katherine was chained to a chair. Buffy looked at Katherine and grinned a preditory grin. "Well, well, well. What do we have here? Let your guard down, huh?"

"What the hell is she doing here?" Katherine groaned out.

"I'm here to make sure that you behave yourself."

"Now, where were we?" Stefan asked. "Oh, that's right. You were gonna tell me why you came back to Mystic Falls, weren't you?"

"You didn't have to do this." Katherine said, pulling on her chains.

"Answer the question."

"I came back for you."

"We're gonna play by my rules now." Stefan put on a pair of gloves and grabbed a vervain flower.

"What are you doing?"

Stefan pressed the vervain against Katherine's face. Katherine started screaming in pain. Stefan pulled the vervain away. "Answer the question."

"You're going to torture me now?"

"I'm going to do whatever it takes to get you to tell me the truth."

"At the first Founder's ball..."

"No. I don't wanna hear anymore stories about the past."

"Yes you do, Stefan. That's exactly what you want to hear. I told George Lockwood what I was and I let him know that I knew what he was."

"Why didn't he alert the Council? Take you out first." Buffy said.

"Because he wanted something." Katherine said.

"What did he want?" Stefan asked. Katherine remained silent. "You know, we can sit here as long as you want."

"Yeah. I mean, we've only got... Forever." Buffy said. "And when you start to desiccate, there's a tomb with your name on it."

"I've been doing all the talking." Katherine said.

"Well... Yeah. That's usually what happens during an interrigation."

Katherine rolled her eyes and looked at Stefan. "It's your turn. Do you pretend to be human when you're with Elena? Is that the appeal?"

"Actually, I don't pretend to be anything when I'm with her. That's the whole point. I get to just be myself."

"Does she know that you love me?"

"I don't."

"That's where you're wrong, Stefan. Don't you remember bringing me home that night? You're family had taken me in. You told me that you loved me. Go ahead, Stefan. Torture me, keep me captive, drain me of blood until my body turns to dust. It'll never change the truth. I never compelled your love. It was real. And so was mine."

Stefan sat quietly, staring at the floor. "Stefan. Are you ok?" Buffy asked.

"Hearing the truth after a century and a half of denial must be overwhelming." Katherine said.

"Shut up." Buffy snapped.

"It wasn't real. I remember you compelling me." Stefan whispered.

"Only after I showed you who I really was. You were so scared of me. I had to take away your fear."

"Well, whatever feelings I had back then... They've all turned to hate."

"Love, hate. Such a fine line. I can wait. Anyway, George Lockwood was causing all sorts of trouble. He used the vampires to cover up his own tracks. He told the founding families about us. But he was willing to strike a deal."

"What kind of a deal?" Buffy asked.

"A deal to rid the town of vampires."

"You knew that they were going to burn the vampires in the church?" Stefan asked incredulously.

"I practically lit the match."

"They were your friends. They were your family. You just sold them out?"

"Without blinking."

"What did George get in return for giving you your freedom?"

"Something he wanted desperately."

"So you sent 26 of your friends to their death just to fake your own?"

"No. No. You were running from something." Buffy said.

"What was it?" Stefan asked.

"Everyone has a past, Stefan. Mine needed to stay far, far away. I guess me and Buffy have that in common. But thanks to you, my plan nearly failed before it even began. Once George told me that the roundup was imminent, I made sure I could see you one last time. But your father used your love for me against you. He poisoned your blood. Then Damon, being Damon, nearly ruined everything."

"We came for you. We tried to save you."

"I didn't want to be saved."

"So then Damon and I died for nothing. For nothing!"

"No, Stefan. You died for love!"

"Wow. You really are a manipulative bitch." Buffy said.

"Why are you even here? This has nothing to do with you."

"So you going to tell me why you came back here? Or were you just playing another game?" Stefan asked.

"Have you not heard a word that I've said? I've answered that question five times over now."

"All right, good. Make it six."

"I want what I want, Stefan. And I don't care what I have to do to get it. My list of victims is a long one. And I have no problem adding one more name to that list."

"Come on, Katherine. If you wanted Elena dead, you would have done it by now."

"I still can. If I have to, I will snap her neck like a twig. And you know it." Stefan broke off a leg of a chair and held it over Katherine's heart. After a few moments he backed away and dropped the makeshift stake. "Guess you don't hate me as much as you thought you did. I don't want you seeing Elena anymore. If you don't remove her from your life, I will kill everyone that she loves while she watches, and then I will kill her while you watch."

Buffy grabbed Katherine's neck and slammed her back against the wall. "Don't you ever think for one moment that I will not kill you. I don't like you. I'm a lot older and stronger. I will overpower you."

"And why are you so strong, Buffy?" Katherine chocked out.

"Because I'm older."

"Is it? Is it because you're older? Or could it be something else? Something in your blood perhaps?"

"You don't know anything." Buffy growled.

"I know more than you think."

"Somehow, I doubt that."

"Think what you want."

The front door opened and closed. "Hello? Stefan." Elena called out.

Stefan looked at Buffy and then at Katherine. "I'll go." Buffy said. "Watch her." Buffy called out as she exited the room.

Buffy walked into the living-room. "Elena, hey."

Elena jumped in surprise and turned around. "Buffy. Hey. You scared me."

"Sorry. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was looking for Stefan. He was supposed to meet me and he never showed. I tried calling him, but he's not answering his phone."

"He's busy. You should come back later."

"Is everything ok?"

"Fine. Why?"

"You seem... I don't know. Are you sure everything's ok? Is something wrong? Did something happen to Stefan? Is he hurt?"

"Everything's fine. Stefan's fine. Really, Elena."

"Buffy. Tell me the truth."

"I just did. You should go. Now. Stefan will call you later."

"Buffy... What..."

"You must be Elena."

"How did you get out?" Buffy asked, as she kept her eyes on Elena.

"How is this possible? How do we look exactly alike?" Elena asked.

"You're asking the wrong questions." Katherine said.

"Katherine..." Buffy warned.

"Relax, Buffy."

"Elena." Stefan said, as he ran into the room. "Are you ok?"

Elena look around the room. "She's gone." Buffy said.

"You look like shit." Buffy said, as Damon walked into the library later that night.

"Gee, thanks." Damon replied.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"I tried to kill a werewolf and failed. Now I feel like I'm not living up to my best self."

"Ah. The silver thing didn't work, huh?"

"Nope."

"Didn't think it would."

"Well, you could've told me that. You know, before I did it."

"Like you would have listened."

"Well... You could've tried to make me listen."

"Yeah? And how would I have done that?"

"You could've told me while you were naked."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Yeah. 'Cause I'm sure my words are what you would have been focused on."

"You never know. I'm a great listener." Damon smirked.

"I'm sure." Buffy stood up and started to walk out of the room.

"Where are you going?"

"Bed. I've had an incredibly long day."

"I had a bad day. I thought..." Damon pouted.

"You thought, what?"

"I thought that you could help make it better."

"Damon..." Buffy sighed.

"Come on. At least have a drink with me."

"I don't know."

"Please."

"Fine. Ok. One drink."

*Thanks for reading! Let me know what you guys think! =)*