A/N: I don't own anyone but my OC's…though I wish I owned the rest…*sighs*

Brooklyn trailed Mason after he left the shelters and walked towards the table with lemonade and water for the volunteers. Her keen eye caught the slight of hand movement and let out a short quiet laugh.

Does he really think he's being discreet?

Mason watched as Damon and Stefan parted ways and kept his stare trained on the older Salvatore. The breeze was upwind which prevented him from catching Brooklyn's scent as he waited for the girl making the lemonade to take a break and walk away leaving several rows unattended. Looking around to be sure no one was watching, Mason casually strolled up towards the table with the cap concealed in his hand. Brooklyn observed unnoticed as he poured the the vervain into several cups.

He thinks he's so sly…..

She counted and noted where the cups were and slowly slipped away, hoping to reach Damon or Stefan and warn them about Mason's scheme.

"Hey I saw Mason over here….Is everything okay?" Damon smiled.

"Oh yeah," Liz answered with a slight agitation. "I asked him to assist with the clean up in the woods."

"Well that's what I'm here for. Put me to work. Shall I go find him and help?" Damon offered.

"No I'm sure he's fine," Liz couldn't conceal nervousness.

"Are you okay Liz?" Damon was concerned about his friend's uneasiness around him.

"Yeah just having problems with Caroline," Liz covered, "We had a fight and she was being a bitch to me."

Liz scurried away leaving Damon to wonder if that was really what troubled her. He caught his brother and Elena having a "heated" conversation regarding Katherine once again but knew it was but a rouse for show. Damon wondered how those two could keep such masks of anger and pain while deep down the fiery passion burned brightly between them. Katherine had nearly succeeded in ripping him away from Alaric and Brooklyn but both had battled beyond the wounds she had etched upon their souls.

"Damon!" Brooklyn hurried to catch him.

"Brook," Damon heard her heart thunder violently against her chest as she sprinted across the grass.

"Damon where's Stefan?"

"Over with Elena….Why what's going on?"

"It's Mason," she panted, "He's up to something. I think he spiked the lemonade with vervain to prove to Liz you're a vampire."

"Sneaky bastard," Damon growled.

"Well he's pretty hell bent on it since you plunged that knife in his stomach."

"Bringing up that again? Brook…."

"Stop right there," she shot up a hand. "We'll argue about your bonehead antics later."

Damon pressed his lips and nodded tightly as he caught the stone cold determination light up her eyes. For a brief moment they had flashed a rain cloud grey before returning to the beautiful slate. Damon leaned in for a brief but emotion filled kiss, knowing Mason was watching in the distance.

Mason scowled and shook his head, hoping his plan would work. He walked towards the second shelter where a couple of girls were handing out lemonade.

"Thanks," he smiled and took the cup.

"Hello Mason," Damon greeted Mason coolly. "I heard you talked to Stefan."

"Yeah, nice guy," Mason said in passing.

"Yeah a lot nicer than me," Damon smirked. Mason took another drink before looking over at Brooklyn. He noticed her hand locked comfortably with Damon's along with the thin smile that danced across her lips.

"Well hello Brook," he caught wind of her scent and suppressed the primal urge threatening inside.

"Mason," her greeting was cordial though Mason detected an underlying hint of coolness.

"So Brook I was wondering if you would have a moment that I could talk to you?"

"Anything you say to me you surely can say to Damon as well. I mean what's good in keeping secrets between friends right?"

"Right," Mason nodded. "Well I was wondering if you would be attending the masquerade Carol is throwing in a few weeks."

"Well she had asked me to help but other than that…."

"Of course she'll be going," Damon interjected. "She will be going with Ric and myself."

Brooklyn picked up on the vampire's jealousy as well as Mason's hostility towards her lover. She knew what was brewing and had to act before someone got hurt or worse.

"But of course I would save at least one dance for you," she smiled. Mason grinned in a small but sweet victory before finishing off his drink and tossing the cup away.

"I will be looking forward to it," his voice dropped to a low whisper as he brushed by allowing his hand to graze along hers. Brooklyn stiffened then felt her body burn as if the flames of Hell were consuming her soul. It was nothing she had ever felt before- not with Damon or Alaric. No, this was something different….It was something that reached deep within her being, enveloping her with a fierce and angry passion that no human could hold or contain. Her heart raced and pulse quickened as the tiny charge surged across every fiber and nerve.

"Brook," Damon cradled her face in his hands and felt the heat radiating from her skin and saw the flush tint to her skin. The distant look in his hunter's eyes struck fear within him as she didn't respond initially to her name.

"Brook, snap out of it. Brook!"

"I'm okay," she heard herself saying but knew it was a lie.

Mason grinned as he spied on the hunter and vampire. It appeared her reaction to his touch was more than she could handle. Well if that was what happened when they briefly connected then Mason began to wonder what would happen if more than a simple touch would happen.

"I need something to drink," she reached out for a cup. Damon sat her down as she had started to shake all over.

"Here," one of the girls passed a cup across.

"Thank you sweetie," Damon offered it to Brooklyn who accepted it with trembling hands. The hunter slowly tilted the cup towards her lips then welcomed the cool sweet and acidic taste that mixed with a faint but familiar herbal hint.

"It's laced," she whispered hoarsely.

"He's dead," Damon growled.

"No Damon don't please," she shook her head.

"No Brook," Damon stood up. "That SOB is trying to hurt us."

"But he failed," she coughed. "You didn't drink it."

Mason cursed beneath his breath wondering where he went wrong. Damon was supposed to drink the lemonade and choke! He felt the weight of Liz's disbelieving stare and knew she doubted his claim.

"Didn't get what you want?" Katherine appeared behind him.

"What are you doing here?" Mason jerked his head around like a frightened animal.

"Everyone thinks I'm Elena," Katherine stepped back revealing her new look. Her hair was straight and clothing a little more modest: Black jeans and long sleeved turquoise shirt clung perfectly to her slender frame.

"I told you Katherine I'm working on Tyler to give up the location."

"Well work faster," she snapped in a demanding voice.

"And if I don't give it up," Mason challenged her.

"I snap that red haired bitch's neck like a twig and I know about the necklace."

"NO!"

"Then get back to work," her eyes flashed to their vampire state before going brown.

"I want Damon out of the picture," he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Aw aren't you just so cute when you're demanding," she smirked before passing over a small pouch.

"What's this," Mason hesitated before accepting the worn leather item.

"Vervain," Katherine answered with disdain.

Mason examined the pouch then pulled the small gathering of violet leaves from their hiding place. It was then another plan brewed.

"Damon please just stop," Brooklyn gripped the vampire's wrist.

"Brook what's going on?"

Stefan trotted towards the couple and caught the pained expression on his friend's face.

"Damon wants to kill Mason but I strongly advised him against it," she clenched her jaw.

"He put vervain in the lemonade Brook!" Damon fired back.

"And your secret identity is safe Superman," she noted sarcastically.

"Brooklyn's right," Stefan attempted to be the voice of reason. "We need to know what he's up to."

"Well he isn't sinking his claws into you that's for certain!" Damon stared pointedly at Brooklyn.

"And he won't," Brooklyn reassured him. She curled a hand around his neck and drew him to her waiting lips. The sweet warmth mixed with cherry sent shivers down Damon's spine and the vampire began to slightly relax. He sighed heavily against her mouth not caring if Stefan was watching or anyone else for that matter.

"It's you and Ric I want and no one else."

She leaned against his chest and secured her arms around his waist and inhaled the deep rich scent of his body.

"Ric," Mason hollered. Alaric finished pounding nail inside the beam before going to see what Mason needed.

"Hey Mason," he straightened up and pulled off the work gloves. Mason extended a hand to which Alaric accepted without hesitation.

"I just wanted to apologize for any tension I caused between you and Brook. It's just that ever since I came back to Mystic Falls she has been a good friend to me and I didn't realize it strained things."

"It's alright," Alaric waved his hand. "Damon on the other hand…"

"Thinks I'm evil incarnate," Mason laughed.

"He's a little bit protective I suppose," Alaric shrugged.

"I mean Stefan seems to be okay with me."

"Well Stefan is a bit more open minded you could say," Alaric joked lightly.

"I was thinking the same thing," Mason concurred before offering his hand one more time. "But I'm needed for brush detail so we'll talk later okay?"

"Sure," Alaric waved and watched as Mason darted off. He found his mannerisms odd and sensed he was keeping something back but couldn't pick it out. Alaric waited until Mason was over the hill before racing off to find Brooklyn and Damon.

Damon avoided the lemonade and went for the bottled water nestled in the ice. He was hoping Mason would return so he could shove his failure right in Lockwood's face. His sharp icy glare darted through the crowds but no sight of Lockwood.

"Bastard must be hiding," he muttered.

"Damon," Alaric approached from the woods.

"Ric," Damon flashed a brilliant smile and stood to meet him. "You know the hot sweaty look is so you…."

"Not now Damon," Alaric shook his head hurriedly. Damon's grin faltered as the dark serious expression dominated his other lover's face.

"Look we need to find Brook," As Alaric's hand curled around Damon's, the vampire cringed and yelped sharply in pain. He jerked his hand back to see the telltale burn marks covering his palm.

"Vervain," Alaric spotted the water and dumped it over the injured hand. Damon gripped his wrist until the pain slowly subsided and skin healed over. Alaric was dumbfounded at first but slowly his eyes slid downward to the hand holding the bottle.

"Mason," he made a tight fist and crunched the bottle. "He must've got it on my hand when he….shook …..it."

Mason grinned as he stood beside Sheriff Forbes who felt shocked and betrayed by what her eyes captured. Her heart sunk as the revelation of Damon being a vampire shattered everything she held and believed about the Salvatores.

Sorry bout the slow delay...Should've had this posted two nights ago lol!