Chapter 25:

Everyone had been dancing around the subject of Katherine and Mason, until they were confronted with it at the Lockwood Masquerade Ball. Bonnie had sucked in her pride and decided to help Elena, and they really needed it when they realised Katherine had a witch friend with her. As a distraction, Damon pulled Bella to dance with everyone else. Despite everything, they managed to be getting closer each day. Maybe it was the sudden realisation that they weren't indestructible. They had narrowly dodged the tomb vampires and Founders Day, but when it came down to werewolves and Katherine Pierce they weren't as strong. And when they saw Stefan and Elena having to be apart in public because of one single vampire, they realised how lucky they were.

Katherine was a good actress. She pretended to be Elena for the majority of the Ball, but Bella could sniff her out a mile away. She knew Elena's kind heart and Katherine wasn't that good of an actress. The two females came to blows fairly quickly, but it was away from prying eyes and upstairs in one of the large rooms in the ridiculously sized mansion. Bonnie had cast a spell on the room to trap Katherine inside, so no vampires that entered could leave until she took the spell off. It was originally so Damon and Stefan could kill Katherine, but Katherine found Bella there too early for the others.

"You know, out of everyone, I thought you and I would be most likely to find common ground. I see the fire in your eyes, the anger, and the sadness hidden away. Does Damon know all your secrets?"

Bella's eyes hardened, "I don't have any secrets."

"Of course you do. You're a vampire."

"Not everyone is like you, Katherine."

"Maybe not," she replied, once again stalking in front of Bella. Her mind flashed back to a human memory – faded now, but still a vivid time of her life. It was Laurent in the forest, pacing around her, about to kill her. It had been the pack to save her then. Her best friend saved her. Jacob... She shook the thought from her mind. She was stronger. She didn't need protecting. But she also didn't want that reminder, the person she had lost because of her stupid mistakes. Back then she only saw face-value, she never looked deeper. She was blinded by her feelings.

"I know you have my moonstone. Mason told me about your little chats. Don't think he's your friend. He won't suddenly wake up and change to your side. He's in love with me. He'll do whatever I want him to."

"Oh, believe me; I never expected anything from him. Just like you never expected anything from me, did you?"

Katherine smirked, "Why would I? You're too young. You don't stand a chance against me."

Bella raised an eyebrow, smirking right back, "Maybe you should reconsider." And then Katherine screamed, dropping to the ground and clutching at her head.

"Bella! Stop!" Stefan ran in the room, followed quickly by Damon. Bella let her shield retract from Katherine but was confused as to why Stefan wouldn't want to see the woman in pain after everything she had done to him.

"She's linked herself to Elena. Every time you hurt Katherine, you hurt Elena." Damon explained.

Katherine was locked in the tomb the vampires escaped from, unable to get out from Bonnie's trapping spell. Mason had disappeared. No-one knew where or why, but Bella had a sickening feeling Katherine might have killed him or had someone get rid of him for her. She was just that kind of person. Elena was fine. She had a bad headache and a nosebleed but there was no serious damage – Bella hadn't hurt Katherine for long.

The only unfortunate thing to come from the Ball was that Tyler had killed someone. It was accidental – the girl had hit her head on a table after Tyler pushed her back. But he was understandably freaked out. Bella and Caroline were the only ones who knew until Bella told Damon, but Tyler was still in the dark about them all being vampires so he didn't think he had anyone to turn to, especially now Mason had disappeared.

Elena and Stefan had left together, reconciled and happily in love once again, and Damon took Bella home to his – their bed. They were a couple now, and strangely, the most stable couple out of their friends. Caroline's relationship with Matt had been strained since her change, because he didn't know anything about vampires, and Elena and Stefan had been tense ever since Katherine arrived in town.