A/N: So although there were literally 0 Delena moments in this episode I still felt like it was incredibly important to write it as a whole chapter simply because of Damon's thought process and how it links to Elena which made it a really fun chapter to write. So I hope you enjoy! Also there's no Elena's diary in this one for what I'm sure is obvious reasons but she'll catch you up next time!
I own nothing. Sucks to be me.

Masquerade

"I am damaged at best, like you've already figured out
I tried my best to be guarded, I'm an open book instead"

So, after Katherine tried to kill Jenna and Elena broke up with Stefan I have come to the conclusion that the time has finally come to end the bitch. It is waaay past due. But it's going to have to be a team effort and a very distraught member of said team turned up at my house this morning with a message from aforementioned bitch.

"What happened?" oh good Mr. Exceptionally Broody Today has arrived. I let Caroline fill him in on the drama "I saw Katherine today" she pretended to be Elena, of course. "What was the message?" – "Tell Damon and Stefan that I want the moonstone or I will rip this town apart until it rains blood. Tonight, at the Masquerade Ball" you have to admit, the girl's got flair if nothing else.

"Can't we just give her the moonstone so she'll leave?" Barbie asks...um...no. "Katherine's not getting dick. I've had it. I'm gonna go to the Masquerade Ball and I'm gonna kill her" Simple. As. Pie. "Tonight." – "You're not gonna kill her" oh don't even start with your goody-goody shit Stefan. "You're not gonna kill her. Because I am" Oooh great! Like I said, Team Effort.

Bonnie has arrived, a vital member of Operation Kill Katherine so now the whole gang's here, minus Elena of course. She's at home taking care of Jenna which is exactly where she needs to be. Ric is demonstrating how to use his fancy vamp killing weapons only he's demonstrating a little too well and scaring half the vampires in the room. "You wanted me to show you how to kill a vampire so..." okay moving right along then.

"You sure you guys don't want me there tonight?" Ric asks – "No I need you to stay with Elena, I don't want her to know about this" Stefan replies so Ric becomes the appointed Elena-sitter. "Okay well I'll make sure she doesn't leave my sight." I don't much like the thought of going behind Elena's back, it's not reallymy style but first of all it's not my call, though technically she and Stefan did break up. More importantly though keeping her out of this will keep her safe and that's all that matters at the end of the day.

"Cold feet speak now. I don't want this going wrong cause someone chickens out" but everyone's on board with the plan so it's time to make myself pretty and off to the ball we go.

Stefan and I are keeping a lookout for a Katherine/Elena look-a-like and Bonnie and Jeremy are off taking care of sealing the room when Stefan asks if I'm 'sure I can do this' "Who are you talking to?" –"Well I had the chance to kill her and I hesitated" and thus the eternal difference between you and me brother; "I don't hesitate" – "Well you spent 145 years loving her, it could happen" – "I won't hesitate" and I also don't like being reminded of that fact so shhh Stefan!

Bonnie texts to let me know the room is ready so I go and set it up and then Stefan arrives to tell me that Katherine's just killed one of his classmates. "I've put the body in the trunk for now" and yet another body to add to the growing collection in the quarry then I suppose.

"This is exactly what I didn't want Damon" oh come on...I mean yeah it sucks but it's not the end of world. "Stefan, it's collateral damage" – "right, which is why we need to call it off" – nope. No way. Don't lose your head now brother. "What? Who's hesitating now? Hey! Don't do this to me. This woman ruined our lives, she destroyed us. Tonight it ends. Let's do it together, I got your back" – "All right" okay good job Damon, pep talk over, Stef's back on board. Now we just have to wait and hope the rest of the gang do their jobs effectively.

Caroline executes her part perfectly and Katherine is trapped, with us. "Stefan" – "Hello Katherine" – "You don't really think you can kill me with that now do you?" – "No" and that'd be my cue. I feel very James Bond like tonight, it's a good look for me I think. "But he can" Perfect shot Damon. Right in the back, good aim. Stefan rushes her and stabs her arm.

What can I say; his approach isn't quite as stealthy as mine. Or maybe he just wants to hurt her some first.

Unfortunately Katherine strong, really...strong; but there's two of us and eventually Stefan manages to grab her and take her to the ground. I feel like it is poetic justice that I get to deliver the final blow

"Stop"

Or. Not.

Jeremy Gilbert. "You're hurting Elena" What? No. This is Katherine! What?

"Everything you're doing to her is hurting Elena" For. Fuck. Sake. "You think you two are the only ones with a witch on your side?" Of course. Of course she has a damn witch.

"Jeremy go check on Elena, make sure she's okay" Stefan says "Let's all make sure poor Elena's okay" oh shut up Katherine, god we could have killed her. Elena. If Jeremy hadn't...I'm still trying to process this when Katherine slices her hand but thankfully Stefan grabs the stake before she can do any more damage. Unfortunately she just grabs another pointy object and I know she'll do it just to hurt Elena. To hurt us.

"Wait" God. Dammit. "So. How about that moonstone?"

Since the spell sealed Katherine in the room it means that we can't leave either which is proving to be a tiny pain in the ass.

"The three of us together just like old times. The brother who loved me too much and the one that didn't love me enough" – "and the evil slut vampire who only loved herself" – "What happened to you Damon? You used to be so sweet and polite" – "Oh that Damon died a looong time ago" yeah that Damon died in the 50's.

Sold out by his family, abused, tortured, destroyed by humans, of all people. You think vampires are bad? Well, you never met the Augustine Society. Thankfully you never will either because I took them all out. Every last one of 'em...almost, I like to leave one family member alive, 'cause I'm twisted like that.

That man that I was...was destroyed, broken...but I think, Elena, I think she might be bringing pieces of him back. I think she might be saving him. Me.

"Does Elena enjoy having both of you worship at her alter?" oh good are we moving on because that train of thought was getting me nowhere fast. I see where Stefan may have learnt his shocking talent of deflection from though because she's as transparent as he is.

"That was really...desperate Katherine" – "So it doesn't bother you that your brother is in love with your girlfriend?" I'm not even going to deny it, what's the point? Why should I? But seriously she's been in town for all of what, 5 minutes? Am I really that obvious? Maybe I should work on my own deflection skills.

"Oh stop it"- "Or what? You'll hurt me? Come on Stefan everything I feel, Elena feels. So go ahead. Or better yet...kiss me Damon. She'll feel that too" not if my life depended on it darlin'. Thanks for the offer all the same though.

Stefan is trying to get information out of her but half of what he says just goes right over my head and I would really appreciate it if someone would come back and let us know that Elena is okay now.

"Have I mentioned how inconvenient your obsession with me has been?" – "You and me both honey" you and me both. "...of course I checked in on you over the years. You were standing in the front row, dancing all night. You were watching Bon Jovi and I was watching you" delightful. More things I don't need to hear. Where the hell is Bonnie?

I grab hold of Katherine again, I don't even really know why. I've been stuck in this damn room too long I guess and I can't stand being trapped, a by-product of being stuck in a fucking cell for 5 years I suppose, but Stefan's here. "Damon don't" right, Elena. Fuck. "The second the spells lifted I'm gonna drive this stake right through your heart"

Oh Christ who's this now? Must be Katherine's witch "the spell on this room has been broken you're free to leave" and she has the moonstone. Not a great combination.

"Give it" Katherine demands. Uh...please don't.

She did.

Oh, wait...something fun is happening to Katherine. "You should have told me another witch was involved" what's going on? Is Elena okay? "She's a Bennett witch Katherine but I'm sure you knew that" Katherine appears to be...not okay but...Elena.

"Wait. Elena" oh good finally some semblance of sense comes to my brother. "Elena's fine" well thank the lord for that. "She'll heal quickly, I apologise for my involvement."

I send Stefan off to take care of Elena while I take care of Katherine. Given the circumstances I've decided that it's much more effective to put her where she belongs. Katherine wakes up when I've safely deposited her inside.

"Where am I?" – "Where you should have been all along, I thought you'd have learned your lesson by now, messing with a Bennett witch" – "You should have killed me" – "Death would have been too kind" better for you to rot in here for eternity with your precious moonstone.

"No. NO. Damon don't, Damon don't. You need me" she starts hollering as I close the door.

"Elena's in danger" fuck. She had to say the one thing I might actually listen to. "From who?" of course she's lying, it's all she does, all she knows. "Why do you think I haven't killed her?" truth be told I have wondered that actually. "Because she's the doppelganger. She needs to be protected." Well you've not done a great job of it have you love? She could have died tonight and it was all your fault! So let's see if I fare any better. And I will.

"Then I'll protect her" and I will.

And then I shut her inside. It's a relief, to finally feel free of her. I'm sure it won't last long, something else will happen. It always does. But for now I'll enjoy it while I can.