Chapter Twenty Eight: Plan B

Elena and Stefan are in bed. Elena watches him sleep.

"You're staring." He says, eyes still closed.

"I'm gazing."

"It's creepy."

"It's romantic." She defends. He opens his eyes and looks at her before putting a pillow over his face. "Hey!" She laughs, taking the pillow off of his face. Stefan rolls on top of her and kisses her with passion. "Oh, this is bad of us."

"Yes, it is." He trails kisses down her neck.

"If Katherine finds out…"

He looks at her. "Katherine who?" He smiles and kisses her on the lips. Elena smiles too as she kisses him back.


Mason rolls Katherine over on the bed. His hands explore her body and he starts to kiss down her neck and chest. Katherine giggles. "Shhh." He stops kissing her stomach and looks at her. Katherine places her finger to his lips. "Ms. Flowers will think I'm a floozy if I have a man in here."

"Why are you staying here?"

"Because I like this little bed and breakfast, don't you?"

"I love it."

Katherine rolls on top of him and they kiss passionately.


Elena rolls herself on top of Stefan and they continue to kiss. She pulls away. "Okay, I, um, I need be in the shower."

"Love it, let's go!"

"No, just me. I'm late. I'm decorating at the Lockwood charity thing."

"Well, what do you know. So am I."

"You think that's really a good idea to be at their house today? Mason Lockwood tried to kill you."


Katherine pushes Mason down on the bed and kisses his chest. Mason laughs. Katherine stops kissing him and looks down at him. "Where is the moonstone?"

"Somewhere safe."

"Don't you trust me?"

"I don't trust anyone."


"I don't trust Mason." Stefan says. "I want to be there today to keep an eye on him."

"Okay." She picks up a needle from her end table and sits up. "But then we can't touch or talk and no lingering stares."

"No, none of that." He rubs his hand up and down Elena's arm.

"What do you think will happen if Katherine finds out that we were fake fighting?"


"You scared I'm gonna kill you?" She asks.

Mason shakes his head. "No, you won't." She kisses his lips. She pushes his chin up and starts to kiss his neck before she starts to bite down. "Ow! Kath, easy!"

Katherine looks at him, feigning concern. "Did I hurt you? Sorry."


Elena pricks her fingertip with the point of the needle. "Ow."

"Did it hurt?"

"It's okay. A little bit every day to make you stronger, right?"

He takes her finger and drinks her blood.


Katherine licks the blood off of Mason's neck.

"What happens once I give you the moonstone?" He asks.

"We'll live happily ever after. I promise."

"I'll bring it tonight, I promise."


"I promise you, we're gonna get through this." He tells her.

"I love you, Stefan."


"You know I love you." Katherine tells him.

"I love you too."


Elena kisses Stefan passionately.


Mason and Katherine kiss.


Trinity opens her door and sees Stefan. "You called?" He walks in.

"I have a question to ask you."

"What is it?" He asks.

"I need to start staying at the boarding house."

"Has something happened?" He asks, a look of worried on his face.

"You mean besides sleeping with Katherine three times?" She asks. "She keeps showing up and I keep losing control. There's no point in staying here, I might as well invite her in. If I'm at the boarding house, then maybe she won't be as inclined to try it. You know, considering that Damon might try to put a stake through her heart. If he doesn't kill me first when he finds out."

Stefan shakes his head. "You shouldn't tell Damon."

"I don't plan too. But the truth will come out sometime. Hopefully I'll live through it."

"I'm glad that you're staying with us. We'll deal with Katherine, and this will all be over." He tells her taking her hand and giving it a squeeze.


Damon hears someone knocking on the door. He opens it and sees Jeremy.

"I need to talk to you." He says.

"And why do I need to talk to you?" Damon tries to close the door on him.

Jeremy pushes it back open. "Tyler Lockwood has to kill someone to activate his curse. He's not a werewolf yet."

"Wow, fascinating. Not enough." He attempts to close the door again, but Jeremy pushes back.

"But Mason Lockwood is and he's looking for a moonstone, a special rock connected to the werewolf legend. That's why he's here."

"A moonstone?"

"And I know where it is."

"And you're bringing me this why?"

"Do I need a reason? Look, I just want to help, okay?"

"What's your sister say about this little discovery?" Jeremy doesn't answer. "Oh, you haven't told her, have you?"

"Well, Elena doesn't want me getting involved in all this." He tries to walk into the house. Damon pushes him out.

"And you're a Gilbert and you just can't help yourself. Wow. Your search for life's purpose is as obvious as it is tragic."

"You going to let me in or not?"

Damon steps aside and lets Jeremy in. He goes to closes the door but a hand stops it. "Hey." Trinity says as she walks in.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm bored."

Damon rolls his eyes and closes the door.

"So you're a shapeshifter?" Jeremy asks.

"Yeah."

"Can you turn into other people?"

"No. At least not yet. For now, it's just animals."

"Can I see?"

"Can you tone down the enthusiasm? I'm not a circus act." She leaps towards him, shifting into a wolf.

"Wow." He breathes. She begins growling. He looks at Damon. "What's wrong with her?"

Damon plays along with Trinity. "Oh, did we forget to mention that she's not in control once she shifts?" He asks with faux innocence. Trinity bares her large, sharp teeth and begins taking slow steps towards Jeremy. "You might want to run." Trinity leaps towards Jeremy whose eyes widen and he flees. Trinity chases after him. "Hide!" Damon calls. Jeremy slams a door behind him and Damon smiles before it's wiped off his face. "Trinity! No scratching at the doors!"


At the Lockwood mansion, there are people everyone helping to set up for the Masquerade Ball. Inside, Jenna and Carol are talking.

"Jenna, thanks for helping wrangle the volunteers."

"Of course, it's for a good cause. Plus, I have always been a sucker for the Masquerade Ball."

"So was Richard. This was always his favorite party of the year."

Matt and Tyler carry a table into the room and almost drop it. "Wait, wait, wait, Tyler!"

Carol looks over at them. "Boys! Be careful with that! It's from the 1800s." She turns to Jenna. "Excuse me. Tyler!"

"Mom, we got it." Tyler and Matt continue to carefully move the table. Carol walks over to them.

Jenna walks into another room and sees Stefan. "Stefan, hey!"

"Hey."

"I'm cooking dinner tonight. Ric will be there, you should come."

"You know, Elena and I, we're kind of taking a…a pause."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Because that's not what it sounded like this morning." Stefan tries to muster a face of confusion, but fails to fool her. "Light sleeper. You know what? I heard nothing." She smiles and leaves.


Bonnie is outside, carrying a box. Elena sees her and walks over to her. "You're here."

"I'm here."

Elena takes some candles out of the box Bonnie us carrying. Bonnie glances around the yard. "Caroline's not coming. I told you."

"Just making sure."

"You know, eventually, you're gonna have to talk to her."

"Could you make it a little less obvious you're on her side?"

"There are no sides, Bonnie."

"Come on! Since Caroline became a vampire, we barely see each other. Losing Caroline was bad enough; I didn't think I'd lose you too."

"Come with me."

"Where?"

"Not here. Some place quiet. We have to talk." She holds her hand out. Bonnie takes it and they walk away.


Liz is lying on her cot in the cell. Caroline walks in and she sits up. Caroline walks over with a tray of food. "You didn't eat much." She says. Liz makes no move to speak to her. "Good news; Doctor Damon said the vervain is almost out of your system. So with any luck, you'll be freshly compelled and back in your own bed by tonight." Liz doesn't answer or look at her. "Are you really just gonna pretend like I don't exist?"

"Yes. So please, go."

She takes the tray and starts to walk away. "As usual, you don't care. Got it. Just like before I was a vampire. It's not like I died or anything." She starts to open the door when Liz speaks.

"Are you…are you really dead?"

She looks at her. "Yes and no."

"How is it possible?"

Caroline walks back into the room and shuts the door.


Upstairs, Alaric arrives with a box of Isobel's research.

"Ric!" Damon greets.

Alaric sees Jeremy. "What are you doing here?"

"Helping Damon. I'm the one who found out about the moonstone."

He looks at Damon and Trinity, who shrug before looking back at Jeremy. "Does Elena know you're here?"

"Not exactly."

Damon and Trinity walk up to the box. "What you got?" He asks as they start to dig through the items.

"This is Isobel research's from Duke. Her assistant sent it to me."

"Mmm, Vanessa. The hottie." He says taking out a book.

Alaric takes the book out of Damon's hands. "Vanessa, yes. Now, do you remember the old Aztec curse she told us about?"

"Sun and the moon, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah."

Jeremy walks over to them. "An Aztec curse? Cool."

"Yeah, supposedly vampires and werewolves used to roam freely until a shaman put a curse on them to limit their power. Since then, werewolves can only turn on a full moon and vampires are weakened by the sun." Alaric explains.

Damon wiggles his fingers, showing his daylight ring. "Most of them, anyway."

"According to the legend, the werewolf part of the curse is sealed with the moonstone." He shows him a map.

Jeremy takes it and looks at it. It has pictures showing the story of the Sun and the Moon curse. "What do you mean sealed?"

"It's a witch thing, whatever seals the curse is usually the key to unsealing the curse." Damon says.

"Maybe Mason Lockwood believes he can use the moonstone to break the curse." Ric says.

"If we start believing in some supernatural witchy-woo legend from a picture book, we're idiots." Damon says.

"Who has the stone now?" Trinity asks.

"Tyler." Jeremy tells her.

"Can you get it?"

"Yeah."

"See, now your life has purpose." Damon says.

"So, you do believe it?"

"It's the same book that says a werewolf bite kills a vampire. Ignoring it would make me an even bigger idiot. Let's go." He finishes his drink and walks past them.


Elena and Bonnie are walking across the yard of the Lockwood estate. "I can't believe this." Bonnie shakes her head.

"It's a lot, I know. Katherine's doing everything that she can to drive me and Stefan apart and Caroline just got trapped in the middle."

They both sit down on a bench. "It's not that you and Stefan are pretending to fight. It's that I didn't even know you guys were fighting at all."

"I'm sorry, I don't want to keep things from you but you've made it pretty clear where you stand with the whole vampire thing."

"So that makes me the odd man out."

"No-no, Bonnie, of course not."

"I know where I stand, Elena. And I know where you stand. But where do we stand?"

"You're my best friend, Bonnie. I didn't mean to let this craziness with Caroline get in the way of that. But, she needs you too."

"Not yet, I just…she's a vampire, I can't. I think we should get back." Bonnie gets up and leaves. Elena sighs.


Mason is carrying a box. He sees Stefan, helping set up for the ball. "Hey, Stefan."

"Hey, Mason."

He places the box down on a table, shocked to see that Stefan is alive. "Wasn't expecting you here. Or anywhere."

"Yeah, I had this little accident. But I'm fine now."

"What did you do to Sheriff Forbes?"

"Oh, she's fine too, but from now on, you'll have to do your own dirty work."

"Not a problem." He walks away and accidentally runs into Bonnie. "Excuse me."

Bonnie continues to watch Mason as he walks away. A strange look spreads across her face, which Stefan notices. He walks over to her. "What's the matter? Are you okay?"

She looks at him. "When I touched him, I saw something."

"What do you mean? Like a vision?"

"I saw Elena."

"You saw Elena?"

"He was kissing her."

He shakes his head. "No, Bonnie, Elena wouldn't kiss…" Stefan considers this for a minute, and his face changes from confused to understanding. "You didn't see Elena, you saw…Katherine."


Elena is sorting out masks. She sees Stefan and Bonnie talking. Damon and Trinity walk over to her. "Damon, what are you doing here?" She asks.

"Looking for my baby bro. Speaking of, would you tell yours to stop following me around?"

"What's going on?"

"Ask eager beaver." They walk away as Jeremy arrives.

"Jeremy, what is he making you do?"

"He's not making me do anything, Damon and I…"

"Uh, no. No way. No, no, no, no. There is no 'Damon and you'. There's Damon and whoever Damon is using, and those people, they end up dead. Whatever is going on Jeremy, I want you to stay out of it."

"I don't really care what you want, Elena. It's because of you that I'm in this mess in the first place, so I'm sorry, but you really don't get to tell me what I'm gonna do." He walks away.


Stefan is talking with Damon and Trinity.

"Katherine's with Mason Lockwood?" Damon asks.

"We missed it. He got into town right after she did. It makes perfect sense."

"I know, but Mason Lockwood?! Werewolf thing aside, the guy is a surfer. She's got to be using him. She has to be."

"Using him for what?" He asks.

"Mason Lockwood's looking for a moonstone that allegedly can break the full moon werewolf curse." Trinity tells him.

"Maybe Katherine wants it as well." Damon says.

"Why?"

"Well…no idea. That's the beauty of Katherine; she's always up to something."

"So, how are we gonna find this moonstone?"

"Jeremy is getting it from Tyler." Trinity tells him.

He looks at Damon. "Why would you involve Jeremy?" He walks past them and Damon slaps him on the shoulder.

"He's playing Indiana Jones. He involved himself." He calls. Stefan looks at him and shakes his head, making Damon scoff.


Matt is hanging up lanterns, outside. Tyler is standing next to him, holding the ladder. "She's this amazing girl one minute and then this raging, jealous freak the next." Matt says.

"Look, you know what I think of Caroline Forbes. She's an insecure, neurotic, bitchy little twit."

"Hey!"

"But the girl's got heart. She means well. You just gotta take the good with the bad sometimes." He finishes.

"Yeah. I'm gonna go get an extension cord. I'll be right back." He leaves.

Jeremy walks over to Tyler. "Hey man."

"Hey!"

"Hey, so I did a little research on that stone you showed me."

"What? Why?"

"I don't know. Curiosity, boredom."

"What did it say?"

"Well, it turns out that it's part of this Aztec legend but I want to make sure it's the same kind of stone. You think I could check it out again?"

"Nope. I gave it to my uncle."

"Why did you do that?"

"Because I'm done with legends and curses. I don't want anything to do with it, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah sure. It's probably…just, uh, stupid folklore anyways. Forget it."


Stefan, Damon, and Trinity have been listening to the whole conversation and look at each other. Damon is pissed, but Stefan just shrugs it off. Trinity sighs and shakes her head as they walk away.


Elena walks down the stone steps at the Lockwood Manor. She sits down as she continues to text Stefan. She asks him if everything's okay. Stefan receives it and texts her back saying that he's with Damon and Bonnie and that he'll fill her in later.


Stefan puts his phone away after texting Elena. He and Trinity look ahead at and Damon and Bonnie.

"Okay. This is as far as I go." Bonnie says.

Damon lets go of her. "Okay."

"What do you want?"

"A favor."

"Like that's gonna happen."

"So predictable." He looks at Stefan. "That's why I brought him."


Meanwhile, Elena receives Stefan's text and texts him back with "Damon and Bonnie? Fill me in now." She waits for him to text her back.


Stefan looks at Bonnie. "I know how you feel about helping us out, but since you're the one that linked Mason with Katherine, we finally have an opportunity to get an upper hand on both of them so, just hear us out."

"Pretty please?" Damon asks.


Elena looks at her phone. She still hasn't received a text. She grows impatient and ends up calling Stefan.


"I'm listening." Bonnie says.

Stefan's phone starts to ring. "I have to fill Elena in on what's going on." He looks at Damon and Trinity. "Can you play nice, please?"

He shrugs. "I guess."

He answers his phone. "Hey, what are you doing? You shouldn't be calling me."

"I know, but I have no idea what's happening. Damon's got Jeremy into something and you've got Bonnie with you and I'm sorting stupid masquerade masks for Mrs. Lockwood."

"Alright, it's okay. Hold on." He walks away.


"All you have to do is touch Mason Lockwood again to see if he gave Katherine the moonstone." Damon tells Bonnie.

"My visions don't work like that. I don't get to ask questions."

"How inconvenient." Trinity says.

Damon nods before continuing. "Although, let's talk about that little witchy juju thing you do with me. You know, the fun one where my brain burst into flames? What is that?"

"That's me giving you an aneurysm. Your blood vessels go pop, but you heal quickly; so, I do it over and over again."

"Is it vampire specific?"

"It'd work on anyone with a supernatural healing ability."

"Good. Good, good." He nods.

"Damon, I'm not gonna help you hurt him." She says, making Trinity roll her eyes.

"Mason Lockwood's a werewolf, Katherine's evil. They're the bad guys. Really? You're gonna play morality police with me right now? Let me put it to you another way; they're a threat to Elena. So you, witch, are gonna get over yourself and help us."

Stefan walks back over to them. "Yeah, he meant that as a question with a 'please' on the end."

"Absolutely." Damon smiles.


Mason walks down the front steps and towards his jeep. "Hey, can you move your van? I'm blocked in." He sees Bonnie trying to remove a table from the back of the truck and runs over to help her. "Hey, how did you get stuck doing that by yourself?"

"All the guys bailed. Something about draft picks. I don't know, I don't speak that language."

"Here, let me give you a hand." He grabs the table and starts to pull it out. Bonnie looks around and then at Mason. She uses her aneurysm spell on him. He grabs his head and yells in pain and falls down onto his knees. "I'm sorry."

Damon walks past Bonnie and knees Mason in the face. Mason falls to the ground, unconscious. He opens the passenger door and signals for Bonnie to get in. Trinity gets into the backseat. Stefan takes Mason's keys out of his pockets and throws them to Damon. Bonnie gets in Mason's jeep. Damon and Stefan put Mason in the trunk of the jeep. Damon gets in and drives off with Bonnie in the passenger seat.


Caroline is in the basement cell, talking with her mother "So, I mainly drink from blood bags. It's not as good as the fresh stuff but it beats the animal blood that Stefan's been trying to get me to drink."

"So, you steal the blood from the hospital?"

"Damon does. I've been pilfering his supply, so…"

"And as long as you have blood, you don't need to kill?"

"I want to. It's my basic nature now. But, on a healthy diet, I can control it. I'm getting better at it. I'm better than Stefan. He's a bit of a problem drinker. A blood-aholic."

"I don't want this for you."

"I know. But when life gives you lemons…" She giggles weakly and hears Damon enter the house. "Damon's home."

"You could hear that?"


Damon carries Mason over his shoulder; Bonnie and Trinity follow behind him. He places Mason into a chair.

Bonnie drops a bag on the couch. "Here's his bag. As requested."

He pulls out a sheet. "Okay, grab that corner." He tells Trinity.

"Why are you doing this?" Bonnie asks.

"Because I don't want to stain the carpet." He says.

"I knew you were gonna say something like that."

"Judging again." Trinity says. They pull a blanket over the rug. Damon walks over to Mason's bag.

"He's not gonna be out much longer." Bonnie says.

Damon takes chains from Mason's bag. "Woah. Looks like this guy's used to being tied up." Bonnie takes Mason's head in her hands.

"What are you doing?" Trinity asks.

"You're looking for a moonstone. I'm trying to help you find it."

"Oh, good, yeah. Find out if he gave it to Katherine, and find out where she is. And find out what they're gonna do with it once they get it." He says, tying Mason down into the chair.

Bonnie closes her eyes and concentrates while she touches Mason's head. "Somewhere small. dark. There's water."

"Like a sewer?" Trinity asks.

"No. Like a well? That can't be right. Yeah. It's a well."

"Why would it be in a well?" Damon asks.

Bonnie lowers her hands and opens her eyes. "I told you, I only get what I get." Mason grunts and grabs Bonnie by the wrist. She gasps. Trinity pulls his hand away. Bonnie starts to walk away. "That's it. That's all I got."

"Hey, judgey!" Damon calls. Bonnie turns around and looks at him. "Thank you." She walks out of the room. Trinity and Damon look at Mason. "Come on. Wake up, wolf boy." He punches him in the face.


Bonnie is quickly walking to the front door. Caroline comes up from the basement. "Hey!"

Bonnie stops and looks at her. "Hi. How's your mom? Elena filled me in on everything."

"I'm gonna take her home tonight."

"Caroline…uh…never mind, I've got to go." She starts to leave again.

"Did you find the moonstone thing?"

"Not yet. Hey, do you remember that old well where we used to play when we were kids?"

"Yeah."

"It's in the woods. Do you remember where?"

"On the edge of the old Lockwood property. Why?"

Bonnie pulls out her phone and texts Stefan. "I think that's where Mason is keeping the moonstone. I got to go."

"Well, I can come with you."

"No, it's okay." She looks at Caroline who is hurt and disappointed.

"Sure."

"Okay." Caroline smiles and they walk out of the house together.


At the Lockwood mansion, Matt and Elena are inside the house, sorting through costumes and masks.

"So, where's Caroline?" He asks. "This is like her thing. I can't believe she's not here."

"She had something else to do." She tells him.

"Is she seeing someone?"

"Matt, come on. No, she's not." She says. Stefan walks in with a box of masks and Elena looks at him.

Tyler walks into the room. "Anyone seen Mason?"

"He, uh, he took off. He said he wasn't sure when he'd be back." Stefan tells him.

"So weird." Tyler walks out of the room.

Stefan's phone goes off, he received a text from Bonnie. She tells him to look in the well, next to the old Lockwood property for the moonstone. Stefan looks at Elena. She walks towards him, but Stefan shakes his head and walks away. She sighs and goes back to sorting the costumes with a bit more ferocity.

Matt looks at her. "I'm not even gonna ask."

"I'll be right back." She runs out of the house.


Mason is chained down to the chair. Damon is heating up an iron poker in the fireplace. Mason struggles to get out of the chair. "Someone's feisty." Damon gets up.

Mason continues to struggle and thrusts the chair backwards, falling onto the floor. Trinity walks over to him. "What?!" He asks.

Damon walks over and sticks the iron poker into Mason's chest. Mason screams. "You can hurt. Good to know. I was afraid you were gonna be some beast mass with no affinity for pain."

Trinity pulls his collar down and looks at the wound. "Oh, but you heal quickly. Not good."

Damon shrugs. "Guess I'll just have to keep applying pain." He grabs Mason and pulls him back up with the chair. He walks back over to the fireplace and heats up the poker again. "So…Katherine. How do you know her? What is she up to?" Mason spits on the floor but says nothing.

"We have all day." Trinity says. Damon thrusts the white hot iron poker into his stomach. Mason grits his teeth and screams.


Stefan walks over to the well and looks down into it. Elena runs up behind him. "What's going on?" She asks.

He looks at her. "You shouldn't be here."

"I know, but I am. What's going on?"

"Bonnie thinks the moonstone is down here." Stefan pulls the lock off the iron grating. He then takes the grating off the top of the well. He turns on the flashlight. He and Elena look down the well. He sighs and looks at Elena. He jumps onto the edge of the well and Elena hands him the flashlight.

"Hey. Be careful."

"I'll only be down there for a minute." Stefan jumps into the well. Elena holds her breath, but when she hears Stefan safely splash at the bottom she breathes out. Stefan looks down at his arm and sees vapor rising around where the water touched him, his hands and arms burning. He presses himself up against the stone wall and shouts in pain. "Elena!"

She looks over. "Stefan?!"

"Elena!"

"Stefan, what's happening?!" She yells down. He attempts to climb out, but cannot. "What's going on in there?!"

"Vervain. Oh, God! Help!"

"Stefan!" She jumps off the from the edge of the well and tries to pick up the heavy chain on the ground. She isn't strong enough. "Stefan!"

Caroline rushes over to Elena. "Elena!"

"Caroline, Stefan's down there and the chain is rusted." Caroline starts to climb into the well, but Elena stops her. "No, no, no! You can't, it's filled with vervain. Caroline, we've got to get him out. Now!"

Caroline tries to process and grabs the chain from the ground while Elena climbs on the edge of the well.


Damon continues to heat the poker in the fire. "When did you two meet? Did she seduce you, tell you she loved you? You're supernatural so she can't compel you. I'm sure she used her other charms. Katherine's good that way." He says.

Trinity walks in front of Mason. "Damon, can I give him a makeover?" She asks, shifting her nails into claws. She takes his face in her hands. "I think he could use a wider smile, some piercings."

Jeremy walks in the room with a box. He sets it down on a table. "I thought I told you to leave." Damon says. Trinity lets go of Mason.

"I found something in Ric's box of stuff." He tells them.

"Ooh. What is it?" Damon walks over to him.

Jeremy takes out a plant. "I did a search on my phone. It's a plant. Aconitum Vulparia. It grows in the mountainous areas of the northern hemisphere. Commonly known as aconite, blue rocket, and wolfsbane."

Damon opens the cloth and looks at the wolfsbane. "What else did you read?"

"Well, every source says something different. One myth says it causes lycanthropy, which sounds bogus. Another one says that it protects people and another one says, well, it's toxic."

Mason groans, causing Damon to look over at him. "I'm guessing toxic." He takes the plant and walks towards Mason. "What's Katherine doing in Mystic Falls?" He doesn't answer. Damon brushes the end of the wolfsbane across Mason's cheek. It begins to burn and Mason screams. Jeremy looks uncomfortable by this method of torture. Damon pulls the wolfsbane away. "Why is she here?"

"She's here with me. Why do you ask, you jealous?" He asks.

Damon smirks. "How rude of me. You know, I just realized, I didn't offer you anything to eat." He shoves the wolfsbane into Mason's mouth. Mason grunts and groans in pain. "Yummy!" He stops. Mason spits up the wolfsbane and coughs.

"Hey Damon?" Trinity asks.

"What?"

"Remember how I explained my Quickening to you?"

"Yeah. You lose control and become consumed by your emotions. So what?"

"I just want you to remember that when this is over." She tells him.


Elena wraps the chain around herself and hooks it against one of the links. She looks at Caroline.

"I got you, okay?" She tells her.

Elena nods. "Yeah."

Bonnie runs up to them. "What's going on? You just took off in a blur."

"I heard Elena screaming. Help her, now!" She says. Bonnie grabs Elena's hand and helps lower her into the well. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah." Elena says. She is lowered into the well with the help of Caroline, who slowly reels her down.

Caroline loses hold of the chain for a second but grabs it just in time. "Sorry!"

"It's okay, keep going. Come on!" She calls. Caroline continues to lower Elena down into the well. Elena finds Stefan, he's unconscious. She unhooks the chain from around herself and puts it around Stefan. "Hey! Oh, Oh my God." She looks at his burned skin.

"Elena, what's going on down there?"

"Pull him up!" She yells. Caroline starts to pull the chain up from the well. Bonnie unties Stefan and, with the help of Caroline, places him on the ground. Elena turns the flashlight on.

"Elena? Ready for you!" Caroline calls.

"Hold on! I need to find the stone." She gropes around the cracks in the well for the stone.

"Hurry!"

Elena continues searching in the vervain-filled water. She finds a wooden box and picks it up. "Hold on! I think I found it!" She grabs the box and a snake inches towards her. It wraps onto her. Elena screams and throws the snake off of her. Another snake has crawled up her arm. She backs up against the wall and pulls the box out its hiding spot. She ties the chain around herself again.

"Elena! What's going on?!"

"I got it. Come on! Bring me up!" She yells. Caroline reels Elena up. Bonnie helps Elena when she finally gets out of the well. Elena looks down at Stefan. She jumps off the well and down to him. "Oh, god! Stefan!" She cradles his head under her arm. Bonnie and Caroline rush over to her. "Stefan! Stefan." She sees a rock nearby and grabs it. She cuts her hand with it. Caroline turns away. Elena places her wrist to Stefan's mouth. He opens his eyes and drinks from her. "I've got the stone, Stefan." She says. "Stefan, it's gonna be okay, everything's gonna be okay.


"Why do you want the moonstone?" Damon asks.

"Screw you!" Mason yells.

"Ahhh! Wrong answer!"

"If he was gonna say anything, he would have already!" Jeremy yells.

"I'm taking your eyes now." Trinity holds up her claws and walks forward.

"The well! You can find it there."

"I know where it is. I want to know what it does and why you want it." Damon says.

"I'm getting it for Katherine."

"Why?"

"She's gonna use it to lift the curse."

"Of the moon? Now, why would a vampire help a werewolf break a curse that keeps them from turning whenever they want?"

"So I wouldn't have to turn anymore."

"Why?"

"Because she loves me."

Damon laughs. "Now…now I get it. You're just stupid. Katherine doesn't love you. She's using you, you moron."

"She really doesn't love you." Trinity says. She turns to Damon. "Remember what I said." She turns back to Mason. "For someone who loves you so much, she sure doesn't show it. Unless it's an open relationship and you're fine with her sleeping with other people?"

"What are you talking about?" He asks.

Trinity leans down and looks him in the eyes. "I slept with Katherine." Damon and Jeremy look at her in shock. "Three times."

He laughs and shakes his head. "You're lying."

"Am I?" She asks. "I know that she has this cute little mole on her hip. She likes someone with a little strength." The smile on his face dies. "Oh and there's this spot behind her ear. If you lick it just right-"

Mason tries to jump towards her. "Shut up."

She stands up. "She doesn't love you."

"I'm done talking."

"Yes, you are." Damon says. He hands Jeremy the wolfsbane. "It's time to take a walk, Jeremy."

"I'm staying."

"No, you should go."

"I'm staying, Damon. He's had enough."

Mason looks at Jeremy. "Just help Tyler. Don't let this happen to him."

"Damon…" Jeremy tries.

He flashes over to him and grabs him by the throat. "You wanted to be a part of this? Well, here it is! Kill or be killed! The guy is a werewolf; he'd kill me the first chance he got! So, you suck it up or leave." He lets him go. Jeremy coughs. "He wants me to kill him, anyway. Don't you, Mason? It really is a curse, isn't it?" Jeremy gets up and leaves. "You know, I look at you I see myself. A less dashing, less intelligent version."

"I love her."

"Oh, I know! I've been where you are. But Katherine will only rip your heart out. Let me do it for her." Damon thrusts his hand into Mason's chest. Mason groans. He removes his heart from his chest. Mason's eyes go lifeless and his head falls down to his chest. Damon drops the heart before rushing at Trinity, gripping her by the throat and pinning her to the wall. "Now about you…"

"Let me go."

"You're a traitor."

"No. I'm. Not. I told Stefan and Elena. Why do you think I'm staying here? Katherine keeps showing up at my house. I can't control myself when I'm alone with her. If I was gonna give my virginity to someone, why would I choose Katherine of all people?"

"You gave your virginity to Katherine?"

"Not my choice." She grunts.

He lets go of her. "That's punishment enough."


Jenna and Alaric are in the kitchen, cooking dinner together. Alaric is chopping up food with a knife.

"You're pretty handy with that thing." She says.

He laughs. "Yeah, well, it's a skill. Here." He grabs a piece of food and feeds it to Jenna. He kisses her. "Where's the, um, where's the sea salt?"

"Table."

They kiss again. Alaric lays dinner plates down on the table. Elena opens the front door and quietly closes it. Alaric looks at her and mouths "Are you okay?" to her. Elena nods, placing a finger to her mouth, she walks up the stairs.


Caroline and Liz are sitting on the cot together. "So I pulled Stefan out of this well and he's all vervained and just rotted, but Bonnie wasn't mean to me once and I just…I really think it's progress, you know? I just…" She sees Liz staring at her. "What? I'm freaking you out."

"It's just that you've become this person…"

"Don't. Don't. We…we're just starting to get along…"

"This strong, this confident person." She finishes.

"Oh. Thank you."

"You don't have to take my memories away. I'll keep your secret. Look, if you're worried about them, just say you compelled me. I won't tell. I'll never do anything to hurt you."

"We never talk like this. Ever. And today meant so much to me."

"Me too."

"I know." She grabs Liz's hands in her own. "I know I can trust you, but you're never going to trust them." She cries and compels her. "I'm going to take you home. You're going to forget that I'm a vampire."

"I'm going to forget that you're a vampire."

"You'll remember you got sick with the flu. You had a fever, chills and ickiness, but I made you soup and it was really salty. We bickered. You got better and then your selfish little daughter, who loves you no matter what, went right back to ignoring you and all is right in the world."


Damon and Trinity roll up Mason's body in a blanket. Stefan walks in and shows them the moonstone.

"All this for that?" Damon asks.

"Yep." He tosses Damon the moonstone. "I see you've exercised your usual restraint."

"Had to be done."

"I actually agree with him." Trinity says. "He already tried to have you killed. He couldn't be trusted.

Damon takes Mason's phone and texts Carol on behalf of Mason. "Carol, big opportunity in Florida, I'm gonna be gone for a long time. Will send for my things once I get settled. Much love, Mason."

"Let's get rid of the body." Stefan says.

"Oh, last number dialed. I wonder who that could possibly be?" He pushes redial.

Stefan tries to stop him. "No, no, no! Don't provoke her!"

Katherine answers her phone, thinking its Mason calling. "Mason, you should have been here an hour ago."

Trinity watches as Stefan continues to try to get Damon off the phone, but Damon pushes him back. Stefan slaps his hand and walks away in frustration.

"Wrong boy toy." He says.

"Damon. For once you've surprised me. I assume Mason is with you?"

"He's right beside me! Although, his heart's across the room."

"You shouldn't have."

"I've had a very busy day today. I killed a werewolf, found a moonstone. Hey, did you know that he hid the moonstone in the bottom of a well full of vervain? I guess he didn't trust you very much. Although, he did love you. Poor guy. Hey, where are you? Because, you know, I could bring him over. Last goodbyes and all that."

"You have no idea what you've just done."

"Aww, did I put a kink in your master plan? I'm so sorry."

"Do you honestly believe that I don't have a plan B? And if that fails, a plan C, then a plan D, and… you know how the alphabet works, don't you? Send my love to Stefan…and Trinity." She hangs up.

Damon looks at them, frowning.


Elena walks downstairs and into the kitchen. "Where is Jeremy?"

"Oh, he went straight up to his room. He said he wasn't hungry." Alaric tells her.

She helps lay out the plates and looks over at Jenna, who is on the phone with someone. "Who is she talking to?"

"I don't know. Everything go okay today?"

"There were a few hiccups, but yeah."

"Of course, I understand. Elena, it's for you." Jenna hands her the phone.

"Who is it?" She asks. Jenna shrugs but doesn't say anything. Elena takes the phone and places it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hello, Elena." Katherine greets.

Elena looks at Ric. Ric looks questioningly at her. She walks out of the room. "Katherine."

"Did you enjoy your little rendezvous with Stefan this morning? I will always know, Elena. I will always be one step ahead of you. When are you gonna figure that out? Do you know how easy it was to get inside of your house? To replace Aunt Jenna's vervain perfume, to convince her to stop drinking her special tea?"

Elena looks over at Jenna. Alaric wants to know what's going on, but Elena puts her hand up, gesturing to him to hold on. "No."

"Jenna's been my little spy for days now. But unlike you, Jenna actually listens to me. So when I suggested that the world would be a much better place if she were to just-"

Jenna holds a knife into the air. She points it at her stomach. Elena drops the phone. "Jenna, no!"

Jenna stabs herself in the stomach and falls to the floor.

"Jenna! Jenna!" Alaric yells as he and Elena rush over.

"Well, you get the idea." She hangs up.