Chapter 23

Katherine drove down a deserted road. Her eyes continuously scanned the surrounding area. Entering a witches turf was never a simple feat but there were answers that she needed and she wouldn't be able to rest until she had them.

When Katherine came to a halt outside a Victorian household she wasn't surprised to see a coven of witches glaring at her from the front porch. They had obviously sensed her coming but she was sure that they had no idea of her true intentions. Katherine shut the engine of the car off and scanned the crowd for the face she was looking for but she came up empty handed. She was going to have the witches raft before she could get what she wanted.

She opened the car door and instantly was greeted to the migraine of witches. Katherine could easily deflect two witches on her but when there was a clan of them focusing all on her she was truly outmatched and could do nothing but clutch her head with her hands until the onslaught stopped. But they didn't stop. With an unknown force Katherine rolled out the car and began screaming:

"I'm not here to harm her. I need to speak to her it's urgent!" Katherine screamed.

One of the witches moved forward until she was standing next to Katherine's squirming body.

"Why should we trust you? You're nothing but a filthy creature of death. We do not associate with such beings. So I suggest you leave before we're forced to take action." The elderly witched snarled looking at Katherine.

"Lucy fraternized with me as well. What does that make her then?" Katherine snarled out from the pain.

The elderly witches eyebrows furrowed.

"She was ignorant but she is now one of us again and you're not going to pull her into anymore of your vampire conspiracies. We've had enough thousands of our family are dying because of you vampire's. So I suggest you take your leave and let us be." The witch snarled and walked away.

"You don't understand this affects all of us." Katherine could taste blood in her mouth as she looked at the woman's retreating back.

"If what you say is true then we will take care of our own kind. " The witch spoke over her shoulder.

Katherine lifted herself on to her hands and knees. The pain still burning and soaring in her skull.

"You don't understand. It's about the moonstone. It did something other than what it was intended to do." Katherine cried out.

The witches stopped their onslaught as the elderly woman pivoted on her feet and looked at the vampire with horror and shock. It was then that Lucy stepped out from behind her sisters and made her way towards Katherine.

"What did you do?" Lucy asked horrified.

Stefan glanced at Caroline then back at his phone. He didn't know what to say or do. The phone became silent but then began ringing again.

"You should answer it." Caroline broke the silence.

Stefan glanced at her wearily.

"It's Elena." Caroline said dejectedly and made her way into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

Stefan listened as she put the shower on. It was clear what she was trying to do. She wanted to give him his privacy even though it obviously pained her to do so. They hadn't broken up with their other partners and it was like as he feared. They were performing a form of adultery no matter how hard they tried to sugar-coat it. His feelings had changed when it came to Elena and with Caroline – somehow they had swapped roles in this process. He cared for Elena and wished her no harm and he would do anything in his power to help her but if something ever happened to Caroline ... Well he didn't know what he would do.

"Hey." He answered the phone. Best to get this over and done with.

"Stefan?" Elena asked.

"Yeah it's me." Stefan answered solemnly.

"You have no idea how good it is to hear your voice. I miss you." She breathed deeply.

"I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to speak to you earlier. Damon kind of took us by surprise with his plan." Stefan answered avoiding the sentiment.

"Yeah I know. I didn't know what he was up to either. Where are you?"

Stefan glanced around his motel room before answering;

"At a motel."

"A motel?" Elena asked.

Stefan could hear the surprise in her voice.

"Katherine had other stuff to go do, so she left me and Caroline here. I'm not sure when she is coming back."

"That bitch. I need to tell Damon. That wasn't part of the plan." Elena sounded clearly panicked.

"Look it's no worries. We'll find our way back if Katherine doesn't show." He tried to reassure her. The last thing they needed was everyone to be in a stir. It would only cause more unnecessary problems and right now none of them needed the extra pressure.

"Are you sure? Maybe I should come and fetch you."

"No! Don't. It's too dangerous for you and the last thing I want is for you to get hurt." He answered.

Caroline sat on the floor in the bathroom trying to drone out their conversation but she couldn't no matter how hard she tried. The shower wasn't doing the trick. But hearing his concern for Elena was sending angry pangs in her chest. She had always been the insecure and jealous type. How could his feelings for Elena have magically disappeared? And how stupid could she have been to believe that they had changed?

Tears welled up in her throat and she coughed trying to dispense them but already the traitor tears were rolling down her cheeks. This was all so messed up. She couldn't just pretend to turn a blind eye to all of this because then she would truly be a monster and she never wanted to be a monster. But how could she deny the feelings for Stefan? She had never felt this way before over some one. Perhaps this was love? Did she really love him?

The thought jolted Caroline. She couldn't be in the room any longer. She didn't want to hear him whisper sweet endearments to Elena; even if they were false. Caroline switched the shower off and opened the bathroom door and stomped towards the room's door ignoring Stefan's shocked expression.

"Stefan? Are you even listening to me? You sound distracted? Is Caroline with you?" Elena questioned him as she was greeted to silence.

Stefan watched as the room's door closed as Caroline walked out the door. Panic swelled in his chest. Was she leaving him because of him showing concern for Elena?

"I have to go, Elena." Stefan ran a frustrated hand down his face.

"Oh okay. Please tell me what's going on, Stefan?" Elena asked.

"Nothing's going on Elena. I just need to go." He answered shakily. Every second that Caroline was apart from him the more the fear swelled up in his chest, engulfing him with painful tremors.

"Okay. I love you." Elena said in her raspy voice of devotion.

But her words echoed in his mind and not in his heart. He didn't love her anymore. In fact he was sure now, more than ever that he probably never really loved her. He had been in love with the idea of her, attracted to her because she liked Katherine and he couldn't deny it. He had felt something for Katherine and right now, his feelings for Caroline trumped both Katherine and Elena.

"I'll see you soon." He answered before hanging up on her.

Stefan tossed his phone on the bed next to him and stared at the white wash wall in front of him. He wanted to chase after Caroline but he knew on some subconscious level that she had left because she needed space. He had always been in tune with how his loved one's acted around him. It had been one of his so called heightened emotions.

A few minutes passed until he heard screaming.

"Stefan!"

Stefan felt the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. Caroline was in trouble.

An: So cliff-hanger for the weekend Lol. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and that you all have a good weekend. Let's hope we get some Steroline on Vampire Diaries this week.