The Task
Elena had no idea how to react as Katherine entered her bedroom She closed the door behind her, and then stood against it as Katherine walked around her room.
"I never paid much attention to your room. It's very nice."
"Thanks." Elena said. "Do you want to sit?"
Katherine nodded and sat in a chair near the bed. She glanced up at Elena who had not moved. "You?"
"Oh, yeah." Elena quickly sat on the bed – not too close to Katherine, but where she could easily keep eye contact. "Just nervous I guess. I don't know what to expect."
"No need Elena."
Katherine paused, so Elena added, "I still am. Did you need me for something?"
Katherine sighed. "It'll take some time for us to get used to each other. And yes. I have a request for you Elena."
Elena tensed.
"I want to replace you for a week."
Elena did not understand. "Replace me? What do you mean replace me?"
"I want to be you. I want to live your life, to go where you would go. To see what you would see. I want to replace you for a week."
"Why would you want that?" Elena asked, as she realized something. Katherine's expression wasn't icy or distant or any of the things she had seen before. She looked pretty much normal.
Katherine did not respond immediately. She seemed to be considering her reply – something else Elena had never seen in her. "You probably won't understand and you don't need to. Let's just say that when I was here recently, I realized that there are things I miss. Things I want to experience again, if just for a week. And now I have a chance to do just that."
"What kind of things?" Elena asked.
"I want to talk to Damon and Stefan without being judged by them. I want to walk the streets of Mystic Falls and see what you thought so much of that you paid the price you paid. I just want to experience a normal life again."
Elena did not really want to, but she voiced her thoughts. "But you could do so much damage to…to everything. You promised that my family and the town would be safe."
"And I still promise that Elena. I will do no damage. No one will know it is me – they will think it is you."
"Even Stefan?" Elena asked. "Do you think he would not know it was not me?"
"Damon did not know when he first saw me. Yes, I think neither would know. Nor would your brother or your aunt."
"I don't think I could trust you to not do something to mess things up with Stefan or Jeremy or Bonnie or someone."
"That, Elena," Katherine said, "is the point. Or at least part of it. I have to trust you when I ask you to um…help me. I am trusting you now. It is only right that you learn to trust me as well."
"Where would I go? How would I know what you're doing?"
"You wouldn't. And you can go anywhere you want. Have you ever just wanted to get away from everyone and everything for a bit? This is your chance."
"No." Elena said quickly.
Katherine sighed. "Then you could go to the witch's house. There is no one there is there?"
"No. And you can't call her that if you are supposed to be me."
"True," said Katherine. "You will have to help me with some things."
"One day." Elena said. She could stand that – and it really wasn't that bad a request. So much better than what she feared. Surely she could repair a day's worth of Katherine's damage if she needed to.
"Four days. And this is not a negotiation."
Elena reluctantly nodded.
"Good. We will start the day after tomorrow."
"So soon? Can't I have some time to prepare?"
"You mean time to tip someone off?"
"You know I wouldn't risk that," Elena said.
"I know. I trust you. And you will spend at least part of tomorrow bringing me up to speed, so to speak. We'll need to co-ordinate what we wear on the day of the switch. Isn't this fun?"
Then Katherine added "Oh, and Elena, I'll need your necklace."
"The vervain? Why?"
"Because it's yours, Elena. I will bring it back to you tomorrow, but I need to have it copied."
"Copied?"
"Yes. I will have a replica that will look like it, even smell like it – to a vampire. But it will be what protects me from the sun. I won't be able to use what I usually do if I am dressed as you."
Elena nodded. "I understand." She hesitantly took off her necklace and offered it to Katherine.
"Trust, Elena. We are building trust." Katherine said as let the necklace drop from Elena's hand to a small bag.
"We?"
"And don't worry. Damon is near. You are in no danger tonight."
"Does he know you're here?"
"No and I don't recommend you tell him. Until tomorrow." Katherine was gone – the door closing quietly behind her. Elena was amazed. She could be as quiet as she was fast.
The Chat
A phone call. She did it with Stefan and even Damon. She had called Isobel once. But she had never expected a call from Katherine. It didn't seem like something Katherine would do.
She had to make up an excuse for Stefan and she felt guilty about it. But at least she had time to formulate it and make it sound fairly reasonable. Then she met Katherine at a restaurant far enough out of town that she did not expect to be recognized..
Her necklace was returned to her and she quickly put it around her neck. She wondered how she could test it to make sure it was still what it was supposed to be.
The conversation really wasn't terrible – she almost enjoyed it, like chatting with a sister.
"You don't have to worry about Caroline." Elena explained. "She really doesn't listen to herself as she's talking. If you don't know something and she presses you on it just say something like 'Sorry, I forgot'. Then she'll remind you of it."
"And the boyfriend Matt?"
"Ex-boyfriend. He probably won't come looking for you – it would just be a chance meeting. Minor pleasantries – 'hey, how are you'. Not much more now. You can ask about his mom, that might stop any conversation right there."
"Do you hug?"
"No," Elena replied. "No touching."
Elena hadn't eaten much so she took a few bites.
Katherine watched as if she was trying to memorize the movements. "You see Bonnie every day?"
Elena smiled. "Bonnie. Very good. And yes I do. Every day." Elena's expression changed. "You've promised me she is safe with you. You won't hurt her."
"I won't."
Elena remembered her promise. "She still has the bracelet - the one the blocks her powers. She would like to have it removed."
"I'm sure she would."
"Katherine, she can't help me without her power."
"And she can't hurt either of us with the bracelet in place. Let's just see how it goes."
Elena nodded.
"Aunt Jenna?" Katherine asked.
"Just Jenna. She wants us to talk more, but I haven't. It won't look weird if you avoid her or brush her off."
"And if she forces herself on me?"
"She's done nothing but help me. But I still manage to avoid her. I'm sure you can too, just please be nice about it."
"Jeremy?" Katherine asked.
"Not talking to me. I keep trying, he says no. He feels betrayed because I kept the vampire stuff from him. He probably won't say anything to you."
Katherine nodded. "Damon?"
This was cutting too close. It no longer felt like a chat – more like an interrogation. "He's keeping his distance. I guess he's upset with me. I understand. He's helped me so much, but I can't be what I think he wants – at least not right now."
"And what is that?"
"A replacement for you. I'm with Stefan, and I've told him that."
"Anything else I should know?"
"He promised to help me if I needed it when I'm doing something for you."
"You asked him to do this for you?"
"Yes."
"Why not Stefan?" Katherine asked.
"I don't know. Maybe I'm afraid of losing him. Maybe Stefan's feelings for me don't seem quite so unconditional as Damon's."
"That I understand." Katherine said.
The Exchange
Maybe it wasn't intentional, but it seemed like it was. Elena had made an excuse about picking something up for Bonnie. She had Stefan drive her to Bonnie's house (as Katherine had instructed), and had to convince him to wait for her in the car. Katherine was not making this easy.
Elena entered the house and immediately went to a window where she could see Stefan. She couldn't help wondering what would change between them in the next few days because of Katherine. And she couldn't stand giving up control of this relationship.
But she had promised and quickly grabbed a couple of framed pictures of Bonnie's ancestors. Then she went straight to the back door where Katherine was, as expected, waiting.
"What are these?" Katherine asked as Elena passed her the pictures.
"My excuse for coming. Bonnie doesn't know, but I think it'll please her to have them there. And my purse with phone and keys."
Katherine took them and turned to leave.
"Please," Elena said. "No damage."
"Trust me Elena. I only ask you to make a promise to me once. Please accord me the same respect."
