Hey guys! I'm so happy that you liked the last chapter! And I hope you like this one too, but I have a feeling that it won't be exactly what you are thinking. Either way, I hope you like it! I wasn't going to update again this week, but you all were very persistent so I decided to put this one up. Don't forget to tell me what you think!

Season 2 Episode 7 Masquerade

"She has an extra-articular, displaced fracture." The doctor at the hospital said referring to my arm. I wasn't paying much attention to him and what my condition was called. I was more focused on the bulky cast that was now extending from my elbow to my wrist. They had put the cast on last night after I had been rushed to emergency by Damon and my distraught mother. I was lucky they hadn't had to go in and place the bone back where it should have been placed. I shivered at the thought. It hurt enough without that.

Stupid Katherine. Stupid moonstone. Stupid everything.

I didn't regret not giving in, because I knew that Katherine couldn't have that moonstone. But looking at my cast and thinking about the sickening crack and the pain that followed made me wonder if I should have given it to her. But there was no telling that she would have even kept me alive after I gave it to her. I guessed a broken arm was better than death.

Damon stood next to the chair I was sitting in. His hand was on my shoulder and every now and again he would squeeze it to reassure me that everything was going to be ok. He had been oddly calm about this, and I guessed he was keeping it together because of mom. My mom was looking over x-rays with the doctor, eyes puffy from crying the night prior. She had freaked out a bit when she heard, and told me she was never letting me leave the house again.

"How long will she be in a cast?" Mom asked, concerned. You could tell that she was worried for me, but she had no idea that Elena was not actually Elena. She had no idea that she invited in a psychotic vampire who wanted me dead. My poor mother was clueless.

"About six weeks." The doctor answered. "We will check at four but most likely it will be six to eight weeks."

I held in a groan. She just had to break my right arm. That meant no drawing, no writing, nothing that involved my dominant hand. I wondered if I could sketch left handed.

"You are very lucky Miss Gilbert." The doctor said, grabbing my x-rays. "It could have been much worse."

"Yeah." I mumbled. We had told them that I slipped and fell, cracking my arm on the concrete step. Of course, they wondered why it had snapped in two instead of just cracking a little. I couldn't tell them that someone, that someone being a vampire, had twisted my arm into breaking in two separate pieces. Mom didn't need to be involved in this. I wanted her as far away from this as possible. It was safer that way.

"I will fill out some paper work and then you are free to go." The doctor said. "Miss James, I'm going to need your signature."

"Of course." Mom said then looked at Damon. "You'll watch my girl right?"

"Mom I don't need a baby sitter." I retorted. I was ignored.

"I got her Lauren." Damon said. Mom nodded, sending a kiss my way before she followed the doctor out of the room. Damon and I sat in silence for a long time. We hadn't really talked since last night. I slept through the night, and Damon stayed up the whole night just watching me. He offered his blood, but I couldn't risk Katherine killing me and I came back in transition.

To my surprise, Damon reached over and kissed my forehead. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I just wanted him to hold me, to tell me that everything was going to be ok. But nothing was ok. Katherine was anxious and she wasn't going to stop until she had the moonstone. I was afraid of who she would hurt next.

"This is all my fault." Damon mumbled into my hair. I pulled back and gave him a confused look. "I provoked her."

"Damon." I said cupping his cheek in my hand. "She would have come after me regardless."

"I still feel responsible." He said. "This is what I tried to keep you away from."

I didn't respond, I just pulled him close. I then kissed his lips, trying to tell him that everything was ok. I could deal with a broken arm. It wasn't ideal, but this was not his fault. This was Katherine's fault.

I locked my hands into his hair, holding him there so he couldn't get away. He kissed me back, moving his tense lips against mine. We stayed like that for a long time it seemed before he pulled back and gave me a small smile.

"This is not your fault." I told him, looking him deep in the eyes. He searched my eyes and eventually nodded. I pecked his lips once more and he smiled against my lips. He leaned his forehead on mine and we just sat there, breathing in each other's scent and holding one another.

"We're lucky Jace came by." I said, pulling back. Damon grunted. "Come on, if it weren't for him it would have been morning before someone found me."

"Sure." Damon muttered. I furrowed my brows. "So it was just a coincidence that he just happened to walk by right after Katherine snapped your arm?"

I froze. What was he insinuating? That Jace had something to do with this? No, he couldn't have.

"Maybe it was just luck." I said. Damon scoffed.

"Or maybe it was a set up." He said. I shook my head. Jace was my friend, he wouldn't do that to me. "Listen, maybe you're right."

I met his gaze. Damon bent down and took my face in his hands.

"It doesn't matter." He said. "You're safe."

I smiled, leaning into his touch.

"And that bitch is going to die."

"No!" I shouted, Damon jerked back surprised. "That's what she wants. She wants you to retaliate."

"And you want me to just sit by while she endangered your life?" Damon asked. "While she endangered your mother's life?"

I winced. That was a low blow. He knew I would do anything for her. But killing Katherine because of me was not the answer. She was stronger than Damon and she could hurt him, far worse than she hurt me. I couldn't lose him.

"I'm sorry." Damon said softly leaning in toward me. "But Katherine has to be stopped."

"I know…" I whispered. It seemed that killing her was our only option. But I couldn't be there when they did it. "Just be careful."

He nodded, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to my forehead.

"Sorry to break up the epic cuteness…" Mom said when she returned. "But it's time to go."

I looked up at the door where my mom stood. She smiled, and I forced one back. Damon helped me stand, even though I really didn't need his assistance. He was acting over protective, as per usual. But I couldn't complain about the constant touch he had on me. He then led me out the door and to my mother's car. Once I was seated inside he leaned in and kissed me once more.

"I'll see you later." Damon said. I nodded and he closed the door behind me. I waved to him as mom started driving away. We rode in silence, and all good feelings I had from seeing Damon were gone. All that was left was this empty, numb feeling.

"Are you going to the masquerade?" Mom asked me curiously. I shook my head, my face blank. "Damon's not taking you?"

"I don't want to go." I replied. We fell silent again and I could see she was struggling with my new found attitude. I couldn't help it though. Glaring down at my arm, I couldn't bring myself to smile. I couldn't bring myself to feel anything.

When we got home I rushed to my room, much to my mother's surprise. I locked the door behind me, sitting on my bed. I ran a nervous hand through my hair, it shaking with anxiety. I then grabbed my phone, dialing the number that I thought I would never use.

It rang four times before someone finally answered.

"Hello?"

"I need your help."

Damon had gotten home just in time for Alaric's session on killing vampires. He didn't tell Alex their plan, hoping that she would stay away. She needed to rest anyway. She didn't need to be involved in their plot to kill Katherine. She needed to stay far away and be safe.

"This works with compressed air. The trigger mechanism is up here." Alaric explained pointing to different buttons and switches. Damon had to admit that Alaric knew his stuff about killing vampires. He ignored the fact that Alaric only learned all of this stuff to kill him. Either way it was cool.

"I have two of these in a different size." Alaric continued and looked at Stefan. "For you I recommend this. It fits nicely under the jacket sleeve. You use the trigger when you're ready."

Alaric then mimicked releasing the trigger, a wooden stake releasing into his hand. He then aimed as if he was about to stake a vampire in the heart. Damon and Stefan shared a look. Alaric shrugged.

"You wanted me to show you how to kill a vampire." Alaric said. He continued pointing out weapons and such and teaching them how to use it. Damon was enthralled, the only thing he wanted to do was stab a stake through Katherine's heart. Not only had she messed with him all of these years, but now she was messing with Alex and he was not ok with that. He couldn't wait until Katherine was dead and gone.

"How is she?" Damon heard behind him. He turned and there stood Bonnie. Of all people he never expected Bonnie to speak to him. But Damon was the only one with new information on Alex's condition.

"They released her this morning." Damon said. "She should be fine in a few weeks."

Bonnie nodded and the two fell silent. Although they didn't like each other, Damon had to admit that Bonnie helped them out a lot. Without her this plan of theirs wouldn't work at all.

"Thank you witchy." Damon said. "I mean… thanks Bonnie."

Bonnie gave one curt nod before she turned to walk away. Damon sighed and continued to look at all of Rick's weapons.

I grabbed my duffle, tossing random clothes all throughout it. I barely even looked at the stuff I had packed. I looked over to my bedside table and saw the wooden stake. I hadn't touched it, but now I had to. I rolled it around in my good hand, clenching it when I realized how much I could have used it the night before. If only I had had it when Katherine had attacked. She could be dead right now.

Suddenly, I turned when there was a knock at my door. I stuffed the stake into the bag and grunted telling the person they could come in. I expected my mom, but I wasn't expecting Jace to walk in. His green eyes immediately went to my cast.

"Hey." I said surprised. "What are you doing here?"

He seemed on edge, not smiling at me and rocking back and forth. He didn't look like his usual self.

"I just wanted to check to see how you are doing." Jace said, eyeing the cast again. "How is it?"

"It's ok now." I said with a shrug. "Doc gave me some medicine. I should be good as new in about six weeks."

"Good. Good." Jace said. There was a long pause before his eyebrows furrowed. "You going on a trip?"

I looked down at my duffle and then back up to him. I cautiously licked my lips. I was afraid he would tell me mom, or that he would try to stop me if I went into specifics.

"Kind of." I replied. "It's… complicated."

Jace nodded, not pushing the issue which I was grateful for. I continued to pack, grabbing random items of clothing and shoving them in the bag. I knew that he was staring, and I was starting to get very irritated at his gaze. I turned to ask him what else he wanted but the look he had on his face stopped me.

"What's wrong?" I asked him. He shook his head, running a hand through his golden locks. I stopped my packing and stepped forward.

"Don't." He said, holding his hand up to stop me. "Just don't."

"What's the matter with you?" I asked, eyebrows furrowed. He seemed to be trying to find the right words to explain. He opened and shut his mouth several times before he finally made an angry grunting noise.

"I did something bad." He said. "I did something… really bad."

"What? Did you rob a bank or something?" I joked with him. He didn't laugh. "Jace, you saved me last night. If it wasn't for you Damon would have never come-"

"I'm not a hero, Alex." He spat. I closed my mouth. "I'm the villain."

Jace didn't give off the air that he was a villain. He had saved me, right when I needed him. So why was he calling himself a villain?

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked him stepping forward. He stepped back a few steps. He took a deep breath, looking away from me. It was as if he couldn't look at me. Not that he didn't want to, but that he couldn't. Whatever he had done must have been really messed up.

"Did you ever think to ask why I was there last night?" Jace finally asked. I furrowed my brows. "Why I had come to the rescue so fast?"

Damon's words from that morning in the hospital rang through my mind. A set up… it could have been a set up. No. He wouldn't do that.

"Well… I mean…" I trailed off. I had no idea why Jace had shown up practically right after it had happened. I thought it might have just been good luck or maybe a coincidence. But the way he was looking at me now… I was starting to think that it wasn't a coincidence at all.

"You can't put it together?" Jace asked, slightly irritated. "Alex you are smarter than that."

"What are you talking about?" I repeated the question louder this time. Jace huffed, looking like he wanted to punch a wall. The look of shame crossed his features and I wanted nothing more than to comfort him in that moment.

"I was with her!" Jace practically shouted. I felt my stomach sink a bit.

"With who?" I asked, still not understanding. Jace then banged his fist on the top of my dresser. I flinched at the sound.

"Katherine!" Jace yelled. "I was with Katherine!"

It took me a few seconds to process his words. At first, I thought it was a joke, a cruel sick joke that I would be mad about for a few days but then I would forgive him. But then I realized that he wouldn't have known about Katherine unless he knew about vampires and the fact that Elena was Katherine's doppelganger.

"Wh-why?" I stammered. Jace swallowed hard, I could see his Adam's apple bob.

"I love her." He murmured automatically, as if he had been programed to say so. "Or at least the person I thought she was. I don't know. All I know is that I am supposed to love her."

I felt myself sliding down to my bed before I could comprehend it. I looked away from him, staring blankly at the wall. He had been compelled. I could tell it in his eyes. Katherine had compelled him to love her, and because he thought he loved her he did what she told him to.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked him, not looking at him. I couldn't bear to see him.

"Cause you're my friend." Jace said. "And I betrayed you."

"What does that mean?" I asked him, angrily turning to look at him. "Did you only talk to me because she told you to?"

He stood there, licking his lips as he looked more and more guilty. I felt so confused so… betrayed. I trusted him. I became friends with him. I told him things, and I bet anything that he told Katherine. Nothing was safe.

"She said that I needed to integrate myself into your life so she could get information about the Salvatores." Jace said. "I never thought that I would actually start to care."

I swallowed hard at the lump forming in my throat.

"So, you just used me." I said, my stomach falling as I said it. I felt like I was going to throw up.

"Yes. At first…" Jace said and then took a step toward me. "But I see now who she really is. She's a monster. You had nothing to do with this and she hurt you."

I licked my suddenly dry lips, unable to hold back what my true feelings were.

"That doesn't take away what you did." I spat and stood up. "You were just going to let her slaughter the whole town."

"I didn't know she was going to do that!" Jace said. "I never thought she was going to threaten anyone but the Salvatores."

I shook my head, holding it in my hands. I was beginning to get a head ache with all of this new information. He stepped forward again but this time I stopped him.

"Stay away from me." I ordered. He froze, his arms held up in surrender. "Stay away from my friends. Stay away from my town. And Stay away from Damon."

"Alex I-"

"Just go." I said pointing to the door. When he didn't make a move to leave I shouted. "Get out!"

He gave me a shameful look before he turned and walked out the door. I sat back down on my bed and took a deep breath. I sat there for a few minutes before I stood and zipped my bag up. I then sent a text and walked out of my bedroom.

"Hey it's Alex. Leave me a message!"

Damon ended the call and put the phone down. He wanted to check on her before he went to the ball, but it looked like she wasn't going to answer. She was probably asleep, and he shouldn't disturb her. He slipped the jacket to his suit on, looking dashing as ever. He ran a hand through his dark hair.

He then pocketed his phone and grabbed his mask. He was ready for this, he had been ready for a long time. He just hadn't know it. He didn't know for sure until last night that he had no feelings for Katherine left over. He just thought he was. His feelings for Alex were too strong for him to love anyone else. When he heard that she had been hurt he felt scared, which was something he didn't feel often. Then when he heard that little voice of hers, pleading with him to stop the pain he knew right then and there that Alex was the only girl for him.

He called once more, it rang and rang until he heard her voicemail again. He sighed, shoving the phone in his pocket and preparing to end this war once and for all.

Bonnie had done the spell that would trap Katherine, and now it was Damon and Stefan's turn to hide. Caroline was to bring Katherine to them and then Damon and his brother would finish her off.

Damon gripped his crossbow that held the wooden stakes. He knew that he couldn't hesitate, so he continued to play the image of Alex's teary eyed face in him mind. He would not hesitate. He would finish this and then he would be done with Katherine forever.

"Are you ready?" Stefan asked. Damon nodded, pulling the door shut on the closet door he was hiding in. It didn't take long for Katherine to enter the room. Damon smirked to himself waiting for his cue.

"You don't really think that you can kill me with that now, do you?" Katherine mused. Damon slipped the door open, her back to him.

"No." Stefan said. "But he can."

Before she could turn around he shot the stake into her back. She doubled over in pain, to which he smirked. Stefan then ran over, and stabbed a stake into her arm. She threw Stefan off of her and pulled the stake from her arm. She then ran to Damon, attempting to stake him in the heart. However, Stefan recovered and pulled Katherine off of him. The two struggled on the floor and Damon picked her up. He then shoved her against the wall, stake ready at her heart.

"Stop! You're hurting Elena!" Jeremy screamed. "Everything you're doing to her is hurting Elena!"

Damon stopped and sent a glare to Katherine. She was one crafty bitch, he had to give her that.

"The three of us together just like old times." Katherine mused. "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." Damon retorted. Katherine narrowed her eyes. Damon sipped on some bourbon. Tonight was not going as planned what so ever. She should have been dead by now. Stupid spell.

"What happened to you Damon?" Katherine asked. "You used to be so sweet and polite."

"Oh, that Damon died a long time ago." Damon replied bitterly. Katherine smirked, bouncing her leg slightly.

"How is Alex?" She asked. "I hope I didn't do irreversible damage."

"She's fine." Damon spat, seeing red. "She's perfect."

"Well I wouldn't go that far." Katherine said. "Maybe next time I'll break her nose, do something about that awful-"

"You bitch!" Damon said, speeding over to her. He had a stake poised at her heart, but he didn't stab her. He knew that she was linked to Elena and to kill Katherine, the spell had to be broken.

"Stop it both of you!" Stefan ordered. After a bone chilling glare was sent to her, Damon backed off and stood as far away from her as possible. Katherine smirked, knowing that she was winning. Damon wanted to smack her so bad, but he knew Elena would feel it.

"Where is the moonstone?" Katherine asked. Damon scoffed.

"What do you want with it?" Stefan asked. Katherine didn't answer. Instead she looked to Damon.

"Does she do it for you Damon?" Katherine asked. "Does Alex really make you feel alive?"

Damon sipped on his drink. Alex was the closest thing that Damon had to humanity. She made him want to be a better person. She made him want to feel again. Damon always thought that the only girl for him was Katherine, but he had been dead wrong. He never expected Alex to come into his life and rock his world the way she did. He never expected her to be more than something to feed on. But Alex was more than all of that.

"I have never felt this way about someone." Damon said. "Not even you."

Katherine narrowed her eyes and then dropped the subject. She didn't like not being the center of Damon's world anymore, even if she wouldn't admit it. She liked that Damon chased her, and now he wasn't doing anything like that anymore. It bugged her.

After a long while of silence Damon attempted to push his way out of the room. But like the tomb spell, no vampire could get out, even the hardest her pushed. He was starting to get agitated. Being in a room with Katherine was messing with his head. Also, Alex hadn't returned any of his calls and he was starting to get worried. He assumed that she was asleep but she couldn't sleep all day. Something wasn't right.

"Damn it!" Damon said. "Where is that witch?"

"We could play charades." Katherine offered. Damon rolled his eyes.

"You bargained the moonstone." Stefan said suddenly. Both Katherine and Damon looked at him. He was staring right at Katherine.

"When you struck a deal with George Lockwood, to help you fake your death, you told me that you gave George something that he needed." Stefan continued. "It was the moonstone, wasn't it?"

"Good for you, Stefan. 2+2." Katherine mused. "And it would have worked except that people found out that I wasn't in the tomb."

She then turned her gaze on Damon who made a face at her.

"Thanks to you, by the way." Katherine said. "Have I mentioned how inconvenient your obsession with me has been?"

"You and me both honey." Damon said finishing his drink.

"Why do you need it back?" Stefan asked. Katherine turned back around.

"I love you in a suit, so dashing." Katherine mused, moving to touch him.

"What were you doing with it in the first place?" Stefan continued. He was picking up the pieces of a big puzzle here, but Damon couldn't see it.

"You're wasting your breath Stefan." Damon said. Stefan ignored the comment.

"Unless it wasn't yours to begin with." Stefan concluded. "In 1864 you faked your death. Who were you running from, Katherine?"

It made sense. Katherine only did things that benefitted herself. If the moonstone had value, she could use it to save her ass. Obviously she was running from something or someone. They must have wanted the moonstone.

"Who were you running from Katherine?" Stefan repeated. She didn't answer, she just mouthed that she loved him. Damon set his jaw and poured himself another drink.

"Katherine."

All three vampires looked up to see a tall, dark skinned woman enter the room. In her hand she held the moonstone.

"Katherine, the spell on this room has been broken, you're free to leave." She said.

"Thank God!" Katherine said moving to leave. However, the witch stopped her.

"When I hand this over my debt to you is over." She said, seriously.

"Done." Katherine smirked.

"I owe you nothing." She said. Katherine rolled her eyes, irritated.

"I said done." Katherine spat. "Now give it."

"I wouldn't do that." Damon said, but she didn't listen. She handed it over to Katherine. Once the stone was in her hand Katherine started to choke. She looked down at the stone and back to her witchy friend.

"You should have told me another witch was involved." The witch said. "She's a Bennett witch, Katherine, but I'm sure you knew that."

"Wait! Elena-"

"Elena's fine." She assured. "The spell is broken. She'll heal quickly, Bonnie's with her."

Katherine then fell to the floor, suffocating as she gripped the stone. Both brothers looked down at her writhing around, trying to catch her breath. Neither one tried to aid her.

"I apologize for my involvement." The witch said, then turned to leave. Once she was gone Katherine's eyes closed. Both of the boys stood there for a while, just staring at her. When she didn't awaken they relaxed.

"Go." Damon said to Stefan. "Go check on Elena. I got her."

"Ok." Stefan said. "Don't forget, right through the heart."

"I got it." Damon replied. "Now go!"

Stefan nodded and sped from the room. Damon crouched down, brushing a lock of hair from his former beloved's face. He looked her over feeling nothing but hatred and anger. She was nothing to him now.

"You don't deserve to die." Damon said. "You deserve worse."

He then picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder and headed out to his car.

Damon drove down the road, phone in hand and it was pressed to his ear.

"Alright Alex, this is getting ridiculous." He said irritated. "This is the seventh time I called. I'm on my way to your house."

He clicked the end button and gripped the steering wheel with both hands. Katherine was now sealed in the tomb along with her precious moonstone. No vampire could get out so the stone would be safe. Katherine on the other hand, she would desiccate just like she should have years ago. He got a sick sort of satisfaction out of that, and he grinned just imagining it.

Damon arrived at Alex's house, Lauren's vehicle in the driveway. That was unusual, but she was probably taking off today to take care of Alex. He pulled up in the driveway, throwing the car into park and sped up to the front of the house. He looked through her window, the light was off and she was not inside. His eyebrows furrowed, that was odd. He then headed to the living room window. Lauren was sitting on the couch, her head in her hands, but Alex was nowhere to be seen.

Becoming worried, Damon frantically knocked on the door. He heard a sniffle from Lauren, followed by her light footsteps. She pulled the door open and Damon laid eyes on her red and teary ones.

"Damon." She said with a weak smile. Damon's eyes searched the room. She wasn't there.

"Where is Alex?" He asked. Lauren visibly swallowed, more tears pouring from her eyes.

"She's gone." Lauren mumbled. "She left."

"With who?" Damon asked, suddenly prepared for a fight.

"John." Lauren wailed. "She left with John."

Damon stared at her for a long time before she pushed herself into his arms. He instinctively wound his arms around her shoulders, consoling her. But Damon was in too much shock, he couldn't speak. He could barely breathe.

"John?" Damon repeated. "Why?"

"She didn't say." Lauren said, eyes red. "She just said she had to get away."

Damon shook his head. What would posess her to leave? Especially with John Gilbert of all people.

"Damon, what if she doesn't come back?" Lauren wailed. Damon looked at the poor woman with pity. Her whole life had just walked out the door to someone who didn't deserve to have her. He took the woman in his arms.

"I'll get her back." Damon said, voice stern. "I promise."