Sorry if its messy! I totally didn't edit it as much as I normally do, I just wanted to get it out! I've got a job interview tomorrow! Wish me luck! I want it! Hahaha!

I hope you enjoy, as always! Things are taking some turns and TBH even I was surprised! But I wrote and I approved ahaha! Let me know what you think!

Chapter 23

The dinner table at the Gilbert residence was silent barring the clatter of cutlery on plates. Jeremy looked at John to see the small, smug smirk on his face that, by this point, Jeremy was thinking of all the ways he could remove. Opposite his uncle sat Jenna; dinner ignored and wine glass in hand as she aimed an unimpressed yet suspicious eyebrow at the blue-eyed male. Elena had her head down across from Jeremy; avoiding all eye contact and taking bird bites of her dinner.

Perfect family dinner. Not awkward at all.

Jeremy's phone chimed. He had to stop his shoulders from slumping in relief as he immediately reached for the device, intent on using the text as an excuse to get leave.

"Hey, I'm gonna head-"

John set his cutlery down and intertwined his fingers under his chin, clearing his throat obnoxiously as he stared the teen down. "This is a family night, Jeremy."

Both Jenna and Jeremy twitched in annoyance, the latter slipping his phone away while he smiled thinly and nodded.

"Now, Elena," John addressed lightly as he reclaimed his knife and fork. "I hear that you have a boyfriend. Stefan Salvatore, was it?"

"Oh, um, yeah, we've been seeing each other for a few weeks," Elena awkwardly smiled, tucking her hair back.

"Do you really think that's wise?"

"Do you really think it's any of your business?" Jenna cut it, a smile on her lips and scorn in her eyes.

"I do, because Elena is a member of this family and it's a family's business to look after each other," John tilted his head, his 'I know something you don't' smirk growing as he looked at her. "I'm thinking of sticking around for a while longer, you know. I get the feeling that you're in over your head, Jenna."

"Oh, you think so?" Jenna leaned forward, elbows on the table and her wine glass dangling from her fingertips. "I think I've done a fine job; I've even found special help when it comes to special situations."

"Oh?" John's eyes narrowed as they darted between the three people in front of him. Jeremy's amused smile, Jenna's too-knowing eyes and Elena's stumped expression were all very telling. "And you believe you know enough about your 'help' to trust them with special situations?"

"Oh course," Jenna scoffed, her eyes flashing victoriously. "After all, I know all of what a certain young lady can do and she has proved to be an invaluable source of information."

"What are you talking about?" Elena demanded, thoroughly confused.

"The supernatural, duh," Jeremy rolled his eyes, reaching for his phone again to read the message from earlier.

"What?!" Elena yelped in shock, looking at Jenna and John with new eyes. She then narrowed her gaze on her brother. "You told them!? How could you?!"

"Uh, one; I told Jenna. John already knew. And two; you should have told Jenna first. I'm not the one that invited a vampire into the house that could have slipped back in for some heinous vampire tomfoolery just to fuck with his brother, who you're dating."

"Language, Jeremy," Jenna chided.

Jeremy nodded an apology before turning back to Elena. "Damon's good now, BTW; he's firmly Team Lia."

"That's- you've put Jenna in danger, Jer! This world isn't something you just tell all your friends. It's dangerous," Elena's wide eyes kept flitting between all three inhabitants of the room. She honestly didn't know what to think; suddenly the supernatural world was real, and she was dating a vampire. Now her family knows about it, her best friend is a witch and both Caroline and her brother were siding with the most dangerous family in town. It didn't make sense. Why couldn't they see the monster that Kaliope really was?

She had to be doing something to them.

Worse, she couldn't turn to Stefan or Bonnie; Stefan didn't see how evil her actions were and Bonnie was trying to be friends with the creature for Caroline.

"No, Elena, what's dangerous is leaving a family member uninformed and in a potentially fatal situation without them knowing it," Jenna snapped, rounding on the teen. "What would you have done had I not known about vervain? Would you have let me be compelled to let someone in? I could have invited my own murderer into this house, Elena, and I wouldn't have known it because my only crime would have been issuing a verbal invitation. And if I'd lived through a vampire encounter? What then? Would you have had your vampire boyfriend compel me to forget everything? But then, you obviously don't think they're that dangerous, do you? I mean, you are dating one."

A knock on the door interrupted Jenna's heated words. Her chair scraped along the floor as she used the table to push herself back.

"We're not done," is all she said as she stalked out of the dining room.

She reefed the door open and rolled her eyes at the sight of Logan Fell.

"See, Elena?!" she shouted across the house, drawing the attention of all family members. They joined her as she continued on. "This is what I mean! What would you have done if I'd invited my ex in, huh? His death wasn't reported! How would I have known?"

John reacted instantly, stabbing the stake he always had hidden in his sleeve straight into the undead reporter. Logan gasped and groaned before collapsing in a grey, veiny mess.

John was already on the phone to the sheriff while Jenna and a teary-eyed Elena stared at each other. Finally, Jenna shook her head and sighed, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

"You don't even think you were wrong, do you?" Jenna's voice was moments away from dropping into a frustrated groan. She marched upstairs while talking over her shoulder. "You know what? I'm done for the night, Elena. You and John can have some bonding time. Jeremy and I are going to spend some quality time with people who don't lie to us. Jer, pack a bag!"

"You heard the woman," Jeremy smiled, amused, as he jogged up after the red-head on a mission.

Elena ran her hands through her hair in frustrated despair. She had to message Stefan; despite their on-the-rocks relationship status, he was the only one she could turn to.

*TVDM*

Lia opened the door with a beaming grin, bouncing on her toes as she saw who was at the door.

"Loren's in the game room," Lia's grin turned cheeky as she grabbed Jeremy's hand and dragged him away from the house. "We're going to the Grill to meet Care and Bonnet; don't wait up!"

Jenna rolled her eyes as she watched the two vanish into thin air, leaving Jeremy's bag behind. She closed the door behind her and made her way through the house, dropping both her and Jer's bags on the coffee table as she passed. Since finding out about the supernatural, Lia and her 'brother' had been invaluable, always happy to answer her questions and offer information they think she might be interested in. She was fascinated; her whole world view had shifted and everything she knew suddenly had a new depth to it. Of course, it wasn't only information that she went to Enzo for. The two had become close; their dry humour and biting wit ensuring for no dull moments between them. They'd shared laughter, tears and even anger. She could honestly count the vampire as her best friend despite the short time they'd truly known each other.

"Guess who died tonight. Again," Jenna strolled into the room and dropped down onto the beanbag next to the dark-eyed vampire. He was alone tonight; the last of the residents of Chateau Athánatos having just left. Slater and Susie had left that afternoon for New Orleans, having received a call from Marcel, while Rose and Trevor left the day before, happily starting their day-time adventures with California.

"Oh? It wasn't Damon, was it? I would have liked to be there for that," Enzo sighed dramatically, a forlorn expression painting his face. "I always imagined being the one to pull that particular lever, you know?"

"I can't imagine why," Jenna responded dryly. "What, with his stellar personality. Why hope to take such an angel out of this world?"

"I'm simply dripping in envy," Enzo admitted blandly. "I cannot hope to be the apple of anyone's eye while such a role model to the younger generations exists."

Jenna snorted and rolled her eyes. "No, it was not a certain blue-eyed hellion. Logan Fell came back to die another day at the hands of John Gilbert."

"Oof," Enzo grimaced. "He should have just killed himself; would have saved him the embarrassment."

"Didn't even get to put up a fight," Jenna couldn't contain her vindictive grin. "Oh, the shame."

Enzo observed her a moment before handing her a second controller and restarting the game he'd been playing. "How are you handling it?"

Jenna went to make a witty retort but thought better of it. She pondered the question seriously.

"I think," Jenna began slowly. "I'm OK. I mean, it was a shock, you know? Seeing someone die in front of me – someone I know – I don't think it's fully set in yet. I do know the kind of world that I now have my feet in," Jenna looked away from the screen to meet Enzo's dark gaze. "I'm not going to back out now."

"You are stronger than you give yourself credit for, gorgeous," Enzo smiled fondly at the college student. "You've been tested to your limits and you've come out swinging. Truly; in less than a year, you've gone from a pot-smoking college student to an adult, forced to return to a town you left for personal reasons, grieving for lost family while finding yourself responsible for 2 teenagers, both of whom have dragged you into a world you hadn't even known existed. You are taking to this path, to this dark walk of life, incredibly well. I'm unbelievably proud of you, Jenna Sommers. You are an amazing woman. You will survive this world of monsters and come out on top."

Jenna's breath caught; her eyes glassy as she held Enzo's affectionate gaze. She felt vulnerable. Her hard work, the effort she put into taking one step after another, day in day out, was being acknowledged. It had been so long since she'd had someone tell her she was doing a good job, who'd told her she was strong. In that moment, she was so very grateful for Enzo, for Lia, for Jeremy and hell, even Damon. It was humbling to realise that, for the first time since her sister had died, she had friends and family that were there for her just as much as she was there for them.

And Enzo was at the centre of that.

She didn't think as she leaned across the space between them and pressed her lips to his. Their lips melded together, sending warm tingles straight into her belly. His hand slid into her hair and tilted her head, his tongue gently asking permission.

She granted it.

She didn't know how long they sat there, lost in each other, exchanging gentle caresses and soft kisses in their unhurried exploration. She couldn't remember if she'd moved or if she'd been lifted onto his lap, straddling his thighs, basking in how slow and caring each touch was, how tender each kiss. Gently, she pulled back to stare at the vampire, her breathing catching once more at the extraordinarily affectionate look she was receiving. The wonder as his eyes roamed her face, taking in her flushed cheeks, bright eyes and pouty lips reignited the soft warmth inside.

"I think I'll do more than survive," Jenna whispered, a coy smile pulling at her lips.

Enzo laughed happily, his hands resting on her hips and his thumbs rubbing small circles just under her shirt. "Quite right, sweetheart. You'll positively thrive."

Jenna's nose crinkled as she chuckled before dipping her head to continue where they'd left off.

*TVDM*

"I text Damon to let him know to avoid the house tonight," Lia casually slipped her phone back into her pocket as she wiggled her eyebrows. Jeremy sighed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as they walked through the doors of the Grill.

"Your brother and my aunt. Who would have seen that coming?" Jeremy mused, spotting Caroline and Bonnie and redirecting Lia toward the pair. "When you think about it, they really do suit each other, though."

"I know," Lia sighed, a dreamy smile on her face. "Loren deserves to be happy and Jenna is such a badass. She's gonna make an awesome vampire."

"You think she'll turn?" Jeremy was startled but not really surprised.

"Of course," Lia scoffed. "I'm going to rework the original spell that Esther used so that she doesn't have to feed on blood to survive, but yeah, her and Loren will last. They're too good together."

"Enzo and Jenna finally hooking up?" Caroline asked as they sat around the table. Lia beamed while Jeremy raised an eyebrow.

"You figured it out?"

Caroline flipped her hair over her shoulder with a raised eyebrow. "Of course, I did. Um, hello, the amount of sexual tension during their first meeting was enough to tell me that they could have a thing. Second meeting when they let their sense of humour battle it out? That's when I knew they could be a thing."

"Jenna is dating a vampire?" Bonnie asked, borderline scandalised. She received a round of unimpressed glares.

"Put your pitchfork of prejudice away, Bonnie Lass. We can't get along if you're biased against my bro," Lia's face was blank but her eyes were a little too bright.

Bonnie winced sheepishly. "Sorry. I promise it's more my Grams' teachings than it is my own opinion."

"Maybe you should actually get to know some vampires," Jeremy suggested with a shrug as he called a waiter over.

Lia nodded eagerly. "I can forgive your own judgements, Bonita, but I can't forgive this copy n' paste thing you got going on. You're letting your grandmother brainwash you against everything that's not 'natural,' and let me tell you," Lia snorted. "Nature has A-OK'd the vampire race. They serve their purpose on this green earth just like the rest of us."

Bonnie sat up, startled. "How could you possibly know that?"

"Me and the planet are tight," Lia turned to grin at the newly arrived Matt. "Mr Donovan, man of the hour!"

"One caramel thick shake, extra swirl, coming up," Matt gave the squealing girl an amused shake of his head before getting the rest of the gang's orders and taking off.

"If you think vampires have a place here," Bonnie squinted in thought at the still-unidentified creature. "Then what's the actual purpose of witches?"

"To filter the earth's energy," Lia answered immediately. "Dark, blood, sacrificial, voodoo, hoodoo, traditional, kemiya,hocus pocus whatever; you practitioners label it for your own benefit. At the end of the day, all magic is magic. It's what the earth is made of. Witches have a connection to the earth that no one else has, purely for the sake of being the planet's filter. Magic cannot lie stale; the planet can't sustain life and evolve if there's no oxygenation, you know? Like a fish tank. But then you have these idiots running around trying to undo magic that the earth has accepted, you have witches trying to keep a balance that doesn't need to be kept. Then there's the real kicker; witches that hold onto their magic when they die. There are those that are sacrificed to pool their power to a well or they're just greedy and don't wanna let go. That's where your ancestral and spirit magic come into play; all magic that's borrowed from the other planes the dead roam. It's also the reason the planet pulled me here. The earth was dying because potentially millions of magicals took their magic with them to the grave, stealing the earth's life source a little bit at a time for over two-thousand-years. The planet would have lasted another thousand years if it was lucky if it hadn't dragged me here to open a connection to what you mortals call the Elysian Fields, or Heaven, whatever. Point is, the planet doesn't have to rely on magic anymore. As long as I live here, the planet is groovy," Lia shrugged, smiling gleefully at Matt when she caught sight of the tray in his hand. "If you want someone to blame for me being here, blame yourselves. The earth wouldn't have called me if you had treated it better. Tell Sheila to suck on that."

*TVDM*

While Jenna found Enzo and Lia took Jeremy to the Grill, Stefan was sitting at the desk in his room, writing in his current journal.

The tea party had been a turning point, even more so than the chaotic scene that was the tomb. The warmth, the tightness, the cold, then the absolute peace. Everything in him was serene, and that worried him. Or, it's what he thought he should worry about, seeing as it was near-impossible to worry about anything with these calming waves of tranquillity lapping at his very soul. Ever since that party, he'd been feeling drawn to Kaliope. He wondered if it had something to do with her or something she'd done, especially since, as far as he was aware, every vampire in town was flocking around her like she was some kind of supernatural catnip.

To add to all these thoughts that he felt he should be worried about but wasn't, the vampire felt like he was holding his ripper side back out of habit rather than any actual fear of the havoc he could wreck.

All of these non-worries were on top of the confusing feelings he was experiencing when it came to Elena. He believed himself in love with her, yet he felt like it wasn't a true love. He felt like it was superficial, like he loved her purely because he had experience loving that face before. But he knew Elena was a beautiful person; kind, caring, considerate, grieving, loving, yet he just saw her as a nice girl. A nice girl was a familiar face.

A nice girl with a familiar face that he was in love with because of reasons he couldn't quite figure out.

His phone broke him out of his focussed writing.

Meet me at the Grill ASAP. We need to talk!

He stared at the message from Elena with a frown. He'd been distancing himself from her, especially since their confrontation at Caroline's party. She'd been spending a lot of her time with Bonnie or alone at home. He still spoke to her, saw her at school, and he was in love with her. In a socially awkward and didn't really feel the need to talk to her, just be near her, kind of way...

He was so confused when it came to Elena Gilbert.

Which was why he'd decided to officially break it off with the brunette. He had to figure out what was going on in him before he could drag another person into it.

"Dear diary," Stefan's head snapped up to see Damon leaning dramatically against the door frame, eyes sadly gazing at the ceiling and a hand splayed over his heart. "Today I told a chipmunk my name was Steven. That lie will haunt me for the rest of my days…"

"What do you want, Damon?" Stefan rolled his eyes as he stood, tucking his phone into his pants pocket and walking to his closet to get a jacket. "Actually, better question; why are you still here, in Mystic Falls? Katherine isn't here."

"It's ok to be jealous, brother," Damon smirked, pushing off the frame and walking into the room like he owned the place. "I get it; I have more friends than you. I always knew I was the better brother; it seems Katherine was holding me back from my full potential."

Irrationally, Stefan wondered if that's what Lia thought before sighing, clearing his mind, and giving Damon his best bland expression.

"Yes, Damon, I'm oh so jealous. I'm also in a hurry, so if you'll excuse me."

"Going to the Grill? What a coincidence. So am I," Damon smirked cheekily as he followed the green-eyed vampire down the stairs. "You know; to meet my friends."

They were not 5 feet from the front door when someone knocked on it, surprising them both. Stefan opened it, his eyebrows lifting slightly in surprise at the visage of Elena. Damon rolled his eyes as he kept walking past the idiot couple.

"I'll leave you to your dramatic teen angst scene. Ciao."

Damon took his car and arrived at the Grill not 10 minutes later. He gracefully slid into the seat next to his favourite alien.

"Hello my lovely ladies," Damon smirked charmingly, enjoying Glinda's uncomfortable shifting and the eye roll from Barbie. "And your plus one," Damon's smirk turned into an amused grin at the snort Baby Gilbert offered in return. His attention settled on the beautiful creature next to him, his amusement fading into genuine happiness at seeing her excitement.

"Damon! It's totally happening as we speak," Lia squealed in a whisper, her eyes gleaming with joy. "Lorenna is a go!"

"I thought we settled on Jenzo?" Caroline rebuked.

"But Lorenna is just so pretty," Lia sighed, her elbows dropping onto the table and her chin in her hands. "Loren and Jenna deserve nothing but the best and I feel that Jenzo just isn't the best."

"So, Enzo's no longer a fellow stag," Damon mused, his arm dropping onto the back of Lia's chair as it was wont to do. "I need a new wingman."

"Maybe Tyler's uncle can help you out," Bonnie smirked a little at the group's surprise that she'd decided to join the conversation. "I heard from Matt earlier that he's back in town."

"Mason's back?" Caroline sighed dreamily as she stared at nothing. "He was the hottest thing in this town before he left. He was also Jenna's best friend, right?"

"I don't know," Jeremy shrugged as he sat his coke back down.

"You forget, this is Baby Gilbert," Damon grinned. "He couldn't remember that far back if he wanted to."

"What was that, old man? You're starting to mumble in your old age," Jeremy teased, earning him an unimpressed eyebrow.

"I'm not old. Me and my looks are eternal. You're welcome," Damon clucked his tongue as he shared an exasperated look of understanding with Lia.

"Hey," Jeremy leaned forward, a small thoughtful frown on his face. "Didn't you say the Lockwood's had a history of being werewolves? With the moonstone and all?"

"I definitely did," Lia nodded, pulling her nearly-finished shake closer.

"You think Mason's one?" Bonnie stared at Jeremy intently as he shrugged but nodded.

"It's possible," he turned to Damon and Lia to elaborate. "He's Tyler's dad's brother, a Lockwood, so he'd have the gene. He might have activated it while he was away, or activated it and it's the reason he left or something."

"We'll keep an eye out," Damon decided, his grip on the back of Lia's chair tightening.

"And I'll keep an eye out on full moons," Lia looked at Damon seriously. "A werewolf in its furry form is venomous to vampires. I may have healing powers, but I don't know enough to want to test my abilities on you or Loren, OK?"

Damon accepted it easily, even if he was irked that there was something out there other than a wooden stake that could actually kill him. "Roger that, captain. If, in the meantime, Mason happens to find himself falling on a silver knife, well," he shrugged and smiled innocently.

Lia chortled adorably. "Silver is the moon's metal, my darling Arctic Fox. No, you'd be better off sticking them with anything else."

"Arctic Fox?" Caroline questioned, tilting her head as she inspected the vampire. "Makes sense."

"Does it?" Damon asked, eyebrow cocked.

"Of course," Caroline rolled her eyes. "Ice-blue eyes and you are a cunning and deviously clever beasty."

Damon relaxed further in his chair, his arm moving from the chair to Lia's shoulders. "Finally, someone sees me for more than my attractive face."

"I know," Lia immediately sympathised. "Being beautiful is hard."

"Isn't it?" Damon sighed forlornly. "Being the star of so many nightly dreams is exhausting."

"We're doing the world a favour and asking nothing in return," Lia grabbed Damon's free hand between both of her own. "Damon! We're such beautiful creatures! Inside and out!"

"So selfless," Damon declared, pulling the mermaid closer. "God, how do we do it?"

"I don't know," Lia shook her head, a look of complete bafflement on her face. "I really don't know."

Bonnie snorted at the byplay, thoroughly amused.

Caroline raised an eyebrow. "You two need to be separated. Permanently.

Jeremy rolled his eyes and sighed while Bonnie cracked up at the scandalised looks Caroline received.

"You're joking, right?" Lia demanded, clutching Damon closer.

"Since being here, we've had out picture taken 11 times. Do you hate humanity that much?" Damon questioned. "Do you have any idea how many people you'd make cry?"

"And I'd be one of them!" Lia declared dramatically. "You cannot take my wily fox away from me!"

Damon barked a laugh as he looked into mischievous green eyes, full of happiness and fondness. It once again took Damon by surprise. He never thought he'd be accepted into the group so easily, so readily.

"Loren's forgiven you," Lia had shrugged easily. "While it may take me a while to trust you completely, especially when it comes to Loren, I will love you as I love all those in my family," her seriousness had given way to mischief in an instant. "Just don't be surprised when I take Loren's side over yours."

"Poor girl."

Damon was snapped out of his thoughts as he looked at Caroline, following her line of sight until he nearly swallowed his tongue in surprise.

"Should we go talk to her?" Bonnie bit her lip anxiously. "Stefan must have stood her up. Again."

"Ah."

Everyone's attention turned to Damon whose irritation and anger were slowly building the more he thought about.

"I believe," Damon's eyes didn't leave Elena Gilbert's miserable form as his fury started to burn. "That the Salvatore Boarding House has a guest that was not invited."

"Ooh," Lia's eyes were poisonous. "Should we do our neighbourly duty and go say hello?"

*TVDM*

"You want to break up with me?"

Stefan winced at the look of heartbreak on the woman's face. They'd talked about Elena's family; how they knew about vampires and she was so lost on what to do. Her hatred of John Gilbert and her worry over the family she had left was endearing, but he knew he had to proceed with his plan to end their romantic relationship. He was firm in his decision, even if the sight of Elena nearly in tears was almost unbearable. It was as if something inside him was telling him he was making a mistake, that he had to stay with Elena. The fact that he wasn't planning to leave town quelled the intense wrongness, but it still felt… off. Still, he pushed the feeling aside. He couldn't risk it; especially with her being human and his ripper barely contained.

"I'm sorry, Elena. But, while I don't really understand what's going on with me, I think it's best that we stop any romantic relationship."

"But, why?" Elena demanded. "Is it because you're a vampire? Because of me?"

"What? No, Elena. It has nothing to do with you," Stefan took a step forward and grabbed her hands, looking deep into her eyes as she stared glassily back. "I have no idea what's happening right now. I'm… inexplicably drawn to Kaliope and I need to understand it before we can continue to be together."

"Kaliope?" Elena looked confused. "You have feelings for another woman?"

Stefan's eyes narrowed. "No, Kaliope. The woman that every vampire in town is flocking toward? The woman who… Elena, what's going on?"

The change was instant. Doe-eyed innocence turned into cat-like cunning. Naivety turned into confidence. Kind turned cruel.

Elena turned into Katherine.

"Well, damn," the brunette vampire sighed, running a hand through her hair. She stalked toward him, her hips swaying seductively. "I thought I'd at least get a kiss. Never thought this would turn into a break up. Should have waited a little longer to jump into the action."

"Katherine," Stefan was stoic in the face of his sire. He hated this woman; the reason he was a beast, the reason his brother hated him. His hand was itching for something wooden.

"Stefan," the vampire purred, a hand running up his chest as she came to a stop a few inches from him. "It's so good to see you."

"Why are you here?" he took a step back, ignoring the way she licked her lips.

"Why, to see you, of course," she smiled coyly. "You didn't think you'd never see me again, did you? I meant what I said, Stefan; together forever."

"You sure took your time getting here," Stefan replied casually, walking over to the bar and pouring himself a drink. "You sure it has nothing to do with the tomb being opened?"

Katherine huffed. "Your brother is an idiot."

"Hey, now."

Katherine and Stefan's attention snapped to the archway. Damon stood with his hands casually stuffed in his pockets, a cocky smirk on his face. He strolled into the room, heading straight for the alcohol. "I take offence to that. After all," Damon's eyes flashed with distaste as he locked his eyes on Katherine. "I didn't have much of a choice, what, with me being sired."

Katherine blinked in surprise before her shoulders dropped with an irritated growl. "Of course, you were."

"Sired?" Stefan frowned as his eyes flittered between the two.

"I'll tell you the cliff notes later, Stef. All you need to know is that, if I was myself, things would have played out so differently. For one, I wouldn't have wanted anything to do with this bitch."

Katherine had him up against the wall in seconds, hand around his neck and game face out.

And then she was gone, and Lia was skipping over to Damon's side.

Katherine was pinned to the wall; the fire poker straight through her stomach and into the wall behind her while a stake made itself at home in her chest, too close to her heart to be comfortable.

Katherine panicked, trying not to gasp as she growled and hissed in pain. She could feel the wood want to scrape against her heart when she breathed too deeply. Her eyes found the new player in the room and widened at the ethereal beauty. She took a moment to be jealous of the woman's superior looks before looking over at a stunned Stefan. Her anger flared as she saw him not pay any attention to her predicament, instead, keeping his eyes on the new girl.

"Lia," Stefan breathed in surprise, not having expected to see her. He'd watched her at school, of course, but to see her here, in his home, so close.

He felt the connection intensify.

"Hello, Stefan," Lia smiled sweetly at the vampire before turning a politely interested expression toward the houseguest. "I take it she's not here on your invitation?"

"No," Stefan was firm, his frown deepening as he looked at Katherine. "Let's try again, Katherine. Why are you here?"

"Yes, Katerina," Damon smirked wickedly at the surprise in the eyes that looked his way. "Why don't you share with the class. How suspicious that you turn up now, when a werewolf has decided to roll into town. Tell me, you wouldn't be looking for a little white rock, would you?"

It was fleeting, but Damon saw it. He saw it and he revelled. He wanted to beat his chest, shout his triumph from the roof and laugh.

Katherine Pierce was scared.

And Damon Salvatore rejoiced.

"Naw," Damon cooed, taking a step closer to the now-snarling doppel-pire. "What's wrong, Kitty Kat? Big Bad got your tongue? I've heard a lot about you, you know? From my new friends." Without looking back, Damon extended his arm. Lia was immediately curled into his side, staring at the Petrova with curiosity. "How you were supposed to die in a ritual and ended up killing yourself anyway." Damon rolled his eyes while Lia giggled mockingly.

"Truly silly of you, Katerina," Lia chided, reaching out to boop the enraged brunette on her nose. "If you wanted to die anyway, why not die in the ritual, hm? Would have saved you 500 years of running. And your family, of course."

"You don't know what you're talking about," Katherine snapped viciously. "You have no idea who I am!"

Lia stepped forward, her eyes glowing, her head tilted to the side and a look of such indifference that it made Katherine feel like nothing. Katherine hated this woman.

"Katerina Petrova, another copy of a face 2,000 years old. I swear, if the original is as annoying as you and dopp-Elena, I really don't blame Tessa for wanting you all dead."

That made Katherine pause. Someone else wanted her dead?

"By the Divine, you irritate me!" Lia laughed, skipping away. She started dancing around the room, her knee-length skirt flaring as she spun about. "I could have had sympathy, you know? Your family was totally slaughtered thanks to Niklaus and his temper tantrum. And I get it, you didn't want to die, but you died anyway? Like, what?" Lia giggled as Damon took her hand like he'd seen Enzo do a few times now, and started waltzing her around the parlour. "If I were you, I would have done things a little differently, but no matter!"

Katherine damn-near moaned as she managed to pull the stake out of her chest, throwing it at the pair. They didn't bother to react as an invisible field obliterated the wood to splinters.

"What are you?" Katherine asked through gritted teeth as she worked on pulling the iron rod out of the wall.

"Excited!" Lia squealed, laughing as Damon lifted her into the air as they spun. "I need to find a pretty bow to put in your hair. Oh! He'll be so pleased!"

"Who?" Katherine's voice quivered, her heart already knowing the answer.

"Why, Nik, of course!"

*TVDM*

Klaus stared out the apartment's window, lost in thought as he stared down at the few humans walking through the Richmond streets at this hour with a small smirk painting his features.

His witches had found no curse connected to his person after the odd stirrings in his chest had faded with a flash of ice. He'd been on high alert for the days following but slowly relaxed as time progressed and nothing happened. Now, with Maddox in Mystic Falls sending photos of the residents to him, he was feeling rather victorious.

His brother, living on borrowed time as the dagger with his name on it drew nearer.

The Bennett witches and the Martin warlocks; formidable, yes, but with the crystals they meant nothing.

Stefan Salvatore, a ripper no more as he lived on a diet of forest critters and high school homework.

Elena Gilbert, and wasn't that the greatest surprise of the century. A human doppelganger. He couldn't believe his luck, he really couldn't, and had had Maddox check at least twice more to confirm her human status.

And then finally, after many a photo of random women, Maddox, not an hour ago, sent a photo of a woman that Greta confirmed to be their mysterious jewellery seller.

Kaliope Athánatos. Sucha beautiful creature. She couldn't be anything human; not with those eyes. His fingers itched to draw her, to capture her beauty forever on canvas. He understood Greta's jealousy now; every time the mystery woman was brought up in conversation. He looked down at the photo on his phone again, seeing her glittering eyes looking up at the black-haired man who wore a cocky smirk. He wished he could see her face, wished he could read what was in those eyes.

He could be patient, he decided as he walked away from the window, heading toward his room. His bags were all packed and ready to leave come morning.

He truly couldn't wait.