I dropped Jeremy off at the Salvatore's before arriving at the Lookwood's. Ever since that phone call I'd been ignoring my phone when it went off. I knew K would be worried but at the same time understood. I still cared about that man, deeply. When I got out of my car I noticed Bonnie carrying a couple boxes so I walked over to her.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked her when I got to her.

"Not much, just making doing my part, you know?" I nodded to her and took one of the boxes to help her when Elena walked over to us.

"You're here." I just raised my eyebrows at the statement.

"I'm here." I looked between them as Elena took out some candles from the boxes we were carrying. I noticed Bonnie looking around as though making sure she wasn't going to be surprised.

"Caroline's not coming. I told you." Elena told her.

"Just making sure." Bonnie told us.

"You know, eventually, you're gonna have to talk to her." I told the young witch.

"Could you make it a little less obvious you two are on her side?" She asked giving us both a look.

"There are no sides, Bonnie." Elena tried explaining to her.

"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 guys too." Bonnie told us, clarifying what was going on.

"Come with me." Elena told her walking away.

"Where?" Bonnie asked her. I put down my box and started walking away.

"Not here. Some place quiet. We have to talk." Elena held out her hand to Bonnie and Bonnie took it. We then walked away and told her everything.

"I can't believe this." Bonnie said as we walked across the yard.

"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." Elena told her. They sat on a bench and I stood in front of them.

"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." Bonnie told her.

"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." Elena told her.

"And since all we do is pretty much with the vampire thing..." I left off allowing them to draw their own conclusions.

"So that makes me the odd man out." Bonnie said looking between us.

"No - no, Bonnie, of course not." Elena said, trying to play the peacekeeper.

"I know where I stand, Elena. And I know where you you Nicole stand. But where do we stand?" She asked, questioning our friendship.

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

"Not yet, I just… she's a vampire, I can't. I think we should get back." She got up and left us.

"Don't worry she'll come around." I told Elena as she watched her walk away.


Elena left me with the masks to stalk Stefan. When she came back she looked different.

"Everything ok?" I asked her as we worked. She smirked at me, telling me who she was.

"It's nice to see you again in the open Nicole." I smiled and hugged her. "So how is everything in paradise?" she asked me.

"As far as the town know Stefan and Elena are at on the outs, but..." I dropped off my sentence and let her work it out on her own.

"Nikky, I'm going to have to do something that will probably hurt you. I have to get my point across and protect you." She told me sadness swimming in her eyes.

"To who?" I asked her.

"Jenna. I need them to think she's my spy, they can't know you and I are working together yet." she told me, avoiding my gaze.

"Just don't kill her." I told her and she looked at me for a while before nodding her head and leaving.


Matt and Elena joined me in the joy of sorting through the costumes and masks.

"So, where's Caroline? This is like her thing. I can't believe she's not here." Matt told us, looking for his girl.

"She had something else to do." I told him, thinking about what Katherine was going to do. This wasn't in our plan but our plan also had kinks called the free will of others. Not all of them did as we wanted them to.

"Is she seeing someone?" Matt asked us in a small voice.

"Matt, come on. No, she's not." Elena told him. Stefan walked to another table with a box of masks and he and Elena looked at him. Tyler then walked into the room and started looking for someone.

"Anyone seen Mason?" He asked us. I just shook my head at him. If he was doing as told he was to get the moonstone from his hiding place.

"He, uh, he took off. He said he wasn't sure when he'd be back." I threw a curious look to Stefan. Mason hated him and Damon, he wouldn't have told them where he was going.

"So weird." Tyler said as he walked out fof the room. It was silent for a few seconds before Stefan's phone went off. Stefan looked to Elena and I but when Elena walked towards him he shook his head at her and walked away. She sighed and we continued sorting costumes.

"I'm not even gonna ask." Matt told her.

"We'll be right back." Elena told him pulling my arm and walking in Stefan's general direction.


By the time Elena and I had caught up to Stefan he was at the old well at the edge of the Lockwood property.

"What's going on?" Elena asked him as we ran up to him.

"You shouldn't be here." he told us.

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

"That's what I would like to know. I thought you two were fighting." I said looking between them.

"I'll explain later." Elena told me quickly before turning back to Stefan.

"Bonnie thinks the moonstone is down here." Stefan told us as he pulled the lock off the iron grating on top of the well. He then took off the grating and turned on a flashlight, handing to Elena, sighing. He then jumped onto the edge of the well and Elena handed him back the flashlight.

"Hey. Be careful." Elena told him.

"I'll only be down there for a minute." He then jumped into the well with Elena holding her breath. When we heard the splash of the water below she finally took a breath.

"Elena!" we rushed to the well and looked down but couldn't see anything.

"Stefan?!" Elena called back to him.

"Elena!" He screamed again, he sounded like he was in pain.

"Stefan, what's happening?! What's going on in there?!" Elena asked him.

"Vervain. Oh, God! Help!" He begged us.

"Hold on, Stefan!" I called to him as Elena and I jumped away from the edge of the well and tried to pick up the chain on the ground, but even together we weren't strong enough. Elena and I jumped back to the well.

"Stefan!" Elena called for him.

"Elena!" We turned to see Caroline with us, she must have been close enough to us and sped over here with her speed.

"Caroline, Stefan's down there and the chain is rusted." Elena told her. Caroline started to climb into the well but Elena and I stopped her.

"No, no, no! You can't, it's filled with vervain. Caroline, we've got to get him out. Now!" I told her. Caroline looked into the well then grabbed the chain from the ground while Elena climbed on the edge of the well. Elena then wrapped the chain around herself and hooked it to one of the links looking at us.

"I got you, okay?" Caroline assured her.

"Yeah." Elena said nodding to her. Bonnie chose that moment to run up to us.

"What's going on? You just took off in a blur." She told Caroline. At least Bonnie and Caroline were starting to get along again.

"I heard Elena screaming. Help her, now!" Bonnie and I grabbed Elena's hands and helped lower her into the well.

"Are you ready?" Care asked my sister.

"Yeah." Caroline started lowering Elena into the well, slowly. She then lost hold of the chain for a second but grabbed it again quickly.

"Elena!" I called down to her.

"Sorry!" Caroline called down to her.

"It's okay, keep going. Come on!" Elena instructed. Caroline slowly lowered Elena down into the well.

"Hey! Oh, Oh my God." We heard Elena say.

"Elena, what's going on down there?" I called down to her.

"Pull him up!" She told us and Caroline started to pull the chain up from the well. When Stefan came up Bonnie and I pulled him out and untied him, laying him on the ground. Bonnie's hand brushed my arm and quickly pulled away. I looked up to her and she looked shocked at me.

"Elena? Ready for you!" I heard Caroline call down the well, but my eyes never strayed from Bonnie.

"Hold on! I need to find the stone." Elena called back up.

"Hurry!" Caroline told her.

"Damn, I knew I should have had that witch make the spell last longer." I said to myself, never looking away from the young witch before me.

"How could you?" She asked me, fear filling her eyes.

"There are things even you don't know, Bonnie." I told her, looking to Caroline, waiting for Elena to call to us.

"Hold on! I think I found it!" She called and I pulled myself away from the witch and looked down into the well. I heard Elena screaming and in that moment I could have sworn my heart stopped.

"Elena!" I called to her as Bonnie rushed to my side.

"Elena! What's going on?!" Caroline asked.

"I got it. Come on! Bring me up!" Elena called and Caroline pulled her up. Bonnie and I helped her out of the well and, when her feet touched the ground, she ran to Stefan. "Oh, god! Stefan!" She cradled his head under her arm and they rushed to her while I watched. "Stefan! Stefan." Elena grabbed a rock nearby and cut her hand with it. Caroline turned to me and Elena placed her wrist to Stefan's mouth. "I've got the stone, Stefan. Stefan, it's gonna be okay, everything's gonna be okay." She told him. I looked at Caroline and walked back to the Lockwood's and my car, then drove home.


When I got home I walked to the kitchen and helped Jenna and Alaric with the cooking.

"Hey. I saw you and Elena leave early, where did you go?" Jenna asked me. I just looked at her for a moment, thinking of a good excuse.

"We just went for a walk. She wanted to talk about her and Stefan's rough patch." I told her. We continued cooking and talking when Elena walked into the kitchen and the phone rang.

"Where is Jeremy?" Elena asked as Jenna answered the phone.

"Oh, he went straight up to his room. He said he wasn't hungry." Alaric told her as she and I grabbed some plates. Elena gave me a look saying we'd talk later then looked to Jenna talking on the phone.

"Who is she talking to?" Elena asked us.

"I don't know. Everything go okay today?" Alaric asked her, looking worriedly between us.

"There were a few hiccups, but yeah." I told him as we set the table.

"Of course, I understand." I heard Jenna say into the phone before walking to us. "Elena, it's for you." she said handing Elena the phone.

"Who is it?" Elena asked her but Jenna just shrugged and walked back into the kitchen.

"Hello?" Elena looked between the two of us and she walked out of the room. "Katherine." my head bolted up and Elena looked to us. Alaric gestured to Elena asking what was going on but Elena just put her hand up, gesturing for us to hold on. "No." Elena then dropped the phone. "Jenna, no!" I turned quickly and watched as Jenna stabbed herself in the stomach and fell to the floor.

"Jenna! Jenna!" Ric shook her slightly as I pulled out my cell, calling 911.


Jeremy and I waited in the waiting room for Elena to walk out of Jenna's room. When she did we jumped up and walked to her.

"Is she okay?" I asked her. I told Katherine not to kill her so I knew she'd be fine, but still...

"The doctors told Alaric that she got lucky. She's gonna make it. She's gonna be okay." Elena told us and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Does she remember what happened?" Jer asked.

"No, nothing. It's all a part of Katherine's mind compulsion." Elena told him before turning to me. "Did you know about this? Did you know she'd compelled Jenna to kill herself?" Elena asked me, but I couldn't answer.

"Why would Katherine hurt Jenna?" Jer asked looking between the two of us.

"Because she's trying to send a message. You didn't do as she said and you tried to trick her." I told them, looking at Elena. She started crying and leaned on Jeremy.

"Hey, hey, hey. It's gonna be okay." Jeremy told her, holding her.

"No, it's not." She told him.

"She's gonna pay, Elena. I don't know how but she's gonna pay." Jeremy told her, trying to comfort her.


When I got to the bed and breakfast, Mrs. Flowers let me in and showed me to Katherine's room.

"Thank you, Mrs. Flowers." I nodded my head and she walked away with a small smile on her face. I didn't bother knocking on her door and just walked in.

"Nicole? What is it? Why are you here?" She asked quickly walking to me.

"Bonnie touched my arm and found out about us working together. How's Mason doing on his part of the plan?" I asked sitting on her bed.

"Mason's dead. Damon called me and told me he ripped out his heart." She told me after texting someone.

"But we needed him for the plan to work. They won't let you go without all of us." I reminded her.

"Don't worry, we also have Tyler Lockwood. He'll have to do." She told me sitting next to me, wrapping her arm around my shoulders.

"And how to you plan on that one?" I asked her.


Katherine had been pacing back and forth for a while before she started talking to our guest on the bed. I had to remain silent to make sure her compulsion worked.

"I apologize if I seem rattled. Circumstances have changed suddenly, and I had to adjust." She said sitting on the bed. "Mind control is a necessary evil. You see, I need a werewolf, and I've lost the one that I had. Now, tell me what you're going to do to help me get a new one." I looked at Matt as she tested his response.

"I'm going to go after Tyler Lockwood."

"And you're not going to stop." she said compelling him, digging it deeper into his mind.

"And I'm not going to stop." He repeated.

"Until?" she asked him.

"Until he kills me." he answered her.

"I'm sorry, Matt. I wish we could use someone else but you're our best option."