"Don't move," Katherine orders them, a smirk crossing her lips as she pulls Aunt Jenna further away from the house. Katherine keeps Aunt Jenna between them like a shield – one hand around her chest and the other grabbing her throat. Aunt Jenna's struggles do nothing; Katherine's hold just tightens, cutting off her breathing for a few moments.
Elena stares into Aunt Jenna's terrified eyes. She flashes back to another night – another set of terrified eyes; Elena helpless while a vampire holds the life of someone she loves in its merciless hands.
Ric murmurs Jenna's name softly, the tremble in his voice betraying his fear – snapping Elena back into the present, into this horrifying reality. Neither of them moves. Elena has a stake in her jacket, and she's sure Ric has some weapon near to hand, but Katherine can snap Aunt Jenna's neck quicker than either of them could reach her.
"What do you want?" Elena asks, trying to keep the desperation from her voice as she tears her eyes away from Aunt Jenna to lock gazes with that eerie facsimile of her own face. "I stayed away from Stefan, just like you asked."
"I just received a very upsetting call from Mason Lockwood. Seems Jenna here is getting too friendly with my werewolf. I don't like it when people mess with my stuff, Elena," Katherine tells her. She smiles viciously, revealing sharp incisors, as the veins under her eyes turn black.
Before Elena can react, those sharp teeth are in Aunt Jenna's neck.
"No!" Elena screams, pulling the stake from her jacket and running onto the front porch. Ric reaches them first – and Katherine doesn't even remove her teeth from Aunt Jenna's neck as she grabs him by the throat. Still feeding on Aunt Jenna, she lifts Ric from his feet like he weighs nothing and snaps his neck, dropping him in a heap at Aunt Jenna's feet.
And then Katherine pulls away, groaning and clutching her head. Bonnie steps up onto the porch from behind her, a fierce expression on her face as she focuses her attention entirely on Katherine.
Elena catches Aunt Jenna as she stumbles forward, free from Katherine's deadly embrace, her face pale and neck still gushing blood. Somehow, Elena manages to pull her across the threshold and into the safety of the house.
"Press down," Elena tells her, taking her jacket off and pressing it to Aunt Jenna's bleeding neck. "We need to get you to the hospital."
She looks back onto the porch, and she can tell Bonnie is tiring – and using too much magic. Blood starts to trickle from her nose.
"Get inside," Elena begs her. Bonnie seems to hear her, taking a step towards the open door while still staring down a groaning Katherine. When Bonnie gets close enough, Elena grabs her arm and pulls her inside.
Once inside, Bonnie wipes the blood from her upper lip with the back of her hand, swaying slightly. Elena holds her hand, trying to lend her as much strength as she can.
As Bonnie slumps against Elena's side, Katherine takes her hands from her head and stops groaning. She stares at them, a malicious smirk on her face. "Cool trick," she murmurs, almost admiringly – and then her eyes flicker down.
Ric is still at Katherine's feet, neck snapped, eyes open and empty.
"An eye for an eye," Katherine says, tauntingly. "Stay out of my way." She doesn't say "or else"; she doesn't have to. And then, between one breath and the next, she vanishes.
Elena helps Bonnie sit down on the stairs, and then pulls out her phone with shaking hands to call 9-1-1. Aunt Jenna is bleeding and crying – but Elena stops her before she can crawl outside to Ric's body.
"She needs me alive," Elena reminds her, as gently as she can, when the roles reverse and Aunt Jenna grabs her hand to stop her from walking onto the porch. Aunt Jenna lets go, the fear and horror and grief not leaving her expression.
Elena grabs Ric under his arms, grunting as she somehow finds the strength to pull him the few feet necessary to get him inside. Aunt Jenna grabs his hand with hers – the one not holding Elena's jacket to her neck to staunch the blood flow – and brings it to her lips. She kisses the gaudy ring on his ring finger, something like a tentative hope in her expression as she looks to Elena.
"It'll work," Elena reassures her – just a second before Ric takes a huge, heaving breath and jerks into a sitting position. Elena hides her sigh of relief.
It's a trick that will only work once, with Katherine. (If she wants someone dead, they're dead…)
By the time the ambulance comes, only Aunt Jenna is visibly injured. The paramedics cross the threshold without an invitation, and try to get Aunt Jenna onto a stretcher.
They want to take her to the hospital.
Elena looks outside, into the dark night, and objects. Aunt Jenna's expression is incredulous. Elena gives her a meaningful look and subtly nods at the front porch, and Aunt Jenna seems to understand. (The hospital is a public place, open to all. Any vampire can get in, without an invitation.) She refuses to go with the paramedics.
Sheriff Forbes arrives with a few deputies while Aunt Jenna and Ric are still arguing with the paramedics. Elena quickly pulls her to the side to explain that Aunt Jenna was itargeted/i, and the hospital isn't safe. She ignores the shock on Sheriff Forbes's face when she realizes that Elena knows about vampires.
The only important thing right now is keeping her loved ones safe – as safe as possible, with Katherine on the prowl.
Sheriff Forbes shakes off her shock quickly, and sides with them against the paramedics. They relent, and treat Aunt Jenna as best as they can in the living room. (It probably says something about Mystic Falls that its paramedics have the ability to give ability to give blood transfusions.)
"We need to talk," Sheriff Forbes tells her after the paramedics and deputies leave.
Elena shakes her head. "Another night," she says, looking at the couch, where Ric is fussing over Aunt Jenna. The bandage is a stark white against the skin of her throat. If not for Bonnie…
Elena pushes the thought away.
Sheriff Forbes sighs, but agrees, telling Elena that she'll call her to schedule a time to talk.
After Sheriff Forbes leaves, Elena and Bonnie sit with Ric and Aunt Jenna in the living room. Some color is starting to return to Aunt Jenna's cheeks, but she looks drawn and tired. But she refuses to sleep until they talk, no matter how much Elena and Ric encourage her to rest.
"Mason told me all about his girlfriend – Katherine," Aunt Jenna tells them. "Well, he told me about how they met, how long they've been dating, and that they love each other." She interrupts herself with a yawn, but keeps pushing through. "I told him that she sounded great, except that he didn't mention that she was a vampire, or that she's Elena's double. He was shocked that I knew. I told him that she's awful – that she killed John, and threatened to kill everyone Elena loved if Elena didn't break up with Stefan. He got angry."
"That's when he left?" Elena asks.
Aunt Jenna nods. "Yeah – I told him that she was using him, that she was dangerous. He just said that they were in love, and left."
"He must have called Katherine right after he left the Grill," Elena reasons. "And whatever he said to Katherine, she didn't like it."
After Aunt Jenna yawns again, they all insist that she rest. Ric helps her up the stairs to her room.
"Thank you," Elena murmurs softly to Bonnie, hugging her close. "Thank you." If Bonnie feels Elena's tears on her neck, she's a good enough friend not to mention it.
The next morning, Elena, Bonnie, and Ric let Aunt Jenna sleep in while they try to figure out what to do next.
"We need to take Katherine out," Bonnie says, her expression fierce. "She isn't going to stop until she kills us all."
"You need to stay safe," Elena tells her. "All of you. That's the most important thing. Ric - you need to stay inside with Aunt Jenna. If Katherine hears that you're alive – or god forbid sees you – she'll know about the ring, she'll take it, and she'll kill you for good."
"We can't stay inside forever," Ric argues.
"You're right," Elena agrees. "Maybe you two should leave town. Go somewhere far away from Mystic Falls."
"Elena…" Ric sighs.
"We need to take her out before she can hurt anyone else," Bonnie says.
"How?" Elena asks. Maybe Bonnie could give her an aneurysm again, and they could stake her? But that would put Bonnie in so much danger – and Katherine is already likely to target her, as the biggest danger.
The doorbell rings.
"We'll help," Stefan says, when Elena opens the door. Mason and Tyler, standing next to him, nod.
"Sheriff Forbes came by the house this morning to tell Carol about Jenna's attack," Mason tells them, when Ric asks how they can trust him. "She said Jenna was lucky to be alive. I didn't want to believe it was Katherine, but… what Jenna said last night got to me, I guess. And I was stupid enough to call Katherine right after, and I mentioned Jenna's name, and that same night – that same ihour/i - she's almost killed by a vampire?" Mason shakes his head, the heartbreak – and the guilt – both clear to see.
"How'd Tyler and Stefan get involved?" Ric asks, raising an eyebrow.
"Mason came by the boarding house this morning to ask me about Katherine," Stefan says. "I told him everything, and he told me about her attack on Jenna."
"And I followed Mason and overheard," Tyler chimes in, without a hint of shame about eavesdropping.
Mason seems like he's telling the truth, though Elena isn't sure she really trusts him to finish Katherine, if it comes down to it. But she trusts Stefan, and she doesn't have any reason not to trust Tyler.
And they need all the help they can get.
"What's the plan?" Elena asks.
They spend the morning plotting.
"Katherine wants the moonstone, and I have it," Mason tells them. "We can use that."
"In a well?" Bonnie asks. Mason stares at her, obviously surprised. "I… get visions, sometimes. When we bumped into each other last night, I saw an old well."
"The one in the woods that we used to play at when we were younger?" Elena asks. "On the outskirts of the old Lockwood property?" Bonnie nods.
"That's handy," Mason says, his tone light but his eyes calculating. "Yes, I hid the moonstone in the well, and I filled the water with vervain. Katherine won't be able to get to it."
"Unless she compels someone to get it for her," Stefan points out. "She likes to have others do her dirty work."
"Why does she want the moonstone?" Ric asks.
"She told me she wants to lift the werewolf curse, because I don't want to turn anymore, and she loves me," Mason tells him, his face expressionless. "But… I don't think that's it. She's been too insistent about it, and what she's done… The fact that she's trying to get Stefan back…" He trails off.
"You can't blame yourself," Tyler says, patting him on the back. "It sounds like she's a manipulative bitch."
Stefan snorts, and Aunt Jenna laughs as she enters the kitchen. Mason apologizes to her immediately – for getting angry when she was just telling him the truth, and for putting her in danger by mentioning her to Katherine. The mood lightens quite a bit when she says she forgives him.
They all go back to plotting.
They set their trap that night, at the Masquerade Ball at the Lockwood Mansion. Mason calls Katherine to tell her that he's sorry he doubted her, and that he'll give her the moonstone at the Ball.
"She's suspicious," Stefan says, after Mason and Katherine say their goodbyes and he hangs up. Mason nods his agreement.
"We expected that," he points out. "Just stick to the plan." With that, Mason and Tyler leave.
"You should stay home with Ric and Jenna," Stefan tells her softly. "We can handle this."
Elena shakes her head. "No. I'm not going to let you risk yourselves while I stay home safe. And anyway, she wants me alive, for whatever reason, at least for now." Stefan sighs, but doesn't argue further.
Elena shows him out, and then turns to Bonnie, Ric, and Aunt Jenna.
"Are you sure about this?" Aunt Jenna asks worriedly. Elena nods, pulling her into a hug – careful not to brush against her bandage.
"We can't let her keep hurting people," Elena tells her. "But you're still hurt, and I'd feel better if Ric stayed with you so you weren't alone."
"And because you don't want Katherine to know I'm alive," Ric says wryly.
"That too," Elena admits easily. "So you both stay inside tonight, okay?" They agree.
Bonnie and Elena get ready and then drive over to the Lockwood Mansion together. "Ready?" Bonnie asks, taking a deep breath as they pull into the driveway.
"Ready," Elena says. Her palms are sweating and her heart is racing and she's sick at just the thought of facing Katherine again – but she's ready. She isn't going to let Katherine hurt anyone else she loves.
They get out of the car, walking up the drive and into the Lockwood Mansion together. Mason and Tyler are with Mayor Lockwood, greeting everyone who walks in. Stefan walks in a few minutes after them, looking gorgeous in a tux. Elena manages a weak smile in his direction and then looks away, unwilling to let herself be distracted.
Bonnie sneaks off to go spell Mason's room. Thirty minutes later, Elena meets her eyes across the dance floor, and Bonnie nods – it's done.
They're ready. All Mason needs to do is lure Katherine to his room, and she'll be trapped.
But Katherine never shows. She sees Mason duck out of the Ball, and a minute or two later, he texts everyone that Katherine isn't answering her phone. Elena gets more and more anxious as the night passes without any hint of her.
Tyler asks her to dance, and she agrees. They don't talk on the dance floor – waiting instead for the song to end before sneaking up to his father's old study.
"Anything?" Elena asks him. Tyler shakes his head, opening his mouth to respond, when the door opens. They both turn – expecting Mason or Stefan or Bonnie.
It's Matt. He walks right up to Tyler and pushes him. "What you doing with Elena?" he asks angrily. Tyler tells Matt they're just talking, but Matt doesn't believe him. He gets up in Tyler's face.
Elena can tell that Tyler is starting to get mad. She steps between the two of them before his temper gets the best of him, and Matt backs off. He says that he's done with the both of them, and goes to storm out of the study.
But then he turns back, and blows something in Tyler's face. The skin on Tyler's face starts burning - imelting/i - like Matt poured acid on him.
"Tyler!" Elena yells, as Katherine suddenly appears behind him and hits him on the back of the head, knocking him unconscious.
"Hello, Elena," Katherine tells her, smirking.
Then everything goes black.
Elena wakes up to Tyler shaking her gently. The light hurts her eyes, and her head is throbbing, and she's freezing.
"Elena. Elena," Tyler says her name urgently, as she tries to focus. "I think you have a concussion."
"What happened? Matt?" she whispers, looking around the room.
"He was gone when I woke up," Tyler tells her as he hands her his tuxedo jacket. Elena looks down and realizes she's practically naked – she's wearing nothing but her bra, panties, and mask. Even her shoes are missing. She grips her necklace briefly, thankful it's still around her neck.
"She took my dress?" Elena says as she takes Tyler's jacket and puts it on. "Why would she…?" She tries to think, but her head is killing her. Elena reaches up to touch her temple – and her hand comes back sticky with blood.
"How are you feeling?" Tyler asks her anxiously, stepping closer to look at her temple. "It looks like you were hit pretty hard."
"How long was I out?" Elena asks. "Where are the others?"
"I don't know," Tyler admits. He looks at his phone. "It's been like 15 minutes."
"She took my phone," Elena tells him. "She took everything. What if she's down there right now, pretending to be me?" Elena turned to leave the room.
"Whoa," Tyler says, catching her as she stumbles. "I'll find the others. Sit down, and wait here." He guides her to the couch.
"She could be killing them right now!" Elena protests.
"You can't barely stand," he tells her. "You can't help anyone like this. Just wait." He practically runs out of the room. Elena wants to follow him. She tries to stand, but the room spins – and then everything goes black again.
The next time she wakes up, it is Bonnie leaning over her.
"Bonnie?" Elena murmurs. "What happened?"
"Katherine got away," Bonnie tells her. "Elena… Matt is dead."
"What?" Elena asks, not understanding. Her head is killing her.
"Matt told us that you were in trouble, and Stefan followed him to the library, and… something happened, but Matt's dead," Bonnie tells her. "Stefan killed him, and then he left with Katherine."
"No. No! Stefan wouldn't do that. He wouldn't," Elena denies. She starts to shake her head, and then stops. She wants to puke.
She's not sure if it's the concussion, or the fact that Matt… He can't be dead. He can't be.
"They ran into the woods. Mason and Tyler are chasing after them," Bonnie tells her.
"Let's go," Elena says, fighting through the pain and the nausea to stand up. At least the room isn't spinning anymore.
"Elena…" Bonnie says. "We can't run or see in the dark like they can. And it's too dangerous. Let's go to your house. Katherine can't get in there."
Elena agrees. Bonnie's right – it's too dangerous. Matt is dead… and Mason, Tyler, and Stefan are in the woods with Katherine. She can't risk Bonnie too. Bonnie helps Elena stand up, and then shuffle together down the stairs. The party is over, and almost everyone is gone – except for Carol Lockwood, standing alone in the middle of the foyer, and Sheriff Forbes, directing her deputies and the coroner into the library.
Matt…
Nobody looks at them as Elena and Bonnie walk out the door. Bonnie pulls the car around, and Elena gets in the passenger seat. They spend the drive back to Elena's house in silence. Elena closes her eyes and rests her cheek against the cool glass of the window, trying her hardest not to think about anything.
Bonnie pulls into the driveway. Elena gets out of the car and shivers when her feet touch the cold ground. She can't wait to get inside and…
Ric and Aunt Jenna are sitting on the porch swing, embracing, Ric's back to them.
Why are Ric and Aunt Jenna sitting on the porch swing? They promised to stay inside. They promised to stay isafe/i.
"Aunt Jenna?" Elena calls, as she and Bonnie get closer. Aunt Jenna doesn't respond.
Neither of them move.
Why aren't they moving?
The porch light switches on automatically as she and Bonnie walk up the porch stairs. "Aunt Jenna? Ric?" Elena calls, as she and Bonnie turn to approach the swing. Elena steps on something – a ring.
Ric's ring.
No.
No!
Elena stumbles forward, and desperately shakes Ric's shoulder, where he is laying over Aunt Jenna. He doesn't respond. She pushes him to the side – his eyes are open, and blank.
His head sits oddly on his neck.
Aunt Jenna… Elena looks at her - she imakes/i herself look. Her neck is torn open – gaping, like something dug its teeth into the wound Katherine left the night before and itore/i.
"Aunt Jenna!" Elena murmurs, desperately searching her wrist for a pulse. She can't… she can't…
She can't breath. She pinches herself, trying to wake herself up. It's time to wake up.
She needs to wake up.
Bonnie gently pulls her away from… from the ibodies/i, and guides her inside. She helps her sit down. "I'm sorry," she whispers. "I'm so sorry. I never meant…"
"Bonnie?" Elena asks, confused. One second, Bonnie is there – and the next, there's a woman she's never seen before.
She's dreaming. She has to be dreaming. She's still unconscious in the Lockwood Mansion, and when she wakes up, this will all be just a terrible nightmare.
"No, I'm sorry," the woman tells her.
"Where's… where's Bonnie?" Elena asks, just in case this isn't a dream. She can't lose Bonnie too.
She can't.
"Safe," the woman tries to reassure her. Elena isn't reassured. Not at all. She tries to get up.
But she can't move. Not a muscle.
"For what it's worth, I am very sorry about your loved ones. And I'll make sure nothing happens to Bonnie. But tonight, Katherine needs you safely out of the way," the woman tells her – and then everything goes black for the third time that night.
