"What did you say?" He said stopping on his tracks and furiously cornering her.

"I said Damon that her coffin is empty. Tyler barely made it here to let Stefan know. There was an attack on that warehouse in Brooklyn. They, whoever they are, almost killed every one of your compelled minions in search of her. When Tyler wanted to protect her it was too late. The coffin was still there but the lovely Elena was gone"

Damon felt as if his heart was ripped out from his chest. This couldn't be happening. He couldn't lose her again.

"You are lying!" He was yelling now, desperate for some confirmation that she was only lying to hurt him. That his girl was still safe.

"Believe what you want. While you were busy with your victims, the girl you claim to love was being taken away who knows where"

Damon felt as if he was being punched in the guts. It was all his fault. He promised once that he wouldn't let anything happening to her. That at the end of the day he was going to be the one to keep her alive. To his mind came memories of when he thought he set her in fire and he felt dead inside. What could they possibly want with her? What if they wanted to kill her? Paranoia taking any rational thought away, clouding his mind. He knew that Katherine would say anything, but in his desperation he couldn't help but wonder if it was true. He could feel the devil inside of him feeding of his emotions. She was gaining strength while he was getting weaker. He tried to fight it but she was too strong again. He needed to find Elena. He needed to protect her. He couldn't fail her again. He was feeling hopeless, but he kept fighting. He fell to his knees again, with his head in his hands. Katherine said something but he couldn't hear her. Sybil was angry now, because his worry and desperation were making her grip weaker on him, it would take no time to lash out in desperation.

And then he felt it, her wrath running through every inch of his entire body, shaking him. She knew that Damon could win the battle again, for Elena. Miss Evilness was losing him again and. His moment of agony seemed to last forever, until everything went quiet. Damon was taken aback by the sudden quietness inside his head again. He could hear fragments of what Katherine was saying, but the words weren't making any sense.

"Damon"

"Afraid…"

"She'll kill me"

"lied"

That word finally grabbed his attention, he had felt as if he was in some kind of limbo, could only hear bits and pieces of what she was saying until that word he wanted to hear.. He raised his head and looked at Katherine. The quietness was gone now. His vampire hearing working once again.

She let out the air she was holding, relieved to find that Damon was still there "Damon, did you hear me? I lied before. You pissed me off, but Elena is safe"

He was still disoriented, in one hidden corner of his mind he remembered…the vervain his brother had used on him, it was probably wearing off by now. Before Damon could process what this meant and what Katherine just said, the darkness came back with full force taking him by surprise. Taking advantage of his distraction. He could feel it's invisible tentacles imprisoning him. Before he was swallowed whole, he managed to turn his head towards Katherine and let out a strangled word "RUN"

Katherine didn't even think about it, her human legs were running as fast as they could get her, damn how she missed the vampire speed now. She quickly went down the stairs, almost tripping on the last step but managing to recover her balance just to sprint to the front door, colliding with a very familiar strong chest.

"Going somewhere, Kitty Kat? He said in a somber tone, with an evil smile lurking on the corner of his mouth, his eyes were…lifeless, empty. She could swear they were less blue, turned into a dull gray.

She felt a deathly chill in her entire body, a sensation interrupted by cold fingers roaming the skin of her arm.

"You are shaking, Pierce" He made a tsk tsk sound "What would your enemies say if they saw you like this? The great Katherine Pierce, scared as a frightened little kitten" He pouted.

"Damon, let me go" She said with her lips trembling and her heart beating so fast she could practically hear it, even lacking the vampire hearing.

"Oh sweety…he's not here anymore"

Katherine felt tears pricking her eyes, tears of pure fear at the bone chilling tone that…thing used and immediately ran to the kitchen. She got there and scanned the place until she found something she could fight Sybil-Damon with. A sharp big knife was now being gripped by her right hand.

"Oh Kitty Kat, where are you? He said extending the u in the creepiest of ways. Her heartbeat was frantic but she needed to get herself under control if she wanted to make it out of this alive before Stefan…Stefan! He woukd be getting home soon, she just needed to make time until that happened. She turned to the sink and opened the cabinets below, these would do. She got inside immediately, closing the little door behind her, cornering herself clutching the knife for dear life.

"You're making this really really fun, Kitty Kat" She heard him say as his footsteps got closer to the kitchen "After all, the chase is the best part. All the emotions pouring out of your skin combined with a heart stopping fear, don't you remember that? The thrill of the chase, seeing how hope leaves your victim's eyes when they finally understand…there's no escape"

His voice got more far from the kitchen as he was talking, she stood silently, waiting for him to come back, but he didn't…She doesn't know how many minutes passed, could've been 10, or an hour as far as she was concerned…But it seemed like she was in the clear, perhaps Stefan had gotten home and put Damon down, damn her human hearing, she couldn't hear shit. She held her beath as long as she could in hopes to listen a little bit better, nothing, not a single peep, seemed like she was out of the woods, she finally let out the air she was holding through a heavy sigh of relief when the cabinet door was ripped away.

"Boo" He said with a malicious smile as he dragged her outside and held her with a not so gentle grip on her arms "You really are pretty" He said as his index finger ran from her neck to the top of her breasts "You must be delicious"

"Please no" Katherine cried out "I'll do whatever you want, I'll serve you better that Damon ever would". That seemed to capture Damon-Sybil's interest.

"You would trade yourself for him?" He asked with disbelief in his face.

"I just don't want to die" She shook her head frantically as she felt new tears forming in her eyes.

"That's not what I asked" He said in a cold voice, his hand gripping her neck with so little force.

"Yes, I would"

Katherine saw several emotions going through his face all at once, mockery, disbelief and realization…Of what?

"Shame" He said just as he roughly grabbed the back of her neck and lunged for her. She braced for the impact…An impact that never came. She was confused and very afraid to open her eyes, then she felt warm hands holding her arms.

"Hey, it's okay. Open your eyes"

She finally let out a sigh of relief and opened her eyes. There she was, Caroline Forbes standing in front of her, staring at her with compassion? Or pity? Who knew and she was too tired to figure it out if she was honest "Finally" She nearly snarled "It took you guys long enough to get here"

"We're sorry Kathe…" Stefan started saying.

"No, don't say it. We're not. She accepted the consequences of this and she agreed, no one forced her" Caroline said staring pointedly at Katherine, who just rolled her eyes.

"I know, and I would do it again…We…I mean Damon must be saved at all costs, you don't understand, I've never in my 500 years on this earth felt this darkness, never saw a pair of eyes so devoid of any emotion"

Stefan only bowed down his head in anguish, and following his eyes is where she finally saw him. Damon was passed out with 2 syringes of vervain still stuck on his neck. She stepped around him and finally lowered herself to the ground next to him, and with the gentlest of touches, caressed the side of his face, trapped in her own thoughts until Caroline annoyingly cleared out her throat…Right, her doppleganger's man and all. She stood up quickly and walked towards the doorway of the kitchen.

"Well, love birds, I'll be getting out of your hair now, good luck" She said with a mischevious smile on her face but with the most sincere look she's ever portrayed.

"Katherine" Stefan said, making her turn around before exiting the kitchen "Thank you"

Katherine just nodded her head in acknowledgement and walked away, not sparing another glance behind.


A few days had passed, Stefan, Bonnie and Caroline were all in the livingroom, discussing the different theories they had on how to exorcise Damon's demon, so to speak. Matt and Alaric were frantically doing research on all the books Tyler, who was talking in the phone with Elena's care taker in shift, had gotten them.

"I think he's really better. Almost 5 days have passed and Sybil hasn't posessed him again, maybe seeing Katherine really helped him" Stefan said wiith hope in his voice and looking at each one of them, looking for someone who would agree with him.

"I don't think we should count this as victory yet" Bonnie said.

"It's the longest Damon has been free, we have monitored him everyday" Alaric said with a nod to acknowledge Stefan in the end.

"What if she-evil posessed Katherine instead? – Matt asked, making Caroline snort.

"Please, the devil herself needs no possession" Suddenly she got more somber and turned to Stefan, holding his hand between hers and looking at everyone as she talked "I don't know guys, this feels too easy. I think only the real Elena can bring Damon back"

Everyone in the room just bowed down their heads, oh how they needed Elena Gilbert back.

Meanwhile, below on the basement the chains are softly rattling, he's slowly waking up, he can hear them talk, about him. He bowed his head to his chest and closed his eyes, then slowly raised his head to look up, dull blue eyes looking completely empty and the most bone chilling smile curving on his lips…