N: Hey guys, no DE this chapter, but I hope you'll still like it.

Thank you very much Dez2sweet for looking over this.

The truth will set you free

Elena decided to go horseback riding for the first time as Katherine Salvatore that afternoon. She decided it was the only thing that would, not only refresh her mind and calm her, but also take her away from the house.

One thing was for sure, Katherine Salvatore had been a monster. She abused her own child, her husband, and destroyed pretty much everything she had come in contact with. It was hard for Elena to understand why someone would do that. Why would a woman who had Damon's love take it for granted? At first she'd been lost, desperately trying to put the pieces together. She knew from the start that something was wrong between Damon and his wife. The cold way he was treating her made it fairly clear from the beginning that they were not a happy couple. Yet, Elena had trouble accepting Damon's behaviour. Not anymore. Now she knew. Not only Katherine had cheated on her husband numerous times, but she made no secret of it. Elena knew that Damon decided to stay married to Katherine until after the elections and if it weren't for that, Katherine would've been long gone.

Katherine's abortion was not a simple common case, it was a political issue and Elena knew enough about politics and how it all works and that if anyone were to find out about it, they could use it against Damon.

When she got back from her ride Elena went to the kitchen. She gave Anna – who was being fed by Pearl – a hug and ran in her room. As she closed the door, her eyes immediately stopped on the dressing table. Her jewellery box was opened and she was pretty sure she always closed it. Also, her lotion and hand cream had been moved. Not for the first time, Elena noticed that her things had been moved around. She turned back towards the door and locked it.

After a long, hot shower Elena decided to lay down for an hour or two. She didn't sleep well the previous night and the hot water managed to relax her tense muscles a little. She felt a little sleepy, so it was the perfect opportunity for a nap. As she lay her head on the pillow, she heard a paper sound coming from underneath. She stuck her hand under and as predicted, she pulled out a folded piece of paper. In the center of the sheet it was typed:

Whatever you're doing, it's working on him. Keep it up.

***Lucky 13***

Elena thought about a better way to contact Alaric for days, but she found none. No matter how she looked at it, it will be a shock for the old man. The thing was, she had to tell him, she was in way over her head and even if she would die rather than admit that out loud, she was scared. She needed help, she needed support; she just needed a friend, someone she could trust. One thing was for sure, she couldn't just show up on his doorsteps, he might have a heart attack. Of course, she couldn't call either. Besides the fact that her voice sounded different, Alaric might think it was a tasteless prank. He had to deal with a lot of those in his days; she knew how skeptical he was. So ultimately, she decided to write him a little letter and mail it the same way she mailed him the jewelry from the hospital.

She stared at the black piece of paper for hours before even starting it. There were no guidelines as far as she knew on how to write a letter to someone who thought you are dead but that in fact you are alive. Finally, she decided that the best approach would be straightforwardness:

Dear Alaric,

I didn't die in the plane crash. I will explain the bizarre circumstances Wednesday at your apartment at 6 o'clock.

Love Elena

She wrote the letter with her left hand so the old man will recognize her handwriting. It came so naturally and it felt so good to do something Elena-like for once.

Damon had been avoiding her even since the breakfast incident. They barely spoke with each other. Elena just pocked her head through the door to tell him about the appointment she made with the psychologist for Anna. He said he will put it on his agenda and that was pretty much it. It took Elena a lot of time and she had to mention Damon's name quite a few times to finally get the rendezvous. She thought that, since Damon and she were not on speaking terms, it would give her more time to think about what she was going to say to Alaric on Wednesday, but she'd been wrong.

When the day finally arrived and she found herself in front of Alaric's door, Elena almost had a panic attack. And she was not the panicking type. How would she explain herself? Nothing she would say or do would make it easier on Alaric, so she decided to just go on and get it over with. She knocked softly and the door opened almost immediately. Alaric's expression was still and severe "Who the hell are you?" he asked, but Elena decided not to let his ferocity scare her. She knew the real Alaric. She knew the sentimental fool with a golden heart. She smiled shyly and reached over to touch his hand. As soon as her fingers came in contact with his skin, the old man's expression changed from rigid to fragile in an instant.

"It's me Alaric, Elena."

"Elena…how is that? When did…? Is that really you?"

"I'll explain inside," she said giving him a gentile push. She closed the door behind them. Taking her time, she looked at him. He looked tired and like he hadn't been eating much. It was her fault; she broke him by letting him believe she was dead all this time. She's been aware from the start of what her death could do to him and Jeremy…poor Jeremy, she liked him so much; they were so alike: passionate and determined. She wondered how he handled her "death."

"Oh, Ric, I am sorry. I am so sorry," she mumbled before collapsing into his arms and crying like a baby.

"You…your face is different," he commented as he was stroking her smooth, straight hair.

"I know."

"And your voice sounds different too."

"I know."

"It was your eyes…that's how I recognized you."

"I didn't change on the inside Ric. It's still me," she whispered and he nodded, pulling back a few inches to look at her.

"What on earth happened? Where were you? God, I can't believe this!"

"I know, neither can I. I am so glad to see you Ric, I have missed you so much. How have you been?"

"Good, you?"

"Good, good. How's Jeremy?"

"Still smoking more than he should, but overall, he is good too. Did you have amnesia?"

"No."

"Then what happened?" he asked, studying her face. "You look…I am not used with you looking like that. You look like-"

"Katherine Salvatore."

"Yes, Damon Salvatore's wife. She was on that flight too, right?"

"Did you identify my body, Ric?" she asked ignoring his question.

"Yes. By your locket."

"It's her you identified. She had my locket."

"How…"

"Listen, when I regained consciousness in the hospital, I was in pain, dizzy and confused. Everyone was calling me Katherine or Mrs. Salvatore. For a few days, or weeks, I really don't remember the line of time, I actually believed them. I thought I might've had amnesia. As soon as I realized who I was, I figured what happened, but by that time, it was too late. The family had arranged for a famous doctor to reconstruct Katherine's face. I was bandaged from head to toe, I couldn't move or speak a single word."

"I need a drink," Alaric said. He caressed her knuckles and got up. "You want one?" he asked and she nodded. He poured two glasses of – what looked like whisky – and got back on the couch beside Elena.

"Ok, I follow so far. A terrible mistake was made and you couldn't warn anyone about it, but after, when you started to talk again, why didn't you say anything? Why are you still in Katherine Salvatore's place?"

Elena stood up and started roaming the untidy room. How was she going to convince Alaric about her intentions? Would he help her?

"Somebody planes to kill Damon Salvatore before he becomes senator."

"What?"

"Somebody pla –"

"Who?"

"I don't know."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"When?"

"God, Ric, I don't know. Stop asking me questions I don't have answers to and listen."

"Listen!? Elena Gilbert, you put me through hell thinking you were dead. Don't you dare tell me to shut up," Alaric shouted. He was glad she was alive, but he was also mad at her for not contacting him sooner.

"This hasn't been easy for me either, Ric, believe me. Now, I know someone will try to kill Damon –"

"How do you know that?"

"Because the killer told me."

"Told you?" Alaric asked confused and Elena felt like yelling at him. Couldn't he just let her finish her story? That would be much easier to understand.

"Yes. Believing I was Katherine, someone came to me while I was still in the ICU. I couldn't see who, because one of my eyes was covered in bandages and he was standing behind my shoulder, but only family members were allowed in my chamber in the hospital."

"Someone could've snuck in," Alaric offered.

"No. The place was guarded since Damon didn't want the press near me. And also, a random assassin would've probably vanished as soon as the one who hired him became…unavailable."

"So, you took Katherine Salvatore's place to save Damon Salvatore's life?"

"Right."

"But you have no idea who plans to kill him or when or why."

"Not yet, but Katherine did. She was part of it, I am sure."

"Well, this sure as hell is bizarre," Alaric commented. Elena could read the sarcasm in his voice; she knew him way too well not to notice things like that.

"You don't believe me, do you?" she asked and he let out a deep sigh.

"I believe you believe it happened. You said it yourself Elena, you were out of it and on heavy medications."

"I was starting to believe that as well until this," Elena reached into her bag and pulled out the note she had found a few days ago in her bedroom.

N: I know the chapter's short and it ends quite sudden, but the conversation is much longer and there is another DE confrontation coming up and I wanted them in the same chapter.

Reviews are highly appreciated.