Hey everybody! I'm really glad that you liked the last chapter, and I got some great reviews! School has hit a bit of a quiet patch, so I was able to respond to the comments on this chapter :) Thanks so much for reviewing, you guys! Now we saw Elena' little break down last chapter, and its not over quite yet. But this chapter is relatively void of any upsets. Next the next chapters will be a doozie, though, and Elena's going to get pretty upset :( but anyways, here's chapter 23, and I hope you guys love it!

"I'm going."

Stefan and Damon turned towards Elena. Other than the tantrum she had thrown earlier, she'd said nothing the entire day. She had been broken to pieces by Peter's return, but now the brothers heard determination in her voice. "What do you mean you're going?" Stefan asked.

"I'm going to go meet Peter."

"Oh hell no you're not!" Damon yelled.

"Yes. I am, Damon."

"Elena, let's think about this. You're going to run into the arms of a psychotic vampire that wants you dead? I don't think so." Stefan countered.

"Yes, Stefan. I am going to go to Peter. I am going to talk to him, and I'm going to save Aria."

"You're doing all of this to save some little girl that you just met? Elena, don't be stupid", Damon argued, knowing that it was of no use. When Elena made up her mind, there was nothing you could do to stop her—and she had made up her mind.

"If he had taken me, would you have come after me?"

"Hell yes."

"And how old am I? Seventeen? I'd still consider me a 'little girl' in comparison to you. "

"Elena, you know wh—"

"What's the difference between me and her? Please, enlighten me, Damon."

"I've known you a hell of a lot longer than her! Elena, you're acting insane!"

"Really? I'm pretty sure I've known you for about three months. In my book, that's really not that long, and I'm guessing that after you've lived for over 165 years, it's even shorter. So if you'd rescue me, why not rescue her?" Elena asked, knowing that she had basically trapped him in a corner.

Stefan had been watching with amusement the whole time, but knew that Elena was right. There was no way that they could just leave Aria with Peter. She was innocent…just like Elena. Stefan looked up at the two quarreling, and shook his head when Damon didn't answer Elena—he just stood there looking guiltily at her.

"Exactly", Elena said, "Now, it's 11:00, so I'm going to leave to go to the clearing. Are you coming?"

The brothers eyed each other and sighed as they watched Elena turn on her heel and walk out the door. As Stefan followed close behind, he had a bad feeling. This was not going to end well.

Elena was walking ahead of Stefan and Damon at a brisk pace, and looked completely focused on where she was going. She had no clue how to get to the clearing, but as soon as she had walked out the door with her mind made, she just let her feet take her where they needed to go.

"Elena, where are we?" Damon complained.

She ignored him, as if she was stuck in her own little world where everything revolved around finding the clearing.

"Elena, are you okay?" Stefan asked, as he sped to catch up to her. But as soon as he laid his hand on her, she flinched and stopped walking. She turned around to look at him.

"What?" she asked, "Oh, um, no. I don't know where we are or where we're going…But we have to go this way."

"Oh…kay?" Damon wondered, adding in his famous 'eye-thing'—to which she rolled her eyes at. Stefan fell back with Damon, and Elena turned back around, keeping her eyes ahead of her.

They had been walking for a good 30 minutes, when she saw something through the trees. An eery light shone onto her, illuminating her in a dark glow. She spun around towards the brothers, and realized that they were just as confused as she was.

She returned her eyes to the front, and noticed a huge willow tree blocking some of the light, and she, Stefan, and Damon slowly walked up to it. Looking through the long wispy branches, she saw what looked like an open space. A light breeze blew through the tree, and Stefan and Damon watched in amazement as Elena took on an almost heavenly appearance. Her chestnut hair blew in the wind, and her face light up as more of the moonlight gleamed through the branches. Her hair was gleaming as if she had gold woven into it, and the tree branches swayed around her, dancing in the wind.

"Wow…." was all that Stefan was able to make out. Elena grinned, and the light that had previously been erased from her eyes returned. It was as if the moonlight glowed through her eyes into her very soul, and Stefan found it hard to look away. Elena turned back towards the tree, and gently brushed the branches away, walking into the tree. She waded through the beautiful branches until she reached the other side with Stefan and Damon close behind, and frowned when she looked around.

Stefan noticed that her previously angelic face had suddenly turned sour, and was almost sure of what was coming next. Sure enough, the first thing Elena said when she finally composed herself again was:

"We're here."

The three looked up towards the sky, and realized that the moon was full—hence the extreme glow from the heavens. They were looking around the clearing when a bush on the opposite side rustled. Three pairs of eyes automatically turned towards the noise, and Elena's once confident face suddenly took on a terrified look. Peter stepped out of the bushes, dragging a terrified Aria by the hair. She was tied up and gagged, but her eyes practically popped out of her head when she saw the three people in front of her.

Elena took a step forward, but immediately two hands grabbed her from behind to stop her. She shook them off and took a few steps forward anyways.

"Glad to see you came, Elena", Peter stated as he ripped the gag off of Aria.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world, Peter", Elena challenged, suddenly gaining her composure again.

"Ah, you're quite snippy tonight, I see. Well, that will make this all the more fun", Peter smirked, then looked down at the quivering girl in his hands, "Elena, you would really give up your life for this useless thing?"

"She's not useless. And I'm not giving up anything, I'm here to save a friend."

"HA! You think you aren't losing anything? Think again", Peter laughed, "While I may be done with you, I still know somebody that isn't."

Suddenly, Elena realized that it wasn't necessarily Peter that wanted her. There were plenty of other vampires and werewolves just itching to get their hands on her.

"If you think there is any way that I'm leaving with you, you're sadly mistaken."

"If you think there is any way that I'm leaving without you, YOU are sadly mistaken", Peter repeated, "I no longer have any use for you. But I am here to make a deal."

'Oh no. Deals are NOT good. After Elijah, there is NO way I am making deals with anymore vampires', Elena thought to herself.

"I'm not interested, Peter. So give me Aria, and we can all be on our merry way", Elena suggested.

"Oh no, Miss Gilbert. The only way Aria is returning to her family is if you agree to my deal."

'Damn', she thought. There was no way she was getting out of here with both her and Aria alive, she began to realize. But she knew that she had to try anyways. "Fine. What do you want?"

"Like I said, I want you. But this time I'm just the delivery boy."

Elena got a sinking feeling in her stomach, and then she asked the question she was dreading, "Delivery boy for who?"

"Who else? Klaus. He wants you." Elena's heart dropped and her breathing stopped. She could feel Stefan as soon as he sped behind her for support. Klaus knew she was the doppelganger. He knew where she was. He was going to kill everybody. And it was all. Her. Fault. She knew that she no longer had a choice, she had made a promise, and had had every intention of keeping it.

"So, I propose a trade. You for the useless human. You agree, she leaves unharmed and you come with me. You deny me, and she dies and I get you, anyways." Elena could feel Stefan and Damon tense behind her, and she knew that the young girl's life laid in her unwilling hands. Aria began to sob, and she finally broke her silence.

"ELENA! PLEASE DON'T LET ME KILL HIM! I'M ONLY SIXTEEN DON'T LET HIM DO THIS TO ME! PLEASE!" her sobs echoed through the clearing, and Elena could feel the tears streaming down her own face. She knew her decision, and it would change her life forever. Slowly she met Aria's eyes and said, "I'm sorry." The girls started weeping uncontrollably, and when Elena could no longer take it, she turned her face towards the evil vampire and stated her decision.

"No Deal."

Elena's finally staying true to her promise to stay strong, I just hope she can keep it! So Aria's in a bit of danger, and we're going to see what happens to her next chapter :) any guesses? Anyways, I hope you guys liked it, and I want to thank you again for the wonderful reviews! They are so amazing, and I love hearing you guys' feedback! So like always, feedback is love, people :) so read and review!

-kiki :)

oh, and who thought that tonight's episode was pretty dang good? I really liked it! I wouldn't say love, b/c lets face it, there wasn't really a major fight scene (unless you count Damon and Stefan being complete jackasses to each other. that pissed me off. And why the heck didn't Elena ask them what they were doing? it's not like she has super-vamp hearing!). But I thought that Elena & Jenna's heart-heart was adorably heartwrenching, and Damon made my heart break the end. And I'm a totaly Stefan lover! :D anyways, I really liked the episode, but lets hope that next week has some more action (not including Stefan and Damon being jackasses again. I almost threw something at the tv tonight!)