At the end of the fifth plane ride there was a rental car waiting for them.

Damon just muttered, "Thank God. I hate those tiny planes."

Stefan shrugged. "Fun to fly though."

Damon, surprised, turned and asked, "When did you learn to fly?"

"In the nineties. Just little planes like these, but it was great. Want me to drive?" Stefan asked.

"No." Damon slid behind the wheel while Stefan plopped their bags in the back. As soon as he got in Damon took off.

Stefan saw directions taped to the dash. They followed them and were at a motel within the hour. Damon went to check in and came out with a card key. "Katherine had it all arranged. Have to admit the girl is thorough."

Stefan didn't comment. He was just eager to get to the room and shower, feeling dirty after all those hours traveling.

"Manager said he would send someone with extra towels," Damon added.

No sooner had they closed the door to their room then there was a knock and a bored announcement. "Maid."

Damon cautiously opened the door and a blonde woman, dressed in an oversized uniform top and jeans slouched in with a stack of towels. She didn't dawdle, just ducked into the bathroom and quickly left closing the door behind her.

Stefan dropped his bag on one of the chairs while Damon threw himself on one of the two king sized beds and picked up the remote.

"I feel a breeze. Did she open the wi—" Stefan stopped stunned, gawking, as the blonde woman who had just left reappeared from the bathroom.

A familiar voice taunted them. "You are such a bunch of trusting fools!"

Damon looked up, and he and Stefan simultaneously said, "Katherine?"

She pulled off the blonde wig and shook out her hair, walking to the mirror to make sure it was properly fluffed out. She pulled off the baggy uniform top to reveal a sexy tank top. "My stuff is already in the drawers. Sit, both of you. We need to talk."

"How di —"

Katherine cut off Damon. "I opened the bathroom window when I put in the towels and then went into the next room and slipped outside and through. You never know who's watching. Now we have maybe an hour before you're traced, so you have a decision to make."

Stefan pulled out one of the chairs next to a little table and sat. Katherine gracefully hopped up on a low bureau, and Damon sat up on the bed.

They looked between them and Damon said, "Talk Katherine. You've been calling the shots, so tell us what's going on."

"I don't have to tell the two of you that I always know what's going on, and I always have plans within plans within plans. I can get you out this mess, Damon, but if I'm going to do it you have to trust me, and you have to move fast."

Stefan crossed his arms and looked at the floor. "And since we know you, we, of course, know there's a price for everything you do. So what is it?"

Damon shot a glance at his brother and then turned his attention to Katherine. He caught her smirk and knew Stefan was right. "Of course you want something, Katherine. What is it, or are you going to make us fall in with your plans and then kill us anyways to get what you want? Are we your new wolfboys?"

"Nope." Katherine smiled. "There's a price tag on this plan. You pay it, and I take care of the rest. You deny me, and I blow this place, and you're on your own. For a short time that is. Once they kill you then you don't have to worry about being on your own." The last sentence dripped with sarcasm.

Damon looked up at the ceiling. "Don't leave us in suspense. Whatta we gotta do?"

Katherine said very quietly, "Same deal as with Klaus. I get Stefan for ten years."

Stefan, who had been studying the floor, jerked his head up, shocked.

Damon looked flabbergasted and then jumped up. "No way is he paying for me. What else do you want?"

"Nothing else. My way or the highway," Katherine said. "I do like that phrase by the way." Though she spoke to Damon, her eyes were fixed on Stefan.

"Why should he do that?" Damon argued.

"Well, first of all he should agree pretty soon because unless we put my plan into motion you will be tracked, and if the vigilantes after you start coming they may not change their plans. If this doesn't go exactly as I want it to, I can't save you." Katherine playfully swung her legs like a child.

She asked Stefan, "Gonna rescue big brother one more time?"

"Why?" Stefan asked softly.

"I've told you in the past, and you haven't listened. You're not going to listen now, so why waste time asking?" She kept her voice matter of fact.

Damon continued to protest, but Stefan ignored him. He merely said, "You may save him once. What's to keep someone else from coming for him?"

"Stefan, no. don't listen to her. We can come up with a plan," Damon argued.

When the two of them turned stunned gazes on him, he got defensive. 'Hey, not all of my plans were bad!"

"Name one that actually worked?" Katherine demanded.

Stefan turned his attention back to Katherine. "Will you protect him not just now, but if anyone else comes after him?"

"I won't need to if you let me put my plan into action, but to make you feel better, yes I will. Now make up your mind!" Katherine was insistent.

"Yes, if – IF you save him, I'll give you ten years," Stefan promised.

Katherine warned, "I want your company for ten years. No turning it off, Stefan. No hiding inside yourself. No escape attempts."

Stefan nodded agreement. Katherine looked closely at him and read acceptance in his eyes.

Damon was beside himself, but Katherine jumped off the bureau and was in front of him holding up her phone. On the screen was the last text message Stefan had forwarded her. "Damon, do exactly as I tell you." When he tried to look away, she grabbed him. "Remember your brother will die with you trying to protect you, and your precious Elena will be by herself. No I take that back!" She had an arrested expression on her face. "I'll be here. Now doesn't that make you feel better? No one between me and Elena?"

Stefan urged him, "Call first and get her plan in motion. Then we can argue when we have time."

Damon frowned, wanting to refuse, but the mental image of Elena left at the mercy of Katherine made him give in.

Katherine started issuing directions. "Call this number. Say you need a witch to help you with a little problem involving another witch and a vampire. When she, yes it's a she, asks how you got the number, you say a friend put you in touch with a friend and so on and so forth. Let her know it took a lot of contacts to get to her and act confused.

"Say you're worried about the witch. You have vampire friends, but you really need a witch's help, and you're able to pay. She'll ask why a witch is after you, and you say there was a little misunderstanding back in Atlanta, and someone accidentally got killed."

Katherine stressed. "I don't want you to say immediately who you are. Atlanta is a good enough clue. If she insists, say your name is Damon, but don't give your last name. Say you want to stay anonymous, and if she can't help can she recommend someone who will. Let her tell you where and when you'll meet."

Katherine stopped and waited for a moment. "Now, Damon!"

Damon punched the keys and was soon speaking. Katherine and Stefan listened quietly. Katherine smiled with satisfaction and nodded a couple of times. They could clearly hear the other end of the conversation, and when Damon hung up they had a date and time for three vampires to go meet the witch on the other end."

"Satisfied?" Damon asked when he cut the connection.

Katherine smiled and raised her arms joyously, twirling around. "Absolutely. I could kiss you, you were so good."

Damon smirked and said, "Natch."

Stefan, brow wrinkled, standing now with his arms folded asked, "What did Damon just accomplish?"

"Set up a trap for us to walk into," Katherine said breezily. "I have a couple of bottles of whiskey. There's ice in the freezer and glasses behind you. Let's talk the rest of this out."

Stefan shook his head while Damon muttered, "I definitely need a drink. Make that drinks."

Katherine got out the bottle while Damon filled the three glasses with ice. When the glasses were full they pulled out the table to make room for everyone and sat down. The third chair was vacant. Stefan just stood looking at them.

Damon patted the empty chair. "Sit, bro. Might as well hear her out."

Stefan sighed, walked over and sat down. He grabbed the glass and tossed down half of it. Damon immediately topped it off. "I think we're going to need a lot of booze to get through this."

Katherine assured them. "Not to worry. I have this all planned out."

"Is this something really devious and convoluted?" Damon inquired.

"Of course," Katherine said looking very superior, "all my plans are."

"How did you know someone was after Damon?" Stefan asked.

"I have contacts all over, and I'm everywhere. This isn't the first time I've had to disguise myself. A lot of people owe me and feed me information. I knew eventually someone would try for a payback. It was just a matter of looking for the signs." She shrugged. "Plus, people can't keep their mouths shut. I knew I would get a tipoff when it was coming."

"How are you going to deal with the witches and this new witch?" Damon asked.

"See, that's the beauty of this plan. I happen to have some witch contacts," Katherine said.

"As good as Lucy turned out?" Damon couldn't resist the taunt.

"Unlike you two I learn from my mistakes. What was almost my downfall in Mystic Falls in 1864?" Katherine asked.

Damon shrugged, unwilling to give her any satisfaction, but Stefan played along, "Vervain. You drank my blood, and it almost ruined everything."

"Right, Stefan. And what did I do?"

"You drank it every day after that so vervain doesn't affect you." Stefan met her eyes.

"And so—"

Stefan interrupted Katherine. "And so a witch with a conscience and a sense of family was your downfall with the moonstone. I would imagine you found a witch or witches that were more reliable."

Katherine smiled and blew him a kiss. "Right. I'm not like you two, blundering from crisis to crisis. I plan. I gather resources. I found a witch or two who didn't mind trading services with a vampire. So much better then tricking them into owing me."

"Do they have consciences?" Stefan's lips twisted.

"Not a shred," Katherine responded gaily.

"So you have one of those witches helping you now." Stefan looked puzzled. "But why? Why are you paying to help Damon?"

Damon only half kidding said, "Are you going to sacrifice my brother at a black mass ceremony? Turn him over to them?"

Katherine rolled her eyes. "Really, Damon? No, this witch has an agenda of his own. What I put together will satisfy both our goals. He, ah shall we say, has an issue from the past with the witch who is trapping you so that the grudge gang can kill Damon. We work together and kill two birds with one stone. That's why I directed you to this witch. She vaguely knew Bree, but is friendly with the witches that are after you. She would be more than happy to help them since you"—she pushed a red painted fingernail gently into Damon's chest—"are almost universally despised, which is so absolutely convenient."

"Plans within plans within plans." Stefan grudgingly admired her intelligence,

"More than you know, Stefan. There's more at stake here, but it's between me and my contact. Let's just say it is your unbelievable good luck that this so neatly aligns with our ultimate goals."

"Then, why do you need my brother?" Damon looked her squarely in the eyes. "This has to be getting you something else."

"I want what I want Damon." Katherine pouted. "I've told you both before. Besides," she said in a reasonable tone, "if I rescued you for free from every mess you get yourself into there's no incentive for you to reform. Remember, this way you get to go back to Elena immediately and help her." Katherine smirked knowing she had the upper hand here. "Your brother only has ten years to serve."

She looked at Damon, not Stefan. "He'll have a much better time with me than Klaus. I won't damage him."

Damon was still unconvinced. He drummed his fingers on the table, ready once again to argue his brother out of this.

"You could go back to Elena, and I could do this alone," Damon suggested. "I can still think of something."

Katherine took no part in the discussion. She knew neither brother would ever let the other one face death alone. She was content to pour more whiskey and let them fight it out. She knew it was a done deal from the beginning. She couldn't help a little self-satisfied smile as the argument between the brothers raged around her. It was a given that when she told Damon where Stefan was that he would turn to Stefan to protect his precious Elena, and it was another given that Stefan would never let Damon face his attackers alone.

So predictable those boys. It wasn't even a challenge. The challenge would be sleeping on the same bed as Stefan that night. He might opt for the floor!

The thought tickled her, and she couldn't help a little laugh.

"What are you laughing at?" Damon was looking at her, and she realized she had totally blocked them out.

"Nothing! So are you done bickering?" she asked brightly.

"Yeah," Damon said reluctantly. "I think he's an idiot, but we're going through with it."

"Good. I want the shower first. Damon, you take the bed you were on. Stefan and I will use the other."

"I can sleep on the bed with Damon." Stefan's response was immediate and emphatic.

"No, you can't." Damon was vehement. "Guys don't sleep in the same bed." He wagged a finger at his brother. "You signed up for ten years, and I'm betting she doesn't want you around to carry her packages when she goes shopping. Better get used to it."

"Fine," Stefan countered sourly. "I'll sleep on the floor."

She chuckled as she pulled her tank top off and draped it over Stefan's head on her way to the shower. Damon's snort of laughter followed her into the bathroom.