Disclaimer – Sadly, I still do not own The Vampire Diaries or any of its characters.

Author's Note – I know everyone was grossed out by the Damon/Katherine interactions, but they were a necessary evil. This is a Delena story, rest assured. Also, this story is going to get a little gory – you've been warned. So, on with the show.

Elena finally made it home and hesitated at her front door, holding her key motionless in front of the lock. What was she going to find inside? Damon had said he smelled a huge amount of blood. Would the walls be sprayed red like some sort of gruesome version of a Jackson Pollack? Steeling herself, she took a long calming breath and unlocked the door.

"Elena?"

She yelped and her hands flew to her chest as she located the owner of the voice in the shadow of the porch. "Stefan?" She hadn't seen him since the debacle in the kitchen. "What are you doing here?

"Damon called me. He told me about Katherine…about what she did to your uncle. We can't leave you here alone, Elena. Not when she can get into your house." He looked tired, but determined.

"Stefan, I...," she floundered, not knowing what to say to the boy she had once loved.

"Elena this isn't about us. It's about your safety," he gave her a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "At least that's one thing Damon and I can agree on."

She opened the door and glanced inside; nothing seemed out of place. "I don't want to see him…," she paused and took a step back, standing on the porch.

Stefan's hand closed around her wrist gently as he stepped in front of her, entering her house. "John's not here, Elena. Damon moved him."

"Where?"

His voice was quiet and soothing, like warm honey. "I don't know. Come inside."

She allowed him to lead her over the threshold and she shut the door behind them. It felt like an eternity had passed since she'd left this morning. She was exhausted, both emotionally and physically and she just wanted to sleep for a few hours. Perhaps she could think more clearly in the morning. She'd need a clear head when she spoke to Bonnie. "I just want to go to bed."

He nodded. "Get some rest. I'll be down here."

Elena trudged halfway up the staircase before she paused and turned to face him. "Thank you, Stefan."

He said nothing, but favored her with a sad smile before he stepped out of sight. Elena made her way to her room where she got ready for bed hastily and climbed beneath the covers. Her body was exhausted, but every time she closed her eyes, she saw Katherine curled around Damon. She was up all night.

After a fruitless night of tossing and turning, Elena dressed and crept downstairs quietly. She had heard Jenna return in the middle of the night and didn't want to wake her. She found Stefan in the kitchen, drinking a cup of coffee. He held up the pot questioningly and she nodded. He poured her a cup, and added cream and two sugars, just the way she liked it.

Setting the steaming mug in front of her, his voice was low as he asked, "Are you okay?"

She stirred the coffee slowly, her spoon clinking softly against the sides of the ceramic mug. "No." Elena didn't elaborate and he didn't press her any further. "Did Damon tell you that Katherine needs Bonnie's help?"

"What for?"

"Something about Katherine needing a witch to find her maker. Bonnie will never help her and I need to let her know what's coming." She gulped down the rest of her coffee, burning her tongue in the process.

They walked the short distance to Bonnie's house. It was still early and the neighborhood was deserted as they crossed the street. Stefan's hands were tucked into his pockets as if he was purposely trying to keep them there. His natural inclination was to reach out and hold her hand, but he had to keep reminding himself that she was no longer his. Breaking the silence he asked, "Maybe Bonnie can help us figure out a way to un-invite Katherine from her home? There has to be a way…"

She offered a non-committal shrug. "Even if there was a way, she made it very clear that she would not be willing to help me out in the future." She glanced up from the pavement briefly and saw the questioning look in Stefan's eyes. "She wasn't exactly….happy when she found out about me and Damon."

They had reached Bonnie's house and turned down the little sidewalk that led to her front door. Stefan stopped short and flung his arm in front of Elena, halting her before he pushed her behind him. "I think we're too late." He turned around and faced her, blocking her view. "Katherine's already been here."

"What do you mean?" Elena tried to step around him but he blocked her again. "How do you know she was here?"

"You don't want to see it Elena, trust me."

If anything, that only made her more determined to get around him. She brushed his hands away. "Let me by!" He dropped his head and stepped aside and Elena was confronted with the horrific image of Bonnie's beloved Pekingese dog nailed to her front door, its mangled body contorted grotesquely. She clapped her hands over her mouth and choked back a scream.

"Katherine came by last night. She wanted me to work for her, the way Emily had," Bonnie wiped at her eyes as Elena set a glass of water in front of her. "She tried to threaten me and I laughed at her. I told her I could set her on fire. She just sort of…smiled and then vanished. I was so distracted after that, I didn't even notice that Yangtze had never come back inside."

Elena sat on the couch next to her and held her hand. "I'm so sorry, Bonnie. I wish I'd come sooner." She said nothing in return, but slid her hand out of Elena's grasp.

Stefan entered the living room and perched on a chair, facing them. "I took care of –,"he paused, searching for a phrase that wouldn't upset Bonnie further. She saved him from having to by nodding in understanding. "Katherine left a note…it was on his collar."

He handed the tightly folded square to Bonnie, who shrunk away from it. "I can't."

Stefan unfolded the small piece of paper and read aloud, "I think you should reconsider my offer. K."

Bonnie snatched the paper out of his hands and read it again. "How do we get rid of her?"

Stefan slipped away after they returned to Elena's house, leaving her with Anna and Jeremy who had returned from the boarding house.

Jeremy was still reeling from his brief encounter with Katherine, his previous anger with Elena all but forgotten in all the drama. "Elena, it was…..bizarre. I barely spoke to her, but it was like looking at you, only without a soul."

Anna smirked at Jeremy's assessment. "She doesn't have a soul. Katherine only cares about one thing – herself. She claimed to be my mother's best friend, but she had no problem leaving her in that tomb for over a century."

"Well, Bonnie promised to look through Emily's spell book for anything that might be helpful in rescinding her invitation to our house. Maybe she'll find something and I won't need a babysitter anymore," Elena said distractedly. They had yet to mention Damon and Elena fought the urge to ask about him, afraid to hear their reply.

Anna perked up at the mention of Emily's name. "After the tomb was opened, I completely forgot about Emily's grimoire." She smiled knowingly. "With that book we can do more than rescind Katherine's invitation. What's Bonnie's number?"

Elena gave Anna her number and excused herself. She trudged up the stairs to her room, desperate for some rest. She had been awake for over thirty hours and was fading fast. Closing the door behind her, she jumped when she saw Damon perched on the edge of her bed, his eyes solemn.

He watched her carefully, knowing that seeing him with Katherine had sickened her. Damon's heart had broken at the look in her eyes before she fled his room. If it had been the other way around, if he had seen her in someone else's arms… The mere thought made his blood boil.

He knew he shouldn't be here, but he couldn't stay away. Katherine had disappeared from his home hours ago and he needed to see Elena. She stayed pressed against the door, as if reluctant to come any closer to him and the distance between them was tearing him apart.

She wouldn't meet his eyes and her voice was barely above a whisper when she asked, "Did you sleep with her?"

His voice was rigid when he answered her. "No. What you saw was the extent of it."

Damon saw her relax fractionally, but she made no move to bridge the gap between them. Frustrated, he murmured lowly, "We should have run when we had the chance."

"That wouldn't have solved anything, Damon. It just would have made everything worse." She came forward and sat on her bed. "What are we going to do?"

"Katherine won't stop until she gets what she wants. Unless we stop her."

Elena huffed out a humorless laugh, "And how do we do that?"

"Kill her."

She finally met his gaze at that. Those intense aquamarine eyes that she loved so much were grave. "Can you do that?"

"Not by myself. She has a lot of years on me and since age equals strength…I'll need help." He reached for her hand and was relieved when she met him halfway, twining her fingers with his.

Elena scooted closer to him, pressing herself against his side. She laid her head against his shoulder and squeezed his hand tightly. "We'll figure something out. Anna and Bonnie are putting their heads together, and Stefan will help."

He tensed at the mention of his brother. Damon loathed having to call him for help, but he was desperate. As much as he hated to admit it, there was no one he trusted more to watch over her. Stefan was still in love with her, he'd sacrifice himself for Elena if need be.

Needing to be closer to her, he slid his arm under her legs and shifted her on to his lap. His arms banded about her waist and he pulled her soft form against his chest. Elena's face dropped to his neck and she inhaled deeply, comforted by the smell of his skin and hints of the expensive cologne that clung to him. She spoke into his skin, her warm breath fanning against his collarbone, "I'm so tired, Damon."

He kissed the top of her head and rubbed his hand down her back and she melted against him. Damon stood with her still in his arms and laid her on top of the bed before sliding in behind her. He buried his head in her thick mass of hair and whispered "Go to sleep, Elena."

She gripped the hand that was wound around her waist and he clutched her more firmly to him. Although she was lying in his arms, he was unable to quell the tiny voice in his head that told him she was slipping through his fingers.