FOOL ME ONCE

Ariana POV:

I groaned as my eyes slowly opened. Blinking a few times, to rid the blurriness and dizzy haze, I groggily sat up. Then, when my brain finally processed where I was, I freaked out. This wasn't my bedroom. Where was I? I looked around frantically, my heart beating fast. The room I was in looked like a motel room, one with those yellow-orange walls. I sat on one of the beds - there were two. I was definitely fully awake now.

Only a few feet away from me, was another figure. The guy was sleeping, slumped in a chair by my bed, snoring softly. I recognized him: Ben. He was the guy who was technically dating Bonnie, wasn't he? The hot one. But... why the hell was I in a motel room with him? I checked - we were both fully clothed.

Quietly getting up, I slid off the bed, carefully making my way around him. I barely breathed as I slowly stepped over his feet, not wanting to wake him up. Who knows, he could be a psychopath. Backing away from Ben, yet still keeping an eye on him, I tiptoed across the carpet to a door, making an assumption that it was the front.

My hands shaking, I reached up to unlock the deadbolt, glancing back occasionally at Ben. Still sleeping. I took a deep breath, almost there -

"I wouldn't."

Gasping, I whipped my head around to see Ben, now on his feet. Impossible. Just a second ago, he was snoring, I heard, and saw him sleeping. Now, his deep voice scared me. He further intimidated me by stepping closer, now only a few inches away.

"Don't try and escape." He said, staring into my eyes. What? Was he crazy? Wait. He probably was. But, why...? Then I got it. He was a vampire. It had to be. It was the same look Damon gave me when he had tried to compel me. Ben was trying to compel me. Good thing I still had my necklace on. I least, I thought I did. No time to check. "Don't even move. Do you understand?"

I tried playing along. Not only was I bad at lying, but also at acting. That was more of Caroline's thing. Let's just hope he bought it. "I understand." I agreed, my voice monotone.

Ben scoffed, a smile playing on his lips. He bought it. He thought he was actually able to compel me. That probably meant he was a newly turned vampire, not yet aware of his full abilities. Who had turned him? Another vampire? He turned around, bending down a bit to get something out of the mini-fridge; a bottle of blood.

I edged closer to the door, taking it a few inches at a time. The cool metal of the door handle pressed against my hand, and I knew this was my only chance, while Ben's back was turned. With all my energy, I quickly opened the door. Sunshine fell on me from the outside, and I thought that I was free. I could get out.

But, of course, I didn't. A petite girl stood on the other end. She was pretty, with black hair and cat-like eyes. Before I could get a look at the surroundings, with strength not corresponding with to her small frame, she grabbed my hair, and dragged me back into the dusty room.

"Seriously?!" She asked, annoyed at Ben, while closing the door. Pain shot through my head, as the roots of my hair threatened to be pulled out by this girl. What did they want with me?

"I told her not to move!" Ben protested, pointing at me. "I did that eye thing that you taught me!"

"And forgot the lesson about vervain!" The girl added. She was still pulling on my hair, leading me over to the door on the other side of the room. She must have been a vampire too. Presumably, the one who turned Ben. Though she looked about the same age as me, she must've been older; she knew about vervain. "She dates a vampire, Ben. Duh!"

So she knew about Stefan. But how? I couldn't ever get a break from this vampire stuff, could I? "Who are you?" I asked through my pain, "What do you want?"

"Shut up!" The girl shouted, then bashed me against the door frame.

"Ah!" I cried out in pain, as my head got hit. I swear, I saw stars.

"Hey!" Ben protested. From the corner of my eye, I saw him start to move towards me, his arms stretched out, as if he was going to help me.

"Stay out of it!" The girl commanded in a sharp voice, making even Ben stop for a second. She didn't waste any time. Grabbing my arm, the girl picked me up like I weighed nothing, and opened the door. She shoved me in, and I heard a slam. I fell against the ceramic, white sink, trying to catch my footing.

What did I ever do to the girl? The bathroom I was inside was small. One vertical, dirty, rectangular mirror was in front of me, showing me my reflection. My wide eyes were terrified, and my hair was all around me, as if caught in a hurricane. The only light above me flickered, making me anxious. I didn't want to be locked in a small, dark room. It was claustrophobic.

Next to be was a curtain and a low tub, but what was inside shocked me. Rather, who was inside. A small body lied there, in regular clothes, the head supported by the edge. I recognized the smooth mocha skin, the medium length hair.

Bonnie!

"Oh, my God!" I said, involuntarily. I crouched beside the tub, taking my best friend's face between my palms. Her eyes were closed; passed out. "Bonnie? Are you okay?"

That was a stupid question. She was unconscious! Of course she wasn't okay. I needed to wake her up, before I started freaking out any more than I already was. What did these vampires want with us? With Bonnie and I? Please be okay...please Bonnie. Tears gathered up into my eyes.

No. No more crying. I wouldn't allow it. I had to be strong. I had to grow.

Not really having a lot of options, I took out a small white cloth folded across the metal bar in the bathroom. Twisting the rusted metal, water started to pour out from the faucet. I made the small towel damp enough, and then turned the water off. I kneeled beside Bonnie again, placing the cloth to her forehead.

Her eyes fluttered open, and I cried out in relief, "Bonnie!"

"Ariana?" She asked, still disoriented.

"Hey, you feel okay?" I asked her softly, concerned.

"My head..." She said, tentatively massaging her temples.

"Come here." I said, "Let me help." I pulled her upright, and placed the cloth back to her forehead.

Her eyes suddenly widened, and she warned, "Oh my God! Ben is a-!"

I cut her off before she could say anything more, "I know. But, we need to be quiet." I didn't need the vampire's overhearing us, so I walked back over to the sink, and turned the tap on. I sat back next to Bonnie. The tiled ground was hard and cold.

"I'm so stupid!" Bonnie stated, fear covering her featured.

"No, Bonnie." I reassured her. "He had all of us fooled. It's okay."

"What's going on? Why are we here?" She asked, panicked.

I opened my mouth to say "I don't know", but then a thought hit me. "I think it had something to do with the tomb and Emily's spell book." That had to be it. Why else did these vampires kidnap Bonnie? After all, she was a witch. I never wanted this, any of this. But then, why was I here? Don't get me wrong, I was grateful that I could be here for Bonnie, but... I was still confused.

"Spell book?" Bonnie asked.

"Damon said it could be used to open the tomb." I brushed her sweat-laced hair out of her eyes.

"Why didn't I know any of this?" She asked, her eyes accusing.

I sighed, as guilt crept into my stomach. "I never wanted you to be involved. I didn't want it to come to this. It's dangerous."

"What do you mean?" She questioned.

I elaborated, "They need a witch to break the spell... and let all the vampires out."

"No way!" Her fear returned, full force.

"Bonnie," I said, trying to clam her down. If she started to get frightened, so would I. Then, we'd never get out of here. "Look, it's gonna be okay, we'll -"

Before I could continue, the door bursted open. Bonnie and I both turned our gazes to focus on Ben, who stood there, looking angry. I turned my torso so that I somewhat blocked Bonnie from his view. He wasn't going to hurt her, I wouldn't allow it to happen. My arms spread out slightly, in a protective way.

Ben just smirked dangerously, and turned the tap off, keeping his eyes on me. "That's cute." He said, "Thinking you can actually protect your little witchy friend over there."

"At least I'll die trying." I retorted, trying to stop the creepy shivers that made me want to hunch over.

"That's funny." He said, "Considering she said the same thing a few hours ago." He pointed behind me at Bonnie. I tensed.

"You're wasting your time." I heard Bonnie's voice say, "I'm not gonna help you."

Ben smiled devilishly, before his arm reached out and grabbed me. He pulled me into his arms, as Bonnie said, "No!" Her arms caught only air, trying to reach me. Ben was able to rip me away from Bonnie, despite my wiggling.

"That's why she's here." Ben replied to Bonnie's statement. He was using me as a sort of hostage. Awesome... not. He turned back to Bonnie, and leaned a bit closer, almost whispering. "Motivation for you to behave. You know, you shouldn't be so desperate. You made it too easy."

God, if I could rip off his arm, I'd do it. He'd heal anyways. I couldn't believe how rude he was to her. That was low, even if he was a vampire.

He pulled me out of the bathroom, and bath into the main motel bedroom, where the girl vampire sat by the window sill. I stiffened. "She wants to talk to you." Ben said to me, before letting me go, and shutting the bathroom door, with him inside. He better not hurt Bonnie. I could already feel heat gather up inside me at the thought.

I stood there, while the girl scrutinized me with her eyes, making me feel uncomfortable, like some sort of painting that's for sale. "Well, well. Ariana Gilbert." She smirked. I didn't let the fact that she somehow knew my name get to me. She probably knew things about me before I did. "You really are Katherine's doppelganger. You must have the Salvatore boys reeling."

Uh, not that again. I didn't want to be compared to Katherine. It made me feel as if I wasn't a person, just some sort of replica. "Who are you?" I asked, not wanting to sound hostile. She threw me into the wall last time I asked the question.

She gave a evil smirk, "I'm Anna. Your brother may have mentioned me." Her voice turned girly and sarcastic, "I mean, we're like, practically dating."

No. This was Anna. So my suspicions were correct before, the girl Jeremy knew as "Anna" really was a vampire. She better not have hurt Jeremy, or that'd piss me off. I felt like a walking time bomb, about to snap at no particular moment.

Anna peered out the curtains which were closed. What she was looking at, I had no idea.

"Why do you want to open the tomb?" I asked her out of curiosity.

She looked back at me, her expression completely serious. "My mother's in there," She said. "Katherine couldn't help herself. She just had to toy around with both of the Salvatore brothers. And when she got caught, so did my mother. I watched Jonathan Gilbert take her away."

I felt sympathetic towards her. I knew she was telling the truth by the sadness in her eyes. Behind her walls, I could see the little girl, scarred by the absence of her mother. Her mother's been locked up in that tomb, for a century and a half. Not only that, but it was Jonathan Gilbert who captured her. Gilbert. One of my family's ancestor.

I said sincerely, "I'm sorry."

She looked back towards me, surprised. "You really mean that, don't you?"

I nodded, and smiled slightly.

Then, her eyes hardened, and she chuckled without humor. "Yeah," she drew out the word, "I think we'll skip the dead mom bonding so you can start serving a purpose."

At the mention of my mom, my chest tightened. I gave her a look. "What's my purpose?"

"Leverage." Anna said, "This belong to you?" She drew something out of her pocket, and I realized what it was. My phone. I didn't move towards her. As if she'd give it back to me anyways. I just stood standing, and waited for her to do whatever it was she was going to do.

After calling who I imagined was Stefan, Anna gave me a sarcastic smile. She had told him to either have him or Damon meet her in the town square so they could "work together". I didn't want them to meet her, but I didn't have a choice in the matter. Also, Bonnie was here, I wanted to get her as far away as possible from these vampires.

And as if Damon was going to work with her. He had the journal, and he only wanted Katherine back. But, I also felt sorry for Anna, she lost her mother, like me. But unlike me, her mother was still alive, sort of.

Anna walked over to the bathroom, and rapped on the door twice. "I'm leaving," She announced.

Ben's head popped out as he opened the door, pulling out a struggling Bonnie. She immediately calmed down once she saw me, and I gave her a reassuring smile. It's gonna be okay. We'll figure a way out. I said with my eyes. But really, was it going to be okay?

"Keep them buttoned down." Anna instructed Ben. "Compulsion won't work. Just use violence."

I sighed, great.

"Right." Ben said, "I got that."

Anna walked out of the motel, and the door clicked behind her. Ben roughly shoved Bonnie onto the bed next to me, and ordered, "Sit. Behave." He turned to me, "You too."

Reluctantly, I sat down on the bed I had slept on. It wasn't particularly comfy, but, I was in no position to argue. My throat felt dry, but I didn't want to have to ask for water.

"So," Ben started, looking at Bonnie, "You're the key to this. Literally. The one who opens the door. Tell me, how long have you been a witch?"

"Just recently," Bonnie replied stiffly, not hiding the fact that she hated talking to him.

"Hmm." Ben hummed. "Witches don't have eternal life, right? So you guys can die."

"Yep." Bonnie said, "We can die."

"Ah. That sucks." Without moving his head, his eyes shifted over to me as he gave me a crooked smile, and asked, "Now, what's a human doing with vampires and witches?"

"It's none of your business." I replied. Screw him. He kidnaped me, or well, Anna did, and still expected me to answer his questions politely? Hell no.

"It can be," He stated, moving closer to me. "I could turn you, and you'd be able to live forever. Isn't that something you'd want?" No. I didn't want to be a vampire. I didn't want to have to watch my other friends grow old, and die. It was a depressing thought.

I froze as Ben towered over me, leaning his face in so that I could feel his breath on my every time he breathed. His eyes sparkled dangerously, as they devoured my face. Creepy. My eyes glanced over at Bonnie, who had secretly taken the glass of water off of the nightstand while Ben was distracted. I wonder what she was going to do?

I saw the look of concentration on Bonnie's face, and prepared myself. In a fast move, before Ben could touch me, she flicked her wrist so that the water splashed on Ben's arm. In the next second, a fire ran up his jacket, I could feel the heat. This was Bonnie's doing; her witch powers. Ben yelled as he tried to pat down the flames. Fires killed vampires. But, obviously, this wasn't a full on fire. It was just a distraction. He'd be okay.

Bonnie signaled to me, and I hopped off of the bed, making my way towards her. She already stood by the front door, opening it slightly. We could make it. A streak of hope went though me, just a few more feet and -

I yelped as a pair of strong arms wrapped around my waist, dragging me back towards someone's torso. Ben's arm no longer held fire, though his jacket sleeve was slightly burnt.

"Come back in!" Ben shouted at a fearful looking Bonnie, pissed off. His voice reverberated through the walls of the room, sounding more demon-like than human. "Shut the door!" My heart pumped faster, even more than before.

"Don't hurt her!" Bonnie said to Ben, tears escaping her eyes. She was scared... for me.

"Don't make me!" Ben growled next to my ear. I could barely move.

But I could speak. "Bonnie, just go!" I told her, breathless. At least one of us could make it out, and I'd want it to be her.

"No." She set her jaw defiantly, and slammed the door.

"Lock it!" Ben commanded again.

Bonnie's tears glistened, as she dead-bolted the door.

3rd person POV:

Anna sat down on a bench in the town square, expecting one of the Salvatore brothers. She had come into contact with Jeremy and Elena just about a minute ago. Jeremy, Ariana's brother, had invited her to the party while Elena was sort of the tag along. Though Anna didn't want to admit it, she knew that the popular Gilbert sister was Ariana. It was pretty obvious.

Anna was planning on using Jeremy to bring her mother back. Elena would be back up, just in case. But, she didn't want to mess with Ariana. For one thing, the Salvatore brothers would kill her. But, Ariana could be used, as long as she wasn't killed in the process.

"Got a hot date or are you planning on nabbing the entire Gilbert family?" Damon's voice came from beside Anna, startling her. He sat on the bench as well, looking calm and collected, yet, a bit annoyed.

"A party, right next to the old cemetery." Anna replied, smiling sarcastically. She wouldn't have guessed it would be Damon who was the one to show up. But, he was the only one with the spell book, obviously not willing to give it to his brother. "Isn't that nice of them? Lot's of warm bodies for starving vampires."

"I told you." Damon said, "I work alone."

"Yeah, so do I." Anna said, her voice hard. "But you're minus a witch and I'm minus a spell book. So... what do you say?"

She was implying that the two would work together. Damon changed the subject, "Stefan will come after you, you know that. For messing with Ariana."

"Then he won't be too happy if I kill her when I don't get what I want." Anna retorted, standing up, and walking away.

Damon stared at her back, as anger welled up inside him. Why the hell did she have to kidnap Ariana? He could usually disguise himself into being a ruthless vampire with no remorse. But when it came down to that one girl... he couldn't let anything happen to her. He'd never before felt the pull towards anyone as strong as the pull between him and Ariana. But, he was convinced that she didn't feel the same way, and never would.

Still, before getting to her, everyone would have to pass through Damon first.

Damon groaned, and succumbed, "Fine. When do you want to do this?"

Anna stopped walking, and turned back around to Damon, giving him a huge smirk, as if she knew that that would obviously be his answer. Even Damon Salvatore would sacrifice his pride for Ariana. "God, it's like 1864 all over again." Anna walked back over to him. "You Salvatores are truly pathetic when it comes down to women." Then, her face turning completely serious, she answered, "Tonight. After sundown. Meet at the church."

She walked away. Fell's church. Under that was the tomb.

Ariana POV:

Bonnie and I resumed our places on the bed. We pouted slightly in fear, as Ben tried to calm down. He paced in front of us, staying alert so that we would never escape. Damn it. How were we going to escape? Were we even going to survive? I looked to Bonnie, who shook slightly. I'd sacrifice my life before anybody could get to her. I wasn't allowing her to die. Never.

All of a sudden, the door flew open, slamming into the wall with full force. Sunlight poured into the dark room, and temporarily blinded me for a second. I heard a sizzling sound as Ben screamed, ducking into the shadows between the two beds. I almost forgot, Ben didn't have a daylight ring.

Stefan strode in, and said in relief, "Ariana!"

"Stefan!" I said back, and smiled broadly as I jumped into his arms. He caught me, and held me for a second in his warm and familiar embrace. I was so glad to see us. He came and saved us! "Go! Get outside!"

I nodded, but then I saw Ben, hiding in the corner of the bed, curled up into a ball. "Stefan-" I started.

"I know." He said back, and nodded. "Don't worry. I won't."

He got my message. I didn't want Ben dying. I know, it sounded stupid, call me retarded. But... nobody deserved to die. Even people who were thought to have no heart. Because, deep down, they do. Everybody should have a chance at living. I grabbed Bonnie's arm, as we ran out of the motel, crying out in relief. We were in the sun; safe.

I felt happy, almost giddy that we were both okay. Bonnie hugged me so tight that I had to remind her that I still needed to breath. I wasn't dead yet.

Everything turned serious as Stefan and I stood in the kitchen of Bonnie's house. Bonnie and Grams sat at the kitchen table, as we discussed what we should do about the vampires. They were trying to get into the tomb, and so was Damon.

"Guys..." I spoke up, "I think we should let Damon get Katherine back. If we help him, maybe all this would be solved."

"No!" Bonnie objected, "He doesn't deserve to get what he wants."

"Bonnie..." I gave her a pleading look. She only saw Damon as a remorseless murderer, and in a way he was. But, he could kind when he wanted to, and willing to sacrifice. He was just lonely, and in need of company. He loved Katherine, and if he wanted her out of the tomb, then so would I. Love changed people.

Also, Anna wanted to get her mother out. As long as they didn't hurt anyone, I'd be okay with it. She wasn't gonna stop until she got her mother out, either. The bond between and mother and daughter was unbreakable. I'd know.

I looked up to see Stefan. He looked conflicted, deciding whether or not to let the tomb be opened.

"Witched being pulled down by vampire problems." Grams smirked. "As much as we tried to do to stay out of it. I'll open the tomb. You get your brother's girl and destroy the rest with fire. Then this will all be over."

She aimed the last part at Stefan. He simply nodded. Good, he was agreeing.

I sighed, all the other vampires would die. Whether they deserved it or not? I don't know. They've probably killed a bunch of people though. It's just knowing that more vampires would be killed that bothered me. At least Damon would be happy.

"We still have to get Damon to agree." Stefan said, looking at me. "He's still angry that we lied to him."

I wasn't sure whether I should've felt guilty for Damon, or angry at him. I did lie to him, but it was to protect the people I cared about. I was still angry and fearful though, because the last time I saw him, he had threatened to turn me into a vampire.

"He's just hurt over our betrayal." I said to Stefan. "I'll talk to him, and get him to trust us again."

Stefan looked at me for a second, with an unreadable expression. I smiled slightly, and nodded. I could trust Damon, as long as he trusted us. He was willing to do it before, and he can learn to do it again.

I walked into the living room parlor at the boarding house. Damon's back was turned towards me, as he pulled on a jacket, obviously preparing to leave.

He turned around when he heard me, the perks to being a vampire; super hearing and senses. He stood there for a few seconds with surprise on his face when he realized I was there. Surprise and relief. He must've heard about Anna kidnapping me. So, he didn't want me dead after all.

"I'm gonna have to exchange the locks." Damon said, not actually serious, "You stage a jailbreak?"

He leaned over to pick up the old grimoire from the wooden table in front of him. "Stefan saved us." I corrected him.

"Ah, brother." He said, sarcastically, "Ever the white knight."

I took a deep breath, "I convinced Bonnie to help you." The witches were going to open the tomb, in order for Damon to go in. I was grateful for that fact. As long as they stayed far enough away from the vampires, they wouldn't get hurt.

"I doubt that." Damon simply said.

I sighed, and walked down the soft-carpeted stair, into the sunken part of the room. I needed to let Damon know that we were on his side, we wanted to help him. He was hurt, and I wanted to mend that. "Look," I said softly, looking into his icy gaze. "I'm not sure whether or not I should be sorry that I lied to you. I was protecting the people that I love, Damon. But so were you, in your own way. I need you to understand that we're all on the same side, after the same thing."

I saw something flash through his eyes. Just when I thought that he'd actually agree, he stated, "Not interested."

He turned around, and started to walk away from me. I panicked and pleaded, "Please, Damon. Yesterday, you were willing to trust us."

"No," Damon said, turning back around to face me, his eyes hard. "I was willing to trust you." He shook his head, "Fool me once, shame on you."

I took a step towards him. My eyes locked with his. "Damon, I promise you, I will help you get Katherine back."

Damon groaned, as his eyes looked away for a second before settling back onto me. He said, unconvinced, "I wish I could believe you."

I breathed deeply. "You and I..." I started, unsure of how to word it, "We have something. An understanding. I know that my betrayal hurt you, different from how it is with you and Stefan. But Damon, I swear, that you can trust me. I'll be there for you, I promise."

His eyes softened, and... he seemed to have succumbed. But, for good measure, I raised my arms behind my neck, and unclasped my vervain necklace. I held the silver pendant in my hand for a few seconds, before placing the necklace on the table. Damon's eyes, meticulously scrutinized my every move.

"If you don't believe me, than ask me if I'm telling the truth." I told him. I knew he wouldn't actually compel me. We respected each other, therefore, I was just letting him know that he could trust me, one hundred percent. He had to, or else everyone would be in danger because of the consequences.

I stood there, waiting for him to move. His eyes seemed to be glued, staring into my own. I almost forgot the reason of why I was standing there in the first place.

I remembered, once he moved again. Placing the grimoire on the table, he slowly walked towards me, only stopping about a foot away.

He stared into my eyes, as he stated, "You know Anna won't stop, by the way, no matter what I do."

I nodded. I was trying to decide whether or not to just let Anna have her mother. It seemed fair, but... at what cost? "We'll figure it out." I told Damon.

Without breaking our gaze, Damon picked up my necklace, and raised his fingers to my neck. He clasped the necklace's strands together behind me, his fingers sending shivers down my spine. His touch was like a fire so hot, it felt like ice. It pervaded through my entire body, spreading warmth. His fingers stroked my hair for a second, before he placed his arm back at his sides.

My necklace felt cool against my skin, now that his fingers left it. I knew he wouldn't compel me.

"I'm choosing to trust you, don't make me regret it." He said, then gulped, changing the subject. "You knew I wouldn't compel you, I can see it in your eyes, the way you seem to trust me completely as well. We do have something, but it will always be more than just 'an understanding". Never forget that."

He walked away then, leaving me to my own thoughts.

What did he mean by that statement?

I didn't focus on that right now. I was happy and glad that he was willing to trust me again. Maybe, our problems could be solved. We'd get Katherine back, and my family and friends would remain safe. The only thing that left me conflicted, was Anna. How were we supposed to deal with her mother? I needed to leave this up to Stefan. He'd find out a solution, hopefully.

I offered to drive Damon to the church tonight for the opening of the tomb, and he agreed. Once we got there, though, I was first confused on why there were so many people, drinking, laughing, and playing around bonfires. Teenagers wandered around drunk, as Damon and I tried to weave our way in between them.

"Gosh," I said to Damon, who walked next to me as we went deeper into the woods. "I totally forgot. Duke's throwing a party. I hope the people stay clear of the church." I didn't think I could handle anymore guilt, so I hope the'd keep near the edge of the woods, and not come any closer to the church. Especially, since many of my friends were here. Actually, I think I knew everyone here.

"Your hope, not mine." Damon said, replying to my previous statement.

I gave him a look. But, before I could scold him, or anything, Caroline and Matt walked up to us, with huge smiles on their faces.

"Ariana, hey!" Matt called out, practically jogging to stand right in front of me.

"Hey," I smiled back. Damon stopped walking as well, an groaned. He looked as if he was annoyed, and bored. We'll get Katherine in just a sec, I thought.

"Ariana!" Caroline said, as she stopped next to Matt, intertwining her fingers with Matt's. "Oh my God, where have you been?"

I was smiling, happy that Matt and Caroline were together. But then, I was confused when I saw Matt give Caroline an annoyed glance, which she clearly missed, or chose to ignore.

"Long story, no time to tell it." Damon simply said, obviously wanting to get out of here.

Caroline glared at Damon, "I wasn't talking to you."

"Sure you were." Damon narrowed his eyes at her as well. This was getting awkward. Caroline and Damon had history, so did Matt and I. And now, Matt and Caroline were together, or... so I thought.

Matt, being the peacekeeper he is, changed the subject, and held out his hand to Damon. He politely introduced himself, "We haven't met. I'm Matt."

Damon barely glanced out Matt's outstretched hand, and said, "Matt, there's a reason we haven't met." I gave him a look. He didn't need to be rude. Damon looked at me, ignoring my two friends, and said, "You and I are going that way." It was obviously not an invitation for Matt and Caroline. I was grateful, but, Damon could at least try to be polite.

Damon grabbed my arm, and practically dragged me away. I looked back at Matt and Caroline, and knew that I only had about a second to apologize. "I'm sorry, guys." Damon was one hundred and... something, years old. He didn't want to have to deal with teenage stuff. But, did he really have to be so rude to Matt? I mean, what did he ever do to Damon?

Whatever, Damon wanted Katherine out as soon as possible, and so we'd get her out of that tomb, now.

Matt was glaring daggers into Damon's back as Caroline gave me a worried look. I didn't blame them. If I were in their places, I'd probably have the same expression on my face.

"Brother. Witches." Damon greeted as we finally arrived at the church ruins. It was almost pitch black, but I could vaguely make out the other shapes in the darkness: Bonnie, Grams, and Stefan.

Damon strode past the three supernatural creatures with the grimoire in his hand. He descended the stairs, into the tomb, while I stood by Stefan.

"Everything okay?" He asked me. I could hear by the tone in his voice that he was a bit surprised that Damon had actually agreed to work with us. Just a bit.

"Yeah, everything's good." I said to him, "We ready."

"I guess so." Bonnie said, as she came to join us.

When we entered into the underground, I didn't really know what to expect. Spiders? Dirt? Coffins? Bats? Yeah, I knew. Vampire stereotypes. But, that's what was running through my imagination at the time.

But really, it was just dark, gloomy, and covered in dirt. So yeah, creepy, but not like... ghosts or zombies or anything. I could make out the shape of a pentagram on a slab of rock by the entrance into the tomb. Through this stone door, must've been where the vampires were held.

I shivered involuntarily, and not because of the cold.

Grams brought out four huge torches and placed them in front of the slab of rock, creating a square formation. She took out another torch, and suddenly, it was on fire. She must've used her witch powers. That fire lit up the entire place, casting a yellow-orange color throughout the grey and brown underground tomb.

"Air. Earth. Fire." Grams said, as she lit up each of the torches, symbolizing the elements. At the last one, she lit it up, saying "Water." Bonnie took out a water bottle from the bag she brought, and handed it to Grams, who sprinkled the water near the one torch.

It was really cool to watch. Too bad, what they were about to do was actually really dangerous. I suddenly felt like it was my fault for dragging them into this. I guess, it was.

I was leaning against the "doorway", or entrance - whatever - to the tomb, watching from behind. Stefan and Damon stood off to the side, watching the witches set up their spell.

I saw Damon unravel something from his back pocket. It was something plastic, with a dark colored liquid in it. A blood bag.

"What's that?" Stefan asked him, more interested in asking what Damon was gonna do with it.

"It's for Katherine." Damon smirked, "Gotta have something to get her going. Unless your girl's offering a vein to tap." Damon looked back at me, and smirked. I raised my eyebrows at him, while Stefan just sighed. Damon whispered something to him, but I didn't quite catch it.

Bonnie tore my attention away from the two brothers, as she and Grams looked back at us, and said, "We're ready."

Bonnie and Grams stood inside the "square of fire", facing each other. They interlocked their hands with one another, shutting their eyes. Suddenly, they started reciting something, in a language I didn't recognize. They were so skilled, that their voices sounded almost as if they were one. It creeped me out. They must have been reciting a spell, in like... witch language, or something.

"What are they saying?" Damon asked no one in particular.

"Sounds Latin." Stefan said, his brows scrunching up.

I shook my head. I really had no idea what the witches were saying. I didn't think it was Latin, the witch language must've been much older than even Latin. Though really, I couldn't be sure.

A few more seconds past, and the witches were still reciting the spell. Now I was really creeped out. I've never seen Bonnie nor Grams act this way. They seemed really serious, too serious. Then, the torches flared up. The already bright flames further increased the light in the tomb, I could feel the temperature raise.

Stefan stepped towards me a bit, his back still to me. He was standing in between me and the nearest flame, as if protecting me from it. I took his hand, and squeezed it, silently telling him it was okay, not wanting to disrupt the witches' recitation.

That's when I heard a creak. It was the sound of stone and rock colliding against each other, like an avalanche of some sort. I looked to where the stone slab doorway was, and found it opening slowly, revealing a crack of absolute darkness.

Bonnie and Grams stopped chanting, like a music player turning off. They looked up, and Bonnie exclaimed, "It worked!"

"Of course it worked." Grams said, smiling rather haughtily. I tried to peer into the little crack of stone, but all that was revealed to me, was the color black.

Damon looked in my direction, at where Stefan stood, next to me. "We have some fires to build."

Oh, right. They were gonna burn almost all the vampires. All but one, of course. Stefan turned his head at me, and gently touched my shoulder, "I'm gonna go get the gasoline, I'll be right back."

"Okay," I nodded, and Stefan left to ascend the rugged stairs. There was a moment of coldness, right after his hand left mine. Damon's eyes traveled to Bonnie, then Grams, and rested on me.

"You ready?" He asked me.

"What?" I asked, confused. I was way to distracted to pay attention. Not a good idea.

Damon looked to the witches, and questioned, "You think I'm gonna go in there by myself so you can seal me in?"

He walked the few steps towards me, and placed a hand on my lower back. Not surprisingly, I was still confused. I needed to clear my head.

"Don't take her in." Grams threatened Damon, "I'll bring the walls down."

"You'll bring the walls down if I don't." Damon stated, "You think I trust you?"

"As much as I trust you." Grams retorted.

Then, I got it. Damon didn't trust the witches. He thought that by bringing me into a tomb full of vampires, they wouldn't seal me in. Just great. I was being used as leverage. Again. I sighed. I'd probably be okay with it... if not for the twenty-or-so vampires in there. I involuntarily shivered, not wanting to go in. But, I guess, we needed to trust each other. Trust breeds trust.

"Okay, guys, I'll go in with him." I said, reluctantly.

"No!" Bonnie and Grams objected at the same time.

"He needs to know that you're not gonna shut the door once he gets inside." I told them, "I get it. I'll go."

I didn't want the witches locking him in there, but, I also didn't want to go in. I wondered what it would be like once I got in there. Obviously, according to Stefan, they supernatural beings won't be running around rabid. They'd be very weak, almost as if dead.

How would Stefan react when he found out I was in the tomb? I don't know, pissed maybe? I couldn't worry about that now.

After grabbing one of the torches from the ground, breaking the "square of fire", Damon went to the doorway to the inner tomb, and stopped, looking back at me expectantly.

I gave Bonnie and Grams a look of reassurance. Their worried gazes were making me worry. Turning my head back to Damon, I started walking towards him. I entered the tomb after him.

The inner tomb was, much like the tomb outside, pitch black, only illuminated by the torch Damon was holding up. It was cramped, dirty, and full of dark secrets, pressing upon me like a gale. My heart beat sped up, as nostalgia and claustrophobia deluged me. I felt like running back out, but at this point, I was so lost that I probably wouldn't make it five steps in the right direction.

Geez, searching for Katherine was hard. Suddenly, I heard something. I wisp of the wind, but of course, there's no wind. A whisper, a mumble, and murmuring sound of incoherence. "What is that?" I whispered to Damon, who I knew had heard the sound as well. It wasn't my imagination.

"They can hear you." Damon stated. I shivered, again. "Now, where is she? Stay here."

Suddenly, Damon was gone. I was left in the dark, no light whatsoever. Seriously? He left me in the tomb full of vampires... to got search for Katherine? Wait. I shouldn't be so surprised. He loved her, after all. I sighed. Better find Damon before my fear crept up to me.

I was able to fish out my small flashlight from my jacket pocket, and I tried using it as a light. I could barely see anything still. Where's a giant torch when you need one? Oh, right. With Damon.

Then, the strange whispering sounded up again; the whispering of the vampires. Startled, I stopped suddenly, and tripped over something. "The hell," I wheezed, as I fell on the dirty ground, the air rushing out of me. My flashlight had fallen from my hand, and I went to retrieve it, when I saw what the beam was pointing at. It looked like a person, wait no, a vampire, sort of. It wasn't like she was dead, but more... mummified? Is that a word? I took a step closer, curious, when suddenly, her eyes opened, and stared straight at me. I shrieked and jumped back. Her eyes were bloodshot, to the point where I could barely see her pupils.

I waited a second, but she didn't attack me, though her eyes still followed my movements. She was slumped against the wall, not moving. I guess she needed blood. I felt sorry, but I wasn't about to go cut myself and let her feed on me. She wouldn't be able to stop, for she hasn't had a taste of blood since 1864. Anyways, we were here to get Katherine, and to burn all the others. Yes... that's what we had to do.

I slowly bent, and picked the flashlight off the ground. I spun around, and saw many other people - excuse me, vampires - in similar positions, their eyes red with hunger, I assume. Then, the light from my flashlight landed on someone standing, and I shrieked again.

It was Anna, who was very much alive and moving. Not that I should've been surprised; she was here for her mother.

"Oh, if it isn't little Miss Gilbert, the one who everybody adores." Anna smiled sarcastically, shining her bigger and brighter flashlight at me. "Come to feed the vampires." She took an intimidating step towards me, and automatically, I took one back.

But, my feet stumbled on something uneven and soft. Looking down, I realized that I had bumped into one of the vampires. Anna rushed towards this vampire, all the humor gone from her face. She kneeled beside her, and shook her arm, "Mother! Mother."

Anna's mother. Now that I see them, I could see some sort of resemblance, even when one was barely even alive. They both had dark hair, and slanted eyes. I could tell when the Anna's mother turned her bloodshot gaze at me.

"Your boyfriend did this, you know." Anna said, coldly to me.

I shook my head, "It wasn't their fault. They were trying to protect themselves and their families."

"No, it was their fault." Anna retorted. "The Salvatores, the Fell's, the Forbes, the Lockwoods... Jonathan Gilbert. I made a choice a long time ago that it would be Gilbert blood that brought her back to life. I had Jeremy all ready to go but...your blood smells more...appetizing..."

I caught on to what she was saying. She was gonna use me. "Anna," I said, trying to disguise my fear, "What is it you really want?" Was it revenge she was after? Because 1864 was a long time ago. Well, to a seventeen-year-old human, it was.

She snorted, "What are you, stupid? I want my mother back, and you're gonna give me what I need." Her face changed; eyes turning red, veins popping out, fangs extended - she lunged towards me.

Before I could react, she grabbed my arm, and bit down hard on my wrist. My scream echoed through the stone walls at the pain. Anna pulled me towards the ground, and placed my bleeding wrist by her mother's lips. At first, nothing happened. But then, the mummified vampire started to move her head, and she bit down, sucking my blood.

"I'm gonna get you out." Anna said to her mother. I groaned at the pain, and stopped struggling once I realized how useless it was. You'd think I'd know by now not to try to fight a healthy vampire. Some instincts I just couldn't shake. Maybe Anna wouldn't kill me. I mean, all she needed was some blood, right?

Then, I heard a familiar voice shout: "Let her go!"

In a blur, Stefan tackled Anna off of me. I breathed a sigh of relief as I clumsily stood up again, ripping away my wrist from Anna's mother.

"No!" Anna shouted, about to rush towards me again. Stefan was back again, though, as he took a protective stance in front of me, blocking me from Anna's view.

"Go. Go." Stefan instructed me, "I'm right behind you."

I didn't want to leave Stefan here with Anna, but something told me to not get in his way. He could take care of himself.

It was like running in a labyrinth through the stone walls, in the darkness. My eyes were barely adjusted to the pitch black scene, but it was enough for me to not start bumping into things, or vampires. I finally saw an illumination of light up ahead, and felt warmer air rush at me when I finally sprinted out of the crack, and into the outer tomb, where the fire was burning bright.

I smiled when I saw Bonnie and Grams there, perfectly intact. But, they looked really worried. Was it because of Anna?

"Ariana," Bonnie started, "Stefan..."

I asked, confused, "What is it?"

Grams and Bonnie's gazes locked on something behind me. I turned around to see Stefan standing there, but he was still technically in the inner tomb. Why wasn't he coming out.

"Stefan," I asked him, "What's wrong?"

"It's gonna be okay." I heard Bonnie say from behind me, "We'll fix it."

I shook my head, still not understanding.

"I can't." Stefan said.

"What? Stefan tell me." I said.

"The spell's still up." Bonnie said, "We can't get them out yet."

"Them" was referring to the vampires. Wait, hold on. So, vampires can't get out of the tomb? That means Anna, her mother, Katherine, Damon... and Stefan... couldn't get out. So all the witches did was open the tomb? Grams was planing this the whole time, just waiting for a chance to lock all the vampires away. I felt a twinge of anger, but I couldn't blame her. She was protecting Bonnie, and I respected that. I was trying to protect the people I loved too. Or, at least, I thought I was. I wasn't sure whether or not a side was actually "good". There wasn't a clear line between "good" and "evil". They were only one step away from each other.

When I got over my initial shock, I asked Stefan, "Why did you go in there if you knew you might not come back out?"

Stefan looked down, not answering for a second.

He finally said, "I couldn't take the risk that you'd get hurt."

So he really went in there, just to save me? "But Stefan," I protested, breathless, "You could've been stuck in there, for... who knows how long?"

He looked at me, and smiled sheepishly, "I didn't care."

I turned my head to the side, not knowing which emotion to show. I felt happy that he'd sacrifice everything to save me, but also anger, for the exact same reason.

I changed the subject, remembering something, "We can't leave Damon in there. We have to get him out."

"I know," Stefan said, nodding.

"Even if we break through the seal, we won't be able to hold it long." Grams said from behind me. I looked at her and Bonnie, seeing that they were preparing to break the spell. We would get Damon and Stefan out, we had to.

When I turned back to look at the tomb door, Stefan was already disappearing behind it, going to find Damon. I heard a whispered, "Stay outside the tomb," from Stefan. I barely heard it.

The torches remaining flared up again as Bonnie and Grams recited another spell, a different one. My eyes were focused on the tomb, so when I saw Anna and her mother come out, I knew the spell was working.

I should've been afraid, but I wasn't. Anna's eyes looked so much kinder, filled with love and worry as she helped her weak mother across the dirt. I almost smiled at the scene, genuinely happy that Anna had gotten her mother back. Perhaps they wouldn't kill anyone. Revenge was hard to shake when it was set in your mind, but Anna seemed to be rid of it know, as she focused solely on her mother's welfare.

"I'm sorry," Anna said to me, her eyes soft. She meant it. "I'm sorry that I used you. I just wanted my mother back. You would understand that." I nodded, "Jeremy's fine. He's outside. I won't touch him."

Jeremy was okay, I sighed in relief again. That was one more person that was okay, for the time being. Once Anna and her mother left, I turned back to the tomb door. The fire faltered, and I started to worry as Bonnie and Grams started to look faint.

"Bonnie, keep going!" Grams instructed to her granddaughter. She turned to me, eyes wide in fear, "They better hurry."

Suddenly, the fire was extinguished, and I was filled with a moment of dread. They better get out now, or... or... I wasn't gonna think about it.

Then, I thought, Screw Stefan's orders.

I ran into the tomb again.

I could faintly hear Stefan and Damon arguing, as I followed their voices frantically.

"Damon, we need to get out of here." Stefan was trying to persuade Damon.

I could barely hear Damon, he was mumbling, but it got louder as I got closer.

"If we don't leave now, we're not getting out." Stefan said forcefully again.

Damon questioned, "How could she not be in here?"

Katherine. Katherine wasn't in the tomb. I knew it. Who else would Damon be talking about. Then, where was she? Dead? Alive and traveling the world? Without Stefan or Damon? Seriously? We came all this way, went through all this trouble, to find out that Katherine was never in the tomb? The hell! I felt like bashing my skull into the stone wall next to me. But first, I needed to get my boyfriend and his brother out.

"It's not worth spending all of eternity down here." Stefan said, his voice was getting louder now, I was just around the corner. I saw a light up ahead. "She's not worth it!"

"No!" I heard Damon shout angrily.

I finally broke through to a small opening, where the torch burned on one of the walls. Damon was there looking anguished and frustrated. Stefan stood next to him, trying to rush and convince his brother to leave. "Damon!" I pleaded. Stefan shone his light at me, so that they could see me more clearly, "Please. Let's get out of here."

I was already backing out of the room. Damon looked at me more a few seconds, before following me, Stefan right behind him.

When we exited the tomb, the fire suddenly ceased to exist as the witches stopped chanting. The stone door closed right behind Stefan, and I hugged him with so much force that if he were a human, it'd probably hurt. He hugged me back, though not quite as strong. Even in such a climatic situation as this, he was still always gentle with me. I was just glad that everyone was alright. We'd all be okay. Then I thought of someone: Jeremy.

Stefan and I ran up the stairs, and back into the cold night air. I spotted a body on the floor a few yards away, and I quickly rushed towards it, crouching beside it. Jeremy. He groaned as Stefan came to kneel next to me. Jeremy was okay, he was alive.

"He's okay." Stefan stated, strengthening my suspicions. "He's alright."

I nodded, and looked around me for a second. My heart broke when I saw Damon standing there. So many emotions passed through his face, which passed through me. I could feel his misery, his pain, his suffering. It was as if I was living it.

Katherine, the girl he's loved for over a hundred years, whom he's waited for all that time, is not in the tomb. All this work, the years of trying to search for her; equals to nothing. I couldn't imagine the disappointment, the confusion, the anger, of this realization. I've never spent the time searching for someone, definitely not for a century and a half.

Rising from the ground, I walked towards Damon, cautiously, not wanting to make him feel more tense than he already was. When I was just a few inches in front of him, I raised my arms, and wrapped my arms around his neck. I pulled closer against him, and rested my head on his shoulder. For a few seconds, he didn't move. Then, his arms wrapped around my lower back, as he pressed me closer to him. The strange icy fire filled me again at his touch as I forgot about everything. I didn't care that there were vampires in Mystic Falls, that there were witches, that Jeremy was still on the ground and hurt. I didn't even care that Stefan was a few meters away from me, watching us.

Everything flew out the window in my mind, as Damon embraced me. I may not be in love with him, but we definitely had a connection. Different to the one I had with Stefan. I loved Stefan, with all my heart. But when I was in contact with Damon... it was hard to remember who it was that I was loyal to. I could feel his pain, and I wanted to relieve him of that. So we stood like that, for a long time, comforting each other through no words.

None at all.

I carried a glass of water and an Aspirin into Jeremy's room, after driving him home. Jeremy was okay, and I couldn't get over the fact as I smiled and asked, "How's your head?"

He sat on the bed, half covered in his blankets. He placed a hand on his forehead, and answered, "Uh - it's alright. I just... I wish I knew how I passed out. I didn't drink that much, I swear."

"Do you remember anything?" I asked him. I wasn't sure if he caught any of the "vampire" stuff. I wasn't sure if I wanted him to know or not. It seemed too early. Anna would've been the one to knock him out, but, did she do it secretly? Or did Jeremy know what she really was? Would we ever even see Anna again?

"The whole thing's pretty cloudy." Jeremy replied, "I just... I know how this looks. I'm - I'm sorry."

"No, Jeremy," I shook my head. He thought that I was mad at him for drinking. That was probably the last concern I had right now. "It's okay. Just... don't drink so much next time, 'kay?" I winked at him.

He laughed, "Yeah, okay."

"I'm gonna head to Bonnie's for a bit." I told him, "You need anything?"

"Nah, I'm good," Jeremy responded with a smile, "I'm just gonna crash."

"Okay," I said, "Jenna and Elena are here. You can call me if something's urgent, but I'll be back soon."

"See you later." He said, closing his eyes, and resting his head on the pillow.

"Bye," I got up, and closed his bedroom door.

Once I got to Grams's house, I checked in with her and Bonnie to make sure they were okay. Grams was a bit tired, so she went to rest, while Bonnie was brewing some tea.

I started to feel jittery, and just decided to check up on Stefan and Damon.

Dialing Stefan's cell on my phone, I waited for him to pick up.

"Ariana, is everything alright? Are you okay?" He asked me. I may have expected some other greeting any other day, but today's been... a long day, definitely. Stefan was asking these questions out of his concern for me.

"Yeah, everything is...fine." I half-lied.

"What's wrong?" Stefan questioned, hearing the strange tone in my voice.

"I'm fine," I said, "It's just... is Damon gonna be okay?"

I heard Stefan sigh, "I don't know." He said, truthfully, "We'll just... have to wait and see."

I nodded, sadly, "Yeah. Well, I'll call you later,"

"Okay, bye, be safe." He said.

"Bye,"

3rd person POV:

Stefan walked into the parlor. Damon was sitting down on the sofa-chair, staring blankly at the fire. Stefan took a seat on the couch beside him, in silence.

Damon had loved Katherine. But Katherine had never loved him. He felt hate, under all the sadness and misery. Hate and anger. He felt like ripping her head off.

He realized suddenly, that he may have loved Katherine before. But now... after knowing the things he knows now, he could say that he wished her dead. Katherine had been alive this whole time, and she never checked up on Damon. Never so much as said "hey". Next time he saw her, that bitch would be dead.

Ariana POV:

"Ariana!" I heard Bonnie's frantic voice call my name. I dashed through the hallway, and arrived at Grams's bedroom. But, I saw, made me cry. Grams lied on the bed, not moving, as Bonnie kept shaking her, trying to get her to wake up. Grams didn't even twitch in response. "Help! Wake up! She's not breathing!" Bonnie cried harder. "Please, wake up!"

I ran out of the room, and grabbed wall phone, and dialed 911. "I need an ambulance to Oak Street." I told the receiver, "It's an emergency."

Grams must've been too worn out from the spell, and just... she just...

I had to try and stay strong, for Bonnie. She'd need it.

When I hung up, and re-entered the bedroom, I saw Bonnie frantically flipping through the pages of the grimoire, looking for a spell. My heart sunk, as I gently rested my hands on her shoulders, trying to comfort her.

"No! No!" Bonnie protested against me. "I can fix it! Grams, I can fix this!"

"Bonnie," I said, softly, rubbing her shoulders. They were shaking so hard that I thought she was gonna suddenly erupt in an explosion of sorrow. "Bonnie, I'm here for you. I'm sorry."

Bonnie sobbed louder, and I wrapped my arms around her. We grieved together, her tears stained my clothing. But, once again, I didn't care. Bonnie needed me, I was her best friend. We'd be there for each other, always.

Yay! I'm finally finished with this long episode. I hope you enjoyed it! I can't say how much I LOVE reading all your reviews. They're wonderful and amazing. Thank you all for reading and reviewing this story. Not to sound corny, but it makes me really happy to know that people like this story. And even if you hate it, I'd like to know so that I can change it. I accept any feedback. :)

-Spiralcloud