BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON

Ariana POV:

As Bonnie placed the moonstone in the middle of my bed, I resisted the urge to snatch it and run away with it. And I would. But Bonnie and Elena were both seated on the opposite side of where I was sitting, agreeing with each other for once; which was to keep me from taking the moonstone and sacrificing myself.

Elena reached over to touch the moonstone, then stared right at me, as if knowing what I was thinking. I sighed, and looked away.

Elena turned to Bonnie, "Now the you've got this back, what are you gonna do with it?"

"Right now, it's what's binding the Sun and Moon Curse." My best friend answered, "If I can figure out a way to remove the spell from the stone, the stone becomes useless."

"But once you do that, Klaus will come after us." I stated, speaking up.

She gave me a pointed look, "Only if he finds out."

I felt like pulling my hair out. Why couldn't they understand how imperative this situation was? All their lives were at stake, yet it seemed that the only life they cared about was mine. The doppelganger's life, the girl who was destined to die. How ironic that I'd have to face this problem.

I'd already had multiple chances to die. Why try to change fate? And the woman's voice... the woman who'd been yelling at me from my head... who was she? Clearly, she wanted me dead. I guess that made her my ally... sort of?

No. I was terrified of her. She hadn't spoken since Richmond, but I had a feeling I'd hear—or maybe even see—her again.

Instead of playing along with Bonnie and Elena's games, I decided to change the subject, "Before we talk about this any further, why don't we focus on getting Stefan out of the tomb. He's stuck in there. We've got to get him out."

"Stefan wants us to focus on this." Elena retorted, gesturing towards the moonstone.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Look, I love him and all, but sometimes he doesn't have the best judgements. Don't listen to him. He thinks that he's protecting me, but he doesn't understand."

"Sorry, Ariana." Bonnie gave me a pleading look, "But I'm taking Stefan's side on this one."

"Yeah," Elena agreed with a nod, "We're sure as hell not letting you get used in some sort of messed-up, creepy, stalker-ish, sacrificial, ritual."

I groaned, and lied down on my bed, feeling a bit more comforted by the smell of clean sheets. Everyone was against me. Great, I was turning into stoner Jeremy.

Speaking of my brother...

"What are you guys arguing about," He said, arriving suddenly, and leaning against the doorframe.

"We're not arguing about anything." Bonnie gave an innocent smile, while examining the moonstone. After a few seconds, she placed it in the pocket of her one-shoulder bag, looking at Jeremy. My eyes zeroed in on the pocket.

"I need coffee." Elena announced, breaking the awkward silence, hopping off my bed as she raced out of the room.

"I second that." Bonnie said, and gave me a look that read "sorry" as she followed my sister.

I looked through the doorway, my eyebrows raised in surprise. Traitors. Once they were gone, Jeremy stared at me, without blinking, for a few moments. I shifted uneasily, wrapping my arms around my waist, "What?" I queried softly.

"Why are you on some suicide mission?" He inquired, concerned and worried.

No point in denying that fact.

"I'm trying to prevent everyone else from getting hurt." I stated.

"Oh so, bringing Klaus the moonstone so you can get yourself killed is okay?" He retorted, his eyes on the brink of flaring up.

"At least no one else would be getting hurt." I gave a humorless smile, "Better one pawn fall than all the other chess pieces."

"But you're not a pawn!" He raised his voice, "And this isn't a stupid game of chess, this is you're life! You're my sister." He calmed down slightly, "I'm not about to watch you die. I already lost mom and dad. Don't make me lose you too." He swiftly shook his head and left my room after that, too emotional to say anymore.

I felt terrible. I really did. I wished I could live a normal life with Jeremy and Elena. I wished that everything was okay, and that all of our lives weren't in peril.

The world isn't perfect. Human beings are't perfect. Sometimes we make decisions that we regret. And sometimes we regret decisions never made. I knew right then, that if I didn't make this decision, I'd regret it for... for however long I had left to live.

My eyes surveyed the room, and landed on Bonnie's purse. She'd forgotten to take it with her. My nimble fingers unbuttoned the pocket and wrapped around the smooth stone. Picking it up, I quickly slipped the moonstone in the back pocket of my jean shorts, the bump concealed by my loose purple shirt.

Hurrying down the stairs, I took out my car keys—it scraped against the stone—and was about to walk out the door, when Bonnie cut me off, "Where are you going?"

"Um." I rushed, "To see Damo—I mean, to see Stefan." Shoot, I slipped up.

Bonnie raised her eyebrows, shook her head, and stated, "You're lying... about both of them."

"No, I'm—"

"She took the moonstone." My brother's voice boomed from upstairs as he started descending the stairs.

What? How did he know?

Elena joined the three of us and stood beside Bonnie. She crossed her arms over her chest, and smirked through narrowed eyes.

"We tested you." She stated bluntly, "You failed."

I bit my lip, not finding anything to say. Lamely, I started, "Okay... fine. I failed. I'm not gonna stand by while Klaus comes into Mystic Falls looking for me. He killed Katherine's entire family just for trying to save herself. I'm not letting that happen. I won't let him hurt any of you."

Elena glared at me some more while Bonnie stepped aside, letting me pass. The hell? So... after the test and everything... she was just letting me go? Okay. I'd take it.

Opening the door, I took a step...

...and ran straight into an invisible wall. Literally.

I placed my hands against the invisible barrier, pushing it to see if it'd break. No luck. I was trapped. Trapped in my own house.

Spinning around to look at the three of them, I picked out Bonnie. "What did you do?" I asked, worried. No. If I couldn't get out, then I wouldn't be able to give the moonstone to Klaus. They had planed this. My brother, sister, and best friend. They knew I'd try to get out, so they locked me in here.

Not that I remember much from middle school History classes, but I was pretty sure this violated my freedom stated in the Constitution.

"It's for the best, Ariana." Bonnie's gaze remained hard yet soft at the same time. She pitied me, but not enough to let me go.

Elena simply cracked a smile, enjoying how futile my attempts at escaping were. Jeremy was smiling too, though he also gave me a warning look, challenging me. His look said Ha ha! You should've listened to us.

Uh... kill me now...

Actually, not yet. Klaus still needed me.

Well, my plan of getting out of the house to find Klaus, was officially screwed. Out of anger, I kicked the barrier one more time for good measure, and walked to the living room, feeling humiliated and constricted.

3rd person POV:

"You trapped her in the house?" Stefan questioned in disbelief, standing at the tomb's entrance where he was trapped. He glared at his brother.

"It's for the best." Damon stated, "Trust me. Ariana is on a martyr tear that rivals your greatest hits." He shrugged, "You should be glad the witch and I are even getting along. She cares for Ariana enough to do what I say." He raised his hand, showing Stefan a black bag, "I brought you this."

Damon threw the bag to Stefan, and the younger Salvatore caught it with ease.

"Care package." Damon answered his brother's unspoken question, "Candles, lanterns... and lunch." He smirked, holding up a bottle filled with thick blood.

Though Stefan was yearning for some blood, he resisted, and simply deduced, "Give that to me, and I'm just gonna have to share it with her." He tilted his head to the side.

Damon squinted into the darkness, and spotted Katherine's head poking out from behind a stone wall. "Yeah..." He trailed off distastefully.

"You two are surprisingly calm," Katherine spoke, "Considering Klaus will hunt you down and kill you if you mess with his little plan."

"I've been dead before." Damon stated as if it wasn't a big deal, "I got over it." He turned back to Stefan, "Once we deal with this moonstone, we'll figure a way to get you out."

"Don't worry about me." Stefan stared hard at his brother, "Just make sure Ariana's safe."

Damon nodded, "I will. It's become a full-time job now."

Stefan smiled a bit, "When has it not been?"

The older Salvatore smirked, and nodded one last time. He glared at the disheveled Katherine, turned around, and left.

Ariana POV:

I'd been staring at the blank screen TV for about half an hour now. Not only did this spell keep me from leaving with the moonstone, but it also guaranteed an never-ending train ride to Boringville.

The front door opened, and the footsteps gradually became louder until Damon was finally revealed. He pointed a thumb over his shoulder, "You should really lock your door."

"Not like a locked door would stop you."

"Oh, come on, pouty." Humor was present in his eyes, "At least give me some points for ingenuity."

So, he was the one who suggested this idea to Bonnie. "Do you think this is funny?"

"Yes, Ariana," He rolled his eyes, "I find hilarity in the great lengths that I have to go to repeatedly save your life."

My eyes softened a bit, "How's Stefan doing?"

Damon looked away, "He's fine."

Wow. SO descriptive. "What did he say about locking me in my own house?"

"We had a good laugh."

"What about Elijah?" I questioned, "Does he know that the Original is still alive?" For some reason, saying that aloud both scared and excited me.

Damon stepped closer to me, then plopped down onto the couch where I was sitting, placing his arm on the headrest behind my head. "Yeah, that..." He started, "I didn't tell him." I raised my eyebrows, and he continued, "A: He can't do anything about it; B:...what I just said."

I sighed, and looked away, recalling events from when we first found out that Elijah was still alive and well. The strange feeling a happiness that seeped through me when I saw him. Shaking my head to rid the awkward memory, my brother entered the room, and sat on my other side; the one Damon wasn't occupying.

"Where is Bonnie?" Damon asked him.

"I thought she was meeting you." Jeremy said lazily.

"No, she's on moonstone duty," Damon's gaze fell on mine, and he smirked, looking through his thick lashes, "And I'm on Ariana patrol."

"And who's on Tyler Lockwood and the full moon?" Elena asked as she also came in, sitting in the chair perpendicular to the couch.

"Vampire Barbie asked me if she could handle it, and I said, why not?" Damon shrugged, "Figured is she screwed up, he'd bite her and then I'll be rid of two of my problems."

I gaped. "Tonight's the full moon?"

And Caroline was going to be with Tyler? Who was a werewolf?

Was she insane!?

A ring tone went off, and Damon stood up from the couch, taking his phone out of his pocket as he replied, "Yep, but you were too absorbed with all your suicidal tendencies to notice."

Okay. If I heard the word "suicide" one more time, I was going to hit someone. I wasn't denying the fact that I was trying to get myself killed, but they didn't have to remind me about it every second... unless they thought that acknowledging it would make me scared. But it didn't. I wasn't scared necessarily. Just frustrated and angry.

Damon took the phone call, but I was being stubborn, and refused to listen. Sounded like whoever or whatever it was, it was getting him pissed off.

When he finally hung up, his eyes were blazing as he looked back at the three of us. Jeremy laid down on the couch, his head resting on my lap.

"What happened?" I asked.

Damon shook his head, "Some trouble with the Lockwoods, as usual." His expression turned humorous, "Hey, you know, you should get out—enjoy the sun—Oh wait, you can't."

God, he sucked.

I gripped the couch pillow to my right and chucked it at him. He easily dodged it. Dang it, it would've hit him. He just smiled, "Don't worry, I'll bring back some sort of souveneir. A rock, maybe."

I threw the other pillow.

Missed entirely.

Damon smirked once, then left, the front door shutting eerily. Reminding me that I couldn't go out.

I groaned.

Jeremy—who was still laying on my lap—laughed. I rolled my eyes, and pushed him off me, feeling victorious when he hit the hardwood floor.

"Ouch." He whined, his voice muffled as he stayed on the ground in embarrassment. "You're mean."

"Whoa. No way!" Elena mock gasped, "Ariana? Mean? I would've never guessed!"

What was that even supposed to mean? I ignored both of my siblings as I lied down onto the couch, feeling so tired, so exhausted, and I didn't even know why. I was mentally used up I guess, and needed a few moments to relax. This day was not going as planned. Not that any day ever did anymore.

3rd person POV:

Katherine and Stefan were in the tomb. Alone. Silent... until Katherine decided to play games. After giving a gory-filled speech about fasting and pain, she took off her dirty, ripped, blood soaked black dress, leaving her in a black bra and underwear.

Stefan rolled his eyes at her theatrics.

All Katherine had managed to do was make Stefan think about Ariana...

She's the only person he ever thinks about.

"We're here together," Katherine stated, "May as well make the best out of it." She walked deliberately slowly towards him, like an agile, sexy cat, about to pounce.

"You really think Damon is gonna rush to get you out?" She asked Stefan, her eyes challenging his, "He's got what he wants... Ariana."

Stefan glared at her while his mood turned sour, "Stop."

"Given what's most certainly going on out there," Katherine tilted her head towards the entrance of the tomb, and Stefan tensed, "I'd say you're free to do whatever you want in here." She leaned closer to him, "Nobody will ever know."

Something was wrong. Stefan could feel it. He felt it when she dipped her head and kissed him passionately.

He felt it when Katherine took his shirt off, and they continued to kiss. He pushed her down onto the bench, and ran his lips down her neck and body, leaving trails of heat. Katherine moaned.

That snapped Stefan out of it.

This wasn't Ariana, and he had to stop pretending like she was.

This was Katherine.

Stefan gasped, waking up from his dream. No, his nightmare. Any other guy would say otherwise... That is, if they've never met Ariana.

"Stay out of my head!" Stefan growled at Katherine, who was still in her shredded mini-dress.

She smirked, "Maybe I can do eternity in here after all."

Stefan vampire sped towards her, grabbed her by the neck, and smashed her against the stone wall.

Katherine remained unfazed, and pouted, "What are you going to do, Stefan? Rip my head off?"

Stefan, who loomed over her, jerked his head to the side slightly, "There's a thought." He tightened his grip.

"Oh, come on." She batted her lashes, "I'm only stating the truth. We all know what's really going on outside this tomb. Damon's definitely not known for his self control. And Ariana's far too sweet and lovable to turn your hot brother down."

"She wouldn't." Stefan gaze darkened further, if that was even possible. "She wouldn't do that to me."

"No?" Katherine raised a brow, "I think she would. She may love you, but she loves Damon too, even if she hasn't admitted it yet. She was only waiting for her moment. You being stuck in this tomb at such a convenient time—it's almost like fate. They're in her house, and she can't go anywhere because of that spell. The spell that—guess who?—Damon told Bonnie to cast." Katherine shrugged, "It's inevitable, Stefan. Let's just skip to the last chapter where they end up together. I wouldn't be surprised if they've already done it."

Stefan lost it.

In one smooth moment packed with anger and hatred and denial, he struck his hand into her torso. She gasped as his fingers wrapped around her heart, constricting it. He wanted to pull it out. In that second, he wanted to see Katherine shrivel up and die, just to make him feel better. Just to prove that what she said was biblical, a propaganda.

But Katherine was too quick.

She was an expert at life-and-death situations.

Her hand snapped up and broke Stefan's grip. He cried out, and accidentally released her heart, giving Katherine the chance to kick him, sending him flying. He crashed against the stone on the other side of the tomb, and crumbled to the ground.

It hurt more than it should.

He hadn't fed in days.

He groaned in pain, and rolled over, clutching his stomach. A sickening crack sounded as he popped his wrist back into place.

"Oh, and another thing." Katherine sat peacefully back onto the bench, as if she was enjoying breakfast at her favorite local coffee shop, with a friend. "Don't try and kill me again. It's not gonna happen. I'm older, faster, stronger, and more experienced then you'll ever be." She narrowed her gaze slightly, taking in the sight of Stefan still on the ground in agony, "And anyways. Since Ariana's not gonna be a part of your life anymore, you might as well love me instead. I'm your only chance at true happiness. Think about it, Stefan."

Stefan turned away from her, and tears sprung in his eyes, but it wasn't from the physical pain.

He was hurt.

Deep down.

He had no idea how Ariana was doing. Or what was happening. Or if she even still loved him.

Ignorance was not bliss.

Ariana POV:

The day was about ready to end, and deciding that I had sulked enough for a century—let alone a few hours—I headed downstairs, to see Jenna rummaging through the old closet under the stairs.

"Hey, what are you doing?" I asked, curiously.

"Perfect timing." She simply said, then picked up a large, but light, box, and placed it in my arms.

"What are these things?"

"Your mom's files from the Historical Society." She answered with a smile. Why couldn't I be as happy as her? I used to be... "I got roped into helping Mrs. Lockwood. And by roped, I mean very excited to participate." She smiled beautifully again, grabbed another box, and closed the closet door.

I gasped, almost dropping all of the contents in my hands.

Yes.

Wait, what?

I mean... No.

Yeah. No, no, no, no.

This was—this was not a good thing.

Jenna must've invited him in.

Elijah.

He stood next to Jenna, furthest away from me, carrying a similar box to mine. I was startled, but he remained perfectly calm. The picture of perfection. Handsome, charismatic, and polite. He acted as if everything was perfectly normal. Like he belonged in my house.

Hold on... Maybe he'd bring me to Klaus?

But then... it wouldn't make sense. Why wait? Why didn't he capture me before? He must've had many chances to do so... What was his actual plan?

"Hey, I'm Elijah?" He smiled sweetly, moving closer to me. He put the box back down on the floor, his gaze only leaving mine for a split second before his warm brown eyes blinked up to me. "It's a pleasure." He held out his hand.

Fine.

He wanted to play it that way?

Game on.

I smiled back, almost in a sickly sweet way, "I'm Ariana. Nice to meet you."

His eyes tightened ever so slightly, and he seemed a bit taken back by my ease. His conflicted expression was gone the next second though, and he released my hand.

"Elijah's in town doing research on Mystic Falls." Jenna explained, oblivious to the tense atmosphere. She looked at him, "So you're welcome to stay here and rummage through this stuff, or Ariana and I could help you load it into your car."

"Or I can get someone to pick it up tomorrow." Elijah suggested.

"Also a good plan." Jenna laughed. Oh, great. She was totally hooked. I guess I would be too... if I hadn't of seen Elijah kill at least four vampires and try to kidnap me.

He smiled, "Thank you so much for inviting me into your home, Jenna." His gaze turned to me, "Ariana... I hope to see you again sometime soon."

Me too.

I mean, what I meant to think was... I can't say the same for me.

Oh god... what was wrong with me?

"Me too." I decided to go with my first thought.

He nodded at me, and left. After giving Jenna some lame excuse about catching up on homework, I rushed upstairs... running straight into Elena.

"Jesus Christ!" She yelled, dropping her phone—that her eyes had been glued to—to the floor. She bent over to pick it up, "You know, just because you're all moody today, doesn't mean you gotta go ruin everyone else's day."

I ignored what she said, and instead grabbed her shoulders, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She looked at me, confused, "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing." I lied.

She still had that "you're crazy" look plastered on her face. "Yeeeaaaah, sure, whatever." She moved past me.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

She didn't turn around, but I knew she had rolled her eyes, "Downstairs."

"Be careful, okay?" I called out.

She snorted, "Yeah, I know. Wouldn't want to get murdered by nobody while I'm on my way to the kitchen."

I sighed as she disappeared down the staircase. I couldn't guarantee her safety. I couldn't guarantee that Elijah wouldn't hurt her. He'd been invited in.

Scrambling forward, I knocked on Jeremy's door, impatiently waiting for him to open it. Before I could say anything, a hand shot forward and caught my wrist in a tight grip. I looked up to see Elijah standing there, giving me a warning look.

Damn it.

Jeremy's stood before me, while Elijah let go, hiding behind the open door.

"What is it?" My brother asked me, his headphones hanging around his neck.

I searched for an excuse, "Jenna was just asking me to get you to help her with the boxes."

He rolled his eyes, "Okay." As he left down the stairs, Elijah reappeared, and looked at me.

"A wise choice." He stated.

I almost groaned. He was in my house, near the people that I loved. "What do you want?"

He smiled slightly, "I think it's time you and I had a little chat."

"You have a very nice house, Ariana. Your room especially." Elijah said as he entered my room after me, his gaze landing on every single piece of furniture. Every stray article of clothing. The photographs on my mirror.

"Thanks." I mumbled. This conversation was so awkward. And weird. "All of it belongs to Jenna, actually. At least until Elena and I turn eighteen."

I planted myself near my bed, while he chose to stand a few feet away from me. A comfortable distance. At least he had the decency to know the meaning of "personal space".

"Forgive me for the intrusion." He started. "I mean your family no harm."

My brain was trying to tell me to not trust anything Elijah said. After all, he was a vampire who murdered others. But... something about him struck me... and not in the wrong way. It was as if every move he made had a deeper meaning to it. He wasn't just recklessly killing people and creating negotiations. He had a plan. And he wanted me to know what that plan was.

So, instead, I chose to question what those "plans" were. "Why did you kill those vampires when they tried to take me?" Wasn't Elijah working for Klaus? Wouldn't he have wanted me to be taken?

"Because I didn't want you to be taken." His eyes flashed to mine, and the look was so intimate that it threw me off for a moment. His words had some sort of double meaning to them. "Klaus is the most feared and hated of the Originals, but those that fear him are desperate for his approval. If word gets out that the doppelgänger exists, there'll be a line of vampires eager to take you to him, and I can't have that."

Okay, now I was even more confused.

So apparently... he didn't want me to be sacrificed...?

"Why?" I inquired, "I thought that you were going to bring me to Klaus."

Elijah looked away for a moment, then back to me, "Le's just say that my goal is to not break the curse."

"What is your goal?" A supernova of confusion and missing connections just went off in my head.

"Klaus's obsession has made him paranoid." Elijah stated, "He's a recluse. He trusts only those in his immediate circle."

"Does he trust you?" I asked.

He shook his head, "Not anymore. Not for a long time."

Now I understood where this was going. Elijah didn't want to break the curse, because he couldn't let Klaus win. This wasn't a war between vampires and werewolves, this was a war between Elijah and Klaus. Some grudge that they'd kept for a long time. Probably longer than I'd like to imagine.

Elijah needed me to reach Klaus.

"I get it, now." I stated, fitting the pieces together, "In order to find Klaus, you need me to draw him out."

He licked his lips, and his brown eyes held a slight humor. "Well, to do that, I need you to stay put and stop trying to get yourself killed."

Great. Another person scolding me about my suicide plans. At least, hopefully, Elijah had a good reason for it.

I stared at him for a moment, attempting to decipher his unreadable expression. "How do I know you're telling the truth?" I queried.

He looked down for a moment, "If I wasn't being truthful, all your family would be dead and I'd be taking you to Klaus right now." He looked back up to me, sincerely, "Instead, I'm here, and I'm prepared to offer you a deal."

I thought that over. It made sense in a way. Why else waste so much time trying to talk to me and get me to listen... maybe Elijah wasn't so bad after all. He didn't want the curse to be broken, which kept the balance in nature.

"What kind of a deal?" I questioned.

"Do nothing." He responded simply, "Do nothing, live your life, stop fighting... and then, when the time is right, you and I shall draw out Klaus together, and I shall make sure your friends remain unharmed."

Ah. There it was. The obvious choice of wording... okay, so maybe it wasn't so obvious, but I caught it. He said that my friends would remain unharmed, not me. I was okay with that though. That's all I ever wanted, the safety of my family and friends.

"What happens after that?" I continued.

"The I kill him."

I blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Multiple times.

"Just like that?" Killing Klaus meant no sacrifice.

"Just like that." Elijah stated. He must've seen the uncertainty in my eyes, because he added, "I'm a man of my word, Ariana. I make a deal, I keep a deal."

"How can you guarantee everybody's safety?" I asked.

"I notice you have a friend; Bonnie, is it?" He explained, "She seems to possess the gift of magic. I have friends with similar gifts."

He knew Bonnie. How long had he been watching us, watching me, for?

"You know witches." I said.

He gave a slight nod, "Together, we can protect everybody that matters to you." He paused. "So, do we have a deal?"

It was the only deal I was going to get. "We do... but I have one more thing that I need you to do for me."

He smirked, "We're negotiating now?" I had flashbacks to the first time we'd met—when we'd been kidnapped by Trevor—when I tried to persuade Elijah to let Elena go if I went with him.

"If we're going to work together, then you'll have to get used to it." I stated, and he smiled, "Well... Stefan's trapped in the tomb, underneath the church ruins. Him, Damon, Bonnie, and my brother and sister were trying to get the moonstone, but it didn't exactly go as planned. I was hoping that you'd know a witch who'd be able to break the spell on the tomb."

"Since the spell was casted by Emily Bennett, a very powerful witch, normally it would be impossible to break it." Elijah said, "But, it happens to be a full moon tonight, in which case I'm almost certain that breaking the spell will go smoothly."

He reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out his phone, dialing a number. Elation filled me as he spoke—to a witch, I presumed—about the tomb spell.

"Thank you." I genuinely felt gratitude towards him. Stefan was finally free.

"Your welcome." Elijah seemed reluctant to leave. "By the way, I believe you mentioned some time ago that Katerina was also entrapped in the tomb?"

"Yes, she—she's in there with Stefan." I said, a little dejected.

Elijah nodded, thinking something over. "What do you wish for me to do to with her?"

"You're letting me decide?" I queried in disbelief.

"I figure she must've caused you some problems." He stated. Yeah right. Just some problems. "Maybe I can further prove my allegiance to you by doing whatever you ask."

I was almost at a loss for words. "I guess, just—just let her go."

"Let her go?" Elijah didn't seem to believe what I was saying.

"Yeah. I wouldn't want to be stuck in there, and definitely not by myself."

"But I've heard she's hurt you." Elijah tried to convince me. "That day, after the masquerade ball, you were covered in blood and wounds. You told me that Katerina had done those to you."

Yeah, I guess that was true... "Indirectly, though." Why was I defending her? She literally made my life a living hell. "She had a witch link me to her the day Stefan and Damon were going to kill her. Luckily, Elena and Jeremy warned them before she was staked."

Anger flashed through his eyes, turning the warm, chocolate brown, into a flashing gold, "They could've killed you."

"Yeah, well." I shrugged, "Katherine will only go down if she brings everyone else down with her." I paused, "Elijah, it's your choice whether you want to punish Katherine or not."

"I think she deserves at least a millennium of solitary." He said.

I nodded, not agreeing with his decision. But it was probably for the best. If Katherine was to escape, who knew what other dangerous situations she'd be able to conjure up.

He finally started to move towards the door leading to the hallway, but paused, and turned back around to look at me. "The Salvatore brothers..." He started, "Be careful around them. They let their emotions control them, and that can be dangerous. I may be out of line for saying this... however... it's very important. Upon my observations, I can conclude that both of them love you, but it's more than that. The emotions they feel for you are beyond what I've ever witnessed before in my centuries of traveling the world. No supernatural creature nor human has ever expressed it quite like they do. Not from what I've seen. In a way... it's interesting, but also very worrisome." He stared hard at me, "My advice, Ariana... don't get too attached. Their rivalry will destroy you."

My heart raced a million beats a second. Elijah had just laid everything out in front of me on a silver platter. Just pointed out all of the problems with the relationship between Stefan, Damon, and I. Even though he didn't go into detail, the message was still clear.

We locked eyes for a few more seconds, then he disappeared.

3rd person POV:

"You want to find Klaus?" Katherine inquired Stefan, in the tomb, "Kill him so that you can protect your precious Ariana?"

"Let me guess: you know where he is." Stefan gave her a look.

"No, I don't, but I could help you find him."

Stefan didn't seem convinced, "For a price, I'm sure."

"Start with Isobel." Katherine ignored Stefan's claims for now, "Ariana's mother. She was a research expert. She found me." They both stood silent for a moment, Stefan not knowing what to say, "Your welcome."

Suddenly, a crash of stone came from the entrance of the tomb. The two shared a look, before hesitantly inching towards the dim light. Katherine's blood froze when she recognized the familiar vampire on the other side. She started to shake in fear and surprise.

Stefan merely raised his eyebrows in interest, waiting to see how this played out. Wait... hold on... Elijah was alive!? Stefan's expression immediately turned to shock.

"Elijah," Katherine barely whispered.

"Good evening, Katerina." He replied, his suit neat and polished. Out of place in the dark and dirty underground ruins. A humorless smile came accompanied with a slight glare. "Thank you for having the good sense to be frightened." His gaze found Stefan's. "Your release has been requested."

"What?" Stefan inquired, still to surprised by Elijah's presence. "By who?"

"The lovely Ariana drives a hard bargain." Elijah smiled, "However, we reached a peaceful agreement, she and I. Please." He gestured to his side of the tomb, "Come."

"I can't." Stefan stated obviously. He was still trying to wrap his mind around the thought of Elijah being near Ariana.

"Yes, you can. I've had the spell lifted."

Stefan inched towards the entrance carefully, waiting for the moment where Elijah would most likely kill him. But Elijah didn't make a false move, and Stefan got out of the tomb completely, no barrier trapped him.

Katherine, seeing her opening, vampire sped out. But Elijah anticipated her movements, and blocked her exit, compelling her, "As for you, however, you should not exit until I say so. When Klaus comes, he'll want to know exactly where you are." He breathed deeply, "You should've thought over your motives before going after Ariana."

Katherine stumbled back when Elijah broke the compulsion. She felt betrayed. Everyone hated her. Everyone loved Ariana. Katherine wanted to rip into her doppelganger's neck and watch the other people's reactions while the girl they loved bled to death.

It wasn't fair.

Elijah turned to Stefan, "You're free to go. Ariana will explain the arrangement to you. I'll keep my word, and I'm certain she'll keep hers." Elijah backed away, and left.

Stefan stared at the stairs that led back into his real life. His life with Ariana. It was amazing how such a short time of being trapped could feel like an eternity of loneliness. Guilt seeped into him at the thought of her being caged in her house, even though it wasn't his idea.

He started to walk.

"Stefan, no." Katherine pleaded with him, fresh tears springing from her eyes. He couldn't just leave her there. "Please don't let him leave me in here."

Despite all his earlier talks about forgiving her, Stefan knew that deep down, he never would. Not after what she'd done to the girl he loved. "Goodbye, Katherine."

He left.

She remained alone.

Ariana POV:

I looked out of my window. Expecting... something. Anything. I knew that there was something I had to see.

I gasped.

I could see a reflection.

Stefan's reflection.

I turned around, and there he was. Out of the tomb, and into my room. He stood by the doorway, looking just as ecstatic as I felt.

"Ariana?" He asked as if what he saw before him may have not been real. "Hey."

He started towards me, and I ran to meet him. We embraced each other, crushing out bodies so tightly together, that I could barely breath. But I didn't care. Because he was out of the tomb. He wasn't stuck there anymore. That's all I could think about. "Hey." I whispered back into his ear.

He pulled back slightly, and I could see his leaf-green eyes. I felt his lips brush against mine, and he deepened the kiss, laying me on my bed.

That was when I sensed something was off.

Something about him kissing me just felt...wrong.

He hadn't changed or anything. No. He was still perfect. But I think it had something to do with me. I had changed.

And even when I kissed him back just as passionately, it still felt strange.

It was as if... as if I wished I were kissing someone else.

Finished the chapter! Hoped you all enjoyed it. Thank you so so so so much for all of the reviews, I love you all!

Please give any comments you have, whether it's to like/hate this story or like/hate me for my inconsistent updates. (Hope you're not too angry) 0.0

Thank you!

-Spiralcloud