a/n: I'm still a little unsure about writing this story but I think it's going to be a lot of fun so I'm going to at least try it! Onto the next episode! Happy Reading

Elena couldn't believe it. She had actually gotten Katherine to agree to the plan. Even now as they sat in the car on their way to Mystic Falls, she was amazed at how easy it had been. Almost too easy in fact, but Katherine wanted Stefan and she would have been crazy to pass up the opportunity. As Caroline and Katherine bickered about the choice of music between the back and front seat, Elena contemplated exactly how she was going to swing this all. She'd thought the hard part was going to be getting Katherine to agree, but now that she thought about it- really thought about it, she was going to have to get Damon to agree to going to the ball with her as Katherine, without getting a stake driven through her very alive, very beating heart.

There in lies the all together main problem. She had a beating heart and a scent that altogether was the main thing differencing her from Katherine. A few minutes here and there wouldn't hurt her cover, but to spend an entire night with Damon and not have him realize who she was…damn perhaps this plan wasn't as solid as she'd thought. Panic began to set it, and in a rare showing of comfort, Katherine put her beautifully manicured hand on Elena's shoulder. "Don't worry about anything, we'll figure it out. The boys are that smart."

For the hundredth time since Elena had been introduce into the world of vampires, she wondered if they could read thoughts. "I think you don't give them enough credit."

Katherine sighed and leaned back in her seat, eyes distant out the window. "And you give them too much. Take it from someone that's known them over a hundred years. Damon thinks too much, but it's rarely ever with something useful like his brain. Either his penis or his heart gets in the way, and that is normally his downfall."

"And Stefan?" Elena asked, a thousand questions running through her mind, but not wanting to press her luck by asking too many.

"Stefan is completely and totally ruled by his heart, his conscious. If he had a brain he would have left you alone and never brought you into this mess of him and his brother and all the vampire crap, but he did, because his heart told him to. Then, he realized the mistake- eventually and his conscious told him to get rid of you."

"So you don't believe in following your heart?" Elena pulled the vanity mirror open on the sun visor so she could see Katherine's reflection.

There was a momentary flash of sadness, of something resembling longing and lonliness, but then it was gone and Elena's eyes met Katherine's. "I believe in protecting yourself and getting what you want. I believe that letting anything other than your mind make your decisions is stupid."

"Then why are you helping Elena?" Caroline asked,

"Because, for the first time since my turning, I want to see if my way of thinking is wrong. I'm willing to risk it all, my heart- or at least what's left of it on one last chance for Stefan. Tell me that's not stupid."

"I think it's wonderful." Elena smiled at her as Caroline pulled the car to a stop. "Let's take a break and get some dinner. We've still got a few more hours until home."

Damon paced back and forth in the den, and Bonnie watched him as he wore a hole in the rug. The bottle of whiskey in his hand was about half empty but he'd barely drunken any of it. This time when he threw the near full glass into the fire she didn't even flinch. "Where the hell did she go?"

Bonnie rolled her eyes and crossed one leg over the other. "I am not telling you."

"This is not a good time for her to be running around unprotected. Klaus is still out there, along with God knows who."

"It's her own business Damon, and I don't blame her for not telling you. It's not exactly like you've been around all that much lately."

Damon growled and turned from the witch. "I have my reasons."

"Yes, Damon." Bonnie pushed herself from the couch and stalked after the vampire. "You have your reasons, and there stupid! Just because you're brother is back, does not mean that you have to disappear. She cares about you."

"I don't care if she cares." He stormed out of the den, and when he slammed the door to the basement, Bonnie did flinch.

Damon grumbled his way down to the dungeon, finding a sliver of relief I the dark and silence. Elena had run off, left town without telling him or leaving a note or anything. He wouldn't even have known if Bonnie hadn't come over to tell him. It was his fault that she was mad, or hurt, or whatever she was, but that didn't give her the right to go driving all over the country. So what if he'd been distant, if he hadn't left the house in the two weeks since Stefan had been home. What was the point in continuing to flirt, to tease, to spend any bloody time with her at all if she was only going to go right back to baby brother's arms?

It was useless, she would never choose him, it just wasn't in his nature to be the one that got the girl. He could still remember the relief in her eyes, the smile when Stefan had walked through the door, saying he was home for good. Damon was sure that would have been the end of it, but there had still been no admissions of love and as far as he knew they weren't together. That didn't change anything, because Elena still hadn't chosen him, and until she made her decision, she was taking himself out of the running. It was just safer that way, he was through putting himself on the line to get burned. If she wanted him, she could come and get him.

After he came out of hiding to yell at her for being so reckless and stupid of course. But after that, he was done!

a/n: I had to post another chapter, just because the first was so short. I'm planning on making this a pretty fast paced story, so watch for updates and hold on for the ride. The Salvatore brothers are in for a surprise.