Elena sucked in a quick breath as she made her resolution.

No more crying. No more crying. No more goddamn crying.

She almost gasped at her own thoughts- she very rarely cursed, even inwardly. But it fueled her fire; filled her with a grim determination and renewed strength. She strode out of Stefan's bedroom and down the stairs, full of purpose.

Mr. Saltzman, Damon and Stefan all looked at her as she entered the living room; they were on their way out. She was just in time.

"I'm going with you."

All three men were silent, until-

"You are insane," Damon hissed incredulously, his eyes wide in his own "Damon humor." Stefan threw him a look- he didn't know the significance of Damon's remark. But he didn't get a chance to question it.

"There's no way, Elena. You have no idea of how dangerous that would be," Alaric countered, gripping the stake in his hand.

"I don't care what either of you three say. I am going. And you know why?"

Damon rolled his eyes. "Please, enlighten me."

Stefan's eyes, meanwhile flashed. "Damon, you're not actually considering- "

"Of course not, brother. But we might as well let the girl speak, or forever hold her…" Damon let his sentence hang suggestively, motioning Elena to continue.

"Because. While you three went off hunt Katherine- which she is more than likely expecting- I'd be here. All alone. In a house nobody lives in, which by definition, means open season for vampires. I'd be a sitting duck. Worse than a sitting duck- you might as well lay out the welcome matt on your way out."

Damon's right eyebrow immediately ticked up, the bewildered realization clear on his face. Neither of the vampires- or the vampire hunter- had thought of that possibility.

"She has a point," Alaric whispered, eying Stefan, whose face was a mask of conflict and concern.

"Yeah, and a love of convoluted metaphors," Damon remarked, the sarcasm evident in his tone.

But Elena didn't back down. She crossed her arms for effect, stating her intent again.

"You all know I'm right. I'm going."

Stefan spoke next, his trademark cautiousness seeping into his voice.

"You are right Elena. You can't stay here. But you could go to Bonnie's, or Caro-"

"I already thought of that, Stefan. But Katherine looks just like me- and I'm sure she knows who all of my friends are, thanks to Isobel. Who's to say she hasn't already gone to all their homes and scored herself an invite?"

Elena took a deep breath and immediately regretted her words- she'd been unnecessarily harsh to Stefan, and she had almost sounded like…Damon. It was unsettling. Stefan paused, considering her words, while Damon merely smirked.

"Alright then, Xena. You wanna come along so bad? Try to keep up." And with that, he handed Elena a vervain dart, and strode out the front door, indicating for Alaric to follow him.

Stefan and Elena were stood alone together, but for some reason it made Elena feel uncomfortable all of a sudden. And then a thought popped into her head- a question she hadn't thought of before.

"Before…when you said that Damon told you…that Isobel was working for Katherine?" Elena stated, her voice lilting to indicate it was a question.

Stefan's brow furrowed as he asked, tentatively, "Yes?"

"When did he tell you? Just this past night, or- "

But Elena had her answer in Stefan's ashamed expression. "No. Of course not. You've known since before Founder's Day. God, Stefan, is there anything you do plan on telling me? Or do you just think I won't figure it out?"

"Elena, you know that isn't-"

"No," Elena said softly, tucking the vervain dart into her shoulder bag. "I don't know anything about you. I don't even know who you are anymore. Maybe I never did."

And with that, Elena walked out of the boardinghouse, towards Damon's car. As she sat in the front seat, Damon looked at her, eyes full of questions. Stefan was going in Alaric's car, so why was she in his?

"Why aren't you riding with-"

"Because I'm not. End of story, Damon."

Damon's eyebrows shot up, but he said nothing more. He did however notice that she seemed to be sitting awkwardly, her back not touching the seat. But what he didn't know was that it was because the vervain dart wasn't the only thing Elena was armed with. She'd brought backup, in the form of a stake, hidden underneath her shirt and tucked in the waistband of her jeans.

She was going to prove she wasn't a helpless child, after all.