Disclaimer: This story is based on characters created by L.J. Smith, as portrayed in the TV series created by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec. All rights to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.

Author's Note: Final chapter… Stay tuned for an epilogue. Enjoy!

ELENA'S ESCAPE

~ Masquerade ~

Elena awoke in Damon's arms with a smile on her face. They had left the Grill shortly after their dance and continued what they started earlier that morning. As Elena stirred to remove herself from Damon's embrace, he groaned.

"Where are you going?"

"Shower," Elena said. "In case you've forgotten, I have to get to work."

"But you took an extra shift last night."

"Yeah, well, I'm scheduled to work today, so you're gonna have to let go," Elena smiled and pushed at his arm.

"Don't wanna," Damon pouted.

"You can join me in the shower…" Elena teased.

"Ok, I'm up," Damon said quickly.

Elena rode her bike to the Grill and was shocked to find it closed off with police tape. Caroline and Matt were talking to the sheriff and Elena waved to get Caroline's attention. The blonde excused herself and ran over to Elena.

"Oh my god, Kat, you won't believe what happened!"

"What?"

"Last night, I came in to help Matt close up, and the Grill was almost empty except for Tyler. He had been drinking all night and he was in really bad shape. Matt made him some coffee and sent him home. We closed up and went out through the back, like we always do."

"Yeah?"

"Then this morning, I was out for a jog, and I found… I saw… I found his body." Caroline started shaking from reliving the moment.

"Whose?"

"Tyler's," Caroline started sobbing. "He was just… laying there, in a pool of his own blood. His eyes were still open, and there was this… hole in his head… I've never seen a dead person before… I mean, like in real life. I watch a lot of crime shows and horror movies, you know, but this… I don't think I'll ever sleep again."

Elena wrapped her arms around the blonde's quivering form, rubbing her back soothingly.

After awhile, the sobbing subsided, and Caroline pulled back, wiping her eyes.

"And you guys didn't hear anything?" Elena asked, puzzled.

"No, not a thing. Who would do this? I know Tyler was a jerk, but he was going to be a father. Matt's family doesn't have a lot of money, and Tyler was going to provide for Vicki, he promised her that. I don't know if his family's going to care about their bastard grandchild. They're so… I mean, I don't mean to be rude or disrespectful, Carol's been nice to me, but they're really high-brow, you know? Mayor Lockwood tried to get Vicki to have an abortion just to keep up appearances."

Elena didn't know what to say, so she settled for patiently listening to Caroline's rambling.

"You know, my mom called the Lockwoods to tell them about Tyler – I wasn't supposed to be listening, but… well, Mayor Lockwood said they were still going to have the Masquerade Ball tonight, but that he would dedicate it to his son. Apparently, they have invited some important business associates and politicians, and it's simply too late to cancel the party now. Can you believe that? Who would throw a party the same day their son was shot? It's really crazy, if you ask me."

Elena couldn't agree more. No matter how sleazy Tyler had been towards her, he didn't deserve to be murdered. And he certainly didn't deserve parents that cared more about appearances than their son. Perhaps that's why he turned out the way he did.

"Is there… anything I can do?" Elena offered.

"No… we're gonna keep the Grill closed today, so you can just head home. Spend some time with Damon and his friends."

"Um…"

"Oh, come on, like I don't know what's going on," Caroline rolled her eyes. "You're practically glowing."

Elena blushed.

"Go on, get out of here," Caroline urged her on.

"You know, I really don't feel right about going tonight," Elena said as Damon zipped up her dress.

"It's weird, I know. But it's expected. The Lockwoods would be extremely affronted if we skipped their party.

"I just don't understand… why would someone throw a party when a family member just died?"

"It's their way of dealing. Some people cry when they lose someone the love, some people turn off all their emotions."

"I suppose…"

"You look beautiful, by the way," he whispered in her ear and kissed her shoulder.

"Are we clear on the plan for tonight?" Kyle said to Elijah as they left the B n' B and got in the van.

"Salvatore and Saltzman will be occupied, as agreed."

"Good," Kyle said and put his mask on.

The Lockwood mansion was indeed impressive. The surrounding gardens were bathed in light and inside giant candelabras provided warmth and illumination. Elena looked around, wide-eyed.

"It's beautiful," she breathed.

"Not as half as beautiful as you are," Damon whispered in her ear, making her blush.

"Mayor Lockwood. Carol." Damon greeted the hosting couple.

"Good to see you, Damon," Richard Lockwood said, shaking his hand.

Damon kissed Carol's cheek before introducing Elena – as Kat – and Ric and Jenna. Elena did not appreciate the way Mayor Lockwood's eyes raked over her body.

"We're terribly sorry about your loss," Damon said sincerely, while slipping an arm protectively around Elena's waist.

"Thank you, Damon," Carol said stoically. "I hope you will enjoy the party. The Masquerade Ball was always Tyler's favorite event. He would have liked to see you having a good time."

About an hour later, a stout, thin-haired man approached the small group. "Excuse me, are you Mr. Salvatore, Mr. Saltzman?" the man said, looking between the two men.

"We are," Ric confirmed.

"Mayor Lockwood told my boss – the deputy secretary of education – about you, and he wishes to have a word."

"Now?" Damon frowned.

"No time like the present," the man shrugged.

"Well…" Damon looked over at Elena, who gave him an encouraging smile and nod.

"Jenna and I will be fine."

Soon after Damon and Ric disappeared into the crowd, a masked man asked Jenna to dance. She happily agreed after a quick glance at Elena, who approved. Elena was heading towards the refreshment table when she felt a hand lock around her wrist. She spun around in confusion.

"May I have this dance?" a voice said. It was oddly familiar and sent chills down her spine.

"Actually…" she began, but was cut off as he pulled her towards him.

"I'm not taking no for an answer, Elena."

Elena gasped. "Kyle."

"Didn't think I would find you, huh?" Kyle smirked as he wrapped his arms tighter around her.

Elena looked over his shoulder, trying to find someone to help.

"Don't even think about it," he hissed. "See the man your precious aunt Jenna is dancing with?" he said, spinning her around to see the other couple dancing. "If you so much as move in the wrong direction, he will snap her neck. He was a marine, you know. They know how to take a life with their bare hands. I respect that ability."

"Is that what you're going to do to me?" Elena asked, chilled to the bone.

"You're already dead, Elena. You drowned, remember? I've searched for you for weeks. I think it's only fair that your actual death lasts that long, don't you?"

"Kyle, please…"

"Don't worry. I'll make sure you have time to say goodbye to all your little friends before you go… actually, you'll outlive them all…"

"No," Elena breathed.

"You thought you could run off and get yourself a new life, huh?"

"Kyle… please. This was my fault. I'll do anything, just don't hurt anyone else."

"I put a bullet in a man whose only offence was to flirt with you. You can only imagine what I will do to the man whose bed you've been sharing…"

"Kyle…"

"Adultery is a serious affair, Elena. Do you know what they do to adulterers in other cultures?"

"We're no longer married."

"Excuse me?"

"You said it yourself – your wife died. Til death do us part, Kyle, that's the deal we made."

"See, there's one small problem with that…" he said, trailing her neck with his index finger until he found her pulse point. "Your heart is still beating."

"What are you going to do, Kyle? We're surrounded by people. You'll never get out of here."

Kyle's hand grabbed the back of her neck and applied pressure. "See, that's where you're wrong. You wouldn't want anyone else to die, right?"

"You're going to kill them anyways, no matter what I do."

"You try to scream, Mr. Smith will take out your aunt, and the so-called secretary of education will take out Salvatore and Saltzman. Come with me, and they will live to see another day."

"Do you give me your word that you will spare them?"

"I promise they will live to see tomorrow."

"That's not good enough."

"Well, it's the best I can offer."

Kyle took Elena's silence as acceptance of his terms and he ushered her out of the mansion. He ordered her to get in the car, and she had no other option than to obey. As she got in, though, she spotted something shiny on the floor and quickly slipped it into her bra. She didn't dare let out a sigh of relief when Kyle got in the driver's seat and didn't seem to have noticed her movement. Instead she spoke, her voice quivering slightly.

"Where are you taking me?"

"I'm sending a message."

"What message?"

"You're mine."

"And how are you going to display that?"

"You'll see," Kyle said as he gunned the engine.

Elena gasped when Kyle drove up to the boarding house. "What are you…?"

"Shut up," Kyle snarled and struck her across the face. Elena winced in pain, then reached up to wipe the blood from her lip.

Zach didn't go to the Masquerade Ball, Elena realized with dread. He was in there. Kyle would kill him.

"You don't have to do this, Kyle," she pleaded. "Take me anywhere."

"It's poetic, don't you think? Your lover will come home to find you in his bed – well, traces of you, at least."

"You're sick," Elena breathed.

"And you're my property, slut. Now get your ass out of the car."

On shaky legs, Elena obeyed. Kyle grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the house. The door was unlocked, a sure sign Zach was home. Elena panicked.

"Please, Kyle, don't hurt anyone."

"Since when do I take orders from you?" he snarled and pushed the door open.

"Damon?" Zach's voice sounded.

Please, stay away, Elena silently begged.

Elena would never forget the sight of Zach's face, turning from surprise to shock, and finally to terror before his body hit the ground with a bullet lodged in his chest. She cried out but Kyle pulled her away and up the stairs.

"Where's his bedroom?" he growled.

Elena couldn't stop crying and he grabbed a fistful of her hair and forced her to look into his cold, steely grey eyes.

"Where. Is. It?" he enunciated.

Sobbing, Elena nodded to one of the doors in the hallway. Kyle pushed her into the door, towards the bed.

"Strip," he commanded.

"No," Elena refused.

"I said…" he threw her on the bed and was about to rip the fabric from her body before Elena realized she didn't have much time to act. She rolled off the bed to the other side, landing on her knees.

Furious, Kyle strode over to her and grabbed her arm, turning her over and straddling her. His fury turned into surprise when she plunged the tiny screwdriver into his neck. Bleeding profusely, he let go of her to staunch the blood flow with his hand, giving Elena enough time to grab the gun from its holster. She pulled the trigger and fired several rounds without a moment's hesitation. Kyle fell backwards, his head hitting the floor. Elena squirmed to get away from underneath him, as his legs were still weighing her down. Traumatized, she dropped the gun and crawled into the corner, tucking her knees up to her chin, looking at his still body and the blood pooling on the carpet.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of sirens outside. Zach. She scrambled off the floor and started to move towards the door, when she suddenly tripped. She spun around on the floor to see Kyle's cold eyes on her, his hand locked around her ankle. In his other hand he held the gun she had discarded on the floor. Elena's eyes widened as he aimed and pulled the trigger. So this was it. Elena blinked, expecting only darkness to descend. But nothing happened. All that could be heard was the clicking of the empty gun and the thud as Kyle's head once again hit the floor, all the life in his cruel eyes down extinguished.

Elena couldn't move. Her body was in shock. She could hear people in the house, searching for her. But she couldn't speak. She had lost all ability to form words. All she could do was stare at the man on the floor.

When the paramedics came, she heard their voices only in the distance. As they checked her eyes for response, she saw nothing. Numb. That was the best word to describe her state.

"She's in shock," someone said. Then she was being covered with a blanket and put on a gurney of sorts. Was she dead? Was this what death was like? No, she knew what death looked like. It looked like her ex-husband. She must still be alive. Elena was vaguely aware of the people surrounding her, the hand squeezing hers as she was being moved into an ambulance.

"You're safe now," a velvety voice said. "I love you."

Author's Note: All will be explained in the epilogue, I promise… : )