No price is set on the lavish summer;
June may be had by the poorest comer.
- James Russell Lowell, The Vision of Sir Launfal, 1848

Damon sat across the couch from Katherine, who was leaning back on the pillows behind her in exhaustion. He didn't know that Founder's Parties had become so tedious. His eyes strained to look over the dim light towards her eyes. As soon as Katherine confessed to running from Klaus, she'd wandered away from him and he'd only finally come home to find her lounging on the couch.

"So, are you going to tell me everything, or do I have to force it out of you?" Katherine hesitated and then gave him a dark look, but he urged her forward with an artificial smile.

"This isn't the first time Klaus escaped." Katherine started, averting her gaze from Damon's eyes. "My father was in the same institution, he was a dangerous schizophrenic, just like Klaus. They're rooms were in the same hallway, and everyday I passed by Klaus' room to get to my dad's. Every time I'd look through the window and catch him staring at me. When the patients were aloud outside on the grounds, Klaus would watch me for hours and hours when I spoke with my dad." Katherine looked down at her dress, playing with the material. "I talked to him once, and then more, and every time I went to the institution I'd be polite and say hello. One day I walked past his room and he wasn't there. I got home and he was waiting on my porch. God knows how he knew where I lived, but there he was. I would have called the police but he left. It happen about twenty more times until I made the mistake of inviting him in. He tried to…" Katherine's voice trailed off and Damon gave her an understanding look. "But he didn't. Someone had heard my screaming and called the cops, and they brought him back to the institution." She gave a small pout to her lips before smiling widely. "And then I met you."

"I know that part of the story…" Damon started, but she cut him off.

"You don't know my side, my feelings. All you know was yours. I thought you were the most beautiful man I've ever met, I still do. Then I got to know you, and I liked you even more and then I met Stefan. I was stupid; I should have realized what I had when I was with you instead of throwing it all away with Stefan." Katherine gave him an apologetic look, and Katherine didn't do sorry. "I fell in love with you on our sixth date. You took me to the museum, and we both hated it because it was so dull, but I didn't care. You'd make stupid jokes about what the sculptures looked like to you, and it'd always end up being a moose with a cowboy hat or a cactus wearing pants." She smiled at the fond memory and he had to look away to the fire she'd made in the fire place. "You remember, because that was the night you fell in love with me too." She whispered, making him look back at her.

"I was stupid." Damon stated matter-of-factly.

"Love makes us stupid, Damon." She said, then continued with her story. "When you found out about Stefan you were so angry with me. I felt so bad about everything but I played it off. As much as it looked like I didn't care, you should know that I did, and I still do. What I did was wrong, I know that." Her face fell and he figured she was thinking back to when he'd confronted her about sleeping with Stefan.

"I hated you so much." Damon muttered.

"I know." Katherine responded. "A week later, Klaus escaped again. He threatened to kill me if I didn't… do things." Katherine shrugged. "I didn't know why he was so obsessed with me. I had never had a full-blown conversation with the guy. Maybe it was just because he was crazy that he started stalking me." Katherine finally sought out for Damon's eyes and she saw the hesitation in his. "That fundraiser you made me sign up for weeks earlier finally presented itself and I saw it as a distraction. From you and Klaus. We were counting food cans for the food drive when one of the candles dropped. It fell and hit the carpet, and then all of them fell, and soon enough, the church was in flames and I was inside it. I climbed out of the back through a window because the front door was stuck and just as I got out, the building fell, trapping everyone inside." She looked down again nervously. "Did Stefan tell you… Stefan saw me. I didn't see him but when I was talking to him the other day he told me he saw me climb out. He saw that I was safe. That's why he wasn't at the memorial. He knew I was alive all along." Damon was shocked. Stefan hadn't told him this. "Klaus was put back in the institution and I didn't ever go back to that place. After I skipped town I moved to Paris for a while. When I finally came home I got a call saying Klaus escaped again, so I came to Mystic Falls. I didn't know about Elena and Jeremy."

"You'd think after the many times of escaping, they'd keep him under supervision all the time."

"They did, Damon. Klaus is a genius, he can find his way out of anything which is why I suggest we all leave town. He'll be out soon enough; the sheriff can't keep him in for long." Katherine suggested but Damon shook his head.

"I'm not leaving." Damon stated and she nodded.

"Then I guess I'm not either." He didn't understand this side of Katherine. She was always manipulative and seductive and selfish when he'd known her, but this Katherine was so honest that it scared him. "Damon, there wasn't a day I went without thinking about you, and how much I regretted hurting you."

"I think you should get some sleep, it's been a long day." He said, standing up and moving away from her. Katherine watched him walk out the front door and leaned her head back again. After five minutes she caved into her tiredness and went upstairs to bed.

"It's not her fault, she did what mom and dad told her to." Jeremy said, twirling the spoon in his chocolate ice cream. When Jeremy had come home from the party, he'd suggested he and Elena should go out for some ice cream, and although the hour was late, she couldn't decline his offer. Elena was still angry at Jenna but Jeremy was trying to get her to see the light.

"Not only did our parents die, but her sister died. I would keep my promise if I were Jenna too." Jeremy stated, and Elena licked her spoon clean.

"I guess." She sighed, delving more into her cookie dough ice cream. The shop was quiet and few people were out in the dark but Elena always loved sitting by the large window of Baskin Robins so that she could analyze the people as they walked by.

His dark hair looked even darker now as she spotted him from far away. He was walking against the wind, she could tell from the way his hair was blowing. He looked up at that moment and his entire face lit up. Seeing her made him crazy. Jeremy finally followed her gaze to Damon, then stood up and stared down his sister.

"I'll see you at home." He said, before exiting the door, holding it open for her as she moved towards Damon. His smile was wide but she could tell it didn't reach his eyes.

"Hi." She said, standing in front of him, her spoon drawing designs at the bottom of the cup in nervousness.

"Hi." He didn't stop smiling, even when she turned to throw out what she was holding in the near by garbage. They fell into step beside each other, continuing to walk in the direction Damon was heading. They were quiet but she knew he was watching her.

"Thank you." She said, analyzing Damon's confused look. "For not asking how I'm doing." She finished and he nodded and gave a small smile. "What's with the walking?" She asked after moments of silence.

"I'm clearing my head." Damon replied and she knew it was true because he had that distant look in his eyes.

"You probably want to do that alone." She said, slowing to a stop beside him.

"No." He instantly reached for her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. She looked down at their intertwined fingers, then back up to his grey-looking eyes. "Stay." He whispered.

Elena started walking again, leaning into his shoulder, their hands still fused together.

"Ooh, where are we going?" Katherine asked the next morning, trotting in from her morning jog. She studied the bags that Damon was carrying down the stairs.

"You," Damon stressed, "are going to the bed and breakfast twenty minutes into town." He stated, placing her bags down on the floor to study her face. Sweat dripped down her forehead and her hairr was tied in a high ponytail. She was barely wearing any make up, which he thought was a good look for her. Her shorts were loose, and her tank top was tight. Katherine's face fell. "Look, Katherine, last night made me really exactly what I wanted. I have my priorities straight so I don't want you around anymore, at all." She was hurt; he could see it in her eyes.

"That's a little harsh, don't you think?" She asked. "What happened to the Damon that was in love with me?"

"I still love you Katherine, I always will, but it's just not enough."

"Not as much as Elena." Katherine stated and Damon gave a shrug, picking up her bags again to carry them outside to his car.

"Life's a bitch." He said and then stopped, making a face that looked like he was thinking hard about something. "Wait, you're the bitch, life's just complicated."

"Why are you kicking me out now? After all this time I've been hanging around here, why now?" Katherine asked, leaning against the car door as he loaded her bags into the back seat.

"Why are you trying to get me back now? After all this time?"

"Touché." Katherine smirked, getting into the passengers seat.

Caroline swept her blond hair behind her shoulder and looked over at Elena seriously.

"Okay, so I know things have been super rocky between us lately but I think we should get over our differences and be friends again." She gave a dazed sort of smile and tilted her head at the brunette.

"Caroline, you've been the one sabotaging me since I got back." Elena stated, her glance narrowing at Bonnie who put her hands up in surrender and looked the other way.

"Well, obviously, you stole my boyfriend. But that's beside the point. You and I have a history, and that means something to me. You've been my best friend since grade one, both of you have, and I think it would suck to lose that." Caroline rushed, giving Elena the idea that Caroline just needed something to occupy her time with.

"You told my boyfriend that I made out with another guy, Care." Elena pointed out, leaning forward a little.

"I was just looking out for Damon." Caroline shrugged with a blank look in her eyes. Elena sighed but gave in.

"Fine Caroline, but if you do one more thing to mess us up, we're on the outs for good." Bonnie gave a small smile at that, then stood and moved into the Gilbert kitchen.

"Where's Jenna?" She asked, searching the fridge.

"She's at Alaric's," Elena and Caroline joined the girl. "She's been avoiding me. I guess I deserve it, I was such a bitch to her about the whole adoption thing."

"You were angry, it's reasonable. I would be too." It was so like Caroline to turn something around and make it about her.

Elena gave a shrug and joined Bonnie in looking for food.

"Can we order pizza? I don't care about gaining a pound; pizza sounds so good right now." Caroline asked, and the two turned to look at her like she was a genius.

"Good idea." Elena searched for the phone to call. When the pizza finally arrived, the three sat down in the living room to talk. It felt like old times. Elena had missed her best friends. Caroline, the unreliable hilarious character and Bonnie, the one you can tell anything to.

"So, how are things with Jeremy?" Caroline asked, leaning in to playfully nudge Bonnie.

"Really good, actually. I told him I love him the other day." Elena rose an eyebrow and smiled. "He said it back. We're like inseparable, I'm so happy with him." Bonnie said, then gave Elena a pointed look.

"And how are you and Damon?" Elena sighed and gave a small smile.

"I tried to resist but he's just so…" Elena trailed off. "I don't know the word. I mean like, the other day, he was walking through town square and he looked up and saw me and we just started walking together. He told me he was clearing his head so I said I'd leave him alone but he grabbed my hand and told me to stay. Then we just walked around holding hands for a half hour until we got to my house." Elena smiled at the fond memory. Damon was so sweet; there was something about him in that moment that made him so vulnerable.

"So do you think you'll get back together soon?" Caroline asked and Elena nodded slowly.

"Yeah. I think so."

"Who are you?" Stefan asked, immediately stunned when he walked into the Salvatore Boarding house to find Damon cleaning. Everything. "And what have you done with my brother?"

"I'm making the most romanticist… is that a word? It doesn't sound right…" Damon's mind wandered and then he remembered what he was saying. "I'm making the house look romantic so I can woo Elena into taking me back." Damon finished.

"Woo as in… woo? Because I don't want to be anywhere near here for make up sex." Stefan complained and Damon rolled his eyes, continuing to clean the windows.

"Actually, that's not my goal, but we'll see. Don't come home tomorrow night. Have a sleepover with like… Katherine or something… I don't want you ruining anything I have planned." Damon said, applying more Windex.

"Now, brother. When have I ever ruined anything with you and Elena?" Stefan asked.

"The first day you came home was the first time we had sex. And you ruined our morning with your impeccable timing." Damon raised his eyebrows at the younger boy.

"I saved you from the awkward morning thing." Stefan replied, touching the table to attempt to collect dust, but it was clean, and he rolled his eyes.

"It's never been awkward with her." Damon said, moving to clean the bookshelf. "Any who, want to help me clean the rest of the house?"

"Can't you like, contain her into one room?" Stefan asked.

"She's not a dog, Stefan. Now get your ass moving. I want everything clean before tomorrow afternoon." Damon said, throwing a wet cloth at Stefan who flinched when it hit the side of his face. He looked at it questioningly until Damon gave him a pointed stare. "Or I can't just contain her to your room. It's already clean."

That got Stefan to help.

"So you're actually going on a date with him?" Bonnie asked, finishing off the last piece of pizza and handing Caroline the crust, like she'd been doing with all her pieces.

"It's not a date exactly. I'm just going over to his house to hang out with him." Elena stated, watching Caroline go into Bonnie's bag to retrieve her manicure kit. She set it up neatly and looked up at Elena.

"Is dinner involved?" She asked, her blue eyes expectant. Elena sighed dramatically and tossed the pizza box in the recycling bin in the kitchen and returned to sit on the floor and Caroline started on her nails.

"Maybe."

"Don't have sex with him." Bonnie said quickly, causing both girls to turn to look at her. "What? You know he's going to try it, it's Damon, his life revolves around sex." She had a point, but Caroline contradicted this.

"No." she said plainly, and there didn't seem to be a hint of sarcasm or bitterness or anything really, in her voice. "It revolves around Elena." She finished.

"And what about Tyler?" Bonnie asked, turning her glare to Caroline. "What's with you two, it's kind of weird."

"It is. I know he doesn't like me that much, but I like him a lot." Caroline said and Bonnie laughed lightly.

"I'm sure that's not true." Elena replied, watching Caroline place a first coat on the brunette's nails. It was awkward; this conversation had turned completely awkward once Damon and Tyler got involved.

"Of course it is. We all know he's still hung up on you." Caroline said bluntly, like it was nothing. "But, I have my eyes on someone else, Tyler's a drag."

"Really?" Bonnie leaned in intently, and all of the girls had mischievous smiles on their faces. "Who is it, Care?" She asked. Caroline took out the bright red nail polish and began to paint Elena's nails carefully.

"Stefan Salvatore."

Klaus looked up at the guard of the small temporary prison who stood in front of him, shadowing the boy's view. "You have a visitor." He said in a dark tone, and Klaus shrugged, standing up in front of the dark-skinned man.

"I guess I have a lot of those." Klaus said, working his way pass the gates to the little room that separated him from the outside world by a glass wall. As soon as his eyes fell on the brunette sitting uncomfortably in the metal chair he gave a smile. She looked up as he sat down, their eyes locking briefly until he picked up the phone and she followed suit.

"Miss. Katherine." Klaus greeted with a charming smile but Katherine didn't smile back.

"Have you missed me, Klaus?" She asked, tilting her head to the side, letting her dark locks spill over her left shoulder.

"I always do." He stated matter-of-factly. "Why are you here? Aren't you running off to your pathetic Salvatores?" He asked his gaze intense.

"They don't want anything to do with me." Katherine shrugged, her eyes rolling.

"So why would you come here?" Klaus asked, well aware of their stellar history. He tried to rape her, why would she ever want to see him again? The slim girl gave another shrug and he squinted his eyes.

"Is it that you love getting yourself into messes? That's all you've been doing, why stop now?" Klaus gave a sarcastic smirk which Katherine returned.

"I'm here to talk some sense into you. I don't do things for people often, but the man I love is hurting because the girl he loves is hurting, and I can't have that. You remember Elena Gilbert, don't you?" Katherine gave a cold smile and Klaus cocked an eyebrow. "Guess you do. Well, she's dating Damon Salvatore and her life's a complete mess right now, so I'm being nice and trying to be good."

"Why? You only do things for yourself." Klaus leaned in close to the glass.

"Stefan suggested I try the whole 'redeemable' thing, maybe that'll get Damon to notice me again. That boy is so pathetic, just falls for everyone." Katherine shook her head but couldn't shake away her small smile.

"Then why did you fall for him?" Klaus said stiffly.

"Because he's nothing like you. He cares, and he's kind and despite what he thinks, he's a softy." Katherine said, leaning into the glass as well.

"Soft is pathetic, Katherine. You should know that by now. You know, I liked you better when you were all mean and selfish. Nice doesn't suit you." Klaus said, staring at her intently. Although Katherine was slightly apprehensive about seeing Klaus, she hid it all pretty well. Klaus didn't even suspect she was nervous.

"What I'm getting at, is I think you should request to be taken back sooner. The sheriff told me they're bringing you to a different institute, a more severe one that's very strict on who gets out." Katherine smiled. "With you gone, everyone's lives will be better."

"And why would I want that?" Klaus asked.

"Because you love me." Katherine smirked. Klaus leaned in really close, closer than he was before and shook his head.

"I would never want that girl happy."

"I've never seen your parents visit you, why do you even care that they're dead?" Katherine was curious.

"They were never there when you were. They came every Sunday morning to see how I was. Never missed a Sunday. I suppose Elena always thought her parents were going off to church, turns out they were visiting her mental brother."

"You're not mental, Klaus. You just convince yourself that you are. I bet if you started acting like a normal human being should, your mental problems would disappear." Katherine said, debating hanging up the phone.

"And if you stopped loving, your problems would too." Klaus said, watching as Katherine gave a cold smirk then placed the phone back on the hook and stood. Klaus waved pleasantly and she turned and knocked on the door for the guard to unlock it.

Elena looked over at Caroline. "Stefan?" she asked.

"Why not?" Caroline looked confused. "That's not a problem, is it? I mean, you can't have them both, Elena."

"No, I mean- It's fine, Caroline, Stefan's a really nice guy." Elena said. Caroline didn't notice, so she smiled. Her phone buzzed and she smiled at the text. "That's him now. He wants to know if I want to go to the movies tomorrow night."

"Don't you think you should talk to Tyler first?" Bonnie asked, looking over at Elena, who was watching Caroline put down her phone and continue with painting Elena's nails.

"I will." Caroline said, "So back to Damon..." She asked.

"Uhh." Bonnie stated.

"Can we talk about something else?" Elena stated, looking down.

"Elena, you have to play hard to get." Caroline chided and Elena rolled her eyes and shook her head, smiling at the blonde.

"But i already agreed to go over to his place." Elena said.

"Then don't have sex with him." Bonnie supplied, and Elena turned to look at her. "I mean, if you can't play hard to get, make him work for your lovin'." Bonnie laughed, followed by Caroline and Elena.

"His birthday's in like, a week." Caroline stated, after she stopped laughing. "If you can wait 'til then, he'll be crazy for you." She said, smiling at the idea.

"You know what Caroline?" Elena asked, about to say something but Caroline cut in nervously.

"You don't like the color?" She looked down at the nails she was working on. "I knew I should have done blue!" She sighed and Elena laughed.

"No, I love the color. I was just going to say that it's a good idea." Elena finished and Bonnie smiled.

"Oh, I totally know." Caroline laughed.

When Damon and Stefan had finally collapsed on the couch the next afternoon, Damon's phone started to vibrate. He took it out of his pocket and answered it without even looking at the Caller ID.

"Hello?"

"Damon, hey." Sheriff Forbes greeted and he gave a sigh.

"Hey, how is everything going with Klaus? I'm sorry I couldn't stay and talk to you after we met him, Elena was really upset so I had to take her home." Damon said.

"No that's okay. I was just calling to tell you Klaus is in the process of being transported to an institution two hours away from town. It's high security so there's no chance of him getting out. I just think this may be closure for Elena, so she knows that she's safe." Liz said, and Damon could tell her mind was elsewhere.

"I'm sure she'll be glad. Thank you, Sheriff." Damon said, hanging up. Stefan looked over at him tiredly.

"What's that?"

"Klaus is locked up and he's not getting out again." Damon said, standing to stretch out his legs. "Anyways, thanks for helping, now leave." He commanded.

"Damon's it's 3:00." Stefan argued, but Damon raised his eyebrows. He groaned then turned towards the door.

"Best brother ever!" Damon called after him sarcastically, listening to the door shut dramatically.

So, I was reading a comment from Eighp and they had a really good point about how Damon and Stefan were being sort of push overs when it came to Katherine and they should have kicked her out and everything and it really made me think about everything. Why didn't they kick her out? Why is Katherine afraid of Klaus? What can I do to make the plot more interesting? And this is what i came up with. I hope this better explains Damon and Katherine's reasons for what they do. Damon didn't kick Katherine out because a part of him is still in love with her, the same with Stefan. And Katherine genuinely is in love with Damon, but she's back in town to hide from Klaus (her super creepy stalker), little did she know he had connections to the town and it would be easy to find her. I hope this clears some things up. No ones a vampire; this is all human. Reviews do help, so please leave one! Thankyou.