Chapter 26: Masquerade
4 Hours Later, Gilbert House
"Come on Lena! Let's go already!" Alexis yelled up the stairs. She had been waiting for Elena to come down so they could leave for a half an hour already, and they were late to the ball. "Elena!" She yelled, when she didn't respond. She growled and walked up the stairs, walking up to the bathroom door. She opened it and stopped, looking at Elena, who turned to face her.
"How do I look?" She asked. Alexis' stared at her, looking at her black dress, her hair up in a half bun with the rest curled and flowing down her body. Alexis smiled.
"You look absolutely beautiful Lena." Elena turned to her and smiled. "If Stefan's heart was beating, he would have a heart attack." Elena laughed.
"Thanks, but Stefan isn't going. He isn't a big fan of parties. Let's go." She said, grabbing her mask and heading down stairs.
"Everything ready?" Stefan asked Bonnie, who nodded.
"Yeah, it's up to you guys now." Bonnie said, a little nervously.
"Don't worry Bonnie, I won't let anything happen." Bonnie nodded slightly and walked away. Stefan sighed as he suddenly felt a presence beside him. He looked to his left and saw Damon. "Everything's ready." Damon nodded and pulled his mask down off of his face.
"Are you sure Witchy isn't going to screw us over?" Stefan shook his head.
"No she won't. She wants Katherine gone as much as we do."
"Good, I don't want a repeat of Founder's day." He looked towards the entrance, spotting Katherine coming in with a friend. "Heads up, she's here." Stefan looked at the entrance, seeing them enter.
"Ok, let's go." Damon nodded, pulling his mask back up onto his face.
Alexis gazed up at the ceiling of the Lockwood Mansion, taking in it's beauty. Elena turned to her and laughed. "What?" She asked, innocently. Elena shook her head. "I haven't been here in a while and forgot how beautiful it was."
"Yeah, if your into boring old mansions." Came a voice from behind them. They turned around, seeing Tyler standing there in a black suit.
"Tyler Lockwood, long time no see." Alexis said.
"Hey Lexi." He grinned. "You're looking good." Alexis smiled and hugged him. "Sorry I didn't come visit you in the hospital, things were a little hectic with my Uncle Mason here."
"It's okay Ty. I'm sorry I didn't get to make it to your dad's funeral." Tyler looked away.
"It's okay." Tyler looked at her. "You really are looking good Lex." Alexis blushed.
"Well, I think that's my cue to leave, I'll be over getting some punch." Elena said and walked over to the punch. She knew that Tyler and Alexis used to date, and she wanted them to re-connect.
"I think we scared her away." Alexis said, grinning. Tyler smiled.
"Yeah, looks that way." He looked at Alexis. "I've missed you Lex." Alexis looked at him, knowing by the look in his eyes that he wanted her. Before she could say anything, she was interrupted by Caroline.
"Hey Tyler, Lexi, surprised to see you here!" She smiled. Alexis could tell something was off with her.
"Hey Care." Alexis smiled back, glad that Caroline interrupted when she did. "Well I'm gonna go find Lena, I'll talk to you guys later."
"Wait, Elena's here?" Caroline asked suddenly. Alexis nodded.
"Yeah, she's how I got here. Why?" Caroline shook her head.
"It's nothing, I just want to go say hi." She said, and immediately took off, leaving a confused Alexis and Tyler behind.
"That was weird right?" Tyler asked. Alexis nodded, immediately knowing something was going on. She watched as a man in a suit walked past her, following Caroline.
"I'll talk to you later Ty." She said and before he could answer, she walked away, following the man.
Damon could tell he was being followed. He'd watched Blondie with Tyler and Katherine's friend, and as soon as he saw the look on her face, he knew something was wrong. Damon walked down a hall turning and grabbing the person following him, and shoving them up against the wall.
"Why are you following me?" He growled, compelling the person, who was the person Katherine had came in with.
"Because Caroline took off suddenly and I wanted to see what was up." The woman replied, Damon instantly recognizing her voice.
"Alexis?" He asked, releasing her. She dropped to the ground, pulling her mask down her face.
"Ouch!" She said, rubbing her side. Damon pulled his mask down. "Damon?" She asked, looking at him.
"What are you doing here?" Both of them asked at the same time. Damon's mind registering how he could compel her, and reminding himself to get her some vervain.
"I'm here with Elena. Why are you here?" Alexis asked, seeing Damon's eyes widen.
"Elena's here?" He asked, Alexis nodded. "Damnit!" He growled, pulling his cell out and texting Stefan.
"Damon, what's going on? Caroline had the same reaction when I told her Elena was here."
Damon ignored her, as he continued texting. "Damon!" She yelled, annoyed that he was ignoring her. She looked at her phone, which vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out, reading the text that was from Damon. "We're going to kill Katherine." She read. She looked up, her eyes widening. "You're what?" She asked. Damon nodded. "But, Elena's here, does Stefan-" Damon cut her off, holding his hand up to his ear, indicating that if Katherine was here she could be listening in on them. Alexis understood and texted him. "But what if Stefan tries to kill Elena thinking that she is Katherine?"
"Got it taken care of." He said, showing her a message from Stefan, telling her that he had recognized Elena and she was safely with Jeremy. Alexis smiled. Damon glanced down at the phone in his hand, reading his text from Jeremy. "You need to get out of here, right now." He said, looking back at her.
"Do you need my help with anything?" She asked. Damon shook his head.
"No, you just need to get to Elena and Jeremy and stay there." Damon replied, Alexis nodded, seeing the need in his eyes... The need to know she was safe.
"Ok, I'll go find them. Just promise me one thing." She said, Damon looked at her confused. She may not be happy with him killing her parents, but she still had to know that he would be safe... She still cared about him. "Please be careful... If it gets too dangerous, just please-" She was cut off as Damon kissed her. The kiss broke and Alexis found herself standing next to Elena, Jeremy, and Bonnie. She looked towards the doors to the Lockwood Mansion, not even caring that the others were staring at her. "Be careful." She whispered.
"Lexi, are you okay?" Elena asked her. Alexis turned back to face them, and nodded.
"Yeah, I'm okay." Elena smiled
"Good I wa-" Elena cut off, crying out as a red stain grew on her arm.
"Elena!" Bonnie, Jeremy, and Alexis yelled.
"What the hell?" Jeremy exclaimed, just as Elena cried out, a stain appearing on her back.
"Bonnie what's going on?" Alexis asked, turning to face the witch.
"It has to be Katherine! She's linked to Katherine somehow!" Bonnie exclaimed. "You need to get Damon and Stefan to stop right now, I'll find that woman I saw with Katherine."
"Okay, I'll go." Jeremy said and began to turn around.
"No! I'll go Jeremy you need to stay and protect Elena, you can do it better than I can." Alexis said, turning to face Bonnie. "Go find that woman!" She said and began running, ignoring the pain that it caused in her side.
"Top floor 1st room on the right!" Jeremy shouted after her.
Alexis ran in the front door, immediately heading towards the stairs, trying to dodge the people that were partying. She almost reached the stairs when she tripped over someone's foot and she fell.
"Lexi? Are you okay? You're-" Tyler asked, helping her up, only having her cut him off. She cringed, her side and shoulder on fire.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Gotta go to the bathroom, talk later Ty." She said and ran up the stairs.
Damon was on top of Katherine, who was on top of Stefan, a stake raised above the bitch's heart. He was about to shove it downward when he heard someone yell.
"Stop!" Damon glanced up, seeing Alexis standing there, panting. "Stop. Everything you are doing to her, is hurting Elena." She said. Damon's eyes widened and he jumped off of Katherine, watching as the bitch smirked. He glanced back at Alexis, watching as she swayed.
"Go check on Elena, Alexis, we've got-" Stefan began, only to be cut off by Damon.
"Alexis, you're bleeding." He said, staring at her side. He watched as she glanced down at her side, barely seeing the red on her dress.
"Stitches." She murmured and collapsed to the ground, Damon, trying and failing to catch her, the barrier keeping them in the room, stopping him.
"Alexis!" He and Stefan yelled. "Stefan get Bonnie!" Damon yelled, trying to break through the barrier.
"It's useless, you can't break it." Katherine said, dragging the stake across her hand. "How does it feel Damon? Watching her die?" Damon turned around, and faster than the blink of an eye, he was on top of Katherine, the stake over her heart once again.
"No Damon don't!" Stefan yelled. "You'll kill Elena!" Katherine smirked.
"Yes Damon, don't do it, save precious Elena." Damon growled, getting up off of Katherine and walking back over to the barrier, looking down at Alexis on the ground.
"Where the hell's that witch?" He asked, to no-one in particular.
Damon watched the stairs, hearing footsteps coming up. He watched as a tall woman came up them and walked over to the room.
"Hey Kat." She said, watching as Katherine got up and walked towards her.
"Do you have it Lucy?" She asked. The woman nodded, grabbing a pink stone out of her purse.
"How'd you get the moonstone?" Stefan asked, Lucy ignoring him.
"After I give you this, my debt is done, I owe you nothing-" Katherine cut her off.
"Yes, now give it to me." She said, grabbing it from Lucy's outstretched hand. As soon as she grabbed it, she started choking, and fell to the ground.
"Wait! Elena-" Stefan began, only to have Lucy cut him off.
"Is fine, Bonnie is with her. The seal on this room is gone." She bent down, "You should've told me she was a Bennett, Katherine." Katherine's eyes closed as she became unconscious.
Damon rushed to Alexis, immediately tearing his wrist open and placing it in her mouth. Stefan ran over, watching them intently. Alexis opened her eyes, looking up at Damon, her eyes full of confusion as she began gagging on his blood.
"It's okay, Alexis, you need to drink it." Stefan said, he could see the fear in her eyes.
"Go check on Elena. I've got her." Damon said, pulling his wrist from Alexis' mouth. Stefan nodded and sped off to find Elena.
"Eww." Alexis whined, wiping Damon's blood off of her mouth. Damon chuckled. She tried to sit up, only to have Damon hold her down.
"Give it a few, to work through your body." He said, watching as she closed her eyes.
"Thank you." She said. Damon smiled.
"Thought I told you to stay with Elena?" He said, causing her eyes to shoot open.
"I couldn't! Elena was hurt, I-" She cut off. "I couldn't just let her die Damon."
"I know. Thank you." She looked up at him.
"What?"
"Thank you, for stopping me. I don't know what I would've done if I would've killed Elena." Alexis smiled.
"You're welcome."
"Look, I hate to break this up, but we need to do something with Katherine." Lucy said, causing both Damon and Alexis to look at her. "We can't just leave her body here, she's gonna wake up, and when she does, she's gonna be pissed." Damon looked at Alexis.
"I know where we can put her."
30 minutes later
Alexis stood back as she watched Damon place Katherine in the tomb. He walked out, listening to Lucy as she said an incantation. She nodded at Lucy, who turned to leave now that she was finished.
"Good luck." She said, Lucy smiling at her as she walked out. Alexis heard a gasp as Katherine woke up.
"What the?" She said, standing up, seeing Damon and Alexis standing in front of her. She ran forward, smashing into the barrier. "What is this?" She spat.
"Welcome to your new home Katherine... Where you should've been all along." Damon said. Katherine look around, realizing she was in the tomb. Damon began closing the door.
"No! Wait!" Katherine yelled, causing Damon to stop and look at her. "You need me! Don't do this Damon, you need me!" Damon shook his head, closing the door more. "Elena is in danger!" Damon stopped, looking at her.
"From what?" Katherine kept her mouth shut. "More lies." He said and shut the door more.
"NO! Wait! Damon, please! Damon!" She yelled as Damon shut the door completely. "You need me! DAMON!" He heard her yelling from behind the door. Damon turned, sighing.
"You okay?" Alexis asked him. Damon just looked at her. "What am I saying, of course you're not okay, you just locked the woman you loved up. I'm so sorry. I didn't-" She cut off, Damon's lips crashing into hers. Just as she was about to pass out from lack of oxygen, Damon broke the kiss. "You really know how to shut me up." She said, breathlessly, Damon grinned.
Damon grabbed her, smashing her softly against the wall of the tomb, kissing her. He pinned her against the tomb, kissing up and down her neck. Just as he felt the urge to bite her, her phone began ringing. She groaned, loosening her arms out of his grip and grabbing her phone.
"Hello?" She said. She was quiet for a few seconds, listening to the person on the other line. "What?" She yelled, causing Damon to look at her. "Oh my God." She looked at Damon with tears in her eyes. "Elena's missing."