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Disclaimer: Still not ours…..

1864

Elena POV

I stood transfixed, in the doorway, staring at my doppelganger, who lay comatose on the floor. Foreboding flooded my gut, though I couldn't have said exactly why. All I knew was that the vague impression of seeing what looked like my own motionless body on the floor was causing a chill to snake its way up my spine.

A second later, a confused and shocked looking Stefan barrelled past me, struggling into his shirt as he left the room. A few seconds later came the echo of his footsteps as he went down the stairs, followed by the slamming of the front door.

And then, silence.

I was aware of Damon's presence, right by my side, but he, like me, seemed unable to speak. I couldn't believe that after a month of waiting, this night had finally come.

Giuseppe's voice broke the silence. 'Elena.' It was the first time he'd ever addressed me by my first name, and the sound made my stomach plummet. This could not be good.

A second later, he'd crossed the room, holding my wrist in an iron grip. 'This has gone on long enough. Tell me the truth, now,' he said harshly, yanking on my wrist so that I turned to face him.

Damon stepped forward, taking my other hand, though his grip was very different to his father's. 'Let her go, Father. She has nothing to do with this.' His voice trembled slightly with anger, but he met his father's gaze steadily.

Before I could answer, Katherine stirred on the floor, moaning slightly. The sound briefly distracted Giuseppe, but before I could try to pull away, he'd tossed Damon a length of rope he'd somehow procured from his pocket.

'Tie her up, son.' He commanded. 'Your brother should be back soon with the Sheriff.' When Damon didn't move, he added, sighing deeply, 'I won't harm Elena, Damon, but what do you think Katherine would do to all of us if she woke up unrestrained?'

Damon, apparently seeing the logic in this, dropped my hand to kneel beside Katherine and started tying her hands together. It was beyond me what use rope would be if Katherine woke up, but I supposed it was better than nothing.

'I know you're not a vampire,' Giuseppe said flatly, turning back to me. 'I've watched you eat food spiked with vervain. Did you know about your cousin?'

'N-N-No,' I stammered, terrified. 'I….I haven't seen her in years.'

Before Giuseppe could question me further, we were interrupted by the arrival of Stefan and Sheriff Forbes. I didn't think I'd ever been so happy to see Stefan before in my life.

The Sheriff roughly pushed Damon aside, kneeling to replace the ropes binding Katherine with chains.

'You three get out of here,' Giuseppe growled, shepherding us out of the room. 'Stefan, take a weapon, go outside and help the Council. Damon, see that Miss Pierce is safe.'

'Don't take her! Please Father!' Stefan begged as he watched Sheriff Forbes restrain Katherine. Apparently, despite having brought the Sheriff, he wasn't ready give up. He turned to face his father, his eyes full of silent appeal.

I didn't miss the glare Sheriff Forbes shot Giuseppe at this, nor the way Giuseppe looked at his son as he realised that Stefan was probably ruining everything he'd done to convince the Council that both his sons could be counted on to aid them in the fight against the vampires.

I jumped as Giuseppe slammed his son up against the wall, his voice shaking with fury. 'Do you know what they'll do to you if you're branded a sympathiser? You'll be killed along with them.' He shook Stefan hard, then let go in disgust. 'If you're not going to help, stay out of this.'

Stefan, whose eyes hadn't left Katherine's face, silently left the room, heading down the stairs. Damon and I followed as one, knowing what he was about to do.

Sure enough, Stefan crashed through the door of his father's study, barely pausing for even an instant before reaching for a rifle that hung on the wall beside the desk.

'Stefan. Wait.' Damon's voice was gentle, soothing. He laid a hand on his brother's shoulder, trying to calm him, but Stefan recoiled away from the touch, spinning to face us.

'I have to save her, Damon.' His voice was manic, and he was breathing hard, as if trying to stave off a panic attack. He was gripping the rifle in his hand so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. 'I have to.'

'Stefan. Listen to me.' Damon tried again. 'She was manipulating you. You don't really love her, Stefan. She's being using you to spy on us. I know it's hard, but you have to believe me. It's better for you this way.'

Stefan seemed to be calming down slightly – his breathing eased as he looked at his brother, and his grip on the rifle relaxed. I felt a cautious sense of relief, but tried not to get my hopes up. There was no way it could be this easy.

Damon, who also seemed to have dropped his guard somewhat, stepped back from his brother, indicating me. 'You should listen to what Elena has to say, Stefan. She can explain this to you.' He glanced at me, somewhat questioningly. I nodded. At this point, Stefan deserved to hear at least part of the truth.

Apparently, drawing attention to me had been a mistake. The second Stefan's eyes landed on my face – so like Katherine's – I saw the fury come back into them.

'This is your fault, isn't it?' He took a step towards me, his voice low and threatening. Damon moved forwards, attempting to put himself in between me and his brother, but Stefan pushed past him. 'Katherine never trusted you. When you came it worried her.'

'Stefan, I didn't cause this, I promise you.' I pleaded, trying to reason with him, although I knew deep down it probably wouldn't be much use. He had loved – or thought he loved – Katherine, and after what he'd just seen, I knew I couldn't blame him for being terrified and confused.

Just then, we heard a commotion in the hallway behind us, and the three of us turned to see Giuseppe and the Sheriff carry Katherine outside between them, her face now covered by some sort of muzzle. Stefan gave an involuntary cry of pain and followed, still clutching the rifle.

The moment his brother was gone, Damon's arms were round me. 'Are you ok?' he whispered. I could feel his lips moving against the top of my head.

'I'm fine,' I replied, my voice shaking slightly at the memory of the look in Stefan's eyes as he'd advanced towards me. I couldn't stop myself from leaning into Damon, hugging him back. 'We need to stop him. If he tries to release Katherine, he's going to get himself killed.'

'I know, Elena.' I felt his nod against my scalp. 'I'll go and get him…convince him to come back somehow. You wait here. You'll be safe – you said none of the vampires can come in unless one of us invites them. I'll make sure that Stefan's safe.'

I pulled out of Damon's arm, staring at him in horror. 'I'm coming with you!' I said, as firmly as I could. 'Or you'll get yourself killed too, or had you forgotten that part?'

The look in his eyes told me what I needed to know. 'Damon….you can't seriously let yourself be turned just for….me.' My voice was so quiet that I wasn't sure at first if he'd heard.

'You wait here, Elena. I'll be back soon,' was all he said before sprinting out of the room. A second later, I heard the sound of a key turning. He'd locked me in.

Fury surged through me, drowning out the terror I'd felt since we'd returned to this house as I cursed Giuseppe for leaving the key to his study in the door. I couldn't just sit here. In 2010, when Stefan was being tortured by the tomb vampires, Damon had tried to stop me from helping in the rescue attempt, and had ended up needing me. I definitely wasn't going to stand by and wait, when he might need me again.

'What kind of idiot lets himself become a vampire on purpose knowing what's going to happen?' I fumed silently, as I examined the study window, grateful for the experience provided to me by our recent foray into breaking and entering. I was steadfastly ignoring the warmth that filled the pit of my stomach every time I thought of how Damon had said he was willing to go through 145 years of pain just to meet me. Part of me knew it wasn't my decision to make but still – he shouldn't have to go through that. It would be far better if we stuck to our original plan.

I grabbed Giuseppe's desk chair, wincing slightly at its weight, and swung it at the window behind the desk. My first swing served only to crack the crack the glass, but the impact of the collision jarred painfully through my body. Gritting my teeth, I raised the chair a second time, swinging it as hard as I could. This time, the window shattered, tiny pieces of glass flying everywhere. I ducked instinctively, managing to protect my face from the worst of it, although my wrists and forearms stung badly from several small cuts.

Ignoring this, I gingerly hoisted myself through the window frame, dropping to the ground outside and immediately breaking into a run for the gates.

It was already dark outside, and the wind tore at my skin, making my cuts sting worse, but I barely noticed as I left the grounds of the Salvatore house. Despite the late hour, people were everywhere, and there was carnage everywhere I looked. The Council, were everywhere, carrying pitchforks, rifles and chains. Jonathan Gilbert stood in the centre, watch in hand, shouting directions. It seemed everywhere I looked a vampire was being dragged off.

My conscience pricked me. I hadn't expected to feel anything, had expected to be able to save the Salvatore brothers and then walk away. But now that I was here….could I really stand by and let this happen? Did these vampires deserve to spend the next century and a half rotting in a tomb if we failed tonight?

Pulling myself from my thoughts, I searched the masses desperately, needing to find Damon before it was too late, but there was no sign of him. I sprinted through the town, staying the shadows, avoiding the Council and finally spotted both Salvatore brothers on the edge of the wood, standing by what looked like a carriage. Even from this distance, I could sense Damon's frustration, could see it in his movements, in the way he kept trying to get his brother to leave with him.

It hit me suddenly. Stefan had told me Katherine had been locked in the carriage, along with several other vampires, ready to be taken to the church. He and his brother had gone to free her….and that's when they'd been shot.

There was no time to think. I made the connection, and then I was sprinting. I came a halt, gasping beside them, clutching at Damon's sleeve.

'Elena! What are you…?' Damon's eyes were wide with shock.

'You need to move. Now. We all do.' I panted, cutting him off. 'Now, Damon!'

He hesitated, but only for a split second.

'She's right, Stefan. 'Let's go. We can discuss this when we're not out in the open.' Damon turned to face his brother, only to discover that Stefan had taken advantage of our moment of distraction to shove a key into the lock on the carriage, yanking the door open. Katherine lay just inside it, still bound, only her eyes visible above the muzzle. Stefan reached for her, pulling her out.

'Where did you get that key?' I gasped, while Damon simply attempted to wrestle his brother away from the carriage. The two of them fell to the ground, Stefan still holding Katherine in his arms. Ignoring both my question and Damon, he reached for her face, fingers searching for a way to undo the muzzle.

I'd been standing there, frozen in shock, but the sight of Stefan trying to free Katherine snapped me out of it. 'Damon! I gasped. 'We have to go!'

Damon disentangled himself from his brother, taking my offered hand and scrambling to his feet, but before we could take even a step, a gunshot shattered the night, following by a strangled cry. Damon immediately dropped to the ground, pulling me with him, trying to use his own body to protect me from danger.

I leaned around him, trying to see what had happened, even though part of me was sure I already knew. Sure enough, Stefan had crumpled to the ground, blood leaking from a wound in his chest. Even though I knew he'd come back in a few hours, my heart sank like a stone. We'd failed. Despite our best efforts, we hadn't been able to prevent Stefan from turning. Tears welled up in my eyes. The sight of my future boyfriend – someone I loved – lying there, dying, tore me apart.

And if Stefan had been shot...that meant….I braced myself for the second shot, for the pain that would come with the knowledge that I'd failed to save Damon, too. But it didn't come.

'Father?' Damon's voice was full of shock and revulsion as he rose to his feet to greet the shooter: Giuseppe, who was now striding towards us, rifle in hand, flanked by various men I vaguely recognised. Even though he'd known what his father was going to do, it was clear that the reality of it had still shocked him. I scrambled to my feet as well, moving to Damon's side.

'I had to,' Giuseppe stated flatly, his voice completely devoid of any emotion. 'He was a sympathiser, Damon. He chose the vampires over his family.' His voice softened. 'I saw you trying to stop your brother, son. I know you tried to help us.'

Damon looked as if he was simultaneously fighting off tears and the urge to strangle his father. Instinctively, I moved closer to him, reaching for his hand.

Bang.

My stomach exploded with pain, and I sank to the ground. 'What? No!' my subconscious was screaming at me. This wasn't meant to happen. I wasn't meant to have been hurt. If I died here, in 1864...what did that mean? My thoughts swirled in my head, becoming less and less comprehensible as pain took over. My abdomen felt like it was on fire. Barely conscious, I slumped on the ground.

'Elena? ELENA!' I could feel Damon shaking me, but it seemed as if his voice was coming from a long way away. 'You're going to be fine, I promise, I'll find a way to help you….' His voice broke as he reached for my hand, squeezing it tightly. 'Father, why? She wasn't a vampire, she had nothing to do with this!'

'Leave her, son.' It took all the strength I had to raise my head a few inches off the ground, but I was able to see Giuseppe towering over me, his voice ice cold. 'She may not be a vampire, but she was something supernatural. There's no way she could have looked so like Katherine otherwise.'

He pulled Damon roughly to his feet, physically dragging him away. I could see Damon doing his best to resist, and in the end it took the strength of three Council members to hold him.

White spots were starting to dot my vision, and every breath felt like I was drawing sandpaper into my lungs, but I struggled with all my might to hold onto consciousness. I had to keep going. Damon would find a way to come back for me. I knew it. Giuseppe pointed at Katherine will his rifle, addressing a guard who stood with him who I hadn't noticed before.

'Put her back in the carriage and take them to the church.' He ordered harshly. The rifle swung round, its butt now pointing at me. 'Leave her where she is, do you hear me?'

The guard nodded, kneeling by Katherine's body and adjusting the muzzle, which Stefan had almost pulled off.

'Hold on, Elena!' I heard Damon yell as his father pulled him away.

I closed my eyes, trying with all my strength to hold on to the memories I had of him, to remember what it had felt like when he kissed me in the woods. He would come back. I had to believe it.

'Well, looks like I'm going to get my way after all, doesn't it, cousin?' The familiar, poisonous voice came from above me, and with a huge effort, I wrenched my eyes open.

Katherine stood above me, no longer bound, a triumphant smile spreading across her face.

'Thank you,' she said sweetly, turning to the guard, who now held the muzzle and chains that had restrained her. 'I knew you'd come through for me.'

It hit me then, realisation cutting through my pain-fogged mind. Pearl had told Damon that Katherine had had one of the guards under her spell – that she'd convinced him to free her in exchange for a promise to turn him. I'd forgotten that one detail, and that mistake had probably just cost me my life.

'Go to hell, Katherine,' I said, with as much venom as I could muster. Unfortunately, my voice sounded pitifully weak, even to me.

'I don't think so.' She leaned towards me, still smiling. 'I intend to leave this town. Unfortunately, though, I think there are some people who would notice that I was missing, and we don't want that.'

She passed her wrist across her mouth, opening a vein, then shoved her arm into my mouth.

I tried to resist, I really did. But her blood filled my mouth, choking me until I had no choice but to swallow it. The effect was immediate. The pain receded, my mind thankfully clearing. Unfortunately, with clear thought came overwhelming terror. I had vampire blood inside me. If I died now, I would turn.

When Katherine was satisfied that she'd healed me, she stood back, towering over me on the ground.

'Take her,' she commanded the guard, her voice as casual as if she was asking for the time.

I struggled against him as he used the chains to bind me, but I was still weak and he overcame me easily. Finally, he slipped the metal muzzle over my head, lifting me up and carrying me towards the carriage.

The carriage full of bound vampires, headed for the tomb.

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