Stefan

Of course it was only day one and she had only seen Stefan so far, but Katherine thought she was doing well. She felt she was in character.

She could already tell – there was nothing there. None of the spark she had used compulsion to generate so long ago and no chance of using compulsion now. Actually it was getting to be a bit of a bore – could she last for 4 days of this?

They were at a restaurant, when Damon entered, caught her eyes briefly, and went to sit at the bar.

"I knew it was a mistake to bring you here," Stefan grumbled.

"Why? Don't you trust him? Or is it me?"

"No. Of course I trust you. It's just that his skulking around lately is getting to me. I try to talk to him, but he won't."

"Then let me. You know I can get through to him sometimes."

Stefan looked uncertain. "I don't know…"

"Let me give it a shot. What would you like me to tell him? Just to cut out the skulking?"

"I hate to say it, but I want him to go back to the way he was before the Bonnie incident. At least he had no problem telling me what was on his warped mind."

"OK," Katherine said rising. "Tell you his every thought. Got it."

"Not his every thought. Ugh."

She went to sit by Damon. What had Elena said about him? "Keeping his distance." She wondered how he would react when she was so close.

"Can I sit for a minute?"

Damon just nodded towards the stool next to him.

"Still not talking to me? I did save your life."

Damon's look at her was harsh – almost a glare. "Do you mean the Bonnie incident or the other times?"

Katherine's first thought was 'other times?' What she said was "Remind me of the other times."

"Do you mean Founder's Day when you made Bonnie save me? Or at the tomb when you came in after me when you found out the witches were going to leave me there. Or in Atlanta which you told me not to forget. Why are you bringing this up?"

Katherine was shocked, but managed to keep it to herself. She knew about Founder's Day, but not the others. Elena had done that much for him?

"Why do you think I did all that, Damon?"

"I don't know. Apparently for Stefan."

"You think Stefan wants you alive and healthy?" Katherine was proud of herself – dropping occasional words such as the "do" at the front the question, like Elena sometimes did.

"It makes more sense than the alternative."

"Don't be so sure."

Damon just looked at her, but at least the glare was gone.

"Stefan wants you to talk to him," she said.

The glare reappeared on Damon's face. "Are we still on what Stefan wants?"

She was sure now - it had only taken this long for her to feel it. It was clear – nothing for Stefan, something for Damon.

"Stefan wants you to talk to him, and I want you to talk to me."

Damon laughed to himself. "Talking to you has never worked out so well for me."

"Give it a chance, Damon."

"I have. And I've heard what you've said."

She had no idea what he was talking about. "Remind me."

Damon shook his head. "It was bad enough when you said it. I'm not repeating it."

"Things change. See you at my house later?" she asked as she left, returning to Stefan without looking back. She would have normally been a bit firmer, but she was still in character.

She found Damon's eyes briefly as he left the restaurant just seconds later.

"How'd it go?" Stefan asked.

"I said what I wanted to - I mean what we wanted to say." Her eyes returned to Stefan. "He knows we want him to open up."

"And the skulking?"

"Sorry, I forgot about that. It'll have to be next time."

Bonnie

Katherine had been glad to see Stefan under calm circumstances that morning. It was at least one point of the exercise – figure out exactly what, if anything, she still felt for the Salvatore brothers. Stefan had been a disappointment. It was getting harder to put up with him. Maybe it would have been that way before – she did a lot of compelling to make him what he was then.

She was seriously thinking of avoiding him for the rest of the four days.

However, she was glad to have him with her now as they approached Bonnie's room. It was nearly sundown. She knew that Elena's routine the last couple of days had been for Stefan to bring her here, spend some time with Bonnie, and then leave Elena to stay until visiting hours were over. Then she would get a ride home with another friend whose grandmother was in the hospital now.

She let Stefan take the lead. It was not hard to say a few pleasant things - until Stefan excused himself and left earlier than she expected. Had he misinterpreted her hesitation to talk as her wanting to be alone with Bonnie?

This four day switch with Elena was her choice. So many reasons to end it early, though – Stefan and Bonnie. But she intended to keep her promise – she would try to act as Elena would.

"You OK?" Bonnie asked. She had realized that Elena was acting a little weird.

"I am." Katherine moved to stand next to her. Her eyes were drawn to the bracelet.

Bonnie, noticing what she was looking at, asked "Were you able to talk to Katherine yet?"

"No."

Bonnie grimaced.

"But I think I'll see her soon. I'm sure she won't leave me alone forever. Will you do as she asks? Will you help me if I need your help?"

"I won't do as she asks. I will do as you ask."

Now all Katherine had to decide was if that was enough.

Damon

Katherine was in the kitchen helping Jenna – not being very responsive to her inquiries – when they heard the knock at the door. She stayed in the kitchen but, of course, heard everything. She went as soon as she knew.

"Damon." Jenna said as she opened the door.

"May I see Elena?"

Jenna looked behind her at Katherine who was just arriving.

"If it's OK. We'll just talk on the porch."

Jenna nodded, "All right. Just keep it … " The aunt didn't know how to finish that statement.

"We'll keep it verbal," Katherine said as she led Damon to the porch and sat down. He remained standing.

"Don't you want to sit?" she asked.

"Not yet. You need to tell me what's going on."

Katherine really was not sure what he meant. "I don't know what you mean."

"Suddenly you're willing to see me. But you're still with Stefan? I don't believe it."

She held his eyes. "Things aren't always as they seem, Damon."

Damon remained standing. "I know that. Is this your way of telling me that you've seen Katherine again?"

Katherine shook her head.

"What then?"

Katherine had a decision to make. Should she tell him? Would it cause the damage she had promised Elena she would avoid?

"Please Damon. This is hard for me. Please sit down."

Damon sat next to her and faced her, though his expression did not soften.

"Damon, I know I've hurt you and I'm sorry. What I don't know is what will happen in the next few days. I don't know what I'll do, or what Stefan will do, or what you'll do. I do know I'll be counting on you, counting on your feelings for me not to change. I need that. I need to be able to rely on you, I need to know you'll help me. I need to know that whatever I do, whatever happens, you love me."

Damon looked into the eyes he knew so well, the eyes of the girl he loved so long ago and so recently. He couldn't help himself. He kissed her.

She had no intention of letting him kiss her the way he had so recently and he didn't try to. The door opened and they both turned to face an annoyed Jenna.

"Verbal?"

"Just using my mouth Jenna." Katherine was irritated.

"I'll go." Damon said, leaving.

"Damon, things are not as they seem," Katherine sounded a little desperate as she watched him walk out of sight. She entered the house without looking at Jenna.

"Elena," Jenna called after her, "I don't pry very often…"

Katherine cut her off as she started up the stairs. "And I respond even less often." She entered Elena's room and slammed the door.

OK, maybe just a little damage.

The Trouble

Katherine had decided that one day was enough. She couldn't take anymore of the new Stefan, she was done with Bonnie, and she had tried to pass the message along to Damon the previous evening. She was done. She was on her way to Bonnie's house to give Elena her boring life back.

She was walking at a normal pace, enjoying feeling the sun, trying to decide exactly what to say when a van screeched to a stop beside her. A man came out of the front passenger side and grabbed her. He was strong – she immediately recognized him as a vampire.

He opened the back of the van just enough to shove her roughly inside. She hit something and was immediately pulled into a sitting position by another vampire who also had a knife against her throat. She could see another vampire next to him.

"Stay quiet." He told her.

She did, though her mind was racing. First the calculation. Could she take them? Certainly the two in the back of the van with her now.

Then the realization – the vampire that had grabbed her was walking in daylight. There were not a lot of sources for charms that would allow vampires to do that. Whoever he was, at one time or another, she might have trusted him enough to do that for him.

And finally she recognized that the target was Elena. She was ready to massacre anyone involved.

But she held back. She decided to let things run their course – for now.