"Sorry I've got to do this stupid Council shit," Damon said, slinging his jacket over his shoulder. He looked a little strange in his Timberwolves T-shirt, unbuttoned vest, and tuxedo slacks. "Carol's being a little needy, and I want to make sure she hasn't entirely defected to Team Klaus."
Elena shouldered her backpack with a little shrug. "Don't sweat it. I'll be at school all day anyway. We'll go Katherine hunting this afternoon," she said.
"Yeah, I'll see if I can't get Stefan to tell me where she's staying. He owes me one after last night," Damon said. He leaned down to kiss her goodbye, but stopped, lips hovering just over hers. "I told you I only sent you one tame little dream. What other dreams have you had about me all on your own?" He narrowed those blue eyes at her, and she smiled, cheeks growing hot under his gaze.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" She kissed him.
"Hmm. I'll get to the bottom of this yet. Later, Ric," Damon said with a little wave as he let himself out.
Elena turned, surprised to see the teacher standing in the doorway leading to the kitchen. "Oh, hey. Didn't know you were there."
"Didn't figure you'd be making kissy faces if you did," Ric said wryly.
Elena gave a sheepish smile. "Sorry."
Alaric shook his head. "Not so worried about that. I'm more curious about why you lied to Damon."
"Huh? What're you talking about?" she asked nonchalantly, shifting her backpack to the other shoulder. Shit. How did he know?
"You have this little muscle that twitches in your jaw when you're lying," he said, indicating the area on his own face. "Jenna did the same thing." He fell silent for a beat, eyes wistful. "Plus, you don't typically take a crossbow, a dozen quarrels, three stakes and two vervain grenades to school with you." He folded his arms across his chest. "That seems a little excessive, even for Mystic Falls High. Where are you really going?"
Damn. She'd thought he'd been sound asleep when she raided his weapons closet. She supposed that with everything that had happened to him lately, it made sense he was a little possessive of his slayer stash. "I'm going to see Katherine," she said with a defiant little toss of her head. "Maybe kill her."
Ric raised his eyebrows. "Any particular reason?"
Elena sighed. "Did you know vampires can get into your dreams?"
"You didn't?"
"No. Why doesn't anyone tell me these things?" Elena asked crossly.
"Sorry, figured you knew. So Katherine's been stalking your dreams, and you're going to kill her for it?Why not just wait for Damon?" Ric said.
"That's the short version. And if Damon's there, it'll just get...complicated." If they went in to confront her together, Katherine would use him, confuse him, spin his head and make everything worse. That was her game, and she was good at it. The whore. No, this had to come down to doppelganger versus doppelganger. "You gonna stop me?" Elena tightened her grip on the shoulder strap of her backpack. She thought the hard part would be getting Damon out of the house; she'd never counted on having to evade Ric.
Alaric looked at her, his head canted to the side. "There are only three things I have going for me in this world right now: You, Jeremy, and as much as it pains me to admit it, Damon. Without the three of you, all I've got is a bottle," he said.
"That can't be all-" Elena started, desperate to reassure him.
"I know, I know, I've got so much to live for. Like a dead wife who left me to become a vampire, a dead girlfriend who also became a vampire, and a quasi-girlfriend who's probably a serial killer," Alaric said with a tiny smile. "I'm not looking for sympathy; I'm just telling you the truth. Because I want you to be careful." He fixed her with a long, serious stare. "Besides, that crossbow you picked is way too small to take that bitch out. Let me get you something with a little more oomph."
The stairs at Mrs. Flower's Bed and Breakfast creaked under Elena's feet. No matter how hard she tried to sneak, this old house seemed designed specifically to take away any stealthy advantage she might have had. Not that she could really sneak up on a vampire anyway, but it made her feel better. Glancing around for the old landlady, Elena eased the crossbow out of her bag, drawing a bolt back. It was a bit larger than what she and Ric had practiced with in the past, but in close quarters, he'd assured her this was what she needed. Stefan had already let Katherine's location slip the night before, and here she was.
Elena stood in front of the door, wavering. Was she insane? Was she really going to barge into the room, loaded for bear, and convince Katherine to leave town, to leave the two of them alone? Did she really think she could kill Katherine? It seemed unlikely. Her courage faltered. This was stupid. She should just go to school, pretend to be a normal girl for a day, and come back tonight with Damon. Who did she think she was? She wasn't brave, she wasn't ready to do this.
The door opened, and her mirror image, all bouncy curls and sly smile, poked her head into the hallway. She blinked at Elena in surprise. "You aren't room service. Wasn't expecting to see you here. Especially not with that," she said, looking at the crossbow with a smirk. "Careful or you'll hurt yourself."
Seeing the woman, hearing that mocking voice, strengthened her resolve. Katherine didn't want Damon, but she couldn't stand the thought of anyone else having him. She'd never let him go, never let him be happy as long as she lived. Elena lifted the crossbow, aiming for her double.
"Oh, that's so cute," Katherine patronized. Elena never saw her move, but she felt the weapon being wrenched out of her hands. Then Katherine was leaning against the doorframe again, unstringing the bow with practiced movements. "Please, Elena. That was just embarrassing for both of us."
Elena stood there defenseless, clutching her bag. There were other weapons in there, but Elena knew any attempt for the grenades or stakes would end in exactly the same way. Idiot. It didn't matter how fast or how strong she was; they were always faster. She swallowed hard. "Why are you still here, Katherine? Why aren't you running again?"
"Why don't you come in? Wouldn't want Mrs. Flowers to hear us, now would we?" Katherine stepped aside, beckoning Elena in.
Come into my parlor, said the spider to the fly, Elena thought with a tinge of hysteria as she stepped into the neat, old-fashioned little room. Katherine left the door slightly ajar. "There, do you feel better? Now the old bat can hear you if you scream." Katherine flopped down onto a bed strewn with designer dresses. "I've been expecting you. Thought you'd be here sooner. So let's chat," she said. "Rumor has it that Klaus is sweet on Caroline—tell me, is it true?" The vampire put her head in her hands, grinning at Elena like they were old gal pals.
Elena hovered near the door. Should she run? Should she scream? She never should have come, that was for damn sure. But she was here, and she was stuck. There was only one way out now. "I didn't come here to talk about them. You know why I'm here."
"Your doppelganger identity crisis. Yeah, that does kinda suck, doesn't it?" Katherine crossed her legs. "I remember when I first found out what I was and why everyone was so hot for my blood. Messes with your head, doesn't it?" She grinned. "Of course, I imagine it's even worse for you; at least I didn't wind up falling in love with Tatia's boy toys. Tell me, Elena, when did you realize that you loved them both?"
Elena edged into the room, perching awkwardly on the edge of a straight-backed chair, ready to flee at any moment. No, she'd have to play Katherine's game. This was how it was done. "One hundred and forty-six years you left them alone. Didn't just leave them alone—let them believe you were dead, even though it nearly destroyed Damon. Why did you come back?"
"What makes you think I came back for those two?" Katherine asked. "There's nothing particularly fascinating about the Salvatore brothers. They're easy on the eyes, sure, but a lot of men are. And with so much less baggage." She wrinkled her nose in a manner she obviously thought was adorable. "I heard there was a doppelganger in play, and that always makes life so much more interesting. So I came back. The boys were just a coincidence."
"You didn't come here because of me. You knew Klaus would find me eventually, and then he'd find you and make you pay for what you did all those years ago. Why did you come back for them?" Elena asked.
Katherine smiled ruefully. "Well played, Gilbert. Fine, maybe I did love them. And miss them. Just a little."
"Both of them," Elena said.
"They make such a pretty pair: Stefan with that broody pout and all those false morals he loves to bandy about, Damon with that cute little smirk and that bad ass act. Honey, you should've known him back in the day. What a pathetic little nancy he was," she said with a laugh. "The bad boy thing is all an act, but it's a vast improvement, let me tell you."
Elena stifled her urge to spring to Damon's defense...even though Katherine was sort of right. For all Damon's swagger and smirking, he was a good man. In his own way. "If he's so pathetic, why do you still want him?"
Katherine looked at her with mild confusion. "Why do I want Damon?" she shrugged. "Except for maybe a little tumble for old time's sake, you can keep him." She grinned. "Tell me, does he still do that trick with his teeth where he-"
"If you don't want him, then why won't you leave us alone?" Elena interrupted. "If Stefan's really the one you want, he's unattached. You can go after him to your heart's content. Just leave Damon and me alone. Please, Katherine. You said we were family—doesn't that mean anything to you?"
"More than you'll ever know," she said softly. Katherine seemed to be a thousand miles away, staring into a past Elena couldn't even begin to imagine. But then the moment passed and the simpering, smirking bitch was back. "But I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't seen either of you since I gave you that book. I've been being dreadfully good. It's so boring," she pouted.
"You're really going to try to convince me that you haven't been sending me all those dreams?" Elena demanded.
"She didn't. Doesn't have anywhere near the artistry those dreams took. Thought the curtains were a nice touch, myself," a voice drawled from the door. Both women leapt to their feet, staring at the door with identical expressions of wide-eyed fear as Klaus strolled into the room. "Hello, sweethearts."
See ya'all on Friday. ;)