A/N - Hello everyone. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thank you for all your reviews, favorites and follows, as well as all of you who just came to check it out.
I am especially thankful to DreaminOfLove22 and Parodychick for their many reviews. You guys are amazing.
Damon walked dazed back to a seat at the bar. His brother's conversation with that guy had obviously been private, so of course Damon had decided to follow them outside. Damon had hidden around the front corner of the building, listening and watching when he could to everything that happened. The man had been a vampire, and he had attacked Stefan. Damon had been about to jump out and help his brother, when another vampire showed up.
Damon had to do a double take before he realized who the second vampire was. It was Elena. He knew he shouldn't have been surprised, but he hadn't even considered the possibility that Stefan would know about it. He had done everything in his power to keep his little brother away from it all. He had even made him wear vervain.
Being part of the council, Damon was pretty sure that the first thing they would have wanted him to do was call it in. They wanted to know exactly who all the vampires in the town and if they found out about Elena, they would probably kill her. But Damon knew just how much his brother loved her and he couldn't bring himself to call the Sheriff.
The sun had just set and Katherine was finally standing outside the door of the person she had originally come to this town to see. Normally, Katherine would have gotten straight to the point and threatened someone in order to get what she wanted by now, but this time was different. With her sister in town and a council on the lookout for rogue vampires, Katherine wasn't going to take any chances.
But now it was finally time. Katherine walked up the front steps and knocked on the door. Again, not her normal style, but she needed to be invited in first. There was a moment as someone came to get the door and then it swung open.
In front of Katherine stood a brunette, a few inches shorter than her, with olive skin.
"Hello?" The girl asked.
"Are you Bonnie Bennett?" Katherine asked. After years of wanting this, she needed to make sure she had the right person. Nothing could go wrong.
The girl, Bonnie, nodded. "Yeah, who are you?"
Katherine stared into Bonnie's eyes. "Someone you want to invite in."
Bonnie looked confused. "Why would I want to invite you in?" she asked.
Katherine was slightly taken aback by the fact that Bonnie couldn't be compelled, but she played it off. "Because I have an offer I don't think you will be able to decline."
Bonnie narrowed her eyes. "I don't want to buy anything." She was about to close the door as Katherine rolled her eyes. "You witches. You really are hard to please."
The door swung all the way open, Bonnie suddenly very interested in what Katherine had to say. "What do you want? Who are you?"
Katherine smiled, glad she finally had the witch's full attention. "I want you to do a spell for me."
Bonnie shook her head. "I can't. I'm still learning about all this stuff. My Grams just told me about who I am a few weeks ago. Why don't you ask her for help?"
Katherine sighed, hating the answer to that question. "Look, I need you to make me a daylight ring."
Bonnie's eyes went wide. "You're a vampire"
Katherine nodded.
Bonnie stood resolute in the safety of her doorway. "I won't do anything for you. Witches don't get involved in vampire business."
"Oh well that's a shame. I guess you won't get involved when I kill one of your friends then." Katherine shrugged. "Vampire business and all."
Bonnie stared at Katherine with a look filled with hatred. "I won't do anything for you." The door slammed shut.
Katherine turned and walked down the stairs. "Wrong answer."
Elena broke into a run as she ran over to her old friend and gave her a giant hug. "Lexi! I can't believe you're here. It's so nice to see you." Lexi hugged her back. Elena pulled away. "What are you doing here?"
Lexi shrugged and smiled. "I missed you." He smile faded and she got a serious look on her face. "Elena, I followed a vamp here. Klaus sent him. I don't know why, but if we know anything about Klaus, it's that nothing he does is good. I wanted to warn you."
Elena nodded. "Yeah, I think I just met him. He gave me a message. Lexi, he said he was coming."
Stefan cleared his throat and Elena remembered that he had no idea who Lexi was. She stepped back and gestured to her blond haired friend. "Stefan, this is my longtime friend Lexi. Lexi, Stefan." Elena wondered she should tell Stefan what Lexi was. She decided that he ought to know, now that he know about her. "She is a vampire too."
Lexi threw a surprised glance at Elena. "He knows what you are?" she asked.
Elena nodded again. "Let's head back inside. I could use a good drink."
The trio headed around the corner and in the front door of the Mystic Grill.
Katherine done had enough waiting around. She had stalled and stalked. She had a spy in the council and her sister had no idea of her true intention. The Bennett's refusal to help wouldn't last long. The girl was new to the whole business of working with vampires, which provided an interesting opportunity to Katherine. Bonnie didn't know that no one was allowed to help Katherine.
If the Bennett Girl didn't want to help, what she needed was a little push. Katherine had been in Mystic Falls long enough to get an idea about who mattered to who. Bonnie's best friend was Caroline. So maybe what Bonnie needed was a little push to make her realize how dangerous it was to refuse Katherine what she wants.
Katherine walked into the hospital. The fact that she looked like Elena probably helped. She made her way to Caroline's room with no difficulty.
Caroline was laying on the bed watching some show on the TV. "Elena?" she asked when she saw Katherine walk into the room.
"You know, it really is entertaining that so many people mistake me for her." Katherine said to Caroline, who, as the speech continued looked increasingly more confused. "We Pierce's are so different. But you know what, maybe we aren't so different after all. No matter how hard she tries, she is still a vampire. She will and has cracked, and when that happens, that's when we see her true colors. We both want the same thing in the end. To live and love. That's just the Pierce way. We are survivors and we are lovers. We know how to do both. She has her friends, and I have my allies. I will soon have my own ring, thanks to you," Katherine nodded at Caroline at this. "And we will be ready, come what may. The council, Klaus, anything else the universe has to offer, we will be ready."
Katherine finished her speech and looked down at Caroline, who was cowering as far as she could manage to get from Katherine. She obviously thought her visitor was insane.
"Oh Caroline, I'm sorry it has to end like this, but I need to send a message to a certain witch." Katherine reached down and snapped the pretty blonde's neck.
Before anyone could come running, the one hundred and fifty year old vampire was gone.
End of book 1