Chapter 23

Caroline went over to Rebecca's house to decided on a decade the next morning. What had happened between Cassie and Damon still fresh in her mind.

To her surprise Klaus was there.

"oh, I thought you were in Italy." Caroline said clearly worried.

"I was now I'm back" he said smoothly.

"well Rebecca and I were going to plan the dance here but if we need to do it somewhere else." She said.

"nonsense" Rebecca said walking into the living room "we are fine here"

Klaus put both of his hands in surrender. "I didn't say anything little sister." He said.

"he is right, I didn't want to interrupt." Caroline said.

"I'm just going to be in my study" Klaus said awkwardly and left the room.

"so" Rebecca said "where should we begin."

Stefan and Elena were sitting in the kitchen having breakfast and talking about last night.

"I cant believe she staked him" Elena said.

Stefan laughed "I cant believe she didn't kill him"

"are you talking about last night" Katherine said walking into the kitchen.

"because Damon is lucky Cassie wasn't killed after his stupid move."

Damon walked down after a few seconds of silence.

Katherine looked at Stefan who was grinning.

"so how are you feeling brother?" Stefan asked.

Katherine started laughing.

"shut up" he muttered pouring him a glass of O positive.

"we were just talking about last night." Elena said.

"I don't want to talk about last night" Damon growled.

"well tough" Katherine said "because we are."

"well if we are talking about last night why did you tell Cassie to stay away from me Elena?" Damon asked.

Elena glared at him while Katherine choked on her juice she was drinking. Stefan went silent a muscle twitching in his jaw.

"Damon" she hissed.

"I told you I didn't want to talk about last night." He said.

Katherine was shooting a look that would put Elena 7 feet down under if looks could kill.

"I have to go talk to Cassie." She spat at everyone in the room before leaving the three of them.

"Elena" Stefan began "is that true?"

Elena ran her hand through her straight hair "yes" she said.

"why?" Damon asked.

"because I was afraid you would leave me" she whispered "I feel like I lost my brother with this whole hunter thing and I just couldn't lose anybody else."

"so you told her to stay away!" Damon yelled.

"Damon," Stefan said "lets not try to blow this out of the water."

"I cant do this anymore" Damon said and he left the room.

Stefan took a breath before facing her.

"did you really think that telling her to stay away was the best way to go about it?" he asked.

"I didn't think she would go and blab to Damon the first chance she got." Elena said miserably.

Stefan just shook his head and walked out of the kitchen.

Katherine walked into the Gilbert's home. Jeremy saw her and he just pointed up the stairs. He knew something had happened with his sister last night but she wasn't talking.

Katherine didn't bother knocking she walked into Cassie's room and stopped. she couldn't go in the room. She saw Cassie on the bed, still in her dress from last night and completely passed out. She decided to just look at her room.

Dancer was the only thing she got out of snooping at her walls and stuff. She knew that dancing was a huge part of her life and her room just showed it.

"its creepy with you just standing there" Cassie called from her bed.

"I can't get in" Katherine said.

"come in" she mumble before rolling back over and falling back asleep.

Katherine took the opportunity to go through her desk. But stopped seeing what was sitting there.

A bottle of whiskey, Jeremy's training schedule and all the information the two of them could dig up on who her father was.

A sad smile formed on Katherine while she looked through the pages of information she knew by heart already.

Cassie's phone rang and she groaned and sat up.

"shit" she mumbled.

Katherine looked at her confused.

Cassie answered the phone.

"Elena to what do I owe this pleasure?" she asked.

Katherine rolled her eyes and sat next Cassie on the bed.

"I need to talk to you." Elena said.

Cassie leaned her head on the back wall.

"don't worry Elena I am staying away from Damon just like you asked." Cassie said.

"but you told him!" she yelled

Katherine blurred down the steps and started yelling.

"Cassie I need you down here Jeremy hurt himself trying to throw a dagger" she called.

Cassie smiled at her friend as she blurred back to the bed.

"oops Elena sorry I have an emergency bye" she said quickly hanging up before Elena could say anything else.

"your terrible" she said laughing at her friend.

"I know" she said simply. "look" she began ,but she was interrupted by Cassie's phone ringing again.

"its Caroline" she said before answering it.

"hel"

"Cassie I need you to get to Rebecca's house now!" she yelled interrupting Caroline.

"ok give me ten minutes" Cassie said and Caroline hung up the phone.

Cassie groaned and rolled off the bed grabbing a fresh pair of matching underwear, jeans, and a blue top she went to the bathroom leaving the door open so Katherine could still talk.

"continue" Cassie said

"I want to talk about Damon" Katherine said.

"ah well we have a problem because I don't want to talk about Damon" Cassie said tugging her jeans on.

"are you really going to stay away from him?" Katherine asked.

Cassie was braiding her hair in a side braid. "I already was staying away from him." She said. Walking back into her room she put on her locket form her jewelry box.

"Cassie you like him." Katherine said simply.

Cassie ignored her and went to putting on a light coat of base and mascara.

"ignore it all you like but there is a chemistry between you and Damon."

"no there isn't" Cassie said slipping her black ankle boots on.

"of course there is, everyone can see it, that's why Elena asked you to stay away from him." Katherine said getting up and walking down the steps with Cassie.

"Rin I don't have time to play a silly game of I like you but I like her too." Cassie said simply.

"Jer" Cassie called "Caroline needs me, call if anything happens"

"ok" Jeremy called back.

The two girls walked out into the driveway. "I graduated high school, I am not going to get sucked back into that drama." Cassie said getting into her car. "I'll call you when Caroline's emergency is over because I know your not done with the subject."

Katherine stared at her friend, her eyes were slightly bloodshot the only indication that she was anything beside the normal unemotional Cassie she wants everyone to believe she is. "good" Katherine said and blurred away.

Cassie knocked on the door of the manor and Klaus answered.

"hey, I didn't know you were back." She said "how was Italy?"

"very informative." He answered.

"that's good, but Caroline actually called me and said there was an emergency." She said.

Klaus laughed and opened the door letting her come through. "just wait till you hear it." he said.

The two of them walked into the living room.

"thank god" Caroline exclaimed "we have a problem"

"what's wrong?" Cassie asked.

"the masquerade dance the Lockwood's are throwing is on the same night we chose for the decade dance." Rebecca said.

"are you kidding?" Cassie asked while Klaus laughed behind her "that's your emergency"

"it is a fully qualified emergency Cassie, what are we going to do?" Caroline asked.

"call Mrs. Lockwood and see of you guys can just help with the masquerade." Cassie said.

"there is no way she is going to let us help" Caroline said

"you have to make it seem like its her idea." Cassie said.

"what?" Caroline asked sitting on the couch "that's never going to work this is a disaster."

"Care calm down" Cassie said pulling out her phone.

"hello?" the voice at the other end said,

"Carol, its Cassie" she said.

"Cassie how are you?" she asked.

"I'm glad you asked that because I actually have a problem." Cassie said.

Klaus, Caroline, and Rebecca all sat on the couch while they watched Cassie work her magic on Mrs. Lockwood.

"what's wrong?" she asked.

"apparently the decades dance at the high school is the same night as your dance" she informed her.

"oh no, well we cant cancel the masquerade." Carol said quickly.

"nor would I ask you to, but Caroline and I were talking and she doesn't want to try and compete against what I am going to assume is an amazing dance for people to come." Cassie said. "so we were wondering maybe you had a solution?"

"well maybe Caroline and her comities could help with the party planning." Carol said after thinking about it for a minute.

"are you sure because I wouldn't want to put you in a position where you would think you had to." Cassie said.

"I would love the help." Carol said "just send the girls over to my house."

"ok I'll send Caroline and Rebecca over there now." Cassie said.

"sound great"

"see you later Carol" she said hanging up the phone.

"there you are my darlings." She said "you know Caroline she might be your mother-in-law soon you might want to learn how to deal with her."

"thanks Cassie" Caroline said giving the hug.

Rebecca also gave her a hug "we didn't know what to do thank you."

"guys it was seriously no problem, no go before carol yells at you for being late." She said laughing.

the two girls grabbed their bags and left quickly. Cassie turned to Klaus. "I do not miss high school" she said.

Klaus stood up "you should have been there when they first figured it out. I thought someone had died they were yelling so much."

Cassie giggled.

Klaus stared at her and noticed her locket. "that's beautiful" he said.

Cassie looked at him.

"your locket."

"oh thank you" she said.

"is there a story behind it?" he asked.

"a long one" she said.

Klaus smiled "I'm glad you are here actually I would like to talk to you about something love"

"sure" she said.

"I know what we need once we complete the hunters mark for the cure." He said.

"oh" she said. "so you know that"

"that I need some of your blood yes, I know" he said softly.

"then you need to know that you don't have to threaten me to stay." She said softly "or persuade me like you were doing with Katherine, I want to help my sister."

Klaus just nodded. "I promise then no tricks."

Cassie gave a small smile.

"I heard you took Jeremy hunting last night." He said wanting to keep the conversation with her still going.

"I did, he did really well actually, killed two vampires." She told him.

"that's good" he said.

Cassie was leaning against the frame of the entrance to the living room. Klaus took a step towards her while they were talking.

"do you want another copy of his mark the way it is now? Or do you just want the complete one?" Cassie asked her voice still soft not saying anything at the lack of space between the two of them.

"how much did it grow?" Klaus asked.

"Jeremy said its at his shoulder now." She said.

"how is he going to draw his own mark?" Klaus asked.

Cassie shook her head "I have no idea."

The two of them stood there staring at each other in silence for a while.

Klaus was studying her. Memorizing every detail of her face but something was wrong, her eyes were a bit bloodshot, anybody who wasn't looking at her more a extended length of time would of missed it.

"are you ok?" Klaus asked

Cassie looked at him a bit shocked that he asked.

"I'm fine" she said quietly.

Klaus looked at her. "Cassie I know what your opinion of me must be given what I have done to your family but please do me a courtesy and don't lie to me."

Cassie glared at him and stood up. "my opinion of you will be based on what I think and what I think alone, and as of now I haven't passed judgment, and as an answer to your question no, I haven't been ok for a while now." She finished before leaving the manor and getting back in her car.

Cassie was furious so she decided to grab her bag from the house and run off to the dance studio to let go of some steam.

Today she worked on her ballet. It was her favorite so she ran through all of her warm-ups before she started dancing.

"long time no see stranger." A voice came from behind her.

Cassie spun around. "Skyler?' she said running over to him giving him a hug. "what are you doing here?"

"I dance here I should be asking you that question." He said.

"I used to dance here" she said sticking out her tongue.

"still are as far as I can tell, what are you working on?" he asked.

"nothing really just dancing." She replied.

"well fate brought you here because we are having an open house for some big shot dance people and I need a partner." He said.

"I don't know" Cassie said "I haven't been to a class in a while."

"you still look as amazing as I remember." He said

"what are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm doing two numbers" he said "ballet and contemporary"

"please" he begged "you wouldn't leave your favorite dance partner hanging would you?"

she laughed "Skyler you were my only dance partner"

"which is why we work so fantastic together" he said. "for old time's sake"

"fine" he said finally giving in.

"great we can start with the ballet first" he said.

"what did you have in mind?" she asked.

He looked at her "the Black Swan pas de deux"

She put her face in her hands. "I hate you" she said. "how much of it"

"all of it" he said.

She gaped at him "that's 12 minutes of dancing"

"we did it once" he said.

"three years ago!" Cassie said "lets gets started."

Skyler smiled then, happy to finally have his dance partner back.

Stefan walked up to his big brother's room.

"Damon" he said.

"What Stefan?" Damon asked putting down his book.

"Its clear you like Cassie so why are you still trying to get Elena?" he asked.

"Why so curious brother, worried your not Elena's favorite." Damon asked.

"This isn't about her. I'm worried that if she does pick you, what about Cassie?" Stefan asked.

Damon stared at his brother and was about to say something when he was thrown against the wall.

"What the hell?" he groaned.

Katherine pushed him back against the wall "if you hurt her I will rip your organs from your body and feed them to you understand?" she growled.

"Got it," he gasped.

Katherine let go and Damon slumped to the floor. "That is the last time I ever see her upset over you" she threatened and walked out of the room.

Stefan stood there shocked at what just happened.

"Thanks for the help brother" Damon said standing up.

"She was a woman bent on a mission, I know better then to interrupt her." Stefan said.

Damon just glared at him then sobered up "do you really think she was upset?" he asked.

"Honestly I have no idea but if your so concerned why still fight for Elena?" Stefan asked.

Damon walked past his brother and left the boarding house without answering the question.

Stefan walked into the living room with Katherine.

"Was she really upset?" Stefan asked her.

He sat down on the couch next to her.

"No, I think she was hurt but she stayed up last night to look through the information we had on trying to find her dad." Katherine said.

Stefan nodded his head and the two of them sat.

"I know that what I did to you two was terrible and it broke the bond that you two had." Katherine said. "But you two are letting Elena do the same thing to you guys"

"I know" Stefan said. "But I love her Katherine,"

"Like you loved me?" she asked softly.

"Except I know her darkest secrets and instead of having her take away my fear I learn to accept it." Stefan said.

"Do you think you would have ever came to accept me?" Katherine asked.

"I guess we will never know" Stefan said.

Katherine nodded and the two sat in silence.

Cassie and Skyler finished the last lift of the dance. He put her back on the floor and she collapsed.

"Ug can we be done?" she whined, "I cant do anymore"

Skyler laughed, "That's what you get for not going to class for a while."

"I hate you," she moaned.

"Come on, let's go get a milkshake," he said helping her up

"Fine but your buying." She said.

Cassie zipped her jacket over her sports bra and grabbed her bag.

The two of them closed the studio and they left. And ran right into Damon.

"Damon" she said. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you." He said not looking at Cassie but staring at Skyler.

"Um Skyler this is Damon, Damon this is Skyler" she said introducing the two.

"Hey what 'sup man" Skyler said holding his hand out.

Damon ignored him.

Cassie rolled her eyes. "Damon I'll talk to you later we are going to get milkshakes at the grill." She said walking away from Damon.

But Damon grabbed her arm. "I need to talk to you." He said.

"Hey Cassie its ok I'll see you tomorrow" Skyler said leaving the two of them.

"What the hell?" Cassie asked. "Why were you so rude?"

Damon grabbed her arm and pulled her over to his car.

"Damon!" she yelled.

"Who is that?" he asked

"Who? Skyler?" Cassie said.

"Yes him the blonde" he sneered remembering what Katherine said about her last night.

"Why do you care?" she asked.

"Because you two were all over each other I can smell him all over you, plus look at how you are dressed." He growled.

Cassie looked down; she was in her spanks and a jacket covering her sports bra.

"Excuse me," she growled. "First of all, Skyler is gay, second he is my dance partner and you just saw us coming out of the dance studio, and third" she said. She slapped across the face. "How dare you" she turned around and walked away getting into her car.

Cassie stormed into the boarding house and saw Katherine, Stefan, and Elena sitting in the kitchen eating. She walked in grabbed Katherine's hand and dragged her upstairs to her room.

Stefan and Elena looked at each other with silent confusion in their eyes. Until three minutes later when Damon slammed the door when he came in. he walked into the kitchen and poured himself a drink.

"Damon?" Stefan asked

"Don't want to talk about it Stefan." He said.

"Be careful, Cassie is here," Elena said.

Damon looked at her and nodded his that he understood before going upstairs to his room. Which happened to be across the hall from Katherine's.

"I'm gonna kill him" Cassie said pacing around the room.

Katherine was sitting on her bed watching her friend. "What happened?" she asked.

"Skyler and I were leaving the dance studio and we ran right into Damon who totally acted like a douche to Skyler before dragging me over to his car to yell at me for being all over him and dressing like a skank." She ranted.

Katherine started laughing.

"What is so funny?" Cassie asked stopping in front of Katherine.

"He is jealous," she said.

"Are you kidding me?" Cassie asked. "How dare he. He has no right to be! Jealous of Skyler, while he is doing go knows what with Elena. Plus he knows that I can't be near him."

"Can't be near him or wont be near him?" Katherine asked.

Cassie stopped. "Can't. Not until chooses." Cassie whispered "its to hard"

Katherine stood up and hugged her friend. "You have it bad" she whispered.

"I haven't felt this way since Mason" Cassie said.

"Ok, we can talk about this but first you need a shower." Katherine said

Cassie pulled away from her friend and smiled "fine" she said and walked into her bathroom.

"You can stay here, I have some extra clothes" Katherine yelled over the water.

"Got it," she hollered back.

Katherine walked across the hall to Damon's room and knocked on the door.

Damon opened the door.

"Fix it," she said before walking down the steps.

AN: Hello my fellow readers, I am thinking about putting together a pinterst board for this story so you can see Cassie's outfits and the ballet Skyler and Cassie are doing. You don't have to know exactly what happens in the dance for the story but as a just in case you want to know. Tell me what you think?

A pas de deux is a duet for ballet.

Hoped you enjoyed this chapter!