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Chapter 34: The Masquerade

Caroline showed up to the Salvatore house. Damon handed her a glass of blood, while she sat on the couch, "Here."

"I'm still shaking," Caroline took the glass.

Sakura sat down beside her when Stefan arrived, "What happened?"

"Go ahead, tell him. You're gonna love this," Damon crossed his arms.

"I saw Katherine today," Caroline stared at the glass of blood.

"Where?" Stefan inquired.

"At the grill. I just stopped by to gawk and…" Caroline explained that Katherine tried to pass as Elena, but she saw through her. Katherine wanted a message sent, that she wanted the moonstone or would rip this town apart until it rained blood, at the masquerade ball.

"She wants to do it in public. Killing Mason threw off her guard," Stefan explained.

"She's running scared. What she did to Jenna was desperate. She's out of tricks," Damon continued.

"We can't underestimate her. We have to play this smarter than her," Stefan pondered.

"Can we just give her the moonstone so she'll leave?" Caroline was really afraid.

"No, Katherine's not getting dick. I'm going to go to the masquerade ball and I'm gonna kill her, tonight," Damon growled.

"You're not going to kill her," Stefan frowned.

"If he's not, can I?" Sakura smirked.

"No!" Stefan was firm.

"Don't give me that goody goody crap," Damon rolled his eyes.

"You're not gonna kill her," he repeated.

"Why?" Sakura asked.

"Cause I am," Stefan replied.

They were coming up with a plan. Alaric came over with some weapons and Jeremy showed up wanting to learn how to kill a vampire, which Alaric was showing him how. Stefan had messaged Bonnie and she came over.

"Hey, come on in," Caroline answered the door.

"I got Stefan's message," Bonnie didn't seem too happy to be there.

"Hey, you brought the grimoire? Thank you," Stefan came up to her.

"What's going on?" Bonnie asked seeing weapons spread out on the table and Alaric talking with Damon.

"We're gonna kill Katherine," Jeremy came up to them.

"I can explain," Stefan rushed to explain.

"Please," Bonnie frowned.

"We're gonna kill Katherine," Stefan just repeated Jeremy.

Alaric started to explain to Jeremy, "This works with compressed air. The trigger mechanism is up here. I have two of these in a different size. For you I recommend this. It fits nicely under the jacket sleeve. You use the trigger when you're ready." Alaric pretended kill a vampire to demonstrate. Alaric noticed Damon and Stefan exchange glances, "He wanted me to show him how to kill a vampire".

Stefan talking to Bonnie about using a spell to trap Katherine, she thought it was dangerous, but needed. They gathered in the living room getting ready. "Are you sure you guys don't want me there tonight?" Alaric asked.

"No, I need you to stay with Elena. I don't want her to know about this," Stefan answered.

"Okay. Well, I'll make sure she doesn't leave my side," Alaric agreed to do it.

"Alright, if anyone wants to back out, I'll understand," Stefan looked at them all.

"Yeah. Cold feet's speak now. I don't want this going wrong with someone chicken's out. Caroline?" Damon automatically turned to her.

"I won't. Look, she killed me. Fair's fair. As long there's no werewolf running around," Caroline was definitely in.

"Oh, I took care of Mason," Damon smirked.

"As long as Tyler doesn't kill anyone, he won't turn," Jeremy informed them.

"Bonnie? Are you with this?" Stefan asked her.

"If you don't want to do it, I can probably pull it off," Sakura stated.

Bonnie looked at her seriously, "I can do it, and we need you on ground floor. But no one gets hurt."

"Except Katherine. Tonight Katherine gets a stake through her heart," Damon faked his stake action.

They knew the plan and Sakura headed with Damon and Stefan to the party, all of them were dressed up. Damon and Stefan in suits and Sakura in a deep, crimson dress with straps that had a black wrap around the waist, and flowed out in multiple layers from there to her knees. "It amazes me that you actually have all these outfits," Damon looked at her in awe.

"Blame Leilani, she loves to shop for this stuff. You guys look good in suits," Sakura smiled at them.

"Of course," Damon pulled on his suit a little.

"Leilani's supposed to be here with Tyler, make sure Katherine stays away from her," Sakura sighed.

"Sure thing," they continued to walk up to the front door. They were just outside the Lockwood Mansion now. "Do you see her?" Damon asked as they looked around.

"Nope. You're sure you can do this?" Stefan turned to him.

"Who are you talking to?" Damon pointed between him and Sakura.

"You, I had the chance to kill her and I hesitated," Stefan admitted.

"Well that is the fork in the road between you and me my friend. I don't hesitate," Damon glared at him.

"You spent 145 years loving her, it could happen," Stefan pointed out.

"I won't hesitate, I've moved on," Damon looked down at Sakura.

"Okay," Stefan smiled slightly when he looked away.

Sakura looked up at him, having trouble holding back a smile. Suddenly she felt something off, and Damon could see it with the shocked look on her face. "What's wrong?" Damon asked catching Stefan's attention.

"There's something else here, another witch maybe?" she thought, "And more than one vampire?"

"You're not including us right?" Damon asked.

"No," Sakura shook her head, "We're going to have to be extra careful..."

They put on their masks and headed in.

Damon and Sakura waited in an empty room. Stefan came in after disposing of Aimee's body, Katherine had killed her to try and push them. "I put the body in the trunk for now," Stefan informed them coming in.

"We'll dump her when we get back," Damon said, knowing exactly what to do.

"This is exactly why I didn't want it, Damon," Stefan frowned.

"Stefan, it's a collateral damage," Damon didn't want it affecting them.

"Right, which is why we need to cut it off," Stefan argued.

"What? Who's hesitating now? Hey! Don't do this to me!" Damon was getting angry.

"Guys, not the time for this," Sakura warned them.

"This woman ruined our lives, she destroyed us! Tonight it ends. We can do it together. We've got your back. Alright?" Damon pulled Sakura towards him when saying we.

"Alright," Stefan agreed.

Damon pulled out his phone and messaged Jeremy, it was his turn now. "Hopefully this doesn't take too long," Damon stared at his phone waiting for a response. He got a reply, "Okay time to hide, she'll be here soon." He pulled Sakura into the closet with him.

Sakura wasn't sure why he wanted to hide in there, but it sure was a tight spot, making it so they were very close. "Why are we hiding in here?" Sakura asked.

"So she won't see us and run before coming in," Damon explained.

"Small space..." Sakura trailed off.

"Just how I like'em," Damon smirked, not that she could see him in the darkness.

"I could probably take her out fast," Sakura bite her lip.

"You're here to stop her, not kill her. That might have an adverse effect," he explained. She's coming, he could hear her with Caroline.

"Where is she?" they heard Katherine come in.

"I did it. I really didn't think that I'll be able to fool you but I did it," Caroline laughed.

Stefan came out with a stake in his hand after Katherine found out she couldn't leave, "What the…? Stefan?"

"Hello Katherine," he greeted her.

"Goodbye Katherine," Caroline ran away.

"You don't really think that you can kill me with that now, do you?" Katherine asked smugly.

"No but he can," Stefan confused her.

Damon came out the closet, he had the compressed air weapon is his hands. He shot Katherine, the stake went into her back. Sakura came out beside him, she put her hand up, her eye's glowed and Katherine was sent flying into the wall. Stefan rushed over to Katherine and drove the stake through her arm. Katherine growled and tried to move, but Sakura put a little extra force to make sure she stayed there. Damon walked up to her, ready to stake her.

"Stop! You're hurting Elena! Everything you're doing to her is hurting Elena," Jeremy came in panting.

Damon stopped and stared at him in surprise. Katherine smiled, "You think you two are the only ones with a witch on your side? Wrong! And something tells me that my witch is better than your witch!" Damon backed away and set down his stake. Sakura stood, still staring at her, not letting her go. "Release me shadow user," Katherine spat, "Unless you want your brother to rip out your friend's throat.

"What? My brother wouldn't..." Sakura shook her head.

"He does whatever I tell him to," Katherine smiled. "Do you need proof?" Katherine was pointing out the fact that she couldn't move. Sakura let her go and glared at her. Katherine pulled out her phone and showed her a picture of Darien and Leilani.

"You..." Sakura growled and dark energy flared around her.

"Calm down," Damon whispered and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Aw, isn't that cute," Katherine commented.

"Jeremy, go check on Elena. Make sure she's okay. Then find Leilani, go!" Stefan commanded. Jeremy ran off right away.

"Let's all make sure poor Elena is okay. Just a little bit of pressure," Katherine smiled evilly. "Let's not forget Leilani, she did come here with Tyler, but I have other plans for her," Katherine circled Sakura, "So easy to get her to stray when she knows the person." Katherine picked up Damon's stake and cut her hand with it. Sakura quickly whipped the stake out of Katherine's hand, with on quick flick of her hand. The stake went flying into the wall. Katherine walked up to it and yanked it out, "This is really gonna hurt."

"Wait!" Stefan yelled out.

"I need to unbind them with a spell, or Bonnie," Sakura said to Damon.

"Okay. So, how about that moonstone?," Katherine sat down on the couch. "The three of us together just like old times, just one extra person here," she glared at Sakura, who returned it. "The brother who loved me too much and the one that didn't love me enough," she looked between Stefan and Damon.

"And the evil slut vampire who only loved herself," Damon stood beside Sakura with his arms crossed, looking down at Katherine. Sakura closed her eyes and put her hand on her head. "What are you doing?" Damon asked.

"Trying to remember the spell," Sakura grumbled.

"What happened to you Damon? You used to be so sweet and polite," Katherine asked.

"Oh that Damon died a long time ago, mostly," Damon whispered the last word as he put a hand on Sakura's shoulder.

"Good. He was a bore," Katherine played with her hair.

"Oh, why don't you two stop antagonizing each other," Stefan couldn't stand it.

"Where is the moonstone?" Katherine asked again.

"What do you want with it?" Stefan wanted answers.

"Does Elena enjoy having both of you warship at her alter?" Katherine was trying to mess with them.

Stefan looked at Damon, "That was really desperate, Katherine. Don't you think that we can see right through you?"

"So it doesn't bother you that Damon's in love with your girlfriend?" Katherine knew how to get under everyone's skin.

"Oh, stop it," Stefan rolled his eyes.

"Or what? You'll hurt me?" Katherine got off the couch.

"I might," Sakura recaptured her with her powers.

"Everything that I feel, Elena feels , so go ahead," Katherine prodded her. She looked at Damon, "Or better yet, kiss me Damon. She'll feel that too."

"Maybe I should just make you pass out," Sakura suggested.

"You know, this whole Mason thing has me a bit confused. Why a werewolf? The moonstone can break a curse that would help them destroy all vampires so what's in there for you?" Stefan questioned her.

"Sorry about your pet wolf, you should have been sure to keep him in a tighter leash," Damon smirked.

"I'll have to remember that for next time. He's not the only wolf in town," she hinted at her intentions.

"Damn it! Where is that witch?" Damon was getting impatient.

"We could play charades," Katherine relaxed when Sakura let her go, not wanting to waste too much energy.

"You bargained the moonstone," Stefan mumbled.

"What do you murmur about over there?" Damon asked.

"When you shopped a deal with George Lockwood, to help you fake your death, you told me that you gave George something he needed. It was the moonstone, wasn't it?" Stefan was finally figuring things out.

"Good for you, Stefan. 2+2… And it would have worked except that people found out that I wasn't in the tomb," Katherine grumbled. She looked at Damon, "Thanks to you by the way. Have I mentioned how inconvenient your little obsession with me has been?"

"You and me both, honey," Damon sighed.

"Why do you need it back?" Stefan continued.

"I love you in a suit, so dashing," she tried to change the subject.

"What were you doing with it in the first place?" Stefan glared at her.

"You're wasting your breath, Stefan," Damon said figuring she wouldn't answer.

"Unless it wasn't yours to begin with. In 1864 you faked your death. Who were you running from, Katherine?" he came closer to her.

"In 1987 you were in Chicago, at a concert of all places with that wrench Lexi. Come on Stefan, don't look so surprised. Of course I checked on you over the years. You were standing in the front row, dancing all night. You were watching Bon Jovi and I was watching you," she was avoiding it still.

"Who were you running from?" he persisted.

She mouthed I love you, to Stefan.

"Well Leilani is safe now," Sakura had turned around while they were talking.

"What are you talking about?" Katherine inquired. Sakura turned around with a smirked on her face and Katherine's phone in her hand. Katherine's mouth dropped, "When did you get that, you thief!"

"Wonder what else is in here," Sakura started to go through her phone.

"No!" Katherine tried to speed up to her, but Sakura already saw it coming.

Sakura flung her back onto the couch, "I don't think so," she waved a finger at her. Sakura started looking through it more. Her heart stopped for a moment and she dropped the phone when she saw a picture of Katherine and Darien, together, in an embrace.

"What's wrong?" Damon came up to her.

"Whatever you did to my brother, I'll fix it," Sakura frowned, she walked away from them and grabbed a glass and poured herself some scotch.

"I'll take that," Damon took it from her.

"Really?" Sakura almost growled as she looked up at him. He shook his head and she knew, that she couldn't be drinking, not now.

"I'll have one of those," Katherine wanted a drink.

"Right away Miss Katherine," Damon handed her a glass.

"Thank you," she took it and he immediately pulled out another stake.

"No, no! Damon, don't!" Stefan stopped him.

"Yes, Damon, please," Katherine egged him on.

"The second the spell is lifted, I'm gonna drive a stake right through your heart," Damon threatened.

"God, you're hot. When did you get so hot?" Katherine asked.

"Restituo iustum, ac paro mihi solvo. Ego advoco aeris, expedio constriction. Reconcilio iustum, reconcilio iustum minutor. Solvo mihi iam , paro mihi meus vox , beatus exsisto," Sakura chanted. They all turned to her and it looked like she was in a trance.

"Katherine, the spell in this room has been broken, you're free to leave," a tall, slim lady showed up at the door, who was apparently Katherine's witch.

"Thank god!" Katherine couldn't wait to get away.

"When I hand this over my debt to you is over," she explained.

"Done," Katherine agreed.

"I owe you nothing," she made it clear.

"I said done. Give it," Katherine was hasty.

"I wouldn't do that," Damon warned her.

She handed the moonstone over to Katherine. As soon as she touched it, she couldn't breath. "You should have told me another witch was involved. She's a Bennett witch, Katherine but I'm sure you knew that," her witch friend sounded spiteful.

"Wait, Elena!" Stefan rushed when Katherine dropped to the floor.

"Elena's fine, your shadow friend released her," she explained, "She'll heal quickly, Bonnie's with her." Katherine was suffocating on the ground, "I apologize for my involvement." She left while Katherine had fallen unconscious.

Sakura knelt down beside Katherine, feeling dizzy, not fully sure what happened. "We need to do something with her," Sakura stated.

"I know exactly what to do with her," Damon smirked.

They brought Katherine to the tomb, Sakura opened it and set her inside with the moonstone beside her. They waited just outside for her to wake up. "Sorry it took so long to figure out the spell," Sakura rubbed her foot in the dirt nervously.

"Well if it was earlier, I would have probably killed her instead of torturing her," Damon smiled, "How did you figure it out?"

"Well it wasn't fully me..." she trailed off.

"What do you mean?" Damon waited for an answer, "Sakura?" he approached her and put a hand on her shoulder.

She looked up at him, and he knew she was having trouble, "It was him, he helped me. He wanted me to kill her..."

"Well it's okay, everything is okay," Damon pulled her into a hug, "If anything, he was just tapping into something you already knew."

"Where am I?" Katherine woke up.

They turned to look at her, but he didn't let go of Sakura, "Where you should have been all along. I thought you'd learn your lesson by now, messing with a Bennett witch," referring to Bonnie and Lucy, the witch Katherine was using, a relative of Bonnie's.

"I think it's that abomination you're holding onto that's causing me trouble," Katherine complained. Damon tightened his grip on Sakura and kissed her forehead, "You should have killed me."

"Death would have been too kind," Damon grinned. They moved towards the door to close it.

"No, Damon, don't. Damon, don't. You need me, Elena's in danger," Katherine sounded desperate.

"From whom?" Sakura asked.

"You're lying, you're always lying," Damon spat.

"Why do you think I haven't killed her? Because she's the doppelganger, she needs to be protected," Katherine explained.

"Then we'll protect her while you rot in hell," they closed the door.

"Damon, don't! I'll do anything, please. Damon! You need me! You need me!" Katherine pleaded. She dropped down to the floor crying when it finished closing.

"Finally rid of her," Damon stated as they walked away from the tomb, "How about we head back to the Lockwood's, see if the party is still going on. Might as well get a dance in, besides we're already dressed up, a couple this hot should be seen!"

"Why is it so dark? Where am I? Sakura?"

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed! With Katherine out of the picture, what's her brother going to be up to?

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