Elena headed towards her car in the student parking lot to head home for the day. She was going home to do her homework and then she'd be meeting Caroline at the Grill. As she went to unlock her car, she heard a voice behind her.

"Elena."

Elena turned to find Bonnie there and sighed. "Bonnie, I can't talk to you."

"Yeah, because Elijah is trying to run your life," Bonnie said bitterly.

"No, because he's trying to protect me, but it doesn't matter because I don't want to talk to you. I do not want to have the same constant fight we have every time we speak, so I choose not to speak to you at all," Elena explained.

"Elena, I'm only trying to look out for you. I'm trying to protect you," Bonnie said.

"I don't need you to protect me! That is what I have a father for," Elena said.

"Yeah, like he can be trusted to look after you," Bonnie said.

Elena began to get frustrated, as she did every time she spent any time with Bonnie or
Stefan. She felt the need to defend her father, but she decided she wasn't going to do that. She wasn't going to rise to the bait. It only ever stressed her out. "Nope. I'm not doing this. I'm going home."

Bonnie grabbed Elena's arm as she tried to leave. "No, please don't go. I'm sorry. I just want to talk. I want to fix things between us."

"You have a funny way of showing it when the first thing out of your mouth is to disrespect my choices and my father," Elena said.

"Look, you haven't spoken to me in almost two months. Even Caroline doesn't really talk to me anymore. I miss my friends." Bonnie said.

Elena sighed. "I miss you too, Bonnie. I do, but I can't be around you right now, and, no, it's not just because Elijah has forbidden it. It's because whenever I'm around you, it stresses me out. The last time I really spoke to you, my magic flared in the middle of the cafeteria because I was so upset. I can't be around you because every time I am, you make me feel like it's somehow wrong for me to love my father."

"You love him?" Bonnie asked in shock. She knew Elena felt something for Elijah, but she hadn't known him that long. She didn't think her friend loved him.

"Of course, I do. He's my father. He's done a lot for me, and that started before either of us even knew he was my father. I love him the same way you love your father. And I'm tired of you and Stefan acting like that's wrong," Elena said. It was why she didn't even see Stefan that much anymore. She hadn't completely cut Stefan out yet because he had at least backed off a little, probably because he was only allowed to see her with Elijah home to supervise, but he was on his last leg even with her.

"It's not that we think you're wrong. We're worried about you. This man is only using you, probably for your magic," Bonnie said.

"Why do you think that? You have literally only met Elijah once. You know nothing about him, so how could you know what he thinks or feels? Don't answer that because I know the answer. I know why you hate my father even though you don't know him in the slightest. It's because he's a vampire. And that is another reason I can't be around you. It's probably the reason Caroline has shut you out too. You hate what we are. How can we be friends with you knowing that fact? Do you have any idea what it's like to have your best friend hate your very existence?" Elena asked. She spoke quietly so no one would overhear, but her voice was very strong.

"That's not true. I don't hate either of you. I love you. I don't see you as vampires, not really," Bonnie said.

"But we are. You don't get to just pretend we're not what we are because it makes you feel better. We're vampires. That is a fact that you can't ignore. And we can't ignore your blatant hatred for our kind. It's too painful. How would you feel if you found out we hated witches and we shoved that in your face every day? Would it make a difference to you if we said we don't see you as other witches?" Elena asked.

Bonnie felt like she'd been gut punched. That would devastate her. She very thought of her friends thinking of her like that hurt a lot. "I…I didn't think of it that way. I wasn't trying to hurt you."

"I know that, Bonnie, but you did. Accepting what I am was hard enough. I mean, my own mother wanted to kill me because of it. The man who raised me also thought I should die because of it. It was hard enough to think that I was evil without my best friend also feeling that way about my kind. That's why Elijah wanted me to stay away from you. He didn't want me to think that way about myself," Elena said.

"I don't want you to think that way either. I don't hate you, but I do hate vampires. I guess I have since my grams died releasing vampires from the tomb. I hated them for that, and I especially hated Damon for it," Bonnie said.

"I understand why you were so angry, but they shouldn't all be judged for the actions of a few. Elijah has never done anything to you. He doesn't deserve the way you've treated him, and neither do Caroline or I," Elena said.

"I don't want to lose your friendship forever. What can I do to fix it?" Bonnie asked.

"Are you seriously willing to try? Will you try to get past your anger towards all vampires?" Elena asked.

"I can try, but it won't happen overnight, and I don't know that I'm ever just going to trust every vampire I meet," Bonnie said honestly.

"I wouldn't expect you to. You should never just trust anyone you meet, no matter what they are. And I understand that it will take time. I just need to know that you're willing to make an effort," Elena said. She was actually very hopeful by this conversation, much more than she had been when it first started. Bonnie seemed to finally be understanding the pain she'd caused.

"I am," Bonnie said. She would at least do it for Elena and Caroline. She didn't want them to ever feel like she hated them.

"Then the first thing you have to do is stop scheming to take me away from my father. I know you are, and it needs to stop now," Elena said firmly. She knew that nothing Bonnie did would work anyway, but she didn't want her even trying.

"I'll stop," Bonnie said reluctantly. She still didn't trust Elijah, and she was worried for her friend, but she would do what Elena asked.

"You don't get to talk badly about my father to my face. You don't get to have an opinion on how I feel about him. You have to show him the same respect you would show any adult. You know damn well you wouldn't have spoken to any other adult the way you did him. And you have to apologize for talking to him the way you did and trying to attack him," Elena said.

"Okay, I will," Bonnie said. She didn't like having to apologize to a vampire, but Elena wasn't exactly wrong. She would never have spoken to another parent the way she did Elijah. She would never have tried to stop another father from leaving with his daughter.

"Those are only my terms. You're still going to have to meet Elijah's before he'll let me see you again," Elena said.

Bonnie nodded.

"I have to go. I do hope you keep your word and that we can see each other again soon," Elena said before getting in her care and heading home.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Klaus had not gone back to Mystic Falls right away. He couldn't be sure that Jonas Martin's information was accurate or that it wasn't a trap. First, he had some of his people dig up research on Elena Gilbert, including getting him a photo. It turned out that the information was accurate. Elena Gilbert looked exactly like Katerina and had been born human seventeen years earlier. After learning that, he still hadn't gone for the girl though. There was more he needed. He needed to find Katerina, who had his moonstone. He couldn't end his curse without the moonstone. And of course, he intended to make Katerina suffer for her treachery.

It was a few weeks later that he learned that Katerina had been in Mystic Falls as well. No one could tell him if she was still there, but she had been at one point. He would need to start there to find, and given that his doppelganger was also there, it was the perfect time to go home.

Much to Klaus' shock, he'd learned not long after getting to town that the girl was in the possession of his brother. He wasn't sure how or why his brother had obtained custody of the doppelganger, though he could guess on the why. He was either holding her there for him, or he planned to use her against him. It was most likely the latter.

Klaus decided that the first thing he needed to do was get the doppelganger away from his brother. First though, he intended to have a conversation with her. For that, he had to become someone she trusted, which was why he was currently wearing the face of her teacher.

He found the girl at a restaurant sitting by herself. It was the perfect opportunity. His brother wasn't there to get in his way. He went up to her and sat across from her. "Hi, Elena."

Elena looked up and frowned at her teacher. Her first impulse was to be happy to see him, but something seemed off about him. "Hi, Ric. I wasn't expecting to see you here. Are you meeting Jenna?"

"No, I just stopped in for a drink and saw you here. I figured I'd say hi. How about you?" Klaus asked.

"Oh, I'm meeting Caroline. We're having dinner," Elena said.

"That's good. So, how are things going living with Elijah?" Klaus asked as he touched her hand.

Alarm bells went off in Elena's head, as the vibe she was getting from Ric increased by about a hundred. He had Ric's face, but everything about him said 'not Ric'. She remembered Elijah once telling her that Klaus sometimes took over other people's bodies when she wanted to go undetected. "Things are good. You know he has to keep me safe until the sacrifice."

"Of course, until the sacrifice. You know that the rest of us aren't going to let him turn you over to Klaus though, right?" Klaus said. Well, he knew now that Elijah was planning for the girl to die at his hand, but that didn't mean he wasn't planning to turn against him though.

Elena started laughing. She was almost disappointed. She expected her uncle to be a little smarter than this. He was considered to be the most deadly Original.

"What's so funny?" Klaus asked.

Elena smirked and leaned forward to whisper to him. "The fact that Elijah has no intention of sacrificing me, and Ric would know that. Would you kindly vacate my teacher's body, Klaus?"

Klaus stared at her in shock for a moment before slowly smiling. "I'm impressed, Doppelganger. How did you know?"

"You don't act anything like Ric, and I knew you could swap bodies with magic," Elena said. Of course, that wasn't the reason, but she didn't want her uncle knowing she was a witch yet. Klaus had his plan, she had hers, and hers including him not knowing the truth about her yet. Her plan also wasn't supposed to be necessary yet. She'd hoped her magic would be more developed before Klaus discovered her, but she knew that that wasn't definite, which was why she'd had a contingency plan. She'd been planning on this day for almost a month now, not long after she found the spell that was used to curse him.

Klaus stared at the girl for a good minute, as if trying to figure her out. She didn't seem the least bit afraid of him. She was staring at the being that would end her life, and there wasn't the tiniest bit of fear. He found himself a bit put out by it "Why aren't you afraid?"

"I guess I don't find you very frightening. It must be the body," Elena said with a shrug. She supposed she should be afraid of him. She knew he was a very dangerous man. She'd been cautioned by Elijah many times. However, Klaus needed her, even if he didn't realize exactly how yet.

"Well, let's see if that changes. You'll be coming with me now, Doppelganger, quietly," Klaus said in dangerous tone.

Elena snorted. "Or what? You'll sacrifice me? And my name is Elena, not 'Doppelganger'."

Klaus smirked. This girl was definitely nothing like Katerina. He almost liked her. It was too bad that she was fated to die at his hand. "Perhaps I'll kill everyone here and take you by force."

Elena sighed for dramatic affect. That was the threat she'd been waiting for. See, when her father found out what she did and eventually killed her for it, she could at least say she was genuinely kidnapped. "Well, if you're going to be dramatic about it, fine. Let's go."

Klaus scowled at her, but got up and led the way towards the door. As soon as they were outside, he grabbed her firmly by the arm and led her to the car. He was not going to have another Katerina on his hands. This doppelganger was not getting out of his grasp.