AN: EDIT: So like I said in the main story, I added the two scenes that I took out before because I prefer it that way. This is just the phone call between Elena and Tyler because that was never in the main story. Enjoy!

Addendum: Outtakes

Excerpt from Ch. 18

Chicago II

Illinois: June 2018

"You want Ryan to help you pretend to be Katherine?" Tyler asks for umpteenth time.

Elena rolls her eyes, watching herself in the mirror. "Yes, Tyler, I can't exactly go around compelling people like she would, and I'm definitely not going to bite anyone."

Staring at Katherine's reflection in her place she thinks of her dream back in Toledo, perfect antebellum curls and cherry lips smirking around fangs. This time Elena is the girl, not the reflection, but the effect is the same. All Elena has to do is curl her hair and put on a little smoky eye and suddenly she's a completely different person.

"You sure about that? 'Cause from what I remember from the locker room, you've got some teeth on you."

They both flinch.

Elena watches her face crumble in the mirror, and it's unquestionably her. Being reminded of someone could never make Katherine crumble like that.

Tyler is quiet on the other end of the line and Elena knows she has to salvage this.

"I can't imagine Matt Donovan telling any locker room about my teeth," she says lightly, watching herself barely manage to repress flinching when she says his name.

Tyler takes a deep breath, tries to match her tone.

"Of course he didn't. But it's not like he could hide the bitemarks."

Elena watches Katherine's face, praying it won't crumble into her own.

"This is surreal," she says, Katherine's face firmly in place.

Tyler laughs because it is, they're sitting here ribbing each other about Elena's past sex life with a guy whose death utterly destroyed both of them. Ordinarily neither of them can even say his name, but here they are, caught up in their memories of being teenagers. First loves, first times, sexual awakening and all the dirty, silly, and embarrassing parts of growing up. In reality it's only been a few years, but they both feel lifetimes away from those wild, curious teenagers.

"I could compel people for you?" Tyler offers finally.

Elena watches Katherine's face, the way her eyes roll, the decisive shake of her head and the derisive smirk. It's all perfectly in character, perfectly Katherine.

"You aren't friends with Katherine," Elena reminds him.

"You are," Tyler points out fruitlessly.

"You wouldn't help Katherine even if I asked you to," she replies.

Tyler sighs because he knows she's right. Elena is the only one who's on good terms with her doppelganger, the rest of them wouldn't give her a blood bag if she was desiccating.

"And there's no one else? It has to be Ryan?" he asks, reluctant to let the other hybrid out of his sight just yet.

"Katherine would think it was hilarious," Elena says more grimly than she means to.

"Yeah, she would." Tyler can't help but agree. Anything that plays into the their similarities is something that brings Katherine great amusement. It's more unbelievable that Katherine hasn't found Ryan already.

"The thing is, Elena," Tyler begins somewhat queasily. "Ryan is…volatile. He doesn't have great control, and he's definitely obsessed with you. This situation could get out of control very easily."

Elena chews on her lower lip. "It doesn't matter, it has to be him. Katherine wouldn't hang out with any of the other vampires or hybrids I know. Ryan is the best bet I can make right now."

She leans forward, checking her lipstick in the mirror. It's still perfectly, sinfully red, not at all smeared, her teeth sparkling white, it's well-worth the money she spent on it.

Tyler sighs. "All right, I guess Ryan's going to Chicago."

"Thank you, Ty, I owe you one, seriously," Elena says, relief flooding through her.

"I really don't think you do," Tyler replies seriously.

After they hang up, Elena looks at Katherine's reflection again. The memory of Matt had almost broken her open. He was Elena's friend, not Katherine. Katherine liked his blue eyes, that's it. Nothing about him or his death would break her heart.

So, Elena thinks about Matt until her eyes maintain that narrowed, calculated gaze Katherine is so well-known for. It's like pulling her own stitches out of an infected wound, but survival is the most important thing right now.

So, she practices, thinking of all the people she loves, specifically the ones she lost. Her mother, her father, Uncle John, Aunt Jenna, Matt – and Katherine tosses her curls impatiently, fixes her mascara.

Next, she thinks about Caroline and Bonnie, Jeremy and Sam, John Winchester. All still alive, but people Elena Gilbert would do anything for. Katherine fiddles her necklace petulantly.

Somehow Elena maintains her façade through all of it. Happy memories, brutal memories. Holding Jeremy as he woke up after Damon killed him. Her mom brushing her hair. Her dad teaching her how to ride a bike. Sharing ice cream with Aunt Jenna. Uncle John's last letter to her. Sleepovers and cheer camp with Caroline and Bonnie.

Even newer memories, Tyler helping her find that creepy farm to rescue the boys. Sam drunkenly declaring his love to his birthday cake. John Winchester holding her tight against his chest, heart thundering as he confronts the oldest vampires in the world for her. She is impervious to them all. Katherine's face stays firmly in place in her reflection. She looks bored, amused, annoyed, never distraught or happy or fond, never Elena.

Finally, with the lightest of breaths, she lets herself think of Dean. It's like a barrier has broken, it floods across her face with breathtaking speed, changing everything about her until she is raw and nakedly herself.

"Fuck," she whispers. She'll have to work on that.

AN: EDIT: so yeah, turns out I did need a thousand words of Elena telling Ryan he sucks because a lot of it is also her telling you, my audience, how she views her place in the supernatural world, which is important! So here, have Elena realizing she's not quite as good at putting on an act as she thought she was. It felt appropriate for a character who is so defined by how she loves.

Comments? Thoughts? Questions? Please leave a review!

xoxo

-Pixie