[Episode 27 - Kill or be Killed]

"So, I'm, technically, the, Katherine Pierce's! Sister!" Violet punches the tree yet again and again. The Sunday morning sun is rising above the trees.

Alaric Saltzman huffs out a sigh as he places a hand over her exerted shoulder "Kat..."

She turns behind with a glare but it softens at the sight of her almost-father figure. 

"Violet is Katherine's sister name, somewhat, and Kat is the doppelbitch's name" she finishes with a breath.

"Okay... Do you still wanna punch trees and watch your knuckles heal or..."

The Guardian chuckles "Got it. You want a change. What did you have in mind"

Alaric's eyes eyes light up as he goes to his car and removes the brown net over the elder Gilbert's childhood hobby. He might or might not have taken tips from Elena.

"Oh my God. Ric..."

"It's yours"

The girl stalks her fingertips over the intricate wooden grip of a wooden bow, her green eyes unsure and wide "Ric, I-I can't, I can't take this. It''s, i-it's-"

"You don't like it?"

"No! N-No, it's just that, you've been very helpful these days and I don-t kno-"

"Kat..." he stops her rambling gently with a small smile coating his scruffed face "I want you to have it"

She bites her lip with a hesistant innocent smile "You... sure?"

In answer, the History teacher takes hold of the bow and quiver full of arrows, holding them out to the girl who might have been his daughter in any other life. "I carved this out myself. It's for you"

She squeals and wraps him in a hug, it's just one more way Alaric Saltzman has helped her these past few days. Her dad used to take her to archery and shooting practice. It's just fitting that she resume it under the supervision of this vampire-hunter.

"Now, getting to the, uh, more venting techniques, I need 5 laps around this clearing, then you can practice targets"

"Can I practice now? Pleeease?"

"You can't get to me Gilbert, laps now!" he orders and Kat playfully rolls her eyes, starting to run the said laps.

"Faster! I'm not getting any younger!"

"Okay! Okay!" she pushes harder, but smiling.

▹▹▹

The whole supernatural gang is at the Town Square, contributing to the Historical Society Volunteer Day. The younger Salvatore and the elder Gilbert take up painting on one side of the public park, Elena and Caroline are on the punch stand on the other side.

Katherine 1864 had made Caroline her spy, none of them knew how, but each one had their own theory. Kat continues taking some paint on her brush when 2 names in a familiar voice catches her ear 

"Damon and Stefan Salvatore" Mason Lockwood is talking to Sheriff Forbes.

"That's impossible. I know Damon Salvatore. Do you know what he's done for this town?" she defends and the Guardian nudges Stefan and points to her ear with a raised brow.

"I know it's a lot to digest"

"No. I watched him kill vampires. He's an ally; he's part of the Council"

"Think about it..." Mason drills harder "When did the vampire attacks begin? When Damon and Stefan Salvatore moved to town?"

Kat abandons her brush and starts walking towards the duo, when the Salvatore stops her with a warning shake of his head.

"They walk in the sun, Mason"

"They've evolved. It's not 1864. They figured it out, Liz"

"No. Damon Salvatore is my friend" the Sheriff defends, causing the eavesdropping girl to sigh, maybe she won't believe it after all.

"What if I can prove it to you?" No. Why is Mason doing this!

They look at Stefan and Violet, just as they turn their heads back to the unfinished paintings. Stefan's heart would have thumped hard against his rib cage if he wasn't a vampire. He shares a look with his friend.

▹▹▹

"Oh, oh. Longing looks are being exchanged" Kat walks towards her twin and vampire friend. Elena goes along with their pre-rehearsed script, sighing "I'm gonna go talk to him"

If they had any doubt that Katherine is controlling Caroline and using her as a spy, it is cleared now, because the blonde jerks her head sideways "No, E-Elena. I think it's a bad idea"

Damon Salvatore stalks up to the girls "What's her problem?"

"Don't worry about it" Kat answers. The lesser Katherine knows about Damon knowing, the better.

"Why are you being such a bitch to your mom?" he turns to the Forbes girl, who snarks out "Don't worry about it"

"Do you still care about Katherine?" they hear Elena ask her boyfriend.

"Don't do this" Stefan sighs "Please don't turn this into something that it's not"

"So this is not for discussion. That's what you're saying?" she huffs. Thank God her sister brushed up on her 7th grade acting skills, Kat looked to the sky.

The thing with supernatural hearing is that, it is both a blessing and a curse. Right now, it was more of the former as Caroline, Damon and Kat lent their ears to the 'break-up' conversation far from them.

"No, I'm saying that this isn't up for discussion right now because we have ears on us" Stefan says and the couple looks to the trio, who gracefully pretend to hear and not-hear.

"Okay, when?"

"I don't know, Elena pleas-"

"I saw her Stefan. It's like we are the same person. How could you hate her and be in love with me?"

"You're reaching. I'm not...I'm not Damon" Stefan says, with some satisfaction and Kat mentally laughs.

"How about we don't bring Damon into this right now? What about Kat?" this makes her frown "Huh? I'm not her, Stefan. I can't pretend that you don't think of Katherine when you're around either of us"

She looks into her glass of lemonade. That wasn't part of the script. So, Elena...

"You know, I can't...I can't do this anymore, Elena"

"Fine, Stefan. Whatever!"

She walks away, away from both her boyfriend as well as her twin.

Kat debates whether she follow her 'upset' twin or go in search of Mason or Sheriff. But she doesn't get to go any further because her phone rings. The girl puts the device to her ear, walking away from Caroline and Damon.

"Hey Kat?" she hears her aunt shuffling on the other line.

"HeyJenna? I thought you were supposed to be here long ago"

"That's the thing, I'm late. And I can't find my shoes"

"Take mine from my room, it's alright" she scoffs.

"Thanks! I'll see you, bye"

She looks around to see none of her friends around. Caroline, Elena, Stefan and Damon. Not even Mason or Sheriff. She looks around again, confusion and doubt creeping up.

Once again, her phone rings but this time, it's her twin "Elena whe-"

"Mason and Liz have Stefan and Damon. I need your help!"

"Where are you?" she starts walking in a random direction, towards the woods. If the Sheriff is taking out vampires, it can't be in the middle of the town.

"The woods, Caroline hears them near the cave ruins"

"Elena listen to me, get out of there alright? I'm coming. Caroline has -"

The call cuts. She takes in a panicked breath and runs into the woods. Once out of sight of the public, she speeds with supernatural ease towards the ruins Mason took her to as a child. Elena and Caroline stand afar, behind some rocks and the girl groans "Get out of here!"

Mason steps out angrily "What are you doing here?"

"Mase, don't do thi-"

"Where are they?" Elena asks, almost pleading. 

She thought that the Lockwood would have some sympathy towards her. But she didn't count on Mason being too hateful. He looks to the blonde vampire, completely ignoring his god-daughter "I'll let your friend here sniff them out"

"Mason please, let me g-" she steps forward only to have him give her a stern look. He sneers at Caroline "Does your mother know what you are? I'm happy to tell her"

"Who do you think turned her? Mason ple-" Elena steps towards the werewolf but he ruthlessly holds her in a strong grasp, hand locked over the younger twin's throat.

"Don't be stupid! Necks snap easy around here!"

"I can take you Mase. Don't make me" Kat warns, her patience running thin and anger taking over. He just smirks as he tightens his grip on her sister "Wanna bet"

She doesn't immediately answer. The Guardian rushes over, simply twisting his arm out from under Elena's neck and snarls "I bet ya"

"Go!" she shouts to the other girls as she spars with the one person she never expected she would take on. Mason rushes to her with a huff, only to have her kick him in the groin and pinning him to the nearest tree 

"Told you" her eyes start turning amber and she snarls.

She punches him hard in the stomach and lets him go "Never do that again" she runs inside.

The frantic Gilbert girl speeds inside to listen to Caroline tell Elena of what is going on beyond "My mom. She's killing them!"

Kat rushes forward but stops when she hears her friend's emotional 'no!'. "No one is going to die Caroline. Stay back"

She rushes inside one of the old slave cells to see Stefan down on the ground, bleeding, and Damon groaning as the Sheriff points the gun at him. His eyes widen as he looks over Liz's shoulder "Get out Kat!"

The Sheriff turns behind in horror "You knew?"

"Sheriff, please, put that gun down, there are things you need to know..." she slowly walks over to the fallen Salvatores, offering the elder Salvatore her wrist. He shakes his head "Get out!"

She ignores him as she kneels over to Stefan. He's hurt, bad. She picks him up and sets him against the wall. "Sher-"

A gunshot sounds through the air. Kat looks down to her leg, which now bears a shiny red blotch of blood. The girl groans as the wound doesn't heal, forcing her to thump down to the dusty stone floor.

"Ow. Ah..." she takes in breaths and looks at the gun fallen near her feet. She speeds and stands up on wobbly feet, bleeding a tiny stream of red. She shoots the 2 deputies in the legs faster than they can see and looks to Liz.

"I can't let you kill them. I won't. You don't understa-" this time, it's her stomach. 

"Your father would stake you himself!" she grits out, tears in her eyes as she looks into the eyes of her daughter's best friend, the one she trusted with the Council's secret.

She bends down, a stake in her fist "Let's do this. Each with a stake in the heart, then burn them all" she instructs herself and takes a step when a loud creak sounds further behind her 

"Who's with you?!" the woman questions and a second later, her question is answered by the presence of none other than her own daughter.

The girl looks down at the bleeding deputies, a ray of sunshine illuminating her other face. Red eyes, black veins and a hungry look, she looks to her aghast mother "Hi mom"

▹▹▹

Stefan and Damon recover from the weakness, but Damon really shows that he wants to. He drinks from the Guardian, taking only as much he needs.

Stefan, on the other hand, inches closer to his girlfriend, gulping down as he notices his brother. Caroline and her mother sit on the opposite corners of the stone room, avoiding looking at each other.

"You need to drink some blood" Damon points out not-so-gently. Kat's vein is still exposed and all he could think of at the moment was blood. He didn't need his brother to make it worse.

"No" Stefan shakes his head "I'm gonna be fine. It's just gonna take a little bit longer"

"Damon's right you know. If there's ever time to break your diet..." The younger blonde in the room starts, only to be cut off by the Gilbert sisters 

"He said he didn't want it, okay?" they look at each other and then at their partners. Stefan closes his eyes but Damon tears out his own wrist and offers it to the hurt girl "Here, you need it"

"It's fine-"

"Can't have you limping through the town" he offers and this time, she takes it, avoiding the younger Salvatore's looks and her twin's glare. 

Damon prods out the bullet in her leg as she heals. He turns to the Sheriff with an angry smirk "This is a most unfortunate situation. Two deputies hurt and you... What am I gonna do with you?" 

"You won't tell anyone, will you? Mom?" Caroline pleads "Mom? Please. Look, I know that we don't get along and that you hate me but I'm your daughter and you'll do this for me, right? Mom, please. He will kill you!"

One would think that the hatred that the parents of Mystic Falls carry for vampires would not surpass their love for their family. But Sheriff surprises them all, or not "Then kill me"

"No!" 

"I can't take this. Kill me now" she looks at the man she thought had become her friend, only to turn out to be one of the creature she lived to hate.

Damon bends down to look her in the eyes, with his own narrowed ones "But you were gonna drag it out so painfully"

He grabs her by the hand, forcing her up and the Guardian gets up too.

"No! Damon. No no no!" Caroline begs. 

Damon looks at Kat, then at the rest of the people in the room. Kat tilts her head, almost expecting his next move. Though everyone would prefer to call Damon an immoral monster, she knew better. He considered Liz a real friend.

Elena wasn't the only one he saved Caroline for.

"Relax guys, no one is killing anyone..." he lets the woman go "You're my friend"

She sighs as she points to the whimpering deputies "They need to be taken home, healed and oblivious" she states and Damon adds to the list "And this mess has to be cleaned up".

▹▹▹

Everyone's busy with their own tasks at the Salvatore Boarding House. Damon's with the Sheriff. Caroline's with Elena. Kat waits around in the kitchen and after half-hour of thinking and re-evaluating her suggestion, she is rewarded by the arrival of the younger Salvatore.

"Hey..." they both say at the same time and Stefan cracks a small smile.

"Katherine got immune to vervain" she whispers "...because she took it everyday. Maybe you could do th-"

"Actually, I was thinking the same"

"I'm not only talking about vervain Stefan..." she clues in, jumping off the platform and giving Stefan a loaded look.

"I know" he walks to the refrigerator, showcasing about 10 bloodbags or so. He takes it and weighs the decision as the younger Gilbert comes in "I think we should - what are doing Stefan?"

"Katherine took a little vervain every day and built up a tolerance to it..." Kat starts but Elena points to the door, not able to take more today. 

Stefan defends "I could do the same with blood. I could learn to control myself on it"

"But you can't, Stefan. You don't have to" Elena begs, rushing forward, taking his hands in hers.

"He almost died tonight, Elena! Because he was too weak!" Kat cries. 

"Kat I need you to go" Elena doesn't even look at her as she instructs. "Elena, he nee-"

"Get out" she whispers. Her face is towards her boyfriend but her words slap the elder Gilbert. 

She swallows the red streak that fights to fly up and throws a non-smile to the worriedly looking Salvatore as she walks out of the room.

▹▹▹

Caroline is sitting at the fireplace as Kat runs up. She stops, seeing her friend's rigid back "I could take you home"

"I can't go home"

The green-eyed Guardian sits beside her on the couch as Caroline's tears shimmer in the light of the fireplace "Why not?"

"Because I'm scared" one more tear falls and Violet sighs, wrapping her arms around the distraught girl "Why are you scared? You can talk to me Care"

"Katherine's gonna be there and she's gonna want me to tell her everything that happened today" the girl whimpers "She told me I-I had to spy on you all and report, report back to her" her explanation gets muffled in Kat's shoulder as she sobs. 

"Care? Care..." she withdraws from the hug and holds the delicate girl's face in her hands with a sad consoling smile "I know and I wanted to be mad at you. But, then, I tried to put myself in your position so that I could understand why you would do this to Elena and to Stefan because he's been such a friend to you. Who did she threaten Care?"

She sobs harder "Matt. She threatened Matt"

"We'll keep him safe" Kat assures, hugging the vampire again.

"I'm so scared of her! I-I'm scared of her Kat!"

"She wants you to be scared. But you know what? You can't be scared of her. You know why?"

"Why?" she sniffles and asks like a little hurt girl.

She kisses her shoulder "Because I won't let anything happen to you. Okay? You're strong Care. And till that strong fire shows itself, I'm not going to leave your side. You'll be safe"

"I'll be safe" she smiles as she stops her sniffles, burrowing her face into her best friend's hair.

▹▹▹

Damon comes in just as Kat throws a blanket over herself and sits down on the cold carpeted floor in front of the fireplace. Her back is to the couch where Caroline is already asleep. "We're staying here if that's okay"

"It's alright, but if you want to talk, we can get out of here" he whispers, knowingly. She swallows the lump in her throat as she shakes her head. Just then, Elena comes from the basement, apparently having talked to Liz.

"I'm going home" she states to the elder Salvatore, completely ignoring her sister. She goes to the door, but stops. Looking behind, she offers Damon a string of friendship 

"What you did for Caroline's mom, that's the Damon who was my friend"

Damon stops her before she can leave, speaking to her but indirectly informing Kat "Stefan didn't drink the people blood, if you were curious, but... he needs to and deep down you know that"

Elena hesitates and turns about, finally looking at her sister, who looks at the roaring orange fire in front of her. Elena closes the door, deciding not to leave, and she walks to the latter part of the estate - the library where she last saw Stefan.

▹▹▹

Damon sighs as he sits down with his bottle of whiskey, beside Kat. They hear their respective siblings reconnect their broken relationship. 

The girl snatches the amber bottle from him, gulping down half of it. He rubs the back of her neck when she catches her breath "It's okay, it'll get better"

They both knew he wasn't talking about the burn of the alcohol. 

Kat sighs, a smile painted by a tear that falls "It might. But we know it won't" she lets her heavy head droop onto his shoulder.

"We're here" he whispers, resting his head above hers. They were there, for each other, even if their siblings would start to hate them, they were the only ones helping each other hold themselves together.

She nods, closing her eyes to escape from reality as she snuggles into him "We're here".

The last thing she hears is her sister "It's you and me, Stefan. Always"