[Episode 23 - The Return]

Elena explains Stefan our missing dress problem as we climb up the porch steps. I hear grunting inside the house and frown. I rush inside to find an empty hallway.

But the grunting comes from the kitchen so I speed there... to see my birth father bleeding down on the floor, with a knife in his stomach "O my God, John!" 

I rush down and pull the knife out of him as he groans. "Elena!" I shout and soon, she's giving me a dish towel to stop the bleeding. 

I snatch it from her "Call an ambulance!" Her shaking hands dial 911 and she shouts in panic "Hi, I-I need an ambulance to 2104 Maple Street"

John places a bloody hand over mine as his eyes widen and he finds his voice "Behind you..."

I turn behind and all I see is Elena putting down the phone. "What?" she asks, not really hearing what he muttered "Behind you!"

I turn again but all I hear is a swish. 

Someone's in here, taunting and waiting for a stupid move. I pull Elena down and shush her. I round my finger in a circle, indicating her that someone's around. I motion for her to stay here and grab the bloody knife. 

Concentrating on the vampire around, I hear a swish in the hallway and I speed there.

The next time he whooshes around me, I grab the throat by a strong hand. Turns out, it's a she.

She's my height and puts up a good fight and squirms. Her back is to me, but that doesn't stop me from driving the knife into the back of her sternum. She grunts and kicks me in the shins. Before she goes out, her face turns for a second and the next, the door thuds close.

Getting up, my hands topples over a frame on the table and I look at my little brother's face. Dread hits 

"Jeremy!" I race up the stairs to his room. It's locked. I push and push. It doesn't give away. I kick it, finally getting it open to see my unmoving brother "

Jeremy! Jeremy!" I shake him over and in gasps, slap his cheeks with shaky hands "Please, Jeremy, wake up!"

He wakes up with a gasp.

I look at him in entirety. He's not hurt. I put my heart to his chest and listen. His heartbeat is regular. I sigh and close my eyes as I hug him "Thank God".

"Damn it!" he grits as he pushes me off. I fall off from my kneeling position and touch something glass. Frowning, I pick up a vial like thing. It's red rimmed and has some liquid in it 

"Jeremy...?" I warn as he paces.

"Jeremy...." I accuse.

He gets up with a huff "I can't live without her". I get to my own feet and push him back. I look at his eyes and link our fingers and concentrate. No weird feelings.

I sigh in relief and yank him up, almost dislocating my arm in the process. He doesn't protest as I open the bathroom two-way doors and shove him into my room. I shut the doors, locking him in. If he tries anything like that again, he'll have to go over my dead body.

▹▹▹

I debate telling Stefan who is responsible for red and blue lights outside right now, but I feel that I could tell him after we go to the hospital. Soon after this fiasco, Tyler called me crying about what happened to Caroline. Matt and he got off with scratches, but Caroline did not. Even after the accident, she asked to get Matt and Tyler checked out first.

Stefan yanks Jeremy back as he warns our brother to not try any of his suicidal antics. A policeman knocks on the door as he curtly nods "Miss Gilbert?"

Elena and I nod "We'll be right there, thank you"

Stefan gets up "You both need to be at the hospital now"

"But-" Elena starts protesting, casting a look at our glaring brother. Why the heck is he glaring? I understand that Anna's dead, he wants to not feel anything. Well, you can't ever not feel anything.

"No, no, no, you go. I'll stay here with Jeremy" Stefan gently nudges us out and I nod gratefully.

Then our brother tries his tough luck "No, I don't need a babysitter". He's not in a position to have such things accepted. "He's not babysitting you, he's on suicide watch" 

I glare as I go downstairs with the ambulance. Elena follows in our car. I should have told Stefan about the vampire I saw, but something holds me back. If he knows that she's here, I'm afraid nothing will be the same.

▹▹▹

Everything's going downhill. Caroline's in surgery, John was almost left for dead, evil twin 2.0 got invited into our house, Jeremy tried to die and become a vampire, I'm ready to rip someone's head off. Just a normal day in Mystic Falls, nothing to see here!

I am filling out the paperwork till Jenna comes, at the counter when Liz and Damon walk over, Liz in tears. She's one of the strongest women I know and she can't help but cry.

"Liz," Damon places an assuring hand on her shoulder "I came as soon as I got the message. Is she okay?" he asks. 

I abandon the papers and look to her "Sheriff..." I hug her, startling her. She clears her throat as if appear composed to me, but I know better "She's in surgery, it's...they're doing everything they can. I need your help Damon..." she turns to him and he steps forward. 

Sheriff looks to me and I nod in understanding "I'll lea-". To my surprise, she stops me 

"Actually, I need your help on this too, since you know..."

I gulp in surprise "Sure, anything Sheriff..."

She nudges us towards the far wall, looking about "Mayor Lockwood is dead. They thought he was a vampire. They put him in the basement" I force myself not to nod at the old news. Instead Damon and I show shock as we sync "Mayor Lockwood was a vampire?"

She shakes her vehemently "No, no. A mistake was made, they said he dropped like the others when John's device went off but he...he couldn't have been a vampire, I've known the man my whole life and now Carol Lockwood is gonna want answers and... all I can think of right now is Caroline and..." she begins to cry and I hug her and surprisingly, so does Damon "It's okay.... Shh... It's okay... She'll be alright" I coo.

She withdraws and sniffles "So, can you help me with that... Please?" I nod and hug her one time "Of course Sheriff" She nods gratefully and walks off as I sigh to Damon

"Um, I need to tell you something and you probably won't believe it" I start but Damon interrupts me "Me too, and I might even get a slap for it"

"You first" I grant and he sighs weightedly "I kissed Elena"

"What!"I shout but lower my voice "When!? Where?!"

"At your house, I mean I thought you would've heard it when we were outside"

O god.... No.... I start to try and break the shit to him in simple words when Bonnie and Elena walk over, talking "Is there something that you can do for her? Like a spell or something?" Elena sounds desperate, there must be some way to save Caroline... Any way...

"She doesn't know how, do you?" Damon states, taunting.

"No, I don't"

"No, you don't" he repeats with his arms crossed "-because it took Emily years to learn a spell like that"

"Well, I can take down a vampire, that spell was easy to learn" she glares. I come in between them "Now is not the time Bonnie, please, there must be someway to save Caroline.

"I can give Caroline some blood" Damon offers, not taking his eyes off my sister.

"No, no way Damon..." Elena protests and I shake my head vigorously "Anything but that"

"No" he waves our concerns away "-just enough to heal her. She will be safe in the hospital and it will be out of her system in a day, she will be better Elena... Kat, there's no other way" he states.

"It's too risky, I can't agree to that" Elena shakes her head.

"Do it" I hear the last possible vampire-ways-supporter say yes to this "This is Caroline. We can't let her die. Do it" Bonnie insists. 

I frown for a moment, it is Caroline... I give a hesitant nod to the older Salvatore. 

"If I do this, you and me, call a truce?" Damon says a bit too hopefully to Bonnie. She gives him a half-hearted smirk, and for one of the first times, it strikes me how different Bonnie is now, after Grams "No. But you'll do it anyway. For Elena"

She leaves with a hard look and Damon doesn't waste any time whispering to my sister "I know this is probably the last thing you want to do right now but we should talk about what happened tonight..."

I sigh and try to interrupt but he blocks my speech. Elena looks at us weirdly as she tells him her version of the story 

"Yeah, one of the tomb vampires got into the house and almost killed John!"

"What? When? What are you talking about? After I left?" Damon questions hurriedly and I clear my throat to get their attention. They just ignore me as they bicker "You were there?" she frowns.

"Come on, Elena, you know I was" he insists. I try to speak again but he easily puts his palm over my mouth, holding me down while I twist his arm "When were you at the house?" Elena asks, looking to me with confused eyes. 

I shrug off Damon "Let me-"

"Really Elena? Earlier, on the porch, we were talking, all cathartic, feelings exposed. Come on, we kissed, Elena!" he whisper-yells and Elena scoffs "Okay, I don't have time for this Damon" I nod quickly and interrupt again "Okay, good Elena, now Damon liste-"

But I'm yet stalled by none other than my aunt, who comes barrelling through the lines as she casts a worried look at me and my sister and a glare at Damon. I pull Damon to the side as Jenna exclaims "I came as soon as I got your message. How is John?"

"Where have you been?"

"At the fire department, I had to fill out a report. I told you earlier" I turn the vampire towards me as I begin "I saw K-"

"No, you didn't tell me..." Elena pulls me back and I groan 

"Yes, I did" Jenna looks to me "Was it you I told, the hair might have tricked me"

"No, Jenna, you didn't" Elena speaks for me since we were together.

"Yes, I did!" Jenna frowns but before Elena can say 'No, you didn't' one more time, Damon murmurs "Mmm, you got to be kidding me..." he looks to me with wide eyes.

I glare "This is why you should let me talk"

He pulls me away and I smile sheepishly for my twin and aunt, both of which look at me like they need to reserve a bed in the mental ward of the hospital.

"She's here!"

I glare and slap his arm away "I stabbed her with a bloody knife Damon. Obviously she's here" I mock him. 

I order "I'll go home and you, please check on Caroline. Please" I plead and pat his shoulder "And be safe, don't go running for her. Okay?" I ask. 

He nods absentmindedly and I thump his cheek "Okay?" 

He sighs and straightens himself, letting out a confident breath "Okay".

I start to walk away but smack his head again "That's for wanting to kiss Elena". He scowls and rubs the back of his head as he walks away.

▹▹▹

I run towards my house after the bus drops me off. I hear Stefan's voice ask someone "Kat...? How was Caroline?" 

She's a dead bitch. I run faster as the voices continue despite my internal screaming.

"Not good..." I hear a voice very similar to mine sigh and murmur "Just what I needed"

I rush in to see Katherine 2.0 and Stefan almost nose-to-nose and speed forward. 

Katherine escapes from my hold as she leans against a pillar, smirking. "You" I snarl with a roll of my eyes as Stefan stands perplexed between two Katherines. 

I launch at her again and this time, I pin her to the same pillar but she throws me off after a few seconds.

"What?" Stefan stands aghast and confused as his eyes flit between the two of us. She imitates my frown and glare as she leaves it upto the vampire to choose the correct Katherine he's looking for. Stefan stalks towards me with an angry snarl but at the last moment, he vamps to his true ex and pins her to the wall, baring his fangs.

She smirks as she tilts her head to me "At least I fooled one of them huh?"

I rush to the duo and Stefan and I throw her over the couch. She vamps out through a window just as the front door opens.

Elena rushes in "Stefan?" He gets up and looks at her for a moment before sighing in relief that it's Elena. He hugs her as she looks to me "What happened?"

Damon and I roll our eyes and set straight the lamp and fallen photos "Katherine happened" we sync.

"Did she say what she wanted?" Damon asks Stefan as we all pace. Well, definitely she hadn't asked for him.

"No" the younger Salvatore looks to me.

"Woman certainly knows how to make an entrance" I grumble as Damon throws a hand over my shoulder. Stefan frowns at his brother for a moment before he remembers something, turns out, it's just the thing I wanted him to forget hearing. "She said she fooled one of them, at least. What does that mean?"

I go rigid and look to Damon with warning eyes. Make something up. Make something up.

"She pretended to be Elena too when I showed up earlier tonight" Damon answers matter-of-factly and I groan and face-palm. At least he didn't tell him about the kiss. Silver lining....

"Are you alright?" Stefan hugs his girlfriend, she shrugs out of the embrace and looks to him with a frown "No, I'm not alright! I thought that with all the tomb vampires gone things would get better..." she whines.

"I know. We all did..."

"Katherine was in this house, that means she's been invited in, what are we gonna do?" I come to the point at hand. Did John invite her in? Or did Jenna? Is this the first time she's been in our house?

"Move" Damon states oh-so-helpfully and Elena glares at him "Very helpful, thank you"

I push myself onto my feet with a nod "Actually, that's very good advice"

Elena shakes her head with a glare "I'm not uprooting my life for her"

"Katherine wants you dead; there's zero you can do about it; you would be dead but you're not" Damon says neutrally as if he isn't talking about capri-suns running out of stock.

"Clearly she has other plans..." I settle down on the bar stool.

"Right..." Stefan accepts "-and we need to find out what those other plans are and not provoke her in the process" I roll my eyes, so much trouble for one gal, just stake her, problemo solved, but nope - it has to be a plan. 

Stefan hesitates as he clears his throat "What happened tonight when you... thought she was Elena?"

Sounds like he can pretty much imagine what happened but I cast Damon a warning glare and a shake of my head. He sighs deeply and gets up 

"To risk another frown line encroaching on a very crowded forehead. We-" I pull my palm over his mouth and the rest of the word goes muffled. Elena frowns "What?" 

I shake my head "It's nothing... Jus-" I plead but Damon shakes me off and rushes out before I once again slap my hand over his mouth "-kissed..."

To my surprise, Stefan remains quiet as Elena scoffs, literally scoffs "And you thought it was me?" At least she's tethered to her mind because let me tell you, Stefan's not "What do you mean you kissed?" he asks incredulously. What was he expecting? An eskimo kiss?

"Well, you know, when two lips pucker and they go" Damon waves his fingers in front of his mouth and Elena sighs in frustration as Damon look at his angry brother, making smooching noises. Guess Stefan's realised now, it was definitely not an Eskimo kiss. Stefan snarls and rushes towards Damon but he vamps behind Elena "Don't be obvious, Stef..." he smirks but a second later, I'm behind Damon as I punch his lower back "Don't be a dick, Damon" I hear a bone pop and he grimaces.

Stefan starts towards his annoying brother but I stop him "Stefan wait, he kissed Katherine Pierce, not Elena...." and my sister adds "I wouldn't do that, Stefan..."

"We don't have time for this guys..." I push both the brothers afar and Stefan's snarl turns down a notch into a mild glare 

"Later" he mutters and Damon waves it off.

"John must know something. There has to be a reason why Katherine tried to kill him-" I wonder aloud, shivering - my birth father almost died yesterday night, after he tried to kill me and my friends. God everything's going downhill by the second.

"She's Katherine" Damon grumbles to me "She loves to play games and you're fooling yourself if you think you're going to find out what she's been up to before she wants you to know"

Stefan frowns as he accepts my idea "No, actually Kat's right, John could know something through Isobel. Your mother" he looks between my twin and me "-she was in touch with Katherine so maybe we can go to the hospital and get him to talk..." we start towards the door but Damon says "I've got a better idea"

"Which is?"

"I'm just gonna ignore the bitch. See ya..." he chirps and bypasses to the door. "Is that smart?" Elena mumbles and Damon turns around "If Katherine thinks she's been ignored it will lure her out, she'll make a move..."

"Yeah? And then what?" Stefan asks with a frown. O Steffy Steffy Stefan. I smirk and provide the options "Stake her, rip her head off"

Damon opens the door with a small non-smile "Something poetic..."

"We'll see" I promise him as he leaves with a thud of the door.

▹▹▹

Stefan and I enter the hospital during the visiting hours and I sigh. Elena decided to go with Jenna and Jeremy to the Lockwood Mansion because she was too nervous to face John. Hell, he indirectly tried to kill me and I'm here. But, Stefan always being the supportive one, decided to let Elena do whatever she pleases and accompanied me to the place of dreary dreams.

I enter John's gloomy room and open the curtains - the first thing I do. The light wakes my birth father and he takes one look at me, only to cower and shake towards the nurse's call-button. I raise my hands and approach him slowly "I'm not Katherine, Kat, green eyes" I emphasise and he relaxes against his pillows.

"Where is she?" John asks 

"You tell us" Stefan pushes him back down gently.

"I don't know" He tries to sit up again but is yet again pushes down a bit more quickly by the vampire "You're a little too weak to play tough guy. Why don't you just sit back and answer a few questions?"

I show him his blue ring, shining in the light, and close his palm over it "Tell us why she's here. What does she want?"

He avoids my look and Stefan states "She'll try again; we can't help you if you don't confide in us"

"In you?" John sneers at Stefan and he sighs "In your daughter then..."

He looks to me with a disappointed look "My daughter should have driven a stake through your heart by now," he looks to me after a pause "I never spoke with Katherine directly, she never trusted me...." he turns to Stefan, gritting out as he sits up successfully "So either kill me or get out because I can't stand the sight of you with my daughter"

I take his hand, swallowing the lead shot in my throat as I get his attention "I almost got killed yesterday night John..." his brows furrow as he stiffens "... the device affected me since I'm supernatural too. I wouldn't be alive if not for Stefan. Your hatred for vampires almost lost you your daughter. You see the world with such hatred. It's gonna get you killed, John... Please..." I don't know what I'm begging him for, but I'm done with trying this. He needs to be safe. 

I rush outside and listen as Stefan does something surprising. I lean against the car as he comes out of the building. When he comes closer, I smack him on the head and he frowns "That's for telling John to leave town that way" and then I pull him into a hug 

"And this is for telling John to leave town that way"

He sighs in relief and hugs me back. 

A while later, as we stop in front of the Lockwood Mansion, I sigh "...Don't fight with him", I state, referring to Damon.

"No Vivi, he tried to kiss Elena. I'm not okay with that..."

I ignore the pang in my chest and turn to him "That's not the problem, Twinny 2.0 is. She's already messing with both of your heads and Damon is not stable when it comes to her. The last thing we need is to make things worse. And I won't always be there to make him stable when I'm trying to kill her"

I get out before he can argue. I see Tyler at the threshold and hug him tight "Hey..." I murmur and he hugs me back, burrowing his face in my shoulder "Hey.... Stay with me will you?" I nod and withdraw from the hug as I hear a very familiar motor's sound.

Tyler scoffs in surprise "So the black sheep returns" my eyes widen and I stand there frozen as Mason steps out of his jeep "Tyler?" he asks, surprised "In my mind you're like, twelve years old..." he walks up half the steps and envelops his nephew into a hug.

"Then that's two years older than the last time you saw me, Uncle Mason" Tyler chuckles and gives him a side-hug.

I cross my arms over my chest and put up a frown as Mason just turns back to his truck. I'm standing right here! Hey! I scream internally. He turns around with a smile and looks right at me "Chocobar?" he holds up three with a smile and I squeal. 

I run the rest of the steps and barrel into his open arms "Mase!"

He chuckles and wraps his arms around me, chocobars and all. "It's been so long Letty" he smiles as I snatch the inside joke from him. He used to bribe me when I was younger. Tyler smirks and tries to take a bite of mine but I pull it far away from him. But Mase gets a bite of it and I mock-pout. 

"Lockwood men. Do you know how hard it's been controlling him Mase?" I complain and he gets his bags out.

"So, how much time have you dated?"

We choke on our bars and shake our heads "Nope, not dating. Ew". I try to help him with the bags but when I try to take one from him, my hand touches his and I feel a flash of something burning and red pass through me.

"Letty?" Mason prompts and I jerk up and try to put up an assuring smile "I-I'm sorry, have, I have to check with Carol... We'll catch up later? Yeah, see ya around, Mase" I wave like frigging Dan Humphrey and get out of there.

I bump into Stefan while rushing and he frowns "Viv?" 

"Then I didn't see you listening to Bonnie rant about Damon... did I?"

I groan "I swear if she stole that belt I didn't find, I'm gonna stab her in the stomach" 

I grumble and barge my way into the other room where I see Bonnie catching her breath and an evil twin wearing my stolen clothes. She's smiling sweetly. 

Too sweetly. I gently pull Bonnie towards the threshold and murmur "Go find Elena" she doesn't protest. Guess the vamp got her shocked.

Stefan comes forward and looks Katherine up and down "Katherine" he mutters in greeting and I roll my eyes. 

Rushing forward, I smirk and hug her, catching her by surprise "Kitty!" I huff and she staggers back in surprise. I withdraw and hold her by the shoulders, too tightly for normal people to notice "How're you doing twinny?" 

I push her to the wall as Stefan closes the door. My split personality emerges then as I snarl, not a muscle twitching on my smirking face "Pretty brave of you to steal my clothes Kitty" 

She rolls her eyes and raises her hands innocently "I thought a public place would be less violent, apparently" she pushes me off "I was wrong".

Stefan comes between us "You're taking this a little far, don't you think? Elena could walk in at any moment. What are you doing here?"

Kitty takes a flute of red wine and takes a sip, inching closer to the younger Salvatore beyond my liking. Dragging her finger over Stefan's chest, she smirks at me " Mmm, but that's part of the fun, isn't it. Kat?" 

I roll my eyes and take a cherry from the table but before I can put it in my mouth, she takes it and looks to Stefan, then me, and bites it oh-so-slowly. Suddenly, the door opens and Matt walks in "Hey guys" he smiles. I abandon my glare and smile back, hugging him "Hey Matty. Coming from the hosiptal?" he nods "She's better now. The surgery did it's work" he explains.

Of course, 'Elena' has to interrupt. 

She steps up and smiles kindly "Her recovery was practically miraculous, you must be so relieved" she sighs 'happily'. Matt smiles "I am. Thanks Elena..." but he frowns as he takes in her outfit 

"What's with the....?" he shrugs, unable to explain 'Elena's' sudden mood swing to dress like me and wear her hair like mine.

Kat 2.0 frowns to herself as I smirk for an explanation. She looks to me but covers her dilemma up as she smiles sheepishly to the blue-eyed jock 

"Just wanted to see if we can confuse Stefan. Wouldn't it be awkward if he grabs Kat instead of me?"

My face scrunches up at her tone and I look at Matt doing the same. Laughing too much, I huff "So many years and my twin still has her rotting sense of humour" Matt confusedly nods and walks off with a pat on Stefan's back.

"Ugh" she takes another cherry "His eyes are so blue" 

My lips pucker in disgust "Yea... No. You need to leave. Take those stolen clothes with you" 

Stefan pulls me back from his crazy ex and keeps a firm hand on my shoulder, maybe to stop me from ripping her head off in public. 

"You need to leave Kather...." he swallows as I throw him a glare. Why did my name have to be KATHERINE?? Why not... Kayla? Or Hannah? Or even Blair Waldorf?? He avoids my look as he repeats his words to his ex "You need to leave Katherine"

"You're hurting my feelings, Stefan. Damon was much happier to see me, then again he thought I was your girlfriend so..." she shrugs and I roll my eyes. 

Kitty's lips side up in amusement as she smugly mutters the next thing "Well, I would understand if you don't want me here. After all, you have wonderful little Katherine here to keep you company" We both look at Stefan who doesn't speak.

"I'm not doing this with you" he simply states and pushes me towards the other door leading to the backyard lake. Suddenly, the older vampire pulls Stefan back, who inadvertently pulls me back. 

"Okay, how about we don't have a threesome in front of all of your friends? Walk with me..." she offers and I huff "Just tell me what you're doing here"

"I missed him," she points to the Salvatore and then turns to him "Is that an acceptable answer?" My face scrunches up in confusion, she is the one who abandoned them in the first place, she didn't come back to check on them. And now she misses Stefan? 

"What game are you playing?" Stefan starts walking outside and drags me. Why? Why oh Jesus! Katherine 2.0 accompanies us outside 

"Why? You wanna play with me?" she murmurs, feisty and I close my eyes with a sigh.I turn to go inside but Stefan pulls me back yet again "How can I play if I don't know the rules?"

She raises her hand and faces the lakeside, holding her hand out "No rules, Stefan. Don't you remember? No rules..." Stefan walks towards that but to my relief and amusement, he nudges it off as he pulls me with him. I turn behind and wink at her disappointed face.

"The Lockwoods have a lot more land than they used to. The possessions from all the tomb vampires built them quite a fortune" 

"Yeah, why did you want the tomb vampires dead? You're the one who turned most of them" I ask her.

"There's nothing more annoying than a vengeful vampire, Letty. Just ask your dad" we stop walking. I frown, Letty?

"You haven't changed at all, have you?" Stefan steps forward, trying to catch her by surprise with his tactics. I ignore the hot stab in my throat every time he does that. 

"But you have. You're stronger. Meaner. It's sexy" Twinny 2.0 inches closer to his chest, a finger trailing from his chin to his throat. 

I pull her back and Stefan punctuates with crossed arms "Don't flirt with me Katherine. I'm not Damon," his lips curve outward as he does something that I can only explain as a smug pout "I haven't spent one hundred and forty five years obsessed with you..."

"Yeah..." she shrugs and draws a hand over me shoulders with a pout "-based on your choice of women, I'd say otherwise. Although I'll admit it does bother me that you've falling in love with someone else. Or two someones" I yank her off and she huffs as she rolls her eyes at me 

"I mean, if you wanted me, all you had to do was ask. Who told you to pine over my doppelgangers?" I frown and look down and then at Stefan. 

He avoids my look but focusses on his ex "I was never in love with you, Katherine. You compelled me. So none of my feelings were real" he starts to take my hand, probably to lead me outside but I shake off his grip as I glare at air "I can show myself inside. See you" I walk off.

"Believe what you want, Stefan, but I know the truth and deep down, so do you..." I hear Kitty mutter and I can hear the smile in her voice. I look behind to see that bitch's back to me as she tries hard to seduce Stefan. 

She's playing, big time. 

I lean against the tree near the closed door as I listen in "The truth? Well the truth is, you're the same lying, selfish, manipulative bitch that you've always been" Stefan snarks out "So, whatever it is that brought you here, why don't you just get on with it and leave town? Because if you don't, I will hunt you down and I will rip your heart out" he pushes her off and starts walking but there's a whoosh.

"You want to know why I'm here Stefan? I came back for you-"

"Well the problem, Katherine, is that I hate you"

I hear an odd sound and then the graphic noise of tearing flesh. I turn to see a small-lamp pole in Stefan's stomach "You hate me, huh? That sound like the beginning of a love story, Stefan, not the end of on-" she grunts as she looks down to the rusted fireplace poker in her stomach.

"Then our love story just began Katherine" I push it deeper and she lets go of Stefan.

"I couldn't take another second of the love-crap. Tactics Kitty! I'll teach you after I kill you!" I start bringing my fingers to her writhing form but she turns around and shoves the same poker in my stomach, vamping off. 

The nerve of that bitch... I grunt and fall down as I pull out the rod and look around for any eavesdroppers. Glad that no one's there, I fall down onto the grass and let the skin burn for a while as it heals.

Stefan kneels over me as he palms the red patch on my stomach "Are you healing?! Viv!" I sigh and let my head drop "It's alright. It's healing. I wanna barf" I grit out.

"Stefan!!" I hear Elena and jerk up, trying to cover my guilt. She sees the red patches on our shirts and kneels down "What happened? Are you okay?! Stefan?" 

I get up, grunting as the last burning sensation passes "Evil twin 2.0 happened. I'm gonna go..."

I rush inside and rush into the nearest room I can find which so happens to be the dead mayor's room. I see Tyler looking at a flask hesitantly "You can drink it you know... He can't mind if he's busy being dead" I state bluntly. 

Tyler never had a good dynamic with his father. I can try to understand if he's feeling conflicted right now. I sit down and sigh "Talk to me Ty". He sighs and hands me the flask. He nudges my shins "I wanna lie down" I nod and move to the edge of the couch as Tyler settles his head in my lap, eyeing the shining vessel in my hand.

"You know..." he wipes a hand over his face and over his hair "He's been a jerk all these years. But..."

"But...?" I push gently and hand him the alcohol. "The last thing he said to me was 'Be safe'. His whole life, he was a dick to me, and at the end of his life, he acts like a father, as if he cared about me" he takes a swig from the flask and holds it up for me. 

I take it and close it's mouth "Well... He really cared about you, he just didn't know how to show it. Maybe, maybe he felt as if he had to keep his distance from you. But... He's your father Ty" I murmur. He sighs and turns to his side, inching further into me, like he used to when we were little "I hate him, is that bad?"

I smile sadly as my fingers skim over his locks "No Tyler, that makes you human" He turns over again agitatedly "You know, not one of the people meant it when they said 'I'm sorry fro your loss'. I feel like an idiot, standing and saying that he was a great person and he will be missed. He will not be missed, he was not a great a person. He was a dick" he gets up and snatches the flask from me. 

"Easy..." I warn as he takes a swig rather violently.

My warning is punctuated with the door opening and Mason steps in "Hey, what's going on here Tyler? Letty?" I shrug and look to Tyler who plops down on the couch, resting his head on my shoulder. 

He extends the drink towards his returned uncle "Wanna take a swig?"

Mason obliges as he sits down on the arm of the love-seat opposite us. Tyler looks at the picture on the table. It's the one of his father and mother with him on the first day he started playing for the school team when he was 11. I took the picture so I remember what happened that night. It's probably the only time the Mayor spent at least an hour with Tyler happily. He was proud, so proud of himself on joining the team.

Tyler scowls and smashes the photo against the opposite wall, narrowly missing Mason. With wonderful timing, Mrs. Lockwood barges in "Tyler! What are you doing?"

"Mrs. Lo-" I start but Tyler snarls as his hands pushes off all the things on his late father's table. Tyler's always been angry, but someone close to the root of his unstable anger only aggravates the fire. He growls at his black-clad mother "I hate him!"

Apparently, Carol Lockwood is as blind as I took her to be. Because she inches closer towards Tyler and placates her grunting son "Oh, don't say that, honey" She gently touches his shoulder but Tyler shoves her onto the couch as she yelps. 

I rush to both of them and so does Mason. He yanks Tyler as I calm her down "Carol, please go out, please" she rushes out, listening to me for once.

"Let go of me!" I turn to see Mason pinning a struggling Tyler to the carpeted floor. "Tyler!" Mason grunts as he surprisingly very easily keeps his nephew down "Get off of me!" he grunts. "Hey, Tyler! Hey, hey!" I kneel in front of me and shout. He struggles for a minute. Mason grunts "Letty, go!" 

"No! Tyler!" I look at him and he breathes raggedly as he continues to struggle against his uncle's burly hold. "Calm down..... Look at me... Focus on my voice, it's alright..." a minute of assurance later he fizzes down. 

"Look at me. Look at me. Calm down. Settle down..." Mason gets off gently and settles down with a relieved breath.

He gulps and takes a deep breath "Sorry, I'm, I'm sorry" he shivers and I inch to him warily, hugging him "It's alright... It's over..." 

"I didn't mean to freak her out. I don't know why I get like this... I'm sorry, Kat...." I smile and shake my head as I pat him.

"It's the curse of being a Lockwood" Mason offers Tyler a hand and I scoff "So how'd you get the chill gene Mase?"

The blue-eyed surfer shakes his head as he mutters to no one "I didn't. I've just learned how to manage it"

"I don't want to be like this anymore... Angry, unstable" he sits down beside me and I pull a hand over his shoulder "None of us do. That's why it's a curse, Tyler..." he looks weirdly at me, like he's trying to hide something in plain sight. 

▹▹▹

I enter my house to hear Damon and Elena upstairs. Damon and Elena? I rush up to see them nose-to-nose but Elena's frowning and trying to push him off. "Stop it! You're better than this, come on..." she stumbles backward and I frown "What's going on?" Damon looks to me drunkenly and then to my twin.

"That's where you're wrong" Damon tries to kiss her quickly, but Elena pushes him back. I speed to him and push him back and hold him. Elena sighs "No, no, no, Damon! I care about you. Listen to me, I care about you..." I release my hold on him. Damon smiles slightly and entwines his hand with hers. 

"I do but...I love Stefan, it's always gonna be Stefan" Elena says with pitiful eyes. Damon staggers back and takes a deep breath. He walks towards the window and I follow "Damon..."

He turns around and he smiles drunkenly, sarcastically. His blue eyes simmer with the pain I feel every time I look at Elena and Stefan. "You really think that's gonna tip me off?"

"Damon n-"

"Push me off the edge?" 

I shake my head and step forward "Damon no, let's go..." He surprises me as he abandons the bottle in his hand and puts his hands on my shoulders "Really Katherine?" his hands move to my neck and Elena shouts as I kick him in the shin and pin him to the wall 

"Let's go Damon" I say. He struggles but yields "Okay".... I release him and known to all popular beliefs, he tries to twist my neck once again. I hold his hands and glare "Let's go Damon"

Jeremy chooses that exact moment to check in on the commotion. "What's going on here?"

Damon scoffs and he rushes forward and faces my brother "You want to shut out the pain? It's the easiest thing in the world. The part of you that cares just goes away, all you have to do is flip the switch and sna-"

Damon's neck twists in an unnatural angle and he falls down with a thud. Elena hugs our little brother as he stands there, shocked "He was... going to kill me?" 

I sigh as I pick the old vampire up "Someone warped up with his brain and I'm darn sure it's Katherine Pierce. Stay together and stay safe." I drop the temporarily dead Damon down from the window and with one last glance at my shocked siblings, and an entering Stefan, I jump out of the window.

I stay there, kneeling over him till he gasps awake. I offer him a hand and he sighs "Sorry". I pull him into his car and get behind the wheel "You can't driv-" I raise a brow at him and he sighs "Fine"

▹▹▹

"So?" I pick up the scrap of a T-shirt from the carpet and cast a judging look to Damon Salvatore. "She got me, I'm, I'm-"

"-sorry? Figured. Next time I tell you not to let her in, try to follow" I throw the shirt in the dustbin and turn to him, who's drinking again. I close my eyes and take a breath. I sit next to him on the warm carpeted ground in front of the sizzling fireplace. 

We sit there for a while, only the crackling of dying embers filling the noise of no words. My fingers inch over to his hand grabbing the bottle he resigned his inner talks to. "Damon...."

He droops drunkenly on my shoulder as his throat clears "Am I... Am I so bad?" 

"What? Damon, no.... Why do you think that? Damon..." I rest my head against his head. He scoffs. "Well, no one ever decides to like me... I'm, broken, unloveable..."

I shift and turn to him, a hand on his cold cheek "Damon no... I, I know that you're a good man. The 24-year old soldier who loved a girl called Katherine Pierce. A brother who loved his baby brother even if he was stuck in eternity because of him, but you're not the only one in love with someone you can't ha-" his lips are on mine, cutting off whatever was said.

He backs off immediately, eyes wide. He shakes his head "I'm, I'm sorry, I shouldn't ha-" 

My lips are on his. 

He smirks and drops the bottle. It crashes down with a thud as his nose rubs against mine "Mistakes huh?"

My lips crash against his as my hands grip his hair. We fall back onto the hard wood and I wrap my legs around his waist. 

When breath begs to be remembered, we part and I look into his blue dilated eyes. He takes gulps of breath and bends down to my ear "Ready to get your world rocked?" 

I smirk and flip him over, kneeling over him "Are you?" 

He kisses me, groping for the buttons of my blouse while I rip off his shirt. Getting my belt, he pulls me into him. I rip the buckle of his belt, kissing him harsher, with no qualms about tomorrow.

Damon picks me up and I feel cold air over all over myself as I'm thrown onto the bed. Let's get Salvatore out of my system, I think. But my inner goddess scoffs and crosses her arms over her chest. 

Will that ever be possible?