[Episode 26 - Memory Lane - 2]

The next day, Damon and Kat enter the Grill to find Elena concentrating on her homework, for once. "Hey 'Lena" she mutters, sliding onto one of the chairs and Damon comes back after giving his order.

"So, this is where you spend your time when you're not stabbing people in the back" Damon snarks lowly as he drapes an arm over Kat's chair. At Duke, Elena apparently manipulated Damon into giving her the book about Katherine Pierce's family history - now the Petrova family history. 

"I tricked you into telling me the truth" Elena states "-that's not stabbing you in the back, it's using your own tactics against you"

She pulls her sister up with her and drags her out. 

"Where are you going?" Damon frowns.

"I made myself clear, Damon. I want nothing to do with you" Elena glares and Kat narrows her eyes. Why is she being so bitchy now? 

"Okay. See you at Jenna's barbecue" Damon states smugly, causing the younger Gilbert twin to stop dead in her tracks 

"How did you know about Jenna's barbecue?" Technically, it's Kat's barbecue, but whatever. She got a cryptic call from none other than uncle Mason I-turn-into-a-wolf Lockwood first thing in the morning, asking to set up the barbecue tonight.

"Mason lost a bet with my our not-so-weak girl Kat here, and Jenna went to high school with him so I figured a social gathering would be a good way to get to know the guy. So, we're gonna grill some chicken" he smirks at his own joke and Kat rolls her eyes. 

Mason's like her godfather. He meant her no harm. Even if he was running around as a wolf.

"Does Jenna know that you're going to be there because she's not exactly a fan of you" Elena uses her last straw to remain away from the vampire who's spoiling her sister, when she couldn't be more wrong.

A woman worker of the Grill walks up to him and gives him a box "Perfect timing. Thank you"he turns to the straight-haired twin "I'm hoping this peach cobbler will pave the way"

▹▹▹

"Why are you and Damon together?" Elena asks not-so-gently once they reach home. The Saturday sun is starting to set.

The elder twin scoffs "Chill, we're not getting married... Lemonade?" she sets down the heavy bag with the old book and her necklace, which Stefan gave to her. 

Apparently it was left with him since the Founder's Day and he forgot to give it back to her. The necklace is what the book called a Guardian's charm. It's better to keep this around, to moderate her emerging powers.

"You didn't answer my question" Elena huffs and sits down on the stool, hoping to complete the conversation before Jenna or Alaric or Mason come in.

"We're not together 'Lena... We're just... with each other" she can't find any other phrase to describe the intimacy-unintimacy between the older Salvatore and her.

"Girls? Are you home?" they hear their aunt's happy voice boom through and Kat smiles, eager for the buffer "In here Jenny!"

▹▹▹

"Thanks for letting me invite Caroline. She could use a day of distraction" Elena gratefully puts in while coming inside with plates filled with the steaming result of the barbecue. Kat begins setting the batch as Jenna hugs her from behind, making the girl smile.

The Guardian and supernatural mumbo-jumbo had taken a toll on the twins' time with their aunt, so all of them were sticking close to each other. 

"Well, she's not the plus one I'm worried about" Jenna frowns over Kat's shoulder "Why is Damon here?"

"Because he's dating Kat" Elena grits out. Jenna goes rigid and after a minute, she murmurs "You're with him?"

"Again with it" the elder Gilbert rolls her eyes "Elena's assuming. No one's with anyone..." Kat defends and in the backyard, she hears Damon go through a similar problem with Alaric.

"I'll loosen up when you learn to keep your paws off Kat" she hears Alaric warn.

"We're...." Damon trails off.

"Friends with benefits" Kat provides, directly to Jenna and indirectly to Damon.

"Friends with benefits Ric" he gropes gratefully "Ever tried to live without strings? We get each other, problemo solved. Now let's take these inside"

"Good news!" Mason enters raising his hands in triumph "I found the shot glasses!"

"That would be my exit" Elena motions for her sister to come along with her and she looks to Mason, a fleeting glance, as she nods and moves out. While going, he bumps into her, whether deliberately or accidentally, no one knows, but the vision that Kat sees next, is definitely real.

"I love you okay? Mason, I love you" an identical face murmurs and they continue to make out profusely on the bed.

The Guardian smashes into the wall on the way to the backyard and she barfs, literally, her groans undermining the loud talks of her aunt and Mason Lockwood.

Feeling grossed out, she stumbles outside, finally, and bumps into Alaric. 

"Woah" he pushes her gently to the wall with his shoulder, trying to balance both the loaded dishes in his hands. "You okay Kat?"

"Gross" she murmurs, shoving some of the barbecue into her mouth. Damon rushes to them as humanly fast as possible, leading the Guardian to a nearby chair. 

"What happened? Anything acting up?" 

She weakly nods "But this time, it wasn't just the Guardian stuff. I got a vision" she explains it to them as cryptically as possible. The lesser Caroline knows hearing in, the better, because she has to be safe.

"I saw you-know-who" she points through the window to the Lockwood "being.... 'cute' with twinny 2.0"

"Ew" Damon's nose scrunches up as he offers her a bubble gum "I know. I need to get out of here. You interrogate him or whatever, Elena's with Caroline, I can't stay in there" the girl pleads and Alaric nods understandingly and helps her get up. 

"Keys" she extends her hand to the older Salvatore who narrows his eyes in mock-confusion "What?"

"I'm not driving anything else Damon"

"You have a car"

"You have one too" Kat smirks.

"No" 

"Yes" 

"No" 

"Yes" 

"Fine" he concedes and Alaric's eyes widen, putting saucers to shame. "You'll be alright driving by yourself?"

"Yeah, I'll send Stefan later"

Damon raises a finger in warning "Not a-"

"Scratch" she nods "I know Damon. Bye" she waves to Ric "Tell Jenna I'm sorry" she drives off.

"Is she the only one who gets to drive it or..."

"Shut up and get these inside"

▹▹▹

"Stefan get your late ass to the barbeque!" Kat shouts as soon as she gets inside the Boarding House.

"Can't. Have a guest over. Come on down" she hears Stefan say from somewhere down. Her brows furrow as she doesn't even put her purse down to get down to the cells, following the younger Salvatore's absurd conversation.

Only, when she enters the last stone cell in the basement, she grits her teeth with a myriad of emotions. Katherine fucking Pierce, tied down to a chair.

"Well well well, if it isn't the doppelbitch" the Guardian smirks. And honestly, the expression on her face put Stefan at unease.