It's a beautiful day, as Stefan and I get out of our car on the side of the road and walk towards my car, me carrying two large containers.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQd8QaZwSpB
"If they so much as even scratched the paint on my car…," I start.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTGmKRcgi4X
"Well, just be grateful Sheriff Forbes was able to track down the car after you let them, ah, you know—steal it from you," Stefan interrupts.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo5mq1U7tT9
"Remind me to send her some mini-muffins. Do we really need 10 gallons of gas, or are you making me just lug this around as punishment?" I say.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbSGs3OjuW4
"Well, they ditched your car after it ran out of fuel. You gotta fill it up. Got a hundred miles before we get to Willoughby."370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj5j4RQWQih
"Yeah, well I don't remember that name from the list of places I got from New York."370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuRWFS6CCaS
"Oh, the list? The list they stole from right under your nose, after you let your guard down? They'll be there. Sheriff Forbes tracked down the car they stole after yours," Stefan amusingly says.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGlItH4UGoc
"Screw the muffins. I'll get her champagne—if Elena is wherever it may be," I say, as I fill my tank with gasoline.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9xeks48snW
He smiles.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ9GPeAkdOe
"Willoughby. Creamed corn capital of Pennsylvania. They'll be there. Let's just hope we get to them before they get to the cure."370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiDoVxVEs7A
"Ooh, silver lining: if Rebekah takes the cure, then she's mortal and we can just kill her right then and there."370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBH4mb4Vju1
"Ooh, dark cloud: Elena stays a vampire forever. Look, why don't you just table the revenge fantasies for now, and just keep your eye on the prize. Find Katherine, get the cure, get out before you get your neck snapped—again."370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY1YnsZNt6q
"Believe me, I learned my lesson. Elena without humanity is a stone-cold bitch, and I won't trust her until we get the old Elena back."370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwaRbl0ovgw
"Look at that. We're finally on the same page about something."370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ23OTb9FHW
"Look at that," I agree.
Later that day, we're walking along the street, still in search of Rebekah and Elena.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdKzxAeOT31
"Something's not right. Katherine Pierce does not hold up in Hickstown, P-A.," I announce.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaWr25S66S6
"Well, this is definitely the car they stole. We're in the right place," Stefan says.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjtIINKXiSL
"Points to them for their choice of vehicles," I say.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG3MPpG6afg
"So let me ask you something. What happens when we find Elena? How do we get her back to Mystic Falls? I mean, she's not exactly gonna go quietly, and she has an Original vampire as her bodyguard."370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ57GAUSGIPK
"We do whatever we have to do. I don't care if we have to throw Rebekah under a school bus and wrap Elena up in a burlap sack. We do whatever we have to do."370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9nnzVWRVzW
"I'm serious."370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMRXcwCZDp
"I am, too. I don't care what Elena wants right now. She's this close to going off the rails for good and that ain't happening. She's a pain enough as it is."370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgIP2rOOjow
"So what happened to the guy who thought Elena should embrace being a vampire, let the chips fall where they may?" Stefan asks me.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbllwjDe2L8
"That guy got his neck snapped in New York and this guy is royally pissed off," I answer him, and start to walk away.
When we find them, they're sitting in a diner in a booth. Rebekah is seated next to Katherine, but Elena isn't there.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA1a2jAFnTn
Stefan and I walk in and walk up to them.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ86PS62rCUa
"Ladies, playing nice?" Stefan asks them.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQuxxf1gVfj
I sit down in a bench across from them, amused, and Rebekah let's go of Katherine's hand.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaqFLyak0PM
"There goes the neighborhood," Katherine comments.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHT1b90A6MK
"I see you got Katherine already," I say, before telling Katherine, "You're losing your touch, evil one."370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdhNg1y0F2T
We all stare at one another.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlKoj5f0ylV
"Where's Elena?" Stefan asks Rebekah.
"So let me get this straight: I tell you where Elena is, you shove the cure down her throat, and then I end up in a box, right? I don't think so," Rebekah says.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjLtiIAr6ue
"What about you over there, smiley? Do you know where she is?" I ask Katherine.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ29bTZ8uh6s
"I can give you a hint. Start by looking at the town morgue. She's probably dead."370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKZn9xY8mHc
We wait for Katherine to elaborate, and after a moment, she does, saying, "She went to meet up with a friend of mine. You may know him—an Original brother, impeccable taste."370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVElBukVDqY
"Elijah," Rebekah realizes.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSCPKY1U9Vm
"Elijah's here?" I question.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaO3OC7cWDg
"Well, you sort of have to question Elijah's impeccable taste if he's friends with you," Stefan tells Katherine.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPiw9KceSAM
"Oh, when I say friend, I mean friend."370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3EUBsvjWaD
Rebekah and I groan in disgust, figuring out what she's getting at. Katherine and Elijah are in love.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFnBs94J3FT
"It probably took him about 10 seconds to realize that she wasn't me, at which point he probably yanked her heart right out of her chest," Katherine says.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBj7MHwDApT
"All right. Where are they?" Stefan asks her, but Katherine smiles and doesn't say anything, so Stefan says to Rebekah, "Rebekah, you do realize if something should happen to Elena, you have no chance of finding the cure, right?"370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDKrNIHsm5V
"Fine. They were supposed to meet at the gazebo by the park," Rebekah answers.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdFpWvEQkGN
"I'll go talk to Elijah," Stefan says, getting up from the bench.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHiMC6EmHNQ
"You go deal with Elijah. Katherine will take us to the cure," Rebekah tells him.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm8NyUdEiSS
"No, she won't. The cure is my one chance to win my freedom back from Klaus," Katherine interjects.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEqIj7phcTo
"You're gonna break a deal with Klaus?" I ask her.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDodm9U4qbm
"No. She's gonna get Elijah to break the deal for her. That's why you need your little friend, isn't it? Some things never change, Katherine," Stefan says.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCbBmQjaCID
"Nope," I say.
"Fine," Katherine says, before saying to Rebekah, "Move. You have to follow me."
We follow Katherine to her place and stop just outside the door.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3gNR2uMJvH
I push Katherine inside and then tell her, "No sudden moves. No tricks either. No Katherine-ing."370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJvhgdNT2Ka
She walks further into the house, while we look around.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQUD0o1WFSR
"Wow. A quilt inside a fish aquarium. Who the hell are you?" I say.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1WMLeQv34s
"A very old lady with dreadful taste," Rebekah answers me.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxx896ogL0
Katherine has been removing things from a bookshelf and opens a hidden safe. She moves her hands around inside it.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4DnJr2ZGf2
"It's gone. The cure, it was in the safe, but it's not there," she tells us.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGzsHzUvAsD
I imitate a buzzer and then say, "Not falling for it. Where is it, Auntie Katherine?"370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn3MTNhLl7R
"I swear it was in the safe," she insists.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCi5b0B1B1
"What, just like Elijah's really your boyfriend and this is really your life? And for all we know, this isn't even your house," Rebekah says.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ahpSVL5ig
"Yeah, it doesn't look like the Katherine I know," I agree.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDy56kMfUc
"Maybe you don't know Katherine at all. Did it ever occur to you that you have no idea who I really am?" Katherine says.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoCjHHwo6iP
"Did it ever occur to you that you're not that deep? This whole small-town girl thing, we all know it's an act," I say.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtqLhz0TRPK
"Where is the cure?" Rebekah asks her.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbc0Qt6Dh1v
Katherine looks at her with a hint of a smile and Rebekah vamp-speeds at her. I throw my arm out to stop her.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZcbUpyuuq5
"Whoa, whoa. Hang on. We need her alive. The cure's not here. You check upstairs. I'll check down. I got this," I tell Rebekah.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2uCtwrHsZN
Katherine smiles, while Rebekah walks away to go upstairs.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMgglQFAlb6
"So if I was a paranoid, distrustful sociopath, where would I keep my most prized possession?" I say.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1N1S7jfdzP
"This should be fun," Katherine says, chuckling.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdfp1OfqKGc
I search the room. "Because I'd want it to be close, but not on me. Accessible but not obvious. I'd want to keep it safe, but not so safe that it'd be too difficult to grab and run."370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1LohLz4MpU
I stop in front of the fish tank.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIgDFS1FgpN
"Well, that is a fancy little treasure chest—in a tank with no fish." Katherine doesn't say anything and I continue. "I think I'm gonna have to check that out."370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL0KIFiunli
I stick my hand into the water, but it immediately burns my hand.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9zxzg7CImO
"Aah! Gah! Vervain water. Looks like we have a winner."370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgYvEjga6OA
I pick up a large net to scoop out the chest. Before I can, Katherine vamp-speeds at me and shoves my head into the vervain water, holds me there for several seconds then throws me to the floor. I writhe in pain and Katherine gets the chest out. She runs to the door, but Rebekah appears in front of her.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiEtxLTnXxC
"Give it to me, or you're dead."370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡva1NNJmZRc
"You're gonna kill me anyway. So what's more important to you, huh? Killing me or getting the cure?" Katherine says.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg8ak77qTFf
She holds up a small pill-shaped object and throws it into the air behind her. Rebekah runs to catch it, and Katherine dashes out the front door. I'm still on the floor, but my face is healing.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtZB0tOG9N2
"Look, Rebekah... Don't even think about it," I rasp.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5YY2VpnYjS
Rebekah gets up, still in awe that she finally has the cure. My voice still sounds very raspy.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡexbcrXB9Rp
"Let's just talk about this, like the two rational vampires that we are. Rebekah?"370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNcPfp1N4Y
"Oh, give it a rest. Me taking this cure is the best thing that'll ever happen to you," Rebekah says, as she stares at the object in her hand.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa6bzAkqqMn
"Don't do anything stupid," I try to reason.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI61Htyki7x
"Admit it. You don't want human-Elena running back to Stefan whilst you're left out in the cold again. Go on, Damon. Tell me why you want Elena to have the cure," she says.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWsjXiAgmN7
I don't say anything, still on the floor.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcTzNRQwxhr
Rebekah smiles and says, "That's what I thought."370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmnj6NLsqAR
Rebekah pops open the pill when Stefan arrives at the open front door. She tosses it back into her mouth.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmqtNrgRMF
"No!" Stefan yells.
Rebekah gasps for a few seconds and falls down onto the sofa.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpWUxqaA4d5
I rest my head on the floor.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MnAkCvzTF
Rebekah is still unconscious on the sofa, as Stefan looks at the fish tank while talking to me. I've finally gotten to my feet and am drying myself off with a towel from the vervain.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJuve2nP2T
"Did you even try to stop her?" Stefan asks me.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAR393JNWKp
"You forgot the part where I was bobbing for boxes in vervain water."370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDc1Law4HOf
"All you had to do was stall her, Damon."370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL4JAABjZ6V
"Sorry. It's Rebekah. I didn't have a pony to distract her, Stefan."370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhbHaMH32hU
"You let her take it, didn't you? You were never on my side. Now Elena will be a vampire for the rest of her life just like you wanted."370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2dF45X3ga5
Suddenly, Rebekah gasps, waking up.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3YKjowLgEX
She sits up, looking refreshed, her mouth open in wonder. I'm standing by a bookshelf and Stefan sits down on the coffee table opposite her.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlWGaI7fwgS
"How do you feel?" Stefan asks.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaouLTyIDrc
"I-- I feel good. I... I feel great. I feel alive," she answers, smiling.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvABsKavwtM
"Slight problem with being alive--I can kill you, you know," I comment to her.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxKgd1Lhwcf
I throw a letter opener at her and she catches it with vamp speed. We all watch, as the cut on her hand heals. Rebekah gasps in horror, while Stefan sighs in relief.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJbVdoijrw6
"I'm still a vampire. The cure didn't work."370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeK33FTX61x
"It worked just like she wanted it to. The cure was a fake. It must've been a concentrated shot of vervain or something," Stefan says.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgc5gkm4wYX
Rebekah is still in shock, her mouth hanging open.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh7AMpdQSc6
"Katherine," I say with a slight admiration.
That night, Stefan and I walk down a sidewalk.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJq7u34AjW
"All right, you're right. I let Rebekah take the cure." I stop and turn to face Stefan. "I thought for a second—I mean, literally just a second—If Rebekah takes this, then all my problems go away. And I couldn't think of one good reason to give it to Elena. And then Rebekah took it. And I realized how badly I screwed up," I admit.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyUk7OfsbrG
"So what's your point, Damon?" Stefan asks me.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmvZZoqCxna
"My point is, I'm sorry, okay? I had a moment of weakness, Stefan. It's my thing. It's like you and I falling for the same girl. It's our thing," I say.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcx7HjD2HhL
"Was our thing. Look, we've been making the same mistakes for 150 years. We can judge Katherine all we want, but we keep repeating our own history just like she is. Nothing ever changes. It has to stop, Damon."370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0FRDVnLYk
"What are you talking about?" I ask him.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGdJWjRsUv8
"I'm done. I can't keep reliving my life like this. I owe Elena her shot at being normal again. Once we give her the cure, I'm getting her out of my life, and I'm getting a life of my own."370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBLhp8kNj5h
I nod and say, "Okay. Okay, let's just get the cure, and then we'll talk about you riding off into the sunset all by your lonesome."370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10xVKR7feQ
"You still want to get the cure, even if it means you might lose her?" he asks me.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9pyczQzYEZ
"It's a chance I'm willing to take, Stefan."370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcZnTpDBK8A
"Well, I guess all we have to do is, uh, convince her."370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR1HvrFezSg
He walks past me and we enter the same diner we had earlier, when Rebekah and Katherine had been there. Elena is sitting at a table by herself. Jolene, the waitress, sees us walk in.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpRP2R7TjOk
"Sit anywhere you'd like," Jolene greets us.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7qDE8u4mu
We slide into the booth where Elena is seated at.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmerQEn5xAB
"You all right?" Stefan asks her.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ08epSSl2E9
Elena looks at us, but doesn't say anything.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuV9GdhGYH2
"What's up with the silent treatment? You're the one that texted us and wanted to meet up," I say.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZSEhxy1bCc
"You know I don't want the cure. You need to know that I never will and I'm done talking about it. So... will you accept that and let me be who I am, or not?" she says.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFxBwOqFUg8
Stefan and I exchange a look.
"Yeah...no," I answer her.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoYNClZAxRf
"Elena, this isn't you," Stefan says.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8nekxLIDFH
"It is now. And you two really need to accept it. Because if you don't, there will be consequences."370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡursFAmtVGY
Elena takes a sip from her mug and we look at each other again.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMiphGb8Tqj
"Listen, I was in the exact same situation that you're in right now. My emotions were off. I wasn't me. And you refused to accept that. You didn't give up on me. You didn't stop until you pulled me back," Stefan says.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVlf66zfFRS
Elena sets down her mug. Jolene comes back.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5NuhdKzlIG
"Let me just top that off for you," Jolene says.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcv4o3rbIxe
Elena smiles and says, "Thanks."370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxAzvoTULf6
Elena vamp-speeds up and snaps Jolene's neck. Her body falls to the floor as the pitcher of coffee shatters.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJun0fBm9W3
"Like I said, consequences. That's one body you're responsible for. If you keep trying to fix me, there'll be a second, a twentieth, and a hundredth. It's your choice," Elena tells us.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0VkZMkOZai
She walks away and leaves the diner, as we look at the body.370Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFOqQ2RqX7n
"Still ready to ride off into the sunset?" I ask my brother.
