Veins of Desire

10. I Think We're All Afraid That We Might Be Alone Down Here

Katerina is both parts surprised and annoyed when she finds both Salvatore Brothers standing at the entrance of the tomb the next morning, waiting for her. Well, perhaps not actually surprised. After Elena failed to bribe information about Klaus out of her, she kind of expected Stefan and Damon to try their luck next. Not that they'd be any more successful.

"Well, I think Elena needs to get her ears checked," she states as she drags herself around the corner. "I told her to get Nora here, not the two of you."

Damon's face distorts into a grimace as he looks at her. "Always nice to see you too, Kitty Kat."

Katerina huffs at the latest nickname he's given her. He's not getting any more creative with those, is he?

"We're here for the moonstone," Stefan says, getting straight to the point.

"Feel like tossing it over?" Damon adds, smiling sweetly at her.

Katerina grimaces. The moonstone. Of course.

"Tell you what, you get your little witch to hocus pocus me out of here, you can have whatever you want."

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"You don't believe her, do you?" Elena asks as she and the Salvatores are sitting in the Gilbert kitchen an hour later. It's still very early in the morning. The remaining residents of the house are still asleep. Elena herself has basically been rung out of bed a few minutes ago, still dressed in her pajamas as she's sipping on a steaming cup of coffee.

"No, of course not," Damon huffs. "We just want the moonstone."

Stefan nods in agreement. "According to Rose's friend Slater, there's a way to destroy the spell that Klaus wants to break."

"No spell, no doppelganger sacrifice. Ergo, you and little Miss Hearing Implants will live," Damon concludes.

Elena furrows her brows. "How do you destroy it?"

"By releasing it from the moonstone," Stefan explains matter-of-factly, causing the doppelganger to shoot him a doubtful glance.

"How do you guys even know this is gonna work?"

Damon grins at her sheepishly. "Cause we have a crafty witch on our side."

It takes a moment for realization to dawn on Elena's face. "You discussed it with Bonnie."

She doesn't really like the fact that they all seem to have made up a plan already before involving her. Shouldn't she have a say in this too? It's her and her sister's lives at stake after all.

Stefan nods. "She agreed to do anything she could to help us."

Of course she has. Elena has never needed to doubt Bonnie's friendship and loyalty before. She would even die for her, if that's what it takes, not that Elena would ever let her do that.

Still, this plan has holes. Many holes. Dangerous ones, even.

"It's Katherine who has the moonstone," she reminds them, arms crossed in front of her chest. "She's not gonna give it to you."

"We're gonna get it from her," Stefan promises, a grim, determined look on his face.

Damon's face distorts into a grimace as he goes to lean against the kitchen counter. "Well, what he means to say is, we will pry it from her cold, dead hand if we have to."

"Bonnie just needs to find a way to release the seal long enough for us to get in, get the moonstone, and get out in time for her to return it," Stefan explains just as Elena's twin sister enters the kitchen, carrying Cinnamon in her arms.