"I can confirm that a twelve foot puma mountain lion attacked a hunter and was subsequently shot and killed," the town's sheriff was telling the town of Mystic Falls on the news as I stalked into Stefan's room. He, of course, was writing in his journal. "The hunter is in stable condition."

If only they knew the truth.

I stood at the door frame to Stefan's room, waiting for him to notice me.

When he didn't, I said, "You just gonna sit there like a stone or are you gonna help me come up with a brilliant plan to stop Damon?"

"How would I help you make a plan to stop Damon if I can't think of one?" Stefan asked, putting his journal to the side.

"Well, you're no fun," I told him, half-jokingly as I jumped onto his bed and sitting down.

He stood up, walking for the door, then out.

"Hey," I complained. "Where are you going?"

Stefan didn't answer, but I heard him walking down all the stairs, then out of the front door.

I sighed a very annoyed sigh.

Stefan really was no fun.

But what was I gonna do about Damon?

We didn't have any vervain. Damon was stronger than both of us.

So, my question? I didn't have an answer. Yet.

I had walked into the Grill, bored enough to.

Well, actually, I was trying to come up with a diabolical plan to rid Mystic Falls of Damon Salvatore, my brother--the evil one, at the moment--without killing him or him killing any one else.

But Damon was stronger. And it wasn't because he was a guy and I was a girl or because I was physically weaker.

It was because he drank human blood from the vein, not just from a blood bank, like me.

The difference?

Damon's way, you feed on the essence of humanity, their strength, straight from the source. Therefore, more powerful.

My way, the power had diminished quite a bit. I still had human blood, making me a lot stronger than Stefan, but it was different. The power Damon took directly faded from the power I drank. Enough to where Damon could easily kick my ass if he wanted to. Possibly kill me.

So what to do, what to do?

The girl I had compelled the other night? Vicki? Her brother Matt was from my history class, and he was walking toward me now. "Hey, Kaylin."

"Hey, Matt," I said in response.

"So, I was thinking," he started. "You know, I never go to the Founder's Parties because I'm not from a Founding family, but my sister's going with my best friend, and . . . I'm kind of left out in the cold."

"They still do those things?" I asked, mildly surprised.

I had been at the very first one. So had been both of my brothers. They had been with Katherine while I had gone with a vampire named Henry, but only because I hadn't known him much back then. And he'd been the only escort available at the time.

"You've been before?" Matt asked. "I thought you just got to town."

Oh, crap. "I did. I lived here before, but, no, I haven't been. The Salvatores don't get invited anymore."

"Well, I would like to invite you."

"Aren't you Elena's ex?"

"Well, yeah, but--"

"Oh," I said softly. "You're looking for a rebound."

"No," Matt said honestly, his voice sounding like the suggestion had been an insult. "God, no. I just meant . . . You're new to town, you don't know that many people, and I'd like to show you around."

I nodded understandingly. "Not a real date then."

"No," Matt agreed. "Friend-date."

"Friend-date," I repeated, chuckling. "I like that."

I was getting ready for the Founder's Party. Stefan and Zach had told me about their first attempt with vervain.

It was going on now.

My dress was mostly red. On my chest, it was smooth as satin, the ribbon wrapping around was black, a black rose over the middle of m stomach. The skirt of the dress was the same as on my chest, only there was a transparent black veil skirt covering it.

Dangly earrings and a snake-like sliver bracelet were in one of my hands, and strappy black heels in the other. Red eyeshadow and lipstick were on my eyelids and my lips. Black eye liner, mascara and nail polish.

See a common denominator? Or two?

With the jewelry in one hand the the strappy black high heels in the other,  I wanted into Stefan's room as he sat down in a chair, half-ready.

"Come on, broody," I teased. "Hurry up if you don't wanna be late to your date."

"What about yours?" Stefan asked.

My eyes slid over to him. "How'd you find out about that?"

"Does it matter?"

I shrugged, getting up and pouring myself some Scotch--Damon's favorite kind. Stefan already had some, and Stefan handed me a small vial of vervain for me to pour into it.

After I opened it and poured some in, I went to sit down with my drink just as Damon walked in the room.

Damon, of course, was shirtless as he walked in. "They still wear ties at this thing?"

I gestured to my dress, heels on the ground next to me, the jewerly on the table next to me, and my make-up. "Clearly."

"Why are you even going?" Stefan asked Damon.

"Well, it's only fitting," Damon said as I took a sip from the vervain-free Scotch, then I put it down on the table. ""We were at the very first one, remember?"

"I think it's better if we don't draw attention to ourselves," Stefan said.

"So you should stay here," Damon told him, looking at him through the mirror. "I'll see to it Elena has a good time." Stefan took a sip of his own Scotch. Damon saw. "I understand Kaylin drinking," I smiled a little as I took another sip, "but, my goodness, I've driven you to drink."

I knew that this whole charade wouldn't work, though. Damon was too smart. But as long as his guard lowered, he wouldn't expect it to come so soon.

Only way was to get his guard down and then strike.

Stefan was putting on loafers as he said, "Can't seem to rid myself of you. What else am I supposed to do, besides go about living my life?"

I put the Scotch down at those words, even getting me to think on the same side as Damon--just this once.

"'Go about living my life'," Damon repeated. "See, therein lies your eternal struggle." Damon turned away from the mirror, sayng to me like a game show host and I was the show-girl, "Tell him what he's won, Kaylin."

"A life of eternal damnation," I said playing along.

We both smirked, looking at Stefan. Damon didn't see me wink at Stefan, but Stefan did. "You're dead, dude," Damon said. 'Get over it." He held up a tie that I didn't like. "What do you think?"

"Eh," I said.

"You're right," Damon said. "Too shabby." He grabbed the part to his suit  and put it on, the under shirt. Then the blazer, looking in the mirror again as he adjusted his collar. "It's cool not growing old. I like being the eternal stud."

I grabbd one sparkly, dangly earring and started to pierce through the skin. Bad thing about vampires--you can't pierce your ears without healing, then having to do it again. And again.

"Yes, being a 150-year-old teenager has been the height of my happiness," Stefan said sarcastically, surprising even me.

I turned my head with a smile as Damon turned around.

"You crackd a funny, Stefan," I teased.

Stefan downed the rest of his Scotch as I put the other earring in, piercing skin.

"I should have a drink to celebrate," Damon said.

He reached for Stefan's glass as I reached down to start putting my strappy heels on. With a single thought, one of them was on. I loved vampire speed. Then I put the other on.

I sat up, reached for my snake-like silver bracelet, my eyes carefully following Damon while remaining completely relaxed and unsuspcious at the same time.

The glass tapped against wood as he set it down and Damon picked something from the table I didn't see.

"1864," Damon said. "You and Katherine were the perfect couple. It was hell watching you dance with her."

Stefan turned his head. "My happiness was short-lived, as you well know."

Damon looked at Stefan for a second. "I remember." He looked away, only to turn back. "I left the party early, I was waiting for her. That night you dropped her off, I was waiting just inside." He held the Scotch in his hads. "You were such a gentlemen, gave her a kiss on the cheek." As he spoke, he poured Scotch into the glass. "When what she really wanted was . . . " Stefan turned around like he was curious when reallly we were waiting for the plan to fail. "Oh, well." he held up his glass. "Here's to history repeating itself, huh?" Damon winked, still raising his glass until he brought it close to his lips like he was going to drink.

Then spilled it on to the floor, none touching his skin, dropping the glass.

"I admire you effort, guys. Pouring yourselves a drink and then Kaylin spiking the bottle with vervain." I looked down, smiling just a little, but barely noticeable. "I'm not some frunk soroity chick. You can't roofie me. But I can't help but feel a little used. I thought we were having a moment." Damon let out a heavy sigh. "I have to go to the party angry. Who know what I'll do?"

He stalked away, and I finally slipped on the snake-like bracelet.

I was already heading down as Stefan finished getting ready, then he was next to me as we walked down together.

Zach met us in the hall. "That was his favorite Scotch. I thought it would work."

"We weren't counting on it," Stefan said.

"You knew it would fail."

"He did what we wanted," I said, not nearly as boring or broody as Stefan. 'He lowered his guard. He won't expect either of us to try again so soon."

Zach held up the small vial of vervain. "I double what I put in the Scotch."

I took it, both Stefan and I turning for the door.

"When's Matt supposed to pick you up?" Stefan asked.

"I said I would meet him there," I answered.

"oh," he said.

"Go pick up your lady in waiting. I'll be taking the shortcut."

I smiled as the words left my mouth, thinking of the place I wanted to go. The new Lockwood mansion.

Mainly, people thought vampire speed was just running faster. Moving faster. While that was true, there was more to it than just that.

It only took the tiniest thought of command, and you'd be doing what you had subconciously told yourself to do. Same thing as running. Thought of a place, and you were disappearing from one spot to the other.

Simple.

Matt was waiting, and looking very hot, in a black tux, outside.

He was turned away from me. He hadn't seem me yet.

Then he turned around and jumped, gasping a little, quiet gasp.

"Sorry," I laughed.

Matt chuckled along with me. "It's cool. Just didn't see you. Or hear you. You're sneaky."

I smiled. "i know."

"ready to go inside?" he asked, gesturing up to the long line of dressed up couples, waiting to be invited in.

With Matt's short blonde hair and gorgeous blue eyes, he could have passed as someone supernatural with his looks. But he was all -American, all-human boy that just wanted to be nice to me, not start anything real.

Which was what made me come with him in the first place. I didn't want anything real. Not now.

I smiled, nodding, and he held out his arm for me to take.

I took it, and he led me up to the door.

We were actuallyin front of Stefan and Elena and Elena's best friend Bonnie, the witch who just joked that she was a witch, standing next to another woman with light, auburn hair. Very light, not dark. Her hair looked more blonde-ish brown than red.

When we reached the front, Matt said to the man standing by the door. "Hey, Mr. Lockwood."

"Hey, Matt," he said. "You guys, come on in."

That was all the invitation I needed. "Thank you," I said as I raised one black strappy heel and walked past the door frame.

Matt walked inside with me, unlinking our arms as he said. "This is my best friend's house. I know it pretty well." He looked back at me with a small smile. "Would you like me to show you around, Miss Salvatore?"

I couldn't help but smile, the way he said it reminding me of 1864, the date Vampire Henry that Katherine had set me up with saying it the same way. "I would love you to." My expression went blank for a second. "I just realized I don't know your last name."

Matt chuckled, lookig away for a second. "Donovan."

When he looked black, I hummed, "Mm. Matt Donovan. I like that."

"Kaylin Salvatore," he teased right back.

For a second, he didn't look like he was pining over Elena, to win her back.

Thank God.

"And this is the Historical Society's heritage display," Matt said as he ended the tour of the bottom level of the Lockwood mansion.

I nodded at the old antiques that could have been passed down from 1864. "Nice."

"Well, I think it's a little too much," Matt admitted. "But maybe it's because I'm not used to stuff like this."

"Well, what are you used to?" I asked.

"A one story, three bedrooom house, one of those rooms not even being used because my mom's always gone."

Wow. Was his story a heart string puller.

It made me look at him in a new way. He had probably gone through a lot in his life. I had seen how much of a druggie his sister could be. I had been told, too. I had also been told that Vicki was his older sister, not his younger, and he was acting like the big brother instead of the younger brother. And with what he said . . . with his mom being gone.

"Where's your dad?" I asked.

"Never met him," he answered. "Or, maybe I have. I don't remember much. Probably a good thing."

Three heart strings pulled. Three dysfunctional family members in his life.

A lot like me with Stefan and Damon.

Maybe we had more in common than I had realized.

When I heard Elena speaking from the same room we were in, I looked over to what she was reading. "'The Founding Familes of Mystic Falls, Virgina . . ."

The original first Founder's Ball registry. I recognized it just by the paper.

Damon, Stefan and I had all signed that.

I looked over to Matt as Elena continued on, "' . . .welcoe you to the inaugural Founder's Council Celebration'."

Turning to Matt, before she started listing names, I said, "I'm kinda thirsty."

"You want me to get you something?" Matt offered, like I knew he would.

I nodded. 'Sure."

Matt turned and left while Elena was saying, "Sheriff William Forbes, Mayor Benjamin Lockwood. Is that Damon Salvatore? Stefan Salvatore and Kaylin Salvatore?"

I heard Damon and his date, Caroline, coming before Damon said a word. "The orginial Salvatore siblings," he said. "Our ancestors. Tragic story, actually."

"We don't need to bore them with stories of the past," Stefan said quickly.

"It's not boring, Stefan," Elena said. "I'd love to hear more about your family."

Damon smirked at Stefan as Caroline, a blonde, like me, said, "Well, I'm bored. I wanna dance. And Damon won't dance with me."

"Mm-mm," Damon hummed.

She looked over at Stefan and Elena. 'Can I just borrow your date?"

"Oh, uh . . . ." Elena trailed off.

"I don't really dance," Stefan said.

"Oh, sure, he does," Damon said. "You should see him. Waltz, the jitterbug, the moonwalk. He does it all."

"You wouldn't mind, would you, Elena?" Caroline asked.

"It's up to Stefan," she said even though her voice said 'hell, no'.

"Well, sorry, but I'm not gonna take no for an answer."

She grabbed Stefan's wrist, and pulled him away.

"I should go find Matt," I said, the first thing I had said since Caroline and Damon had even entered the room.

"You do that," Damon agreed.

I narrowed my eyes at him, walking away to the door.

"Stefan," I whispered.

He turned his head slightly, and I threw him the vervain vial from Zach and he caught it with ease.

As I turned the direction Matt had gone, he was coming back with two wine glasses.

"I admit, I don't usually do this," he began, "but I kinda need it tonight."

My smile was small but noticeable and very genuine as I took mine.

Matt and I walked out together to find Caroline alone, a drink in her hand.

She smiled when she saw us. "Hey, guys."

"Hey," Matt said.

"Where's Damon?" I asked, looking around.

"I don't know," Caroline answered. "But if my mom would see me right now, she'd kill me."

Matt explained to my confused look. "Her mom's the sheriff."

"Oh," I said, drawling out the word.

Honestly, I didn't trust Damon not to hurt either of them. Yes, he had been feeding and compelling and manipulating caroline, but that wasn't anything compared to what he could do to her.

I looked into both Caroline's and Matt's eyes. "Don't go anywhere. Stay here."

Compulsion worked in a lot of nifty ways.

I walked away from them, toward where I saw Stefan. "Where's Damon?"

"Somewhere," Stefan said. "Don't know where."

"Well, that's helpful," I said sarcastically. "What did you do with the vervain?"

"Slipped it into Caroline's drink."

My eyes flashed to his face. "What?"

"Yeah," he answered. "I knew I couldn't spike Damon's drink."

"So you spiked hers," I finished. If Damon drank from Caroline . . ." Ad prevented my compulsion, thank you."

Stefan's expression slowly went blank with confusion. "What?"

"I compelled Matt and Caroline by the door. Well, tried to, with Caroline, since she has vervain in her system."

"Why did you compel them?"

"To make sure that they would stay by the--" I turned around, realizing Caroline wasn't standing by Matt, who looked lost and alone, and that actually hurt me more than I would admit. " . . .door."

Caroline was gone.

but elena was coming closer. "good luck with that," I said, walking away from him, around her, then thinking of matt, being right by him in a second.

Then he turned toward me. "Sneaky little thing."

I smiled, then looked into his eyes. "Go home. You had a great time, the first in a while." I knew that he had needed a good time, with all the messed up stuff he had to deal with in his life. "Sorry that I compelled you tonight . .twice, but you don't remember me compelling you. You just remember both of us having a good time. Now go home."

Honestly, I felt a little guilty about Matt, compelling him twice with everything he had already gone through, but I tried to bury it, think of it later as I looked around as he started to walk away.

I listened to everything around. The soft, classical music, the quiet laughter of the party. Wine glasses clinking as three people put theirs together. Elena begrading Stefan before he walked away fro her.

And then Caroline.

"Don't," she whimpered. "She took it off and I go flustered, okay? I didn't know what to say. But I swear, I did not tell her. I just told her that you didn't mean to hurt me."

There was a long, long silence. "You make me crazy, you know that?" Damon asked her. "It's okay, I forgive you." 

"I swear, I didn't say--"

"No, don't. Shh, shh, shh." 

Following the sound of their voices, I remained in the dark, hidden and out of sight.

"It's okay," Damon said, kissing Caroline's neck as he stood behind her. "Unfortunately, I am so over you now."

Tilting his head back, he thrust it forward into Caroline's neck, biting and trying to drink her life away, both lowering to the ground.

When Damon felt the sting and weakening poison of the vervain, Damon pulled away.

"What the hell?"

He fell toward the ground, and I smiled a little.

Only a little.

Even after everything, I couldn't hate him fully.

He was my brother.

And I hated to see him like this.

"I know I couldn't spike your drink," Stefan said as he stepped out of the shadows. "So I spiked hers."

Damon grunted as I stepped out behind him, rolling on the ground.

I leaned down next to him, Stefan next to Caroline to make sure she was okay before I grabbed Damon's arm, thinking of home, all of us disappearing before Elena saw us.

Zach was opening the cell door while Stefan dumped Damon's body inside, me watching from the doorway.

Stefan let Zach walk out first, then he was, closing and locking the door.

I turned first, walking down the hall and upstairs, Stefan and Zach following.

I didn't like this method, but we didn't have a choice.

Damon was going to expose us, on purpose or not.

This town wasn't forgetfull of what happened in its past, I was sure.

I had two things to feel guilty for tonight.

Matt and Damon.

And I was thinking more of the first than the second.