[Episode 37 - The House Guest]

"Good morning Asshole" Kat Gilbert snarks, barging into the Salvatore Boarding House at 8 in the morning.

"Where were you yesterday? Alaric didn't pick up my calls"

"I was around... Thinking and hating" she snatches the glass of bourbon from his hands and gulps it down "Ah, thanks"

"Don't you have school?"

"That's precisely why I needed that drink. I'm here to chaffeur Stefan to Hell, now shush" she holds her temples with a shake of her head.  Damon vamps in front of her and pins her roughly to the wooden pillar "Stop messing around Katherine!"

"What are you talking about Da-mon" her voice drops a few bases as the older Salvatore tightens his choke-hold on her neck. The Guardian frowns, playing along to her plan.

She catches his hands in a criss-cross, and flips him off easily, reversing their positions and glaring at him with her signature yellow-over-jade eyes. She just growls, taking in sweet sweet payback for the night before "Wanna try that again?"

He takes in short breaths, growing shorter by the second, and hurriedly taps the Guardian's hands.

"Hm-aa, thank you" he snarks in the first long breath.

"And why did you call me Katherine? You haven't called me that in too long" she questions for the sake of charade.

"I, um, it's complicated" he says and punctuates by vamping upstairs to Stefan's bedroom where the younger Salvatore vampire facing a somewhat similar issue.

"What are you doing?! Stef-" a Petrova (don't ask which one, because the distinction got complicated) struggles against the wooden pillar in Stefan's room.

"How could you do this?!" he snarls, nearly spitting in shock and anger. Damon and Kat pull him off the girl, who catches her breath with a lungful of air. "Stefan, you were hurting me!" she groans out, brows furrowed and eyes disappointed at her boyfriend.

Just when the two supernaturals release their hold on him, Stefan jumps up "Stop it, Katherine!" he pins her again to the pillar, this time the Petrova retaliates but weakly.

"Stop what?" they all hear a smug Kat throatily smirk at the threshold, the other Kat. 

Kat Gilbert buries her smirk as she looks at Rina with the required cluelessness. The Pierce vampire rolls her eyes and pushes her right foot from the staircase at the door and struts into the pin-drop silent room. She leans against the wall and raises a perfectly plucked eyebrow at the younger Gilbert twin "It's getting really easy being you"

Soon, all of them willingly populate the airy room. Stefan sits beside Elena, rubbing soothing circles on her right wrist. Damon and Kat stand against the big drawers on the other side of the room, avoiding the lovey-dovey couple. Katherine is the only one comfortable - stretching on the far-end couch, boots and scarf and all.

"What is she doing here?" Kat narrows her eyes, looking at the older vampire with veiled smugness at their conceived plan.

"When we killed Elijah, it broke the compulsion and freed the bitch from the tomb" Damon snarks. Clearly he wasn't feeling nostalgic, or logical it seems. If a vampire dies, their compulsion doesn't. Daggering is like death for an Original so why would Katherine's compulsion wear off?

Here in Mystic Falls, rumours sell like hotcakes.

"How's that possible?" Stefan groans, visibly disgusted at the sight of the manipulative woman.

"He's an Original. They have all sorts of special skills" Damon pushes off, getting out of the Hellhole.

Elena looks to her twin with an entitled frown "I don't want her here, get her out of here". Katherine, the older one, couldn't help but think how whiny and bratty she sounded. Stefan could manage to get his head out of her ass and for once, get help seeing how much she's used to having people protecting her. Maybe death will do the dull-as-a-dishwasher doppelganger some good.

"You need me, Elena. You all do" she looks to the three faces with truth ringing through the tense air.

"Like hell" Stefan snarks, getting up and out. He drags Elena off with him, but to her surprise, pulls on Letta's hand as well.

She ignores the threesome vibes and gets on with it. She's doing this for Letta, if the sacrifice is bloody done with, they can have their freedom and strut out of this leyline-infested magnet for trouble they call a town.

"We all want the same thing Steffy...Klaus dead. Yet here you all are, running around like chickens with their heads cut off" she follows, giving the trio a look.

"I don't need your help and I don't want it" Elena rolls, speeding down the stairs faster.

Just as they reach the parlour, Katherine holds the elder Gilbert back, making something clear to these idiots. She's here for no one but herself and her long-lost sister "And that's incredibly stupid of you. Do you know where Klaus is? When he's coming, what he looks like?"

Violet feels her chest fill up with hope, finally someone who supports her views. If she could just get all those memories back.

"If you know something, say it or get out" Damon flashes a non-smile with snarky ice-blue eyes.

"Fine" she raises her hands in mock-surrender and pours herself a drink "Then I'll just go to the Grill and have some lunch...maybe Aunt Jenna's free for a bite"

Kat purses her lips. She knew the threat was empty. Kat, unlike any of the foresight-lacking baboons she was surrounded by, made it very clear to Rina that none of the townsfolk were endangered.

And she meant it.

▹▹▹

"Why...!" Elena slams the door of her sister's car with a grunt "-is she still here? She was free, she could chucked out of here"

"She wants what we want Elena...Klaus dead. She sees us as her only chance" Kat throws her best friend a look as if to say back-me-up. He just avoids her look, and speeds up to Elena with a frown on his lowered head.

"Or maybe she's trying to lure you and Damon back into her web" Elena leans into Stefan's shoulder, lack of an allowing because he was too busy burying his hands aggressively into his pockets "Stefan... I want her gone"

"Don't whine, you're not 12" Kat rolls her eyes. What is with her and Rina anyway? She doesn't trust Stefan and Damon around her? Too bad she's holding onto them weakly. She stops, realising what dawned upon her. Stefan turns back, concerned "Vivi?"

She just shakes her head, catching upto him, but now on Stefan's vacant side as she pushes the reason behind Elena's mentioning Damon in her words.

"See..." he faces Elena, coming to a complete stop. This forces the older Gilbert to stand there like the miserable third wheel, which she is and hated to be. "I want Katherine gone too. But you're right, she stayed. Shouldn't we at least try to figure out why?"

"How? All she does is lie"

That's it, she's done. Kat huffs "You know what? You can waste your time, the bell's going to ring any second and I'm out of here, see you in chem Stefan" she walks off with no purpose, rolling her eyes. 

She's at her locker, working out the combination when someone gently tugs the sleeve of her shirt. She turns around, almost nose-to-nose with Stefan.

"Oh hi! Is something wrong Stefan?" she turns behind, fumbling for the figures.

"I'm sorry... For what happened yesterday, I should have told you"

She huffs, stepping aside and motions to her lock. Stefan shakes his head with a small smile and gets the metal open for his best friend. "I'm so-"

"I know... You said it... It's just that-" she closes her closer with a thud and hugs her books to her chest, looking into his guilty eyes waiting for her to continue.

"E-Elijah was the only connection I have to my past Stefan. And there was no one but him to help me with that... And Elena is just so set on dying that everyone else has to be on suicide watch" she whispers, shaking her head with her lowered eyes.

"Hey" he commands, taking her hands up in his, balancing the books on his wrist "I'm here, no matter what okay? Elijah... is just too dark and mysterious for you to be alone with him"

Her jade eyes pierce up in amusement"What do you mean, dark and mysterious?" 

Stefan shrugs, walking off. Stupid stupid stupid.

"Hey!" she protests, running behind him with a giggle "What did you mean Stefan?!" she yanks him back with her right hand. Luck was ever on her side and the five plump books slipped out of her left hold and thudded onto the floor.

Both of them breathe out a laugh, grateful that it wasn't someone's bloody heart or brain and just books. Just as Stefan piles them up, on his knees, Kat looks up again, "What did you mean Stefan?" He just shakes his head and places the rest of the books on her knees. 

"Why? Jealous?" she smirks, the expression dropping the second it came. The Guardian shakily closes her eyes in placancy, feeling Stefan get up and pull her with him.

"I, I-I just, I just don't like you around him okay?" he sighs and rushes off before the jade-eyed girl can pick up the slight pick in his low heartbeat.

Kat shakes her head, jaw flexing with overload. How can a handful of words be so confusing?

The books drop down again. "Fuck" she sniffles, not really speaking of the fallen books.

▹▹▹

"Please tell me everyone is alive and kicking" Kat begs as she enters Ric's empty classroom after classes. 

"Yea... Why would you think like that?" he frowns, nudging a chair forward with his legs.

She tilts her brown head, swinging the skipping locks of her messy bun. She waves her glowing phone as a symbol "Message from Ric" she starts reciting in a robotic voice "Hey Kat, need to talk. ASAP. Trouble... Either someone's dying or I'm failing in History, since option B is not possible, I'm ready to hear, shoot" 

"It is bad" he starts "You know, John planted all these seeds about Isobel and now Jenna knows I'm lying about something...."

"John's going to end up dead on the kitchen floor if he's not careful and it might as well be me instead of Katherine this time" she huffs, placing a comfortable hand over Ric's shaking ones.

"Yeah, well, easier said than done" he scoffs "I gave him back his ring so...Look, Jenna keeps asking about Isobel. You know, was she murdered? Why haven't they found the body? I mean, how much longer can she stay in the dark?" 

"You... think we should tell her the truth?" she asks. She's all for Jenna knowing because one needs to know of the trouble to stay out of it. "I'm saying I can't be with her and not tell her. It's not fair to her, and it's not the kind of relationship I want" he runs a shaking hand through his hair.

"Well... It's becoming more dangerous for her not to know. I just thought that we'd at least hold off until after I've dealt with Klaus. You know, and even then, how do we tell someone what we know? How does someone hear that? She'd run off the edge... Any person as shielded as Jenny would"

"Look..." he squezes her hand with an apologetic smile "I'm sorry to put this on you. But I feel it's your decision to make. And whatever you decide to do, I'll respect it. I want to be honest with her. But until then, Jenna and I are done..."

"Look..." she sighs "I want her to know. Ric, I really do, how about we tell her a week from now?"

"Elena would have a fit" he argues.

This makes the Guardian smile sweetly "That's why you called me isn't it? 'Cause I understand both sides. Jenna needs to know Ric... And... I need your help"

They get up, grabbing their bags and locking the classroom "Is it with that essay I assigned you? "Cause I swear Elena will fail if she doesn't open her books" She shakes her head, her voice dropping to a whisper in cleared hallways "I wanna get my memories back and I'm in need of an adult buffer"

▹▹▹

"Chinese food or pizza?" Kat mumbles through her mouthful of homemade garlic bread. Caroline throws her an amused look - an understanding look. 

"Like you have to ask" Elena rolls her eyes.

Caroline perks up, taking hold of her tablet "I'll do it" but she sighs when the device opens up to a picture of her and Matt, which makes her droop down onto the stool. 

Bonnie sighs too, snatching the phone "It's okay, I got it". Getting up with the device, she sneaks some of Violet's goodies into her fingers, making her protest "Hey! Those are strictly reserved fo- alright alright, but just this one". Her voice rings with allowance, making the powerless-witch smile brightly. Papa warlock drained Bonnie of all her power, making them initiate this sleepover.

Yes, yes, a powerful warlock took away her friend's powers and she's still in her house, shoving garlic-bread into her mouth.

But no one plans a murder out loud.

Elena too tries to pull off a Bonnie Bennett and gives her twin puppy dog eyes, only to have her protectively glare and hide the plate under her oversized hoodie like a mother hen.

"Why are you shoving it in anyway? Chinese comes in a while"

Kat rolls her eyes, pushing away the thoughts of daggered Elijah and avoiding Stefan, and asshole Damon with her sister. She bites into more cheesy bread and moans at the hot melting goodyness.

"She's stress-eating," Caroline speaks up for the struggling Guardian. Her sister is trying to be a martyr, Damon the Dick daggered the only link to her Klaus-y past and Stefan is acting weird. Vamp hearing, gotta love it sometime.

"Do you believe that Jonas is being sincere?" Elena turns to their dark-haired friend with expectant eyes.

"I don't know what to believe. I think he's at a loss. He's not sure who to trust..."

Kat snorts, cleaning the finally empty plate and throwing a look to Caroline "Join the club".

"Well, what are we going to do about this movie situation? What about The Notebook?" the blonde perks up, earning a smile from all of them. Their Ray of Sunshine.

"Caroline, how many times have you seen that movie?" Bonnie scoffs with a shake of her heavy head.

"Hey! That is so not the point" Kat pouts and hugs Care with a food-high giggle.

"Well, yeah..."

Jenna comes in, massaging her temples with a frustrated breath.

"Hey" they all sit upright with a smile. More the girls, more the gossip, and more of a normal life.

"What's going on?"

"Girls' night" Elena offers her a glass of lemonade, only to have it waved off.

"Oh"

"How are you doing?" Kat gently asks. Soon Jenna, she thinks, soon you'd know everything we've been shielding you from. 

"You heard about my fight with Ric" the aunt sighs.

"He feels terrible Jenny"

"Is this some kind of disguised attempt to cheer me up?" she narrows her eyes. The sisters shake their heads with a pout "Only Senor tequila would make you cheer up Jenna"

"This is about us girls hanging out and you know, we'll be here if you happen to want to talk, or..."

"Because I am a winner when it comes to successful relationships" Caroline snorts.

"You, too?" Jenna's eyes widen hopefully. Maybe she's not the only one with a secretive boyfriend. It's driving her mind insane.

"You have no idea" the blonde's blue eyes roll back a fraction with hopelessness.

"Okay, then" she smiles and opens the fridge, but the smile fades when she looks at Ric's favourite yogurt standing in the front. She huffs and bangs the door shut "It's just this... this whole Isobel thing. He's hiding something from me..."

"To play devil's advocate" her elder niece speaks up, "maybe there is a great reason why he's not telling you. Maybe he is just trying to protect you"

"Well," her brows furrow at her supporting Alaric instead her "-that's not his call to make. I mean, I deserve the truth. Everybody does!"

"Sometimes it's harder than that" Caroline nods in agreement to the elder twin's earlier words.

"Not if it's somebody you care about, it isn't"

"Well you know what? I know nothing about relationships! Others can take the dias" Kat waves her hand in a flourish, making Jenna raise a skeptical eyebrow "What about Damon?"

This makes the girls freeze, "Well..."

"Elijah" Elena blurts. She doesn't like to talk about Kat and Damon. They have this bond of understanding that she's never seen with the vampire. It makes her jealous in the selfish corner of her mind.

Jenna laughs at her elder niece, unbelieving relief ringing through her chords 'Elijah? As in Elijah Smith? He's hot!" Kat groans, bending under the table and hiding her face her in Caroline's knees. The blonde laughs quietly and pats her shoulder in sympathy. Right now, she doesn't envy not having a sister like Elena.

"I am not interested in Elijah!" she gets up and frowns at her giggling family. She stomps her feet in vain silencing and groans. 

"You know what we need?" the Forbes vampire deflects, holding Kat back "Dancing. That's what we need. There is a band at the Grill. Huh?" she rests her chin on Kat's shoulder with Puss-in-the-Boots eyes. "Lets go" she smiles.

"In" Bonnie smirks.

"In" Jenna smiles brightly at the notion of getting drunk.

"Umm... In?" Elena smiles sheepishly.

▹▹▹

"I need a drink" Jenna steps into the bar and announces with a firm nod. She pats the Gilbert sisters and heads off. Matt walks by them, looking right ahead and not even offering them a table. Caroline waves like Dan Humphrey, having no reaction from the blue-eyed bus boy. He just walks by with avoiding eyes.

"He said the ball's in your court. So...?"

"Yeah, so? I can't do anything about it!" she stomps by towards the band playing, followed by her girlfriends.

"Why not?" Bonnie asks over the music "All you do is talk about how much you care about him

"Yeah, but I am still keeping so many secrets"

"Care..." Kat hugs the conflicted friend from behind, speaking over her shoulder "See - Alaric's in the same boat with Jenna and maybe that's our mistake. We're trying to protect the people that we love by keeping them out of it, but in the end, we're hurting them anyway... Think about it..."

She gives out a decisive breath and nods firmly, just as Jenna joins them, the band completes their song. Caroline shrugs off her jacket and smirks to Kat, handing it to Elena. 

"What are you doing?" Bonnie asks as the blonde struts onto stage.

She goes on the stage and takes the microphone. Kat cheers with a proud smile. She doesn't know what exactly her blonde friend wants to do, but if the very idea of it makes Carebear smile, she's all for it. "Hey, everybody. Let's hear it for the band! Weren't they awesome?" 

"This isn't going to end well" Jenna giggles drunkenly. Kat snatches her aunt's glass of whiskey and smirks "Hell no! It's not!"

"So, um, there's this guy. And, uh, he told me to tell him how I feel about him. Like it's so easy" she rolls her eyes, earning giggles from the drunken crowd "Um, you know, just 'cause I talk a lot doesn't mean I always know what I'm actually talking about. Ah, like now, I'm feeling loopy and I don't really know how to express myself-"

The singer goes to gently take the microphone off Caroline but she resists like a little girl. "She can sing!" Kat shouts, earning her a skeptical look from the punk-dressed singer "Yeah!" Caroline smiles brightly "Yeah. You know what, I'm going to sing"

"Sing?" Elena's mouth almost falls open.

"Come on, off the stage girl" he tries to push her off but Caroline, being the awesome vamp she is, turn to him, her back to the audience. She says something off the mike and soon, the singer walks upto his pianist with a bright smile.

"What'll it be?"

She whispers something in his hear and he tells the band the song. She starts singing, honey dripping off feeling, Jenna's mouth falls open and Kat smiles, sipping her aunt's drink. Attagirl.

"Close your eyes, give me your hand, darling

Do you feel my heart beating

Do you understand?...."

"She's good!"

"Do you feel the same

Am I only dreaming

Is this burning an eternal flame?...."

They see Matt freeze with dreamy eyes. Kat slowly walks towards the back of the crowd towards him with a teasing smile. "Go..." she takes the glasses in his hands and pushes him towards the crowd. He doesn't even look behind, just blindly runs towards the stage.

He gets up onto the stage. Caroline Forbes, for one of the most unsure moments of her life, staggers her words to a beatless stop as she breathes into the mike "Matt...! I-" His lips catch hers in a desperate kiss. Caroline smiles giddily and drops the mike, the sound nothing among the cheers of the crowd.

▹▹▹

Kat takes strips off the piece of paper and hands it to Scott in the kitchen "Table 5 at the corner, 4 hamburgers and 1 mimosa"

Scott looks at her as if he's seen a ghost "K-Kat?"

She scoffs "Matt's busy with Caroline and I'm too free and too sober, so, I'm here for the night orders", she jumps onto the counter and hands him the slip, although he probably doesn't need it.

"Well... Okay," he shouts out the order into the kitchen and turns to her "So, we have a gig here..."

She perks up but deflates. Maybe she could work here again, attaching a piece of her previous life to her sanity. But it's too risky and she doesn't even know if she's going to live. Wow, way to be optimistic Kat, her inner-ego rolls her eyes.

"Um... How about this?" Scott shuffles awkwardly "If you're free in the summer, then you can decide. How about that huh?"

She smiles, getting off "Sure, see ya around Scotty" she winks and walks off with the table 5 order. On the way back, she bumps into Bonnie, who smiles sheepishly "Hey... I need to talk to you"

"What happened?"

"Would it freak you out if I started dating your brother?"

She smiles brightly and hugs her "I'll be very happy, you both need someone as amazing as each other"

"Really?" she beams, innocently happy.

"Really" Kat giggles. Out of nowhere, someone holds her hand and roughly yanks her back, making her yelp in the corner of the Grill.

"Where is she? Your sister? Where, is, she?" Jonas Martin asks the elder Gilbert. She pushes him off with a defensive glare "I don't get why you would need her Dr. Martin"

"My son is dead. Now, where is she? Come with me" he starts yanking her off, and this time Bonnie helps pull her off "Whatever it is you think you need to do, there's a better way"

"They killed Elijah" this makes Kat gasp, before realising that Elijah is daggered and not killed "-and they killed Luka and my only shot at getting my daughter back is if I have the sisters"

"No. No, Dr. Martin!" she pulls him off, twisting his wrist. He grunts but starts grabbing her hand once again.

"Ictu" she murmurs, making the lights in the Grill's stage go out. Their corner is bathed in darkness and she flips Jonas Martin onto his chest, thudding to the ground in a gasp "I'm sorry for Luka, but you need to stop this Jonas"

The warlock snarls in rage and extends a hand in the direction of the bartop. All the drinks on it burst into flames, some bottles bursting. Kat gasps as a part of the hot splinters fall onto her, scorching her hands and sprinkling her hair in glass. She gets up, frantically brushing off the sparking pieces, burning her fingers. Jonas gets up "No one is leaving until I have Elena too, you" he looks to a gasping Kat "Cadere"

She gasps and falls to the ground with a silent scream. People run around, and one or two run over her, pressing their heels and shoes onto her legs. She cries as she feels the snap of her femur. She cries and feels a thud beside her. Bonnie.

"No..." she grunts up and through the tears, "Bonnie, Bonnie wake up" she nudges her with a cry.

"Oh my God Kat!?" someone rushes to her side, hugging both the fallen figures. She looks into the blue eyes of Matt, panicky and reflecting the fire around the Grill. "Matt run!"

"Bonnie!" he nudges the unconscious witch's cheeks with shaking swift hands. She comes around with a breath, jerking off in panic.

"It's me, it's me Matt" he coaxes with raised hands.

They hear a scream to their far left as Caroline falls to the ground in front of the vindictive warlock, clutching her head. "No!" Kat shouts, getting up with a scream as her femur cracks further. 

"Jonas stop!" she shouts but Matt thinks more provocatively, he pushes the burly man to the nearest wall "Stay away from her!" The supernatural answers with a broken bottle, which he shoves into Matt's neck.

"Viribus" she croaks out, Jonas winces at the spell, catching the pane of the blasted window and running out. She falls with a loud painful croak, trying to focus her blurry and yellow eyes to Caroline begging and healing Matt.

Bonnie runs to her fallen form, "Hey hey hey! Kat, look at me, you're going to be alright okay? I'm- it's gonna be alright, deep breath" she asks.

Her eyeballs roll over to the back of her whites, making Bonnie slap her cheek again and again. "Kat! Kat! I need you to stay with me okay?" Her hand hovers over the Guardian's leg "Phesmatos tribum per-percuro sana" she mutters again and again, feeling the renewed sense of magic flowing through her.

Not only does the bone painfully crunch into place, but colour returns to Kat's cheeks. She breaths a deep painless breath, coming around to her surroundings.

"Bonnie?" she croaks, smiling in relief and weakness.

"You're okay, God, you're alright" she hugs the girl, each burying their faces in their shoulders.

▹▹▹

"We need to tell the others" the elder recovering Gilbert settles slowly into her bed, watching Bonnie lean onto the threshold of her room.

"We will... Tomorrow, we'll do it tomorrow" she smiles hesitantly.

Jonas gave Bonnie her powers back and Kat took his remaining magic when she stripped off his powers in the Grill. Now, the gang had two witches at the ready, with a plan ready. But for that, Kat had to fully embrace the memories of her past life. Violetta was killed before she could kill Klaus then, that means she knew and had the power to do so.

Suddenly, they hear a male screech from Elena's room.

Running in, they see a straight-haired doppelganger, blood smeared all over her chin in smugness. "You're welcome" she smirks over their shoulders. Katerina. Stefan frowns at the bloody body of the fallen warlock.

"You didn't have to kill him!" Bonnie rushes over and kneels beside Dr. Martin with a placating frown. She smiles a toothy grin to her sister but turns to Bonnie with a raises brows "Yes, we had to kill him"

The renewed witch leans further towards the warlock, but jumps up with a scream, the man jerking up. Stefan twists the man's neck, killing him off forever. Sighing, he looks from Bonnie to Vivi, who closes her eyes in control.

She walks down with Stefan, where Katherine gives her sister the charm. It's eerie how comfortable she seemed in someone else's part. Elena frowns and snatches off her gift from Stefan. "You're going to have to get her out of here before Jenna gets home" Stefan's brows furrow deeper and so do Kat's.

"Is that all you have to say to me?"

"This doesn't change the way I feel about you" Elena snaps the lock of the pendant in place.

The Petrova vampire looks to Letta with a frustrated breath. She shakes her head in warning. But Rina's had it "I don't much like you either" she asserts blandly to the whiny girl "if we're going to be open and frankly, I'd be happy to see you dead but if we're going to try to take on Klaus, we kinda need my sister to be alive. So I'm not a threat to you, Elena, you have Letta to thank for that. If any of you are going to believe anything, believe that all of this is happening for you" she leaves in a graceful huff.

Elena turns to Damon and then Stefan. They all look at Kat, who droops her head into her folded arms over the cold granite platform. Elena scoffs and shakes her head, leaving to go upstairs. 

"Well, that was interesting" Damon mutters, strutting to the conflicted Guardian "You wanna tell me something Kat?" he rubs circles on her shoulders.

"I know why Elijah was looking for the massacre site"

"Why?" both the Salvatore brothers rush excitedly, making Kat groan. 

"For Violetta"

This time, Damon's nose scrunches up and Stefan closes his eyes in understanding "We need to get my memories back"

Damon kisses her hair "We'll get your memories back".

▹▹▹

Violet's phone rings in the middle of the night, making her jump up "Kat! You need to come over! Oh my God! Matt, please, he's, he's freaking out, he knows, oh my God Kat, please, he's gone!"

"Caroline, Caroline, Caroline... Calm down, where is Matt now?" she takes her keys, rushing downstairs in her PJs.

"He's gone, Kat! What do I do? He just, just, ju- he freaked out about Vicki and rushed out and I couldn't stop him! He ran off Kat!"

"Care... Calm. Down. Deep breath. Deep breath" she encourages, rewarded by the huffy static of her panicky friend's gasps.

"Okay, he's not at your home?" she revvs her car into running.

"No, h-he jus-"

"Ran off, okay, I get it. Okay, go to his house, we'll talk to him, everything'll be alright Caroline, deep breath. Do you have water around?"

"No! Yea, oh my God Matt"

"Caroline, Matt will, be, okay, I'll make sure, you have to stay calm for me, okay, why don't you have some water, I'll be by your house in a minute, stay put Caroline, I'm coming, okay? Don't do anything"

She murmurs such reassurances and floors it to the blonde's house. She screeches the car to a halt and jumps out to see Caroline crying on the porch, a water bottle by her side. "Hey hey hey.... Shh..." she runs to her, running a hand over her soft shaking head. Caroline hugs her thighs and sobs into her legs "Matt, oh my God! H-he, I'm a monster, oh no, oh my God,"

"Hey, Caroline Caroline.... Shh... You're not a monster... He'll come around, let's go, c'mon, there" she gently pulls the girl up "there, let's go, he'll be alright, he'll come around, come on, I'll drive, get in, get in..."

A few minutes after Caroline's sobs morph into hiccups, Kat gently pulls over the Donovan house and palms Caroline's fumbling fingers "He's in there, I can hear him... You can too right?"

She nods shakily, "So here's what we're gonna do now, we're gonna go there, and tell Matt to calm down okay?"They knock on the door. Matt doesn't respond, he only tiptoes further into his house.

"Matt I know you're in there, it's me Kat" she bangs on his door again, waving for Caroline to calm down. "Matt please, I'll tell you everything! Just talk to us, please" Caroline calls out bravely, trying the knob in vain.

Then they hear it. The sobbing.

The girls look at each other with their tears in their own eyes "Matt" she bangs weakly, once again "Matt please, i-it's me Kat, please, o-open the door, ple-plea-" she gives up, hugging Caroline. That whole night, Caroline and Kat sit against the front door of Matt Donovan's house, each guilty in their own way.

Tomorrow, Matt would have to know that Kat Gilbert killed his only sister - Vicki Donovan.