"Why do I have to wear this again?" I asked in annoyance as Elena put me in an olden day dress. I looked at myself in the mirror, sighing at how much poof there was to it.

"Because it's the Founder's Day parade and we're Gilberts." Elena pointed out sarcastically, making me roll my eyes back at her.

"Yes, but you're the only Gilbert getting on a float." I countered sarcastically and she nodded.

"I know. But that doesn't mean I want to be the only one who dresses up." Elena replied with a smirk before she fixed my hair and turned me towards her. "Perfect." She added, smiling at me with excitement and I rolled my eyes before looking back at mirror again.

"Thank god this dress is purple.. I would look like a peach if I worse yours." I sighed in relief but heard her scoff, making me chuckle at her. "God, but it hurts to breath, huh?" I asked, rolling my eyes and turning back to her.

"Suck it up, baby." Elena replied, smiling at me in amusement and I rolled my eyes.

"Ha, ha, ha." I scoffed, breathing heavily. We both turned to look in the mirror to make sure we weren't missing any last minute touches.  "Shall we?" I asked and raised an eyebrow at her before we joined arms and walked out of my room before into the hall.

"Hey. Can I ask you something?" Elena asked from beside me and I rose an eyebrow at her as we stood in front of the stairs. "What.. What do you think Isobel meant when was talking about all that stuff about your mother?" Elena asked and I took a deep breath, looking away from her.

"I honestly have no idea." I stated and she furrowed her eyebrows. "Can we just forget about it. Come on, today is supposed to be fun." I chuckled and Elena stared at me for a few seconds before nodding in agreement.
~~~

Elena and I walked outside of our high school as people were starting to gather up for the parade. We walked around and looked at all of the floats that were gathered and I sighed as the people from the marching band were practicing out of key. "This looks more like hell than a marching band." I stated skeptically, making Elena roll her eyes at me. I looked around us again before my eyes fell on Damon's, who stood with Stefan across from us. I nudged Elena and gestured over at the brothers before she smiled at Stefan once he noticed us also. Elena and I walked over to them but Damon walked away without a word and I rose an eyebrow, but chose to ignore it.

"I, uh.. I need to tell you something." Stefan stated in a serious tone. "Damon thinks that your Uncle John.. Might not be your uncle." He informed as he eyed Elena and I furrowed my eyebrows at him before I realized what he meant.

"John? Is that even possible?" Elena asked in confusion as she realized what Stefan was getting at also.

"Well, there's no proof, but he dated Isobel as a teenager, and he was the one who brought her to your dad's office for the delivery." Stefan replied, practically checking off the list of coincidences.

"My whole life, I've never liked this man. I-I—" Elena started, running a hand over her forehead in frustration at the mere possibility.

"I'm sorry." Stefan replied with a sigh as well as he stuffed his hands into his suit pockets. "I just wanted to tell you before Damon dropped it on you in some typically inappropriate way." He added and I slowly nodded, thinking of him.

"No, I'm—I'm happy that you told me. I just.. I really hope that it's not true." Elena stated reassuringly as she shook her head before looking at me. "What do we do? Do we just confront him and ask 'are you our biological father?'" Elena asked in annoyance and I shrugged at her.

"You should do it when you're both ready to learn the truth." Stefan replied reassuringly and I looked at him and remained silent.

"I'm never going to be ready. Stefan, we have enough problems with the family that we actually care about. Jeremy hates us and why wouldn't he? Elena's journal gave him every single reason to." I stated, scoffing in both annoyance and disappointment.

"He's just hurt and confused." Stefan nodded reassuringly at me and Elena shook her head back at him.

"He's never going to forgive us for Vicki. For taking away his memory. For lying to him." Elena added, sighed deeply.

"He's our brother, Elena." I stated and she turned to look at me. "I think that we have to start giving him a reason to forgive us. That and we need to give him time." I added reassuringly and she slowly nodded back at me, sighing in agreement. I looked away from them and saw Jeremy all dressed up in a Civil War outfit and I took a deep breath, trying to encourage myself. I walked away from Stefan and Elena and over to him as he walked towards the lineup for the parade. "Jeremy, I was wondering where you were. You look great and you guys did a really great job on the float." I smiled, gesturing at his Civil War float.

"Go away, Mariana." He stated in annoyance and walked away from me but I sighed.

"Jeremy, please." I stated, walking after him in defeat. "I don't want it to be like this between us—or you and El." I added and watched him quickly turn back to me.

"Then why don't you have Damon erase my memory again?" Jeremy countered and I looked away from him. "Then I could go back to being your in-the-dark little brother." He added in disbelief before walking away from again but I grabbed his arm, pulling him back.

"Jer, please." I stated and he shook his head back at me.

"Just don't, Mariana. Stop trying to fix this." Jeremy replied and I furrowed my eyebrows at him. "Something like this doesn't get fixed." He stayed with a sigh and I watched as he walked away from me for real this time and over to his float.
~~~

I walked into the Grill after changing out of the clothes for the parade and I looked around carefully before I made my way over to Jeremy who sat at a table by himself while he ate. I sighed deeply, ready for whatever else Jeremy had left to throw at me before Damon stood in front of me. "I like you better like this.. The period look. It didn't suit you." He stated, shaking his head down at me and I rose my eyebrow.

"Is that an insult?" I asked sarcastically and crossed my arms over my chest, watching a confused look fall across him.

"Actually, Mariana, it is a compliment... of the highest order." Damon replied in amusement and I chuckled, shaking my head back at him as he stared down at me expectantly.

"So.. I take it we should have the talk." I said quietly, tilting my head at Damon who furrowed his eyebrows. "About what Isobel said?" I added awkwardly and Damon slowly nodded down at me in agreement.

"I agree. Isobel was totally out of line and obviously, blowing smoke out of her ass. So, I say we just put the entire thing behind us and forget everything that she said—as well as her." Damon nodded in a joking manner and I rolled my eyes at him. He rose an eyebrow down at me and I slowly shook my head and cleared my throat.

"Okay, then I think you should stop with your flirty remarks and that eye thing that you do." I countered, playing along and Damon rose his eyebrow back at me.

"What eye thing?" He countered, looking away from me before back and smirking in amusement as he did it again.

"I, uh—I have to go talk to Jeremy. See you later?" I asked and Damon gave me a short nod before I looked away from him and back at Jeremy, walking over him. "I don't believe that we can't fix this." I stated, looking down at Jer from where he sat. "I lied and so did Elena—We were wrong but you're still our brother, Jer and we love you. So we have to fix this." I pointed out and sighed in defeat as he looked up at me, listening. "So just tell me.. What can I do to fix this?" I asked quietly, watching him think it over in his head before he slowly sighed.

"You can go to hell, Mariana." Jeremy replied emotionlessly before he got up from the table and walked past me.

-Time Skip-

I sighed in annoyance as I wandered around the Founder's parade once it became dark outside. I tried to find Bonnie because we were going to watch the fireworks together, but it was like she was avoiding me or something.. I looked over and saw Elena and Stefan laughing as they walked around Town Square and I walked over to them. "Hey, have you guys seen Bonnie?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows at them before Damon came over to me and grabbed my hand in his. "What are you doing?" I asked, shaking my head at him as he turned to look at Stefan and Elena.

"Saving your life in fifteen words or less. Tomb vamps are here. Founding families are the target. Get them out of here. Now." Damon stated in warning as he narrowed his eyes at Stefan before walking away.

"Wait, wait. Where are you going?" Stefan asked in confusion as Damon walked away from us.

"That's more than fifteen words, Stefan." Damon replied, looking back at him before walking quickly out of sight and I furrowed my eyebrows. Stefan looked between Elena and I, about to drag us away but I stepped in front of him.

"Wait. Jeremy's out here somewhere." I warned quickly and Stefan looked around us in concern.

"Let's go find him, come on." Stefan stated, nodding in agreement before we ran into the crowd of people. We were walking across of the street, towards the Grill as the fireworks started going off above us before Stefan started to groan loudly in pain.

"Stefan? Stefan, what's going on?" Elena asked worriedly down at him as he knelt down, clutching his head.

"My head." Stefan replied through gritted teeth and I furrowed my eyebrows.

"What?" I asked in confusion and exchanged a worried glance with Elena. I looked behind us to see a cop walking quickly over to us and I furrowed my eyebrows.

"Elena?" I asked in warning before I saw Ric run over to the deputy.

"Here, I got this one. There's one over there, go, go!" Alaric stated in a rushed tone as he handed a stake to the cop and gestured him in the opposite direction. The cop did as Alaric said and once he was out of sight, Ric ran toward us. "I got you, Stefan. Get up." He stayed in reassurance before we dragged Stefan down the back alley of the Grill.

"I don't know what happened, he just dropped." Elena pointed out in worry as we dragged Stefan down some steps, going further into the alley.

"Yeah, he's not the only one. Cops are grabbing everyone who's gone down. Injecting them with vervain." Alaric replied, breathing heavily and I furrowed my eyebrows.

"What?" I asked, looking down at Stefan in realization. "They're rounding up the vampires." I whispered and looked at Elena in defeat.. Bonnie said she un-did the original spell... Stefan stopped groaning in pain from beside me and I furrowed my eyebrows as we sat him up on the steps while he panted.

"Are you okay?" Elena asked in worry, shaking her head down at him and he slowly nodded in agreement.

"It's like needles were piercing my skull and then it just stopped." Stefan pointed out with as he breathed heavily.

"I saw at least five vampires go down.. They were taking them to your family's old building." Alaric stated and looked between Elena and I in defeat.

"It's the Gilbert device. It has to be." Stefan stated emotionlessly toward us, making Elena furrow her eyebrows.

"But how did John get it to work? Bonnie un-spelled it." Elena countered as she looked between the three of us.

"Maybe she didn't." I answered and eyed her carefully but she shook her head.

"But she did. We saw her do it." Elena protested as she looked back at back at Stefan in confusion.

"No, no, no, she's right. Think about it. We asked Bonnie to deactivate a device that could protect people against vampires." Stefan clarified and looked carefully at Elena who tilted her head back at him.

"So we could protect you." Elena countered in protest, making me sigh.

"And Damon." I added, looking between them in defeat. "Vampires." I informed, shaking my head before I looked back at Alaric. "Where is Damon?" I asked, looking at him in confusion.

"I don't know, I haven't seen him since this started." Alaric answered and gestured out toward Town Square. I looked at Stefan in worry while he sighed deeply and looked down.

"Can you get Jeremy? Take him home?" Elena asked, looking at Ric who nodded back at her.

"Of course." He reassured and I smiled at him in thanks before I looked at Stefan and Elena.

"Let's go." I stated, nodding quickly at the two before Elena and I helped Stefan up from the steps. The three of us quickly walked back up the steps and out into Town Square from the alley. "Elena." I stated in warning and gestured at our father's old building that was across from where we stood. I was about to walk toward it but Stefan grabbed my arm, pulling me back.

"Wait, wait, wait." Stefan pressed and I rose an eyebrow as he narrowed his eyes at the building. "I can hear them." He whispered and I furrowed my eyebrows and looked around us but the town square was almost vacant now. "The buildings on fire." He informed and widened his eyes before we ran forwards. John stood in front of the building, watching it in silence while a few deputies stood around it.

"Where's Damon?" I asked, looking at John in confusion. He turned to look at us and narrowed his eyes at Stefan before he folded his arms over his chest.

"With the rest of them." John answered and I felt my skin boil. "Where he should be.. It's over for Damon." He added and I scoffed back.

"You're crazy." I stated in disbelief and John rose an eyebrow at me.

"Why? Because I'm doing what should have been done one hundred and forty-five years ago?" John asked me in disappointment. "This is the right thing, Mariana." He added eyeing me closely. I looked at Stefan who was staring at the building, thinking about what he was going to do. "Go ahead.. You won't make it out. It'll save me the trouble of having to kill you myself." John stated emotionlessly toward him and Elena glared in response.

"You know the building well.. Is there another entrance in?" Stefan asked, looking between Elena and I expectantly.

"Utility door, there's one around the side." I answered quickly, gesturing to it and Stefan nodded because vamping away from us. Elena and I went to run after him but John grabbed us by our arms and pulled us back to him.

"You take one more step and I'll alert those deputies that they missed a vampire." John stated down at us threateningly.

"I'm asking you not to." Elena countered in defeat back at him.

"That doesn't mean anything to me." John replied in annoyance, making me scoff.

"As her father, it should." I countered and pulled my arm from him. John looked between us both in shock, completely taken aback. I looked at Elena who slowly clenched her jaw in realization.

"You know." John stated quietly and took a step away from us while Elena took a deep breath.

"I wasn't sure.. But now I am." Elena admitted, slowly shaking her head at him before we both ran past him and toward the back entrance, in the direction that Stefan ran. When we ran behind the building, we saw the utility door to the back entrance, wide opened while Bonnie stood in front of it. "Stefan!" Elena yelled out in concern, about to run in after him but Bonnie pulled her back by the arm.

"Elena, you can't! You can't go in there!" Bonnie yelled in worry at her and I shook my head in frustration.

"Bonnie, what are you doing?" I asked in disappointment toward her as Elena tried to pull herself from Bonnie's grasp but she wouldn't let go.

"I'm sorry that I lied to you." Bonnie stated in defeat as she looked between Elena and I. Bonnie grabbed onto my arm as well, making me furrow my eyebrows as she closed her eyes and started chanting.

"Bonnie, I have to get in there." Elena pressed, trying to go toward the door again but Bonnie didn't let go. Bonnie held onto me tighter and let Elena go before she chanted more quietly and I watched her carefully before I realized that she was channeling me. Bonnie combined our magic, and I felt myself become strained from the pressure but I maintained myself. I looked at the entrance inside and saw it starting to smoke from the fire and Bonnie stopped chanting from beside me. She opened her eyes and let me go, making me waver a bit, realizing at how lightheaded I was.

"Bonnie?" Elena asked in confusion as Bonnie backed away from us and became silent now. "Bonnie, what is it? Are they going to be okay?" She pressed, her voice full of concern. Bonnie gave her a small smile before grunting and coughing came from behind us. Elena turned to the door to see Stefan and Damon come out of the building and I sighed in relief, feeling a weight lift off of my chest as I leant myself against the building for support.
~~~

"Matt, I'll be at the hospital soon, I promise. I just gotta check on Jeremy." I said before I hung up the phone and opened the front door. "Jeremy? Are you awake?" I asked, loudly towards the stairs. I heard soft groans and clattering dishes come from the kitchen, making me furrow my eyebrows. I slowly walked down the hall and towards the kitchen, hearing more groans come into my ears. I felt my eyes widen before gasped, seeing John laying on the floor while he bled from his stomach. I ran forwards looked over him in shock, noticing his right hand fingers had been cut off, and there was a cutting knife laying beside him. I quickly grabbed a hand towel off of the sink before I wrapped his hand it and applied pressure to his stomach, trying to stop the blood flow. I took out my phone and dialed in 911 before putting it to my ear.

"911, what's your emergency?" An operator answered and I shook my head frantically, trying to be clam but I was far from calm.

"Hi, I need an ambulance to 2104 Oakland Street." I stated quickly and looked back down at John who gasped and started shaking his head up at me.

"Behind you." John whispered weakly and I furrowed my eyebrows down at him.

"What?" I asked in confusion as John looked up at me with fear and concern in his eyes.

"Behind you." John stated in a clear voice and I widened my eyes and turned around quickly but saw no one. I slowly grabbed the knife from the floor beside me and got up before walking into the hall. I felt someone behind me and I whipped around, only to see no one again. I furrowed my eyebrows as my blood boiled now and I shook my head. I heard the front door open and close loudly behind me and I turned toward it in relief and dropped the knife from my hand.

"Jeremy." I whispered, realizing that he was still home. I quickly ran upstairs and into Jeremy's room to find him laying in bed asleep. I sighed in relief and noticed that I didn't see him breathing.. not even a little bit. I widened my eyes and went over to him quickly before I started shaking him, trying to wake up but he wouldn't. I shoved him angrily and shook my head as panic washed over me. "Jer! Wake up!" I yelled down at him before I heard him gasp and he opened his eyes, quickly sitting up in his bed.
~~~~

I watched as paramedics took John out of the house on a stretcher before Elena and Stefan came into the house and met me at the top of the stairs. "What happened?" Stefan asked in concern as we walked into Jeremy's room, to see him now sitting on the edge of his bed.

"He said Anna gave him her blood and then he took these pills." I answered, holding up an old pill bottle prescribed for Elena. "I mean, he looks fine but then again so do you so—I don't know." I added in woth a sigh of defeat.

"Come here, look at me." Stefan stated as he knelt in front of Jeremy and grabbed his face with his hands, but Jeremy tried to push him away.

"I'm fine, okay? I feel exactly the same." Jeremy stated, shaking his head in both annoyance and disappointment.

"Should we call a paramedic up here? I mean, what should we do?" Elena asked, shaking her head at Stefan in worry.

"No.." Stefan answered emotionlessly as he examined Jeremy's eyes while he rolled them. "He's fine." He added, standing up and putting his hands on his hips in annoyance.

"So you mean I'm not a vampire? Damn it." Jeremy whispered in defeat as he looked away from us, making me I furrow my eyebrows at him.

"Don't say that." I scoffed in disappointment and shook my head down at him. "Jeremy, why would—why would you want that?" I added and folded my arms over my chest at him in disbelief.

"Did you hear about Anna, what happened to her tonight?" Jeremy asked, looking up at Elena and I in defeat. "She's dead." He added emotionlessly and I folded my arms over my chest, not knowing what to say.

"Jeremy—Jeremy, come here. Sit down." Stefan stated, pushing Jeremy back down on his bed and holding his hands around Jeremy's face. "I am very sorry about Anna." Stefan stated, trying to get Jeremy to look at him but Jeremy struggled back. "But it's very important that you listen to me right now." He added in warning as he held Jeremy's jaw tightly while his eyes glazed over from in his hold. "With every passing moment, Anna's blood is leaving your system. If you tried to kill yourself right now, you could really die." Stefan pointed out angrily but Jeremy didn't look at him. Stefan smacked his face, making Jeremy look straight into his eyes. "Hey! Do you understand me?" Stefan added in frustration down at him.

"Stefan.." Elena stated in defeat as she watched him.

"Yeah. I understand." Jeremy whispered, staring back at Stefan who slowly nodded in agreement.

"Good." Stefan whispered, letting Jeremy go and turning to Elena and I.

"What about the blood that he took?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows at Stefan as he slowly paced in front of Jer.

"He didn't take enough to actually die, so Anna's blood actually healed him of that." Stefan replied with a nod and Jeremy looked away from him. A knock came from the door and we all turned to see police officers standing there.

"Ms. Gilbert." One of them said and looked towards Elena and I.

"We'll be right there." I reassured them and they nodded before walking away.

"You need to be at the hospital." Stefan stated as he gestured to us but Elena sighed.

"But—" Elena started in protest and looked back down at Jeremy but Stefan cut her off.

"No, no, no. I'll watch him." Stefan reassured her, making Jeremy scoff.

"No, I don't need a babysitter." Jer argued in annoyance and I rose an eyebrow back at him.

"Yes, you do." I replied sarcastically and rolled my eyes.
~~~~

Elena and I walked into the hospital and down the hall to see Bonnie waiting for us. "Bonnie, how's Caroline?" Elena asked, once we stood in front of her.

"She's weak.." Bonnie answered and I noticed the fear in her eyes. "They don't know if she's going to make it." She added, her voice wavering.

"What?" I asked and ran a frustrated hand through my hair in nervousness. Elena hugged Bonnie tightly while I paced back and forth in front of them.

"Is there something that you can do? Like a spell or something?" Elena asked, looking at her in complete defeat.

"She doesn't know how." A voice stated from behind us and the three of us turned to see Damon. "Do you?" Damon asked sarcastically and narrowed his eyes at Bonnie as he walked over to us.

"No, I don't." Bonnie admitted in response and looked at Elena and I.

"No, you don't. Because it took Emily years to Learn a spell like that." Damon pointed out in as he stood next to me now.

"Yeah, well I can take down a vampire. That spell was easy to learn." Bonnie threatened, glaring up at him but he ignored her.

"I can give Caroline some blood." Damon suggested as he looked down at Elena and I.

"No, no way." I countered in protest quickly, dismissing him.

"No, no, no—Just enough to heal her. She'll be safe in the hospital, it'll be out of her system in a day." Damon reassured me quickly and I looked at Elena who shook her head back at him.

"It's too risky, we can't agree to that." Elena replied, agreeing with me.

"Do it." Bonnie stated from beside us and I furrowed my eyebrows as we all looked at her in confusion. "This is Caroline, okay? We can't let her die.." She pointed out toward Elena and I before she narrowed her eyes back at Damon. "Do it." Bonnie stated emotionlessly.

"If I do it—you and me, call a truce?" Damon asked, folding his arms over his chest and smirked down at her.

"No. But you'll do it anyway." Bonnie replied in amusement and Damon furrowed his eyebrows. "For Mariana." She added, a smirk playing in her face and I sighed in annoyance. She looked between Damon and I in silence she finally walked away from us and Elena walked after her.

"I, uh—I know that this is probably the last thing you want to do right now, but we should talk about what happened tonight." Damon stated in a quiet tone after they left and I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, one of the tomb vampires got into the house and almost killed John." I informed, shaking my head at him and watched him furrow his eyebrows.

"What? What—when? What are you talking about? After I left?" Damon asked in confusion and I tilted my head, misunderstanding.

"You were there?" I asked, taken aback but he sighed deeply back at me.

"Come on, Ari. You know I was." He stated in annoyance and rolled his eyes but I furrowed my eyebrows.

"When were you at the house?" I asked, not catching on to what he was suggesting.

"Really?" Damon asked in frustration and I shook my head, not remembering. "Earlier. On the porch. We were talking. All cathartic, feelings exposed?" He asked and I folded my arms over my chest, clearly stated it wasn't ringing a bell. "Come on, we kissed, Mariana." Damon stated in frustration and I scoffed lightly, looking away from him.

"Okay—I don't have time for this, Damon." I sighed, shaking my head at him in annoyance and going to walk away but he grabbed my arm.

"Okay, fine—If you want to forget that it happened, fine.. But I can't." Damon stated down at me in defeat. "And I won't." He added quietly before footsteps came over to us.

"Mariana. I came as soon as I got your message." Jenna stated as she came down the hall, making Damon and I pulled apart. "How's John?" She asked with a sigh and I shook my head.

"Where have you been?" I asked in frustration at the fact that she wasn't there, making her furrow her eyebrows.

"The fire department, I had to fill out a report?" Jenna asked as she looked at me, taken aback. "I told you earlier." She added and I slowly shook my head.

"No, you didn't." I argued, confused as to why two people were telling me things that didn't happen.

"Yes, I did." Jenna countered in annoyance back at me and I rose my eyebrow.

"No, Jenna, You didn't." I pointed out, knowing for a fact that I wasn't at the house when she left. Or when Damon was supposedly there.

"Yes.. I did." Jenna pressed and looked me over  in confusion. Damon sighed loudly in annoyance from beside us and we both looked at him.

"Oh—Mmm, You've got to be kidding me." Damon stated in frustration and looked at me in complete annoyance.
~~~~

Damon, Elena and I walked into the house to see Stefan jump up angrily from the floor of the living room and breath heavily toward us. "Stefan?" Elena asked in confusion.

"Elena." Stefan stated as he eyed her carefully. I rose an eyebrow and looked around the house in confusion but didn't see anyone or anything.

"What happened?" I asked and watched a puzzled look appear on his face before he looked at Damon.

"Katherine happened." Damon answered from behind me, making Elena and I exchange a confused look.
~~~

"Did she say what she wanted?" Damon asked, looking at Stefan as the three of us stood in the kitchen.

"No." Stefan answered while he paced back and forth in front of us.

"Woman certainly does know how to make an entrance." Damon pointed out in annoyance, making me raise an eyebrow.

"She said that she 'fooled one of us at least'. What does—what does that mean?" Stefan asked and furrowed his eyebrows toward his brother. Damon rose an eyebrow and looked at me awkwardly before back at Stefan.

"She pretended to be Mariana, too.. When I showed up earlier tonight to talk to Jeremy." Damon answered quietly and I rose an eyebrow at him.

"I told Jeremy. I can't lie to him anymore." Elena stated as she came into the room, making all of us look toward her.

"You alright?" Stefan asked in defeat as he walked over to her and she sighed.

"No, I'm not alright." Elena answered, shaking her head back at him as he embraced her. "I thought with all the tomb vampire gone, things would get better." She added and Stefan nodded in agreement.

"I know. We all did." He reassured her with as high and I shook my head and leant against the table.

"Katherine was in the house.. That means she's been invited in. What are we gonna do?" Elena asked as she looked between Stefan and Damon in confusion.

"Move." Damon answered sarcastically, making me roll my eyes back at him.

"Very helpful. Thank you." Elena stated in annoyance but he sighed and narrowed his eyes.

"If Katherine wanted you dead, there's zero you could do about it. You would be dead. But you're not. So clearly, she has other plans." Damon pointed out with a shrug as he leant in the doorway of the dinning room.

"Right, and we need to find out what those other plans are and not provoke her in the process." Stefan warned in agreement. Elena slowly sighed and sat down at the table beside me. "What happened tonight when you thought she was Mariana?" He added, looking at Damon in curiousness. Damon rose an eyebrow and looked between us, trying to determine what to say and how to say it.
I tilted my head at him slowly as I remembered our conversation from earlier. Realization hit me and I narrowed my eyes at him before I scoffed lightly, looking at him in disbelief.

"She's the one that you kissed. Not me." I stated in annoyance at him and walked over to the counter.

"Mariana—" Damon started in protest from behind me but I quickly grabbed a knife and threw it at him. He caught it in his hand easily, before it could go do any damage to his stupid head. "Really? Just because I couldn't tell you two apart?" He asked sarcastically, making me groan back.

"I don't throw myself at you, so yes!" I countered in anger as I grabbed two more knives.

"Mari." Stefan stated in warning but I ignored him and threw the knives at Damon. One landed in his shoulder, making him groan while he caught the other one again.

"Enough—we don't have time for this, guys." Elena stated as she quickly stood from the table, stepping in between us.

"Later then." I stated, narrowing my eyes at Damon who looked back at me in annoyance while Stefan watched the scene in amusement and Elena sighed at all of us.

"John must know something. There has to be a reason why Katherine tried to kill him." Elena pointed out with a questioning look.

"She's Katherine. She loves to play games and you're fooling yourself if you think you're going find out what she's up to before she wants you to know." Damon replied, groaning in some pain as he pulled the knife from his shoulder and I smirked.

"No, actually, Elena's right. John could know something through Isobel." Stefan informed as he gestured at her and I rose an eyebrow at him. "Your mother, she was in touch with Katherine, so maybe we can go to the hospital and talk to him?" He asked, raising eyebrow between Elena and I.

"I have an idea." Damon replied with a sigh as he threw the knives on the table in front of him.

"And what's that?" I asked sarcastically, folding my arms over my chest.

"I'm just going to ignore the bitch. See ya." He answered and started walking toward the door, making me raise an eyebrow.

"Is that smart?" Elena asked after him and he looked back at us and shrugged.

"If Katherine thinks she's being ignored, it'll lure her out. She'll make a move." Damon admitted with a short nod as he looked between us.

"Oh, yeah? Then what?" I asked with a sigh and Damon tilted his head back at me as he thought about it.

"Stake her, rip her head off. Something poetic. We'll see." Damon answered emotionlessly as he narrowed his eyes at me before walking out of the house. Elena looked at me with a worried expression and I gave her a small but somewhat reassuring smile.