A/N: Vanessa, I agree that they should be able to tell. However, the version of vampires portrayed in the TV series is very watered down. It makes me sad.

The house groaned above me in its early morning slumber. My muscles were so stiff that it was painful to move at all. Breathing was difficult because I had fallen asleep sitting up against the wall. The memory of last night's realization haunted me. My mind was more alert now and it was rebelling against the truth its delirious self had uncovered.

Stefan would never, ever forgive me, just like he never forgave Katherine. He might even try to kill Damon.

All I could do was wait. My stomach rumbled, angry with me for not feeding it. I let my thoughts flit from here to there, never touching on one subject for long. This approach seemed to pass the time better than mulling over the same thing for hours on end.

I thought about my parents and the last time I had seen them. I remembered how Jeremy and I used to have so much fun together. Jeremy was a different person now. Damon and Stefan were always in the back of my thoughts, but I tried my best not to let them reach the surface. Obsessing would do me no good. I closed my eyes, trying to erase my mind, but the hamster on the exercise wheel refused to stop spinning.

By the time the light under the door had warmed to a golden tone, I could hear movement above. I made some feeble attempts at noise, but I eventually gave up. I heard the walls shift when a door was slammed.

About 5 minutes later, keys were jingling in the doorknob.

Katherine looked to be in much better spirits than when she left last night. She had brought me breakfast.

"I'm still a bit weak from last night, but I feel much better. Thanks for asking," Katherine said with mock appreciation.

She set the plate of food down and walked over to take my gag off.

"Sleep well?" Her tone was flat, void of any warmth or meaning. "We've got to keep you fed and living. Plus, I thought you might like an update. Let's see…" She reached over to grab the meal of stale bread, a peeled orange, and some sort of meat that had been charred beyond recognition. Apparently Katherine wasn't much of a cook.

She ripped off a piece of bread and fed it to me as she continued. "Damon is out getting his meal for the day. He said he wanted to know what you decided, but I told him I needed more time. Hmm…" She paused again while she tore the meat into bite-sized pieces.

"Stefan was rather unhappy this morning. You may have heard him slam the door. I was afraid he might break it. He was rather irritated with you last night because you still hadn't told him what was wrong. Of course, I had to go to bed early to sleep off my illness. I believe Stefan went on to school to get some space."

Katherine affected a hoarse voice. "I'm too sick to go to school today," she rasped, then grinned at her own acting skills. I was still working on the dry meat, thinking over what she had told me.

"Katherine," I began, "what are you planning on doing with me, exactly?"

She smiled her cruel smile. "Elena, dear, I'm going to use you to get everything I ever wanted." She raised her eyebrows, waiting for me to consider her statement. "The Salvatore brothers both love you in a way they never cared about me," she went on. "We are very different, you and I."

"Obviously," I mumbled.

She ignored my comment and continued, "I've always been selfish. They never thought I knew what I was doing to them back then." Memories of her past flitted across Katherine's face. "I loved them both, in their own ways. Making a decision between them was harder than I ever anticipated. But," she paused to separate the orange into sections, "my indecision cost me both Salvatores." She sighed. It was an odd sound, coming from someone as overconfident as Katherine.

"I know what you mean," I said between chews. It was the absolute truth. She looked down at me strangely. Her expression was almost… sisterly.

The moment of kinship didn't last long, though. Katherine's face was alert as she looked up at the ceiling. "Someone's back," she whispered to herself. She quickly replaced my gag and picked up the remainders of my breakfast. Her movements were a blur as she exited the room and locked the door.

I groaned. Today was not going to pass by easily. I heard muffled voices above me, followed by some stomping, then louder voices. They must be shouting.

Something crashed into the floor. It sounded like glass breaking. More raised voices. Maybe today wouldn't be so bad, after all.

Someone was running down the stairs.

A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Reviews mean a lot to me.