25|THE RETURN

Gemma sits slumped over on Elena's front porch, her bones tired with exhaustion and agony. Damon had saved her from that fire; from John Gilbert's wrath, which is why the woman is even in the vicinity of the Gilbert's property. Damon, with his newfound sense of humanity, wanted to offer Jeremy Gilbert kinds words about the death of Anna. Why on earth he thought Jeremy was a good start to his road of redemption, she'll never know.

"What are you doing here?"

Gemma stiffens up and slowly stands from the front porch swing. She didn't know Elena would be home or she never would've came with her brother. Although the more she thinks about it, that might've been his plan all along.

"Damon wanted to have a word with Jeremy."

Elena nods wordlessly and Gemma stares at her, taken aback. She was surprised the girl didn't have more to say. Months ago, Elena would've had a fit if Damon even thought of Jeremy; how people change. Gemma moves forward and stretches out her hand, "you want me to take your bag for you?"

Elena grabs her outstretched hand and shuffles closer, rubbing her thumb over the ring that resides over Gemma middle finger. It wasn't her daylight ring, maybe that's why Gemma felt hot white anxiety slither over her. It was the ring Katherine gave her and Elena had seen it dozens of times; she's even made under the table snide remarks about it, hoping Gemma wouldn't catch on.

"Why do you still wear it?"

Gemma swallows thickly and tries to tug her hand back weakly. Elena doesn't let her.

"I don't know," she whispers.

Elena hums and drops her hand. "You smell like smoke," she comments while wrinkling her nose.

Gemma hums and doesn't reply. She felt herself shrinking, she felt all the words die on her tongue. She was so used to being the bigger person, so used to making Elena shrink down and peer up at her with those big eyes. The female Salvatore wasn't quite sure what to do here, wasn't certain there was a right or wrong move.

Elena takes the final few steps forward and presses her lips against Gemma's cheek, her breath fanning out over the vampire's cool skin. She pulls away and reaches up with a crooked smile pulling at her lips, tucking a strand of hair behind Gemma's ear. "I'm so glad you're okay, bunny."

Gemma stops breathing and her muscles lose all strength and will to restrain whatever patience she had left. It takes all of half a second for Katherine to realize Gemma knows and she crashes into the younger woman, her fingers tangling in her hair and her other hand pulling her close. The Pierce closes the distance between their lips, giving Gemma no choice but to kiss her back. The Salvatore finds the courage to touch her, the feel that the other woman is right there in front of her. She fists Katherine's shirt in between her palms, her fingers shaking and her ears ringing. This wasn't supposed to happen- this was never supposed to happen, but God... was Gemma glad it did. She's never felt more alive, she's never felt more like herself and-

The door swings open and a familiar red headed woman is clearing her throat, her arms folded and a disappointed look casting itself toward Gemma's way. "It's late, you should probably come inside Elena."

"No!" Gemma practically shouts.

Jenna looks at her, almost betrayed. "Gemma, you're my friend and I understand you're going through something, but Elena is coming inside and you should go home. Call Willow, I'll send Damon downstairs.'

Gemma swallows thickly and meets Katherine's eyes, "be... be safe please."

Katherine smiles, "I will, Gem. I couldn't be any safer than at home."

Gemma swallows her protests as the door closes with Jenna and Katherine behind it. She'd have a lot of explaining to do in the morning.

==

It turns out explaining came a lot sooner than in the morning. Gemma had gone home to have a meltdown and reflect on her life choices when Damon had told her to meet at Elena's house as fast as he could and that it was an emergency. Just her luck, Jenna had spilled the beans that Gemma had kissed 'Elena' and the teenager was so hasty to deny it, Damon was able to fit the pieces into his perfect little puzzle. Why he can't be that smart all the time, she'll never know. She was just thankful he wasn't mad at her and that he was intent on keeping it from Stefan. The female Salvatore certainly wasn't in the mood for drama like that. According to Damon, the only thing he told Stefan was that Gemma had a conversation with the Pierce, but of course the boy still had questions.

"Did she say what she wanted?" Damon asks Stefan, referring to his run in with the older vampire as well.

"No."

"Woman certainly knows how to make an entrance."

"She said she fooled one of us, at least. What does that mean?"

Gemma swallows the truth, "she pretended to be Elena tonight while Damon and I were here."

The Gilbert finally makes her entrance from downstairs and Gemma almost can't look at her, the unfamiliar swell of shame presenting itself.

"I told Jeremy," she says with a sigh. "I can't lie to him anymore."

"Are you alright?" Stefan asks her.

"No, I'm not alright. I thought will all of the tomb vampires gone things would get better."

"We all did," Gemma mumbles under her breath.

"Katherine was in this house," Elena stresses. "That means she's been invited in, what are we gonna do?"

"Move," Damon offers.

"Very helpful, thank you," Elena snaps.

"Katherine wants you dead, there's zero you can do about it; you would be dead but you're not, so clearly she has other plans." Damon says.

"Right," Stefan agreed. "We need to find out what those other plans are and not provoke her in the process. Gemma," he starts. "What happened tonight when you thought she was Elena?"

"We talked, I offered to take her bag inside for her... I mentioned Damon was talking to Jeremy."

Elena frowns, "and you two kissed. Jenna told me, or asked me..."

"You what?" Stefan hisses. "You kissed her when you thought she was Elena?"

All of the tension is pissing Gemma off; all of these accusations. Maybe that's what makes her smirk, maybe that's what makes her tell the truth. "Uh, no..." she shrugs. "We kissed after I found out she was Katherine."

Stefan gapes, "excuse me?"

"Yeah," Gemma nods. "I wouldn't kiss Elena... all of those boundaries, you know?"

Stefan tries to lunge at her but Damon puts himself in between his two siblings, shoving Stefan a few feet away from the female Salvatore. "Enough," he snaps. "It wasn't Elena she kissed. How do you still find a way to be mad?"

"Damon's right," Elena pipes up. "I wouldn't do that, Stefan."

Gemma grins at her from over Damon's shoulder, arching an eyebrow. "Sure about that, sweetheart? I got all night."

Elena glares at her, grabbing Stefan's arm when he tries to lunge at her again. "We need to focus on more important things," she tells him. "Like John... he must know something for Katherine to try and kill him."

"She's Katherine," Damon scoffs. "She loves to play games and you're fooling yourself if you hink you're going to find out what she's been up to before she wants you to know."

"No, actually, Elena's right. John could know something through Isobel." He looks at Elena, "your mother, she was in touch with Katherine so maybe we can go to the hospital and get him to talk."

"I've got a better idea," Damon adds.

"What's that?" Elena stares at him blankly.

"Gemma and I are just going to ignore the bitch," he grabs Gemma's arm. "See you."

He begins to walk out of the kitchen but Elena stops him, "is that wise?"

"If Katherine thinks she's being ignored, it'll lure her out."

"Yeah? And then what?"

"Stake her, rip her head off, kiss her-" he nudges Gemma. "Something poetic."

Gemma shrugs, "been there, done that." She waves with a faux smile. "Goodnight all."

Damon nods his head and the two walk out shoulder to shoulder.

==

Gemma sits stiff as a bored in her booth at The Grill, her fingers shaking around the rim of her glass of bourbon. After dealing with the dramatic aftermath of her almost-death and Katherine's return, it was time to face the music and set a meeting with Willow. The female Salvatore was mostly unsure of Willow meant when she said 'she knew'. Gemma assumes the woman meant she knew about the supernatural, but Willow couldn't know. She's never been exposed; Gemma's made sure of it since the day she met the therapist. Speaking of-

"Hey Gemma," the blonde greets with the same old smile, as if the world weren't imploding around them. "I'm glad to see you doing okay after the other night."

"What do you mean by that?" The Salvatore is immediately defensive.

"After the fire..." Willow squints her eyes. "What did you think I meant?"

If Gemma's only got one shot at this, she wants to do it right. "Katherine's alive," she blurts.

"-and we kissed."

Willow blinks slowly and  nods her head as if she has complete understanding. "So Katherine's a vampire too?"

Gemma almost chokes on the bourbon she was sipping, her throat burning as she forces the liquor down. Her eyes meet those of Willow's and she purses her lips, contemplating her options. Obviously killing her is out of question because she actually likes the woman. Compulsion? But first, "how long have you known?"

Willow grins, "long enough."

"That's very cryptic," Gemma tells her. "What do you expect me to do about the fact that you know all of this?"

Since the first time she met her, Gemma finds Willow staring back at her with great confusion. How could Willow not understand that people knowing this secret isn't something they take lightly? Gemma's not sure if this one falls under doctor-patient confidentiality.

"I don't expect you to do anything." Willow scoffs, "not that you could anyway."

Now it's Gemma's turn to be stumped, "excuse me?"

Willow's smile widens if possible and she casts her eyes down to Gemma's whisky, her index finger beginning to softly tap against the wooden table between them. The female Salvatore doesn't quite catch on at first; can't comprehend why her drink was bubbling and warming as if it was on a stovetop. Her dark eyes dart between the bourbon and Willow, her lips parting in awe; in wariness of the woman. "You're a-"

"An amazing therapist!" Willow chirps, dropping her show and folding her hands in her lap. "I am, indeed."

Gemma side eyes her, "I'll keep yours if you keep mine?"

"Deal," the witch smirks.

==

The last place Gemma should be is in the home of Carol Lockwood pretending to be morning the mayor's death. The Salvatore grieved enough without having to add a dead human's name to the list. She wrinkles her eyebrows, or dead not human now that she thinks of it. Why mayor Lockwood was affected by the device, she doesn't know. She's sure her idiot brother will find out though. Speaking of her brother, she lost him quite a while ago and has been wandering about looking for something worth drinking. She shuffles into a quiet room, the atmosphere alit with dinner candles Carol had placed there.

"Jesus, can't anyone get some whiskey around here?"

"I saw some in the study... if you wanna have a drink with me, bunny?"

Gemma swallows down the gasp her lungs try to force out of her and she slowly turns around to come face to face with Katherine. To the human eye she looks, sounds and moves like Elena Gilbert; but to Gemma, she knew Katherine pierce like the back of her hands. At least, Katherine Pierce's body. The Salvatore can't count how many nights she and Katherine spent memorizing each other.

"No," Gemma finds her voice, albeit's a little weak. "I'm fine, thank you."

Katherine smirks and practically circles around her, "so polite, bunny... maybe you haven't changed after all."

"What are you doing here?" Gemma wonders.

"After the way Stefan treated me last night, I thought that a public place would be less violent."

Gemma laughs, "did you expect him to give you an intimate welcome back, Katherine?"

"No," Katherine pouts. "I already got one from you, remember?"

Gemma shoves her hands into her pockets, biting the inside of her cheek. She needed an excuse to get out of the room, away from Katherine; anywhere but where she was. "Isn't this a little far? Elena's going to be here any second."

"That's no fun, bunny," the vampire drawls. "Damon's here somewhere. I've been avoiding him."

"Oh, he knows," Gemma assures her. "He's feeling very bitter about it."

Katherine rolls her eyes, not replying. Gemma tries to tread lightly but her panic gets the best of her, "you should leave."

"You're hurting my feelings, Gemma. You were so much happier to see me when I first arrived. Then again, apparently you thought I was Elena, so..."

Gemma raises her eyebrows, "are you playing jealous right now?"

Katherine flattens her lips, "what reason do I have to be jealous? Has she had you the way I have?"

Gemma gapes, "uh... no?" Katherine smiles with a self satisfied smile and waltzes out of the room leaving Gemma speechless. After a second of gathering herself, Gemma walks out of the room onto the front porch for some air; for some damn space from whatever Katherine Pierce was trying to do to her in there- and because the universe hates her, she runs right into Elena Gilbert. She can tell the teenager wants to talk, to hash it out about what happened the other night. "Yes, Elena?" She drones.

"I want to talk to you about how you're doing."

"I had a session with Willow earlier, thanks for asking."

"Gemma," Elena frowns. "We're close enough now, I want to know how you're doing."

"I kissed Katherine, she kissed me back," Gemma shrugs. "Like riding a bicycle."

"I think that you're hurt," the Gilbert tries.

Now this- this throws Gemma for a loop, "what?"

"You're hurt and you won't admit it. You're covering it up and drinking, you're going to end up hurting yourself."

"You think you're going to send me off the deep end, Elena? I'm not worried about the fight we had before the device went off. Why are we even talking about this? We both know what you're really dying to ask is why I would kiss Katherine in the first place. Is it such a surprise?"

"That wasn't a surprise to me, Gemma. What's a surprise to me is that you wanted it to be me in the first place."

Gemma can't help but laugh at the absurdity. Maybe she had an innocent attraction to Elena, something that could only be compared to that the size of a mustard seed. Whatever she felt is long gone faced with the girl's arrogance. How could she be so full of herself to think that?

"I'm sorry, Elena," Gemma apologizes, a faux smile plastering itself onto her face. "Like I said, I kissed Katherine after I found out it wasn't you. What's surprising is you thinking there's enough between us for me to even see you that way..." she trails off and lowers her head to catch Elena's gaze. "You're my little brother's girlfriend. You're a goddamn child," she nearly snaps. "Why would I ever want to kiss you?"

Elena swallows thickly, nodding with unshed tears. "Now I guess I'm the one that's hurt."

Gemma almost allows herself to feel guilty, almost allows herself to chase Elena down and tell her she didn't mean it; she'd never talk to her with such little respect- she'd never compare her to anything smaller than she actually is. The Salvatore cannot allow herself to do those things, not while she can still feel the heavy stare of Katherine Pierce down her back, not while she can smell the woman lurking somewhere around the corner. Gemma knew Katherine needed proof Elena was uncared for, she knew that's the only way the woman would temporarily leave the human alone. If Gemma had to hate Elena Gilbert to keep her safe, that's what she would do.