The Story of Us, a vampire diaries fanfic

Songfic Challenge

Subject: The Vampire Diaries [chosen by TangledUpInGoldenLions aka moi]

Song: Taylor Swift- The Story Of Us [chosen by aka Lorna]

Word Limit including song: 2500 words

Deadline: Sunday September 4th 7pm GMT

My interpretation of this song is Steferine since I felt that Katherine would definitely regret her past dealings with Stefan and would genuinely want to make peace. I wanted to convey the turmoil she feels at her desire for survival and need for love and the possibility that she would choose love over her own life. Yet, since in the show we all know (or should know) that Stefan wants nothing more to do with her, I hope this fic explains her reasoning why destruction and manipulation is the only path for her.

Check out Lorna's own interpretion of this song also (she's Stelena btw!) and let us know A: which team you're on, B: what you liked about our fics and C: what questions they raise for you.

Enjoy! 3

I used to think one day we'd tell the story of us,
How we met and the sparks flew instantly,
People would say, "They're the lucky ones."
I used to know my place was a spot next to you,
Now I'm searching the room for an empty seat,
'Cause lately I don't even know what page you're on.

Katherine stood outside the boarding house, clutching the cameo necklace she wore around her faintly pulsing slender neck. She remembered, there and then, of her first sight of Stefan Salvatore as she exited her carriage and picked up the hem of her mint green dress to meet the pathway leading to him. She was captivated, struck by lightning, tiny yet thrilling sparks shooting straight to her seldom beating heart. They were the lucky ones as they whirled at the first Founder's Ball; her joyful, carefree place firmly cemented beside Stefan. Now, she knew she would have to dance alone in her tiered lilac dress and smoothly curled chignon because now she couldn't discern which page Stefan was on. He loved her doppleganger, not her. He had moved on from chapter 1 to chapter 15. Katherine was confused, dazed and lost. "Why Elena? Why her?"

Oh, a simple complication,
Miscommunications lead to fall-out.
So many things that I wish you knew,
So many walls that I can't break through.

If only she had told him, then, of the danger of Klaus, of her true nature. If she had been honest, sincere, more comforting like Elena, would the walls Stefan had now built have been nothing but insignificant rubble? Miscommunication; oh how she had wanted to tell Stefan everything! But she could not; survival was everything and love was merely something, perhaps a lost fond dream of home that a desolate orphan knew could never ever come true. But now she realised survival meant nothing without love. She remembered herself, finally. No matter how hard she tried though, Katherine couldn't tear down Stefan's steely fortifications. The truth was her greatest weapon yet she failed to wield it properly. The fall out was all her fault; the loss was all hers.

Now Katherine stood alone outside Stefan's new home, knowing inside that he hated her. Was the anger killing him like it killed her? Did he enjoy hurting her? Hurting himself, effectively, since they were one, once. She didn't know what to say. Stefan and Elena were cupids grand creation and the story of us, she thought bitterly, is nothing but a tragedy, now. "But, we could be one again!"

How'd we end up this way?
See me nervously pulling at my clothes and trying to look busy,
And you're doing your best to avoid me.
I'm starting to think one day I'll tell the story of us,
How I was losing my mind when I saw you here,
But you held your pride like you should've held me.

Katherine thought back to the first time she saw Stefan in the 21st century. How she had tugged on her black leather jacket, sucking a strawberry wanly, fakely, while Stefan desperately searched for an exit route. She felt insane. Stefan's pride should have broken by now and he should have held her instead; lovingly, tenderly. "You need to get over yourself, Stefan. You need me!"

Oh, I'm scared to see the ending,
Why are we pretending this is nothing?
I'd tell you I miss you but I don't know how,
I've never heard silence quite this loud.

Stop pretending! Katherine cried inside. You need to stop acting like you never loved me! I need to stop acting like I don't give a damn! I miss you, Stefan, but how do I tell you this when the silence overwhelms us now? What we have is nothing; it can be our everything. "I can change, Stefan...please?"

"Killing me slowly, killing me slowly. Kill me Stefan, or kiss me. I want it all. I want your all! Cement this tragedy or save it! If you can't love me then tear out my heart and rip off my head! You're already killing me, Stefan, show me mercy, please!"

This is looking like a contest,
Of who can act like they care less,
But I liked it better when you were on my side.
The battle's in your hands now,
But I would lay my armour down
If you said you'd rather love than fight.
So many things that you wished I knew,
But the story of us might be ending soon.

"Hate me, Stefan", Katherine turned away from the house slowly, looking down at her shoes to suppress the volcanic water in her eyes. "But I will never hate you. I'd surrender for your love and I wish I could tell you everything. How you're in danger, how I am, how Elena is. Our story might end soon and I need to make peace with it." She stalked away into the forest, sighing to herself, "but my survival is all I have left and you're all I have left. Choose me and you can have me. Completely, forever. I will not make the same mistake twice. Choose Elena, and I'm fucking with this town. It will rain blood, anguish, pain, like my heart will if you choose HER." Katherine meant her threat. She would happily surrender to Stefan only but without him in the bargain, peace was not an option

Now I'm standing alone in a crowded room and we're not speaking,
And I'm dying to know is it killing you like it's killing me, yeah?
I don't know what to say, since the twist of fate when it all broke down,
And the story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now, now, now.
And we're not speaking,
And I'm dying to know is it killing you like it's killing me, yeah?
I don't know what to say, since the twist of fate 'cause we're going down,
And the story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now.

Stefan watched Katherine go, not hearing her solemn, bloody declaration. He rubbed his forehead in turmoil. He couldn't give in to her; she had lied and she didn't care. Yet, she still was able to make him feel like he was on the edge of an abyss. Was she really hurting like he was? Did the damned angel Miss Pierce vulgarly rot inside with regret of what she had done. Like Stefan had died that night when he tried to save her? Drowned in his own blood to save her! Everything broke down, then. Did Katherine merely swim in her victim's blood, joyfully taking life, collecting hearts; his own heart. Stefan didn't know what to say to his old lover. He wouldn't speak to her until he knew what she really wanted. And that could take a lifetime. Elena's lifetime. He couldn't reawaken the past to destroy Elena's future! He felt his sanity going down as Katherine's stiletto boots descended into the ground, into her needless victim's cold, destroyed bodies. All he could do was write their story off as a tragedy; a bitter sweet memory that should never come to pass again. Katherine was dead in his jaded green eyes. Yet, why did he still feel torn apart inside?