Another Life

Elijah Mikaelson stepped through the door of Stefan Salvatore's room and froze midstep. In Stefan's bed, more dead than alive was Katherine Pierce. His believed Katerina. Suffering through the dreaded side effects of the cure. She was on her deathbed.

"I would hurry," Stefan said lightly. "She doesn't have much time-"

"I know." He interrupted. "Please leave us."

Elijah walked slow, small steps towards the bed, and sat at the edge carefully, as if afraid that it might break. "Katerina." He whispered as he petted her cheek. She looked so tired. "It's me, Elijah. Open your eyes."

Katherine opened her eyes with difficulty, a ghost of her trademark smile appeared on her face. "Took you long enough," she whimpered. "I'm dying, Elijah."

"I know, I came to say so goodbye."

"How terribly romantic."

A smile twitched on his lips. "Close your eyes."

Katherine refused. "No, then I won't see you."

He shook his head at her stubbornness. "You will." He closed his eyes, entering her dreams. Sending them back to Bulgaria 1498.

Elijah opened the door of a small wooden cabin in the woods setting down his rifle on the small wooden table. "I'm home!"

Katherine wearing a long dress, turned away from where she had been sewing a quilt for their eight year old daughter, Nadia. "Nadia, your father's home."

An eight year old little girl with long brown hair ran to embrace Elijah. Elijah held her in his arms. "What did my little girl do today?"

"I built a fort by the river." Nadia told him excitedly. "Mother, is going to make some clothes for my dolls-"

Elijah kissed her cheek. "You can tell me tomorrow, it's late. Good night."

"Good night, father."

Katherine and Elijah watched as Nadia scurried up the stairs. Once she had left, Katherine put down her needle work and kissed him and Elijah wrapped his hands on her waist. "Are you tired?"

"No." Elijah smiled. "How was your day?"

Katherine smiled at him. "It would have been better if you would have been here all day with me."

Elijah pushed back a stray curl. "Tomorrow we'll have a picnic near the river, so that we can see Nadia's fort. Would you like that?"

She nodded. "Very much."

They kissed quietly until Elijah gently rested a hand on her belly. "I think it's time that we give Nadia a little brother or sister, don't you?"

A familiar smirk spread on her lips as Katherine picked up her skirts and ran up the stairs. "You'll have to catch me first!"

Elijah noticed that Katherine stopped breathing and her dead eyes stared back at him. There had been a stray tear running down her left cheek. Elijah gently rubbed away the tear and closed her eyes so that she could appear as if she were sleeping.

Elijah gently kissed her on her forehead, his voice breaking. "Sleep well, my wife."

The End