Disclaimer: Don't own Vampire Diaries :D
The truth
"It took me three years to get home. I spent the majority of it trying to regain my memory, unsuccessful for the most part. The only thing I could remember was my name, so you can imagine how terrified I was, waking up to a team of doctors resuscitating me in vain. They, thankfully, didn't check for a heart beat once I regained consciousness, kind of amateurish of them, but I got lucky nonetheless. My mind just kept trying to help, to lead me to where I belonged. Every night I would get nightmare of what I was and what I had done, to you, to others, and I would wake up sweating and trembling with fear of my own past. I'm sorry…"
The previous day, 9:36 am
Ambrose Library, Atlanta, Georgia
"Who are you? I don't recall ever seeing you before." The librarian said confused. She was a nice lady in her mid-30s with strawberry blond hair that reached her waist, even with the high ponytail, and a heart shaped face with fiery green eyes. Her very being radiated kindness.
"Three years is a long time, ma'am. My name is Katherine Pierce, that's the only thing I know. I came here because about a week or so ago I found this old newspaper. I realize it can't be me in the picture, but it certainly has to be an ancestor. She is the spitting image of me." She explained, the desperation reading in her eyes.
"I'll see what I can find about this Mystic Falls, alright, sweetie?" the woman says, warmly smiling at the hazel eyed, brown haired young woman. "In the mean time, you could stay at Sunset Motel, not far from here.
"Thank you!" Katherine breathed hopeful.
Several hours later found Katherine inside Sunset Motel's restaurant, though she had no appetite.
"How strange! I haven't eaten all day and yet I'm not hungry." She thinks, but swiftly dismisses the thought, it's not like it hasn't happened before. Also, she remembers, she might need another blood transfusion soon, the doctors had diagnosed her with a very sever form of anemia. She would become extremely weaken if not treated every two weeks, if only the treatment didn't involve needles and blood transfusions.
"Miss Pierce? Have you decided on anything ?" asked the waiter calmly. She shook her head and requested a glass of wine, red. After drinking it she retired to her room, but couldn't find sleep. The nightmares were back and with them the blood and death and monsters that shouldn't exist.
Minutes after closing her eyes, Katherine wakes up sweating and gasping for breath more so than usual. This dream had been more vivid than ever before. This time she had been the monster causing death and creating others of her kind. She knew this was the case, because tonight she had, once again, dreamt of the man with pained beautiful blue eyes. She had hurt him again, like when she tried to have both him and his younger brother, knowing he loved her. She had felt undeserving of love so she pushed him away, made him hate her. Why had she been so stupid ?! True love came only once and yet, she rejected and used him. "Selfish bitch!" she cursed herself.
Shaking her head, Katherine banishes the thoughts away. She was, of course, being ridiculous. There was no such thing as vampires and witches and werewolves, much less hybrids, right?
"Tomorrow… Tomorrow I'm going back to the library and heading towards Mystic Falls…right after the transfusion." She told herself, it's always good to have a plan.
Morning came easily enough and the young woman went to check with the librarian the whereabouts of the small town, finding out what she desired she went to get a blood. In order to do that she had to get checked-in and then wait for someone to see her case. She is led to a room by an elderly nurse being told she would have to share it with another patient.
Initially, Katherine had though it to be a woman, but was surprised to realize it was, in fact, a man. It was easy to recognize the manly shape even beneath the sheets. "And what a man!" her inner fan girl squealed in delight, but outwardly she kept a straight face. She then took her hospital gown and entered the bathroom to change. It was quite involuntarily the curses sent his way upon realizing he was allowed to wear his own clothes. She then washes her face clear of make-up and ties her hair in a messy bun, having curly hair meant she couldn't make stay the way she wanted most of the time, but she kept on her necklace. She never took it off, it was, after all, the only clue she had of her former life.
Finished, Katherine returns to the room taking her pace on the bed and searching through her bag for the book about the Civil War, it had mentions of Mystic Falls in it. Turning the pages until she finds the one she had to read, she almost recoils upon seeing the photo. It was of the same man she had been dreaming about. Never in these three years had she ever though him o be real, but now she had unquestionable proof. The book falls to her lap as she stares in disbelief at the picture.
"Damon Salvatore, son of Giuseppe and Valentina Salvatore, age 21, Confederate Soldier, has dropped out of his own volition at…" she read, shock evident in her smooth features.
"Damon…" she whispers, her throat constricting with emotion. She began crying despite her reason telling her it was pointless. She lifted the book again to really take in the details. She is left transfixed with his eyes, the piercing grey-blue color drawing her in, so caught in that she didn't notice the rustle coming from behind.
"I'm so sorry, Damon… I loved you, truly." She found herself saying, but soon exploded into hysterical laughter. "It's not real!" she chastised herself. "Had it been real, I might consider killing myself right about now…" the rustle stopped as the words rushed out of the mouth.
"Does she know?" he asks himself wrestling to keep quiet.
"Only someone with a death wish would refuse perhaps the only man who would love her." She continued, knowing the words o be true. She put the book o the nightstand and prepared to lay down and sleep when a familiar, too familiar, voice said:
"Then you must have a death wish, Katherine."
She realized the man was talking, not only that, but he had gotten up and was now standing at her bedside. She gasped. She was face to face with Damon Salvatore, looking as young and as handsome as ever, glaring at her angrily
Katherine trembled as she tried with all her might to stop herself from crying. Just then their eyes met and her deep brown orbs, filled with unshed tears, fell upon his cold and fearful blues. It was then that she remembers everything, from her daughter's birth to meeting Klaus, from Rose to the Salvatores to her trying to resurrect Michael. Her mouth opened into a silent scream and she clutched her head.
Shaking to disperse the memories, Katherine sent the coldest glare she could muster his way. However he was unaffected considering her teary gaze. Damon didn't even flinch, but was actually quite amused. Katherine was torn, should she go back to her lies or finally tell him the truth? Her choice is made for her though.
" Don't even try to deny it, I heard you. What happened to you, last I heard you were still trying to awaken Michael." He said. "Fat lot good he turned out to be" he muttered.
"He…I… He bit me, almost drained me." She explained once she regained her voice.
"So he did, huh? I had forgotten he fed off of vampire…" Damon trailed off, more talking to himself than her.
"Fed?" she asked confused, why was he referent to Michael at past tense?
"Oh yes, you've been gone for…"
"For three years." She interrupted but soon closed her voice, he was still angry.
"AS I was saying before I was rudely interrupted… you've been gone for three years during which Michael was killed, Elena and St. Stefan got hitched and, believe it or not, Klaus and Caroline began dating." He briefly explained like one would tell the hour.
She just gaped in surprise, she wasn't sure what shocked her more: the so called ultimate vampire hunter being dead or …or Klaus and CAROLINE !? Seeing her expression, Damon couldn't stop himself from bursting out in laughter. Never in his 150-ish years of being undead had he seen something so amusing as Katherine Pierce a.k.a. Katrina Petrova look like THAT!
She blushed and muttered a "Shut up, Damon!" weakly, so weak in fact that she soon joined him. Sobering up, they both realized how natural it felt being together and she lowered her head, before reprimanding herself so she lifted her head just as he drew closer.
Before they knew what was happening, their lips met in a passionate kiss that had her swooning. Soon after she was on her back pressed into the mattress by a half naked Damon kissing his way down her body, from neck to cleavage and then lower still. She moaned and pulled him back for another kiss, sweet and gentle this time, as he untied the strings holding her hospital gown together. Breathing hard, hair tousled and eyes darkened with lust, Damon drew back and asked her what was, possibly, the most important question of her life.
"Did you mean it? When you said you loved me, did you mean it?" he asked and even in his state of arousal his eyes turned sad and frightened. She breathed deep and pushed him back to sit up. He took this as a sign and bent down to retrieve his shirt, but was stopped by her hand on his wrist. Katherine's eyes settled on his face and, as their eyes met, she answered without hesitation.
"I didn't love you, I still do." And she threaded her fingers through his dark hair before pulling him back for another kiss, filled with love.
Why hadn't she told the truth sooner?
"…I'm sorry… I'm so sorry, Damon. I love you" she whispered to him as she lay on his chest, occasionally littering kisses on his warm flesh.