Disclaimer: The Vampire Diaries is the property of the CW. No copyright infringement is intended.
~ X ~
Katherine turned her new body in front of the full length mirror, first this way and then that way. She touched the red swatch in her hair, eyes narrowing, finally deciding she liked it. She pursed her lips appraisingly as she ran her hands over Elena's, well now her body. What was different? She stopped when her hands reached her hips. Ah, that was it. These hips were ever so narrower than hers. Her slightly wider spread had been a gift from Nadia.
A smile creased her face as she considered her daughter. A true Petrova. The girl was a credit to her. She looked forward to having time to get to know her better now.
She stretched luxuriously, arms over her head. Time for so many things now. She pulled a strand of hair playfully through her mouth. Oh yeah. Time was hers once again.
"Elena!"
Her eyes narrowed with anger as she heard that voice. She would not quickly forget the mental torture Damon had inflicted on her.
"Coming." She took a deep breath and briefly closed her eyes. She brought up thoughts of sorrow and her feelings as she saw again her father and mother and sister on the day she came home. When she opened her eyes they glistened with held back tears. Not too much, just a touch of sadness. Really . . She should have been an actress.
She walked slowly downstairs and stopped on the last step. "She's gone."
"Hallelujah, the witch is dead." Damon looked up from the sofa he was stretched out on. "Find me another bottle of bourbon. There must be some hidden somewhere in this mausoleum. And don't look so sad. You should be celebrating."
She looked at the other people in the room. None of them displayed the overt rejoicing that Damon did. Matt, Jeremy, and Bonnie looked solemn. Caroline—did Caroline actually look sad? The girl was a soft hearted ninny!
He stood by the fireplace, one arm leaning on the mantel piece, and he looked stricken. There was no gloating on that handsome face. He looked up at her for a moment and then turned back to examining the flames.
"Oh, come off it, little brother. She ruined your life—you even admitted it. If you start moping for her, I'll kick your butt." Damon was annoyed by Stefan's display of mourning.
"Come on, Damon. Even I feel somewhat bad. I forgave her for everything," Katherine said softly.
Damon went crazy. "What is wrong with you? You just sat here with the rest of us and reeled off everything she had done to you." His anger drove him to his feet. "I tortured her for what she did to me. I tried to make her last hours a living hell the way she made my life for over one hundred years hell. She forced me to do everything bad in my life."
"She forced you?" Katherine questioned in Elena's soft voice. "How did that work?"
Damon looked at her speechless. Was her voice mocking him? "Are you defending her? She never did an unselfish deed in her life."
Stefan spoke up then. "She was seventeen years old, Damon. She was a child, and she was trying to survive the only way she knew how. No one helped her. No one came to her rescue the way we did for Elena when she was in trouble." He looked at the rest of them. "Elena had all of you at her back. Katherine had no one but herself. "
"Are you trying to tell me you never hated her?" Damon scoffed.
"No, I can't deny that at times in my life I hated her," Stefan said softly. "But I've had a few knocks myself, and it's made me appreciate better what she had to go through." He put his hands in his pocket. "Plus, when no one else could get through to me she did. She got nothing out of helping me, but she did."
Elena took that last step down and walked over to place a hand on Stefan's shoulder. "I think it meant a lot to her that you forgave her—that you were kind to her before she died."
His face lightened. "I hope so. If she had to —I wanted her to have some peace in her life."
Damon just shook his head in disgust. "You are beyond hope."
Katherine turned to look at him. "You have no compassion in you, do you? Need someone to blame for what you've done. I guess I have to accept that."
All heads turned to her. Caroline could not hide a triumphant smile and clasped her hands together. Her greatest wish was coming true. Elena was finally seeing Damon for what he was.
Damon blinked, unsure what was happening here. After that talk with his brother, he was rethinking his breakup with Elena. He wasn't sure, but he had the uneasy feeling that Elena was finally accepting their split.
He watched as she turned to Stefan. "Help me with the body. I want to call Nadia. I know she deserted her mother, but I think she may change her mind and want to bury her."
"Sure," Stefan said. "Of course."
She gazed up into his eyes. "Thanks, Stefan. I know I can always depend on you."
"Come on." She grabbed his hand and led him upstairs. Caroline let out a soft. "Hah!" A frowning Damon, hands on hips, watched them. The other three exchanged furtive glances and raised eyebrows.
As Katherine walked up the stairs ahead of Stefan, she smiled.
All the time in the world for revenge. All the time in the world for love.
~ FIN ~