Darkness. It was slowly suffocating the ancient walls, making hard stones shadow the hollow cave. The air around the space was desert dry, hotness crawling its way through emptiness.
The dirty floor was covered with sharp pebbles, which carved into the skin of any being, that happened to be trapped and punished for their sins in the room akin to an underground cellar.
Katherine Pierce was imprisoned by the spirits, who swore to torture the weak human for eternity as she had been the reason for countless innocent deaths and wrongdoings. She was chained into the wall, leaving aching red marks around her ankles and hands. Strange poisonous plants eroded her fragile skin.
When she coughed dust, the acid burned her throat. She was unable to scream, the pain was unbearable. The voices howled in her mind, never leaving her alone, they fed her horrible nightmares and twisted memories.
It had been unusually quiet for the last few minutes, she couldn't help but wonder what happened, as the pain and the voices had never once stopped during her half year stay were suddenly silenced.
She yearned to be on the other side, although her impossible dream was to live, again and again. Never had she imagined what would occur if she died, she was Katherine Pierce, a survivor. Death was unthinkable in her case, she was immortal and always found a route to save herself.
Loud footsteps echoed back from the walls. Katherine snapped her eyes open, her dead heart still beating violently against her chest. She had regained some of her strength back, but it wasn't enough to break herself free and run from the intruder.
The plants started moving, they loosened and faded inside the walls. She was confused, fatigue threatened to take over her body, but she needed to stay awake, she couldn't risk getting caught by the stranger.
She yanked the chains, but unlike the plants, they didn't creak open, she still had no escape.
Footsteps quickened and in the next seconds the owner of the steps would come into view. She held her breath and dared not to move, she wasn't ready to endure more pain.
"Katerina."
In that moment, she thought it was the sweetest voice she had ever heard. Looking up, she saw a disheveled face of none other than Elijah Mikaelson.
Elijah rushed over to her and tore her chains to pieces, breaking her free. She looked at him warily, not wanting to trust his motives just yet. She tried to say something, but no words came out of her dry throat.
Her legs gave up and she stumbled towards the floor, until strong arms wrapped themselves around her torso and behind her knees, whisking her into air.
"I'm getting you out of here," Elijah said softly as he pulled her closer.
Katherine tried to struggle, but her tries were futile.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't there," she heard a quiet and broken voice whisper into her ear.
She couldn't think, she knew it was all her imagination playing tricks and making her believe that Elijah still cared for her, when he hadn't even showed up, while she was on her deathbed.
Elijah sensed how fragile Katherine was, she had been turned human against her will and died. He hadn't even known. He hadn't even been able to say goodbye. He was ashamed of himself and his stupid behaviour.
He had left her. Since then he had only made thoughtless decisions. What had he been doing, trying to redeem his brother through a baby, which had been a hoax the wolf girl had created with the help of the witches. He had been completely irrational. Klaus' redemption had been in Mystic Falls the whole time.
It had been foolish to think that Katerina would stay in his past, a mistake he had to forget. He had only been lying to himself. Here she was now, bruised and battered, barely living in her death. She had always been a fighter, a survivor.
Katherine had stopped fidgeting, having no strength to fight an Original vampire. Her mind turned blank, she couldn't think of how Elijah had even found her. She didn't wonder why he had succeeded in claiming her from the depths of hell.
But she was in bliss, the voices were gone and she felt free to live again. With that calming thought she fell to dreamless sleep. If any outsider had seen them in that moment, they would have never believed that it was the ruthless and manipulative Katherine Pierce in the arms of the Original.
Elijah returned to the world of the living. Opening up the gates of hell had taken a lot of time, but they managed to do it. They had destroyed the Other Side all together, he could finally meet his long lost brothers again. Mikael was locked up with the evil spirits, who had agreed to take him in exchange of Katherine.
Descending to the ground, in front of him stood the one who had played the biggest role in getting back their loved ones, the anchor.
"Thank you," Elijah said to the brown-eyed strong witch.
"Don't thank me, thank Caroline, I didn't think it was even possible, but she is loyal, to Rebekah of all people. She managed to convince us. I'm not exactly comfortable with letting the Originals and other supernatural creatures roam the Earth again, but she was being stubborn."
"I got Grams back, I can finally feel happiness again, I don't have to endure the pain. Elena is with Alaric and Jenna, though Jenna died as a pure vampire, she was somehow brought back as well. I think we haven't been this joyful in a long time."
"I promise, and this is the promise I intend to keep, that we won't bother you or your friends in Mystic Falls ever again. I will make sure to keep Katherine away from the trouble, too," he said while glancing at a passed out Katherine in his arms.
Bonnie looked at Katherine and she couldn't say that she didn't have any doubts, but she trusted Elijah's words. She nodded to Elijah and they went their separate ways; Bonnie back to Mystic Falls and Elijah to Chicago to reunite with his family.
TWO WEEKS AGO
"I can't believe you dragged me to Atlanta," Stefan told the blonde beside him.
"Hey, don't whine, I wasn't the one moping around and doing nothing. Besides, you need to have some fun, you're always so grumpy and stressed out with the whole doppelganger drama. Atlanta is the only place I've been to outside of Whitmore College and Mystic Falls. You need to loosen up."
"That doesn't mean you had to take me to a crowded bar. I can drink at home too, you know," he exclaimed and drowned his glass of whisky, while Caroline sipped her drink.
"It's not about drinking, it's about the atmosphere."
"I admit, a random bar in Atlanta, from all places, is truly scenic. I have already visited every site, which doesn't scream "boring" to me, so I guess, I can't really blame you."
"You need to get over yourself and forget about Elena."
"How could I oppose the universe, as we are "destined to be together"?" he did air quotes with one of his hands' fingers as the other was wrapped around the glass, swirling the liquid inside.
"Look, Stefan, tonight you'll forget all your troubles and your past girlfr-hold on, is that Rebekah?"
Stefan turned around in his chair and his eyes followed Caroline's line of sight, she had indeed caught sight of the blonde Original across the room.
"Isn't she supposed to be in New Orleans?" Caroline asked unsurely, not wanting to think about a certain other Original vampire.
"Rebekah!" Stefan called rather loudly across the bar, so she could hear his voice over the loud music blaring from the speakers.
Rebekah visibly startled and quickly made out the two vampires sitting beside the bar table. The slight panic disappeared from her eyes and a smile danced on her lips. Seeing the familiar faces, she made her way over.
"And what brings you, dashing two, in Atlanta?" She asked oddly in her British accent.
"We could ask you the same question."
Caroline noticed that Rebekah seemed to be travelling alone, which put her at ease. She wasn't ready to face Klaus, not yet.
Rebekah sat down next to Stefan and compelled the bartender to pour her a glass of their best drink, which he proceeded to do with a blank look in his eyes.
"It's a long story."
Caroline quirked her eyebrow, wanting to hear more. Stefan smirked at Rebekah, edging her to continue, which did it for her.
"Alright, I guess I can tell you. You won't leave me alone otherwise," she looked at Caroline, who smiled knowingly, while Stefan, having drank a bit much for his liking, was beginning to bend slightly towards Rebekah, catching the scent of her perfume.
"As you know, me and my dear brothers were in New Orleans, trying to claim back our city, well that was what we were supposed to do. Most of the time we just bickered or were trying to protect a baby, not exactly what I had been expecting."
"Wait, a baby?" Caroline interrupted as she had caught the strange word, which didn't seem to fit in the context of her story of supernatural beings. She couldn't help, but be interested.
"Nik didn't tell you?" Rebekah was visibly surprised, she had assumed they already knew.
"What was he supposed to tell us?" Caroline's voice was emotionless, not wishing to betray her desires for Klaus, and Stefan grew more alert with every second, his head starting to clear up.
"It's not my story to tell."
"Do tell," Stefan cut in, if the Originals were holding secrets from them, let alone Caroline, then it didn't mean well.
"He had an one nightstand with that werewolf Hayley, which resulted in her getting pregnant, ridiculous and obviously impossible. The witches in New Orleans were sure that it was a nature's loophole and they had to be protected," Rebekah huffed and finished the story in one breath, not knowing what to expect from her acquaintances, who took their time to observe the news.
Caroline, looking flabbergasted, burst out laughing, her hands pressed against her ribs. At seeing Rebekah's bemused face, her laughter ceased.
"Wait, you're serious?" Caroline sat up straight and her face fell noticeably. Klaus hadn't mention anything about that disgusting wolf girl or becoming a father. He had lied to her, or well, at least omitted the truth. He wanted her honesty, while he was full of lies.
Stefan put his hand on hers, which seemed to relax her posture a little. Rebekah was anxious to leave, she wasn't supposed to be the one to drop the news, she had an intuition that it mattered to Caroline.
"Did something happen between you and my brother?"
Caroline shook her head, not wanting to think about Klaus. "Continue," she said, swallowing back the hurtful gulp inside her throat.
Rebekah looked at Stefan, who was nodding for her to pick up the story where she had previously left it.
"Nik found out I had betrayed him to Mikael in 1919. I regretted betraying him the second after I agreed to it, but Nik, he wanted me dead, not daggered, but actually dead. Elijah helped me, he didn't want to lose more family members. Strangely, Nik decided to let me go. He said that I can leave, have my own life on the condition I should never return. So I left," she drank her drink to the bottom, scrunching her nose, because of the bitter taste.
"Where are you headed now?" Stefan asked as no one else decided to continue the conversation, which started to become more awkward by the second.
"Chicago," she smiled at him, "Oh, I almost forgot why I was really glad to see you here. It's about my brothers. I'm afraid they have to leave New Orleans as well. I was staying with my old witch friend here, in Atlanta, and I heard her mentioning something about getting control over one of the other cities as Atlana already belonged to them. I can't help, but wonder that the city she was describing is New Orleans, which would mean that my family might be in danger. They are immortal and stronger than others, but not an equal match against an army of ancient witches.
"As I was listening in on her conversation, I thought that maybe, the baby is not real after all. That would mean Nik and Elijah are pissing in the wind, when they try to gain back the control of the city, while their enemies are ready to strike back," she paused and noticed how both Stefan and Caroline had tuned in.
"Caroline," Rebekah turned to the other blonde, who was surprised to be addressed so bluntly and that the next thing Rebekah would have said was directed solely at her, "I hate to put my nose in other person's affairs. I don't know what your relationship with my brother is, but I'm certain that you have the most influence on him. Maybe it's possible for you to lure him out of the city. He's so stubborn and I know it's a huge favour to ask from you, but if anyone can do it, it's you."
"If Nik agrees to leave, he can easily persuade Elijah, too. I'm not welcome there anymore, but I'm afraid that they can't fight all of the witches and their allies alone. Will you do it?"
Caroline was quiet, she didn't confess that she couldn't nor wouldn't want to see Klaus, not now, when he had held the truth from her.
"Does Elijah know about Katherine?" Stefan asked, surprising the girls with the sudden change of topic.
"Is she-?"
"Dead. She's dead," Caroline said flatly. She was aware that Rebekah had visited Matt briefly, which meant that she knew about Katherine's condition.
"I don't think he does, he doesn't even know we visited Mystic Falls. No matter how much I disliked her, I'm sure Elijah still harbored some feelings for her. I agreed with Nik, that it was safer to not let him know. He's been awfully cozy with Hayley and Nik doesn't trust her."
"We'll go."
Rebekah smiled out of relief.
"Thank you, I really appreciate it. Don't hesitate to visit me in Chicago some day."
Caroline gave her a weak smile and drank what had been left of her drink. She took Stefan's arm and guided him away from Rebekah to their car.