One: I'm Only Human

When Katherine opened her eyes, she immediately felt a godamn awful headache. God, it felt awful. It felt like someone had run her over. Correction, being run over wouldn't have felt this bad.

She stood up and even her legs felt wobbly or maybe it was because she was wearing designer heels from Chanel. Either way she didn't need a broken ankle, however temporarily especially since Klaus was still rummaging around, trying to sniff under Caroline's skirt.

What kind of alcohol had Bonnie put in that stupid cup anyway? Katherine really needed to get the name so that she could use it during her nights of depression. Well, one thing was for certain it was not the immortality liquid that Bonnie had promised her. One thing was for certain. She felt weaker, not stronger.

It took Katherine a few moments to regain her composure. First thing was first, she needed to get out of this stupid forest. Designer jeans and forests did not mix. Katherine tried to use her vamp speed, but she found out that she couldn't.

The more that Katherine tried to leave as fast as she could, the less she could. Katherine could only manage to walk two steps. When she used her vampire speed for speed she usually glided like a butterfly, then why did she feel like an ugly snail?

"What?" she squeaked. "What in hell is happening?" Did Bonnie's weird alcohol have side effects? Were her vampire abilities fast asleep? When was this going to be over?

Katherine for once in her life felt vulnerable and. . .strangely human. Like she was once again that Bulgarian girl in 1492.

Katherine felt her heart drop. She felt human. Oh god. The Scooby Doo Gang had been chasing the cure. Katherine grabbed a nearby rock and jabbed it in her palm. It hurt and a small amount of blood started pouring out.

She waited for it to heal. It didn't.

Caroline Forbes was still thinking about the monster that was Klaus Mikaelson when Bonnie speeded into the Salvatore living room as if she were a copy of the Flash. She was holding two teeny tiny cups and looked downright insane. "Have you seen Katherine?" she practically screamed.

Caroline wrinkled her nose when she mentioned the doppelganger. "Thankfully no. What is going on Bonnie you look-"Perhaps insane was not the kindest word. Bonnie ignored her question as she raced her way up the stairs in search of Katherine for whatever reason. Bonnie left both of the small cups near one of the Salvatore brothers' precious antiques.

"Bonnie, what exactly-" But Bonnie was too far gone.

Caroline grabbed one of the small cups and sniffed it. It smelled like rum. Caroline would take this to go. After an evening with Klaus, God knew that she needed it. How could she hate a guy yet still want his hands all over her?

Caroline grabbed the tiny cup and headed towards her car that she had left in the parking lot of the Salvatore Estate. She turned the engine on and made her way to her house. Halfway to her house she took a sip.

The rum burned her throat as she struggled to cough. She felt pain in her belly as well as a wave of dizziness hit her. She managed to park her car in front of her house and by some stroke of luck she managed to walk inside.

Her mother was holding red Congratulation balloons. "There you are what-" she went pale when she saw Caroline. "Caroline, sweetheart what's wrong-"

"Mom," her voice was hollow. "I don't feel so good."

Elena could tell that something was missing and when she opened her brown eyes she knew who that something was. Damon. Damon had left their bed and she hadn't even realized it. Had she been that tired? Elena used a blanket to cuddle herself.

It seemed that so much had happened in the past few months. Jeremy had gone back to the world of the dead, she had graduated from high school, she had turned on her humanity, and now she had refused the cure.

This was the start of a new chapter in her life.

Now all she needed to do was find out where Damon was. Elena got up and started walking down the stairs. There was no one in the house. Had Damon and Stefan both left? A worry thought passed though Elena's head.

Elena paused at the bottom of the stairs where she saw a tiny cup. Had Damon made an espresso for her? No, it had to be booze, Damon hardly ever drank coffee. Well, Elena didn't want to let it go to waste.

She took the cup and drank it all in one swipe. Elena immediately regretted it. The drink tasted bitter and just plain horrible. Elena struggled to continue standing.

"Elena." She heard a voice say.

Elena turned around and she looked at Bonnie who was at the top of the stairs. Even Bonnie looked funny. "Bon? What is? What-"

Before she could utter another word everything became black.

"Did she do the right thing?" Damon took another sip of Bourbon. He and Stefan were sitting at the Grill. Though to be honest Damon was doing most of the talking. "I mean we've been searching for this cure for weeks and suddenly she doesn't want it? Where's the reason in that?"

Stefan sighed. "In my experience Elena hasn't made reason in a very long time."

Damon cocked an eyebrow at Stefan's stinging comment. "Ok, I might have deserved that. I just don't want Elena to regret her decision now that some idiot is getting the cure."

"Elena is a grown woman. If she doesn't want the cure, she doesn't want the cure." Stefan put a couple of bills on the table. "Did you managed to say goodbye to Alaric?"

Damon shrugged. "I've said all that I needed to say. Let's go. Elena is probably wondering where I've gone to."

Both men got into the car and arrived at the Salvatore house fifteen minutes later. Before he got out of the car his cell phone started ringing. Sheriff Forbes. "Liz, is something wrong? More ghosts trying to enjoy their happy haunts?"

"Damon," Liz was practically shaking. "Something is wrong with Caroline, she fainted and-you need to come soon. Please."

"I'll be right there." Damon's jaw tightened. "Let me just tell Elena."

Stefan had a confused look on his face. "What's wrong?"

"It was Liz," Damon sounded confused. "Something was wrong with Caroline, let me just tell Elena and I'll go help her." Damon and Stefan went toward the house and saw Elena passed down at the bottom of the stairs. Bonnie was frantically trying to wake her.

"Damon," Bonnie choked out. "Something is wrong with Elena, I can't wake her up."

-End of Chapter One-

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