Previously: Elena woke up from death, heard the brothers fighting and snuck behind them, the brothers both unaware and unsuspecting that Elena would come out from hiding and say their names, surprising and relieving them. Stefan simpers: "E- Elena?"
May 2, 2010 - Elena's POV
"Elena!" Damon repeats, unable to do anything else.
A wide and undeniably heart-warming smile lights up Damon's handsome features. It says everything; the shock, the anger, the happiness, the despair, the heart-breaking realization and the irrevocable love that he has for me. Finally I feel at home as a grin creeps up onto my own face; I cannot help it, for his ecstatic outburst made my heart lift and my spirit soar.
And so we grin at each other, just like that. Neither of us moving forward, but neither of us moving away either. We stare happily at each other until Stefan coughs, alerting me that he is there. How could I have forgotten him for Damon?
Guilt automatically clogs my thoughts and I start toward Stefan, who has dropped the stake, and before I can do the same, he quickly rushes closer. I shiver as his hand pulls my hair back behind my ear as his eyes gaze lovingly into mine, warm and happy.
"Hi." I whisper, looking up at him through my long brown eyelashes with concern. All I want is to kiss that mouth and forget everything, forget that he almost killed his brother, and that he himself almost got killed, too.
But I refuse to go along with this. They were just going to kill each other, and so they both forget when I appear, alive and well? No, that's not the way it'll work.
And so I glance shortly at Damon, overcome with regret and sadness that he's always left in the dark when a good happening occurs; he's the outsider, the one that I shy away from and because of that automatically run to Stefan instead.
His smile visibly droops at my automatic reach for Stefan and remorse easily creeps inside of me. So much for making both my men happy.
May 2, 2010 - Spring - Katherine's POV
"Hello handsome. Goodbye handsome." I whisper, sinking my teeth into some random homeless guy. Who cares who I drain? It's not like anyone knows this wanna-be anyway, so what should it matter?
It's been a few days that I've been free of Klaus' compulsion Alaric's apartment. But I won't believe that Klaus is finished with me; he is too angry and revengeful a person to just let someone who's done as much as I go for nothing. No, he'll surely be back for me. It's just a matter of time.
Finally my hunger is sated and I can pay attention to the matter at hand: winning Stefan back and getting rid of that damned Elena.
Mystic Falls has always been a town of the impossible; a town that lives on through the hard times, the difficult times and always succeeds in making it to the end without many battle wounds. Thus, it is the best place for a new battle; a battle to win back Stefan. Wherever my love is, that is where my home, my true home, lies.
"Lady? What're ya doin'?"
Turning to find a drunken man swaying in the dark alleyway, I give a shrug and drain him also. He wore a decent coat that I can use and after a quick search through his pockets, I find a hundred and fifty dollars. Bingo.
Able to hide behind the large coat, I step out into the rushing streets of New York. At three o'clock in the morning, the streets are still fairly busy, cars speeding across the famous roads, buses and taxis calling from every direction for riders.
Carefully, I slip to the left side and begin walking, taking care to hide my face under the large hood. The noise is bothersome but it holds a rhythm. And the rhythm urges me on, keeps my feet stepping one in front of the other, to my final destination.
Hold on Stefan, your love is coming. Katherine Pierce is coming home to you.
May 3, 2010 - Elena's POV
Suddenly, this gooey reunion of the three of us is too much for me to handle. I have to do something to break this saddening atmosphere.
"Hello again." Feeling cocky, I give a sly smile to both of the boys and step away from Stefan's warm embrace, slowly crossing the room to lean against the tan couch.
Damon and Stefan stand frozen in place until Damon says, "You are. Dammit, you are!"
"I am what? A vampire? Duh. And you are trying to kill each other? Smart move. You know, you both are so hot when you're infuriated. I should consider dating both of you, if you don't kill each other first." I smirk, my brown eyes sparkling dangerously.
Hmm, that was a bit mean. But they needed it. I mean, they were trying to kill each other, for God's sake!
"What happened?" Stefan murmurs cautiously, his green eyes showing hurt and obvious confusion. I don't answer, playing it dangerously, angering the brothers even more with my silence.
In one swift stride, Stefan crosses the room and grabs my shoulders, shaking me back and forth, his eyes angry and blaming, "Elena, stop this, right now! What's gotten into you?" His voice softens at the end, melting my heart enough that I almost stop the charade that I put on and decide to let the truth out. Almost, but not quite.
"Oh, you know. I died and came back to life realizing that my lovers were going to kill each other. Nothing much." I smirk, hiding my true feelings of sadness, despair and love that I have.
This statement put both the brothers over the edge. Stefan's pale fingertips twitch with irritation and so does Damon's eyebrow before they dive for me as a team. Quick as lightening, I dash away from the spot that I stood moments before, letting them tear into the leather couch and having it break their fall.
"Hard to catch now, aren't I? It'll be that way for a while... unless you have the guts to kill me. Can you even do that? No, I think not. You two have been so soft for me since you met me in the beginning of this year that it'd be hard for you to even stab me with Vervain." I taunt, a rude little smile playing upon my lips.
"Elena." Damon pleads, his voice startlingly soft and begging.
It almost makes me stop this game of fun - almost. Them killing each other is worse than what I'm doing to them now. If they could only see it my way.
"No. So, now what? I'm alive, Klaus is dead..."
"Not quite." Stefan interrupts, shocking me enough that I stop my little charade.
"Wait, what?" My voice falters as I lightly laugh, hoping that I had somehow misheard him.
"I said that we didn't quite kill Klaus. We were going to, of course, but Elijah hesitated after Klaus told him that he didn't bury their family at sea; that they were hidden safely somewhere. And so he ran away with his brother, both of them escaping."
"And Bonnie?"
"Bonnie's fine. Worn out, but fine otherwise. Look, Elena, I'm sorry that this didn't work out. That you and Jenna and Jules had to die for this. But we'll keep try-"
"- Enough of that," I snap. "Don't distract me. You two were going to put the other to death!" I accuse, my eyes slanting dangerously with madness.
"Come on, 'Lena! It was only a bit of fun..." Damon grins cockily, saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.
Stefan shoots him a look and he quickly shuts up but the childish pouting and playful look still lingers.
"Can't we just overlook that? Please?" Stefan begs. He shoots another look to Damon, "It was a misunderstanding; we didn't really mean it."
"You just keep on saying that... Fine, I'll let it go. For now." I look them both squarely in the eyes. Their shoulders relax as the tension goes away with my words.
Trying to replenish that facade of rudeness and air of importance, I say:
"So, other than Klaus magically escaping our slack grip, what else is new? Besides that I'm a vampire, of course."
When Stefan makes no attempt to speak up, Damon steps in, saying, "For one, I have a werewolf bite."
"A what?" I'm sure I heard him wrong this time.
"Just what I said: a werewolf bite. Yes, Elena, the poisonous kind that kills vampires. Good, isn't it, that you won't have to deal with me for much longer? I'll be out of your hair just as soon as the writhing pain fades away; I'll be dead." Damon's voice is bitter as he confirms that he in fact has an expiration date.
"How?" I venture cautiously, aware that Stefan is in the room; there's no way that I'm going to show that I care for Damon with him there.
"Tyler. I tried saving his and Caroline's asses and this is what I get. One nice thing and death pounces."
"Serves you right. You're always so mean to everyone you meet, Damon. Death will do you good, I'm sure. How about you stay out of my hair until then, hmm?" I coldly say, not stopping to regret how rude it sounds.
Suddenly, a more than familiar voice speaks, startling the three of us and causing heads to turn.
"Now that sounds more like me than you, Elena."
Katherine is back.
Why now, the worst time possible, instead of any other time? Oh, shit, this won't turn out good.