Chapter 3
Katherine spent the next few days planning her next move. She continued to stalk Elena and her bodyguards. The Salvatore brothers. Obviously Stefan was going to be of no help to her. What was it about this girl that had them worshiping at her alter? Katherine didn't understand it.
Elena hadn't been back to her apartment in days and after taking inventory of what she had with her at Damons she decided she needed to make a trip home. So she grabbed her purse and started for the front door.
"Hey not so fast." Stefan said. "Where do you think you're going?"
"Just home for a little bit. I need a few things."
"Not alone you're not."
"Stefan I'll be fine. Katherine hasn't made a move. No one's heard from her."
"That's not the point. She's probably out there waiting for you to be left alone so she can make her move."
"Stefan come on. I've been couped up here for days. I need to get out of this house for a little while. Plus I need more clothes and some other stuff."
"It's not happening Elena."
"Fine, then come with me."
"Can't, I'm busy and Damon's out so you are out of luck."
Elena was furious with Stefan. He use to be so easy going and let her make her own choices and decisions. Even if he didn't agree with them. Now it were as if he and Damon had traded places.
After Elena calmed down she let her curiosity get the best of her and started snooping around the house. She found the staircase to the third floor rooms which weren't used anymore except to store old furnature and boxes. Elena found a box that was full of what looked like old Salvatore family journals. She took out a couple and flipped through them. The next book she found was a ledger. Actually it was the guest registry from 1864 when this house was used as a boarding house. Now even more curious Elena searched name by name for Katherine. There was an entry in May for a Katherine Pierce. She started to close the book when something fell out into her lap. It looked like a postcard. When Elena turned it over she was startled to see a black and white portrait of herself or someone who looked exactly like her. There was a name and date written on the picture. "Katherine 1864" Elena gasped. Elena also noticed the necklace Katherine wore in the picture. The same necklace that was now hanging around her own neck.
Elena couldn't breath. She had no idea what was going on. How could she look exactly like this person? Was this why first Stefan and now Damon, especially Damon, had fallen in love with her? "I have to get out of this house" She said through tears she didn't even know were falling.
She took the picture and her or Katherine's necklace and left them on Damons bed. Gathered her things and left the Salvatore house.
Elena couldn't stay in her apartment either. Memories of Damon were everywhere. His leather jacket hung over the back of a chair. A pair of his pants on her bed. His clothes in her laundry basket. A hair brush. She couldn't stand it. She got out a suitcase and started throwing clothes and things she's need for several days at her parents lake house into it. Before she left she stopped in the living room. A picture of she and Damon taken a few weeks before sat in a frame on a table. She grabbed it and left the apartment.
When Damon arrived home later that afternoon he didn't even notice Elena's car missing from the driveway. Stefan was sitting on the couch reading.
"Hey Stef. Is Elena upstairs?"
"I guess so I haven't seen her since this morning."
Damon climbed the stairs calling Elena with no answer. He wasn't really concerned. It was a big house. She probably couldn't hear him.
"Elena." he said walking into the bedroom. She wasn't there. He checked the bathroom. Not there either. Damon looked around the room and noticed that her things were gone. What was goin on? Then he saw it. The picture and necklace on the bed. "What the.." Damon picked up the picture. "Oh my god" Damon took the picture and in a split second was back on the first floor with his hand around Stefans throat.
"Where did she get this picture Stefan?"
"What are you talking about? What picture?"
"This picture." Damon said shoving the picture of Katherine into Stefans chest.
"I have no idea where she found this Damon. She must have been snooping through some of the old boxes upstairs."
"I can't even imagine what she must be thinking. Why did you keep that stupid thing for all these years? I have to go find her."
"You don't even know where she went."
"So what do you suggest I do Stefan? Just sit here and hope she comes back before Katherine finds her? Can we at least pretend that you still care about what happens to her for 5 minutes Stefan."
Damon continued to call her cell while he drove around town looking for Elena. She wasn't anywhere. Damon was beginning to panic. He couldn't imagine what she must be thinking. He should have told her. How could he have been so stupid. There was just one place left to look. The Gilbert lake house. It was 2 hours away but it was the only place left that he could think of. Damon was just about to turn on to the state highway when his phone rang. He didn't recognize the number.
"Hello" he said
"Hello Damon."
Damons blood ran cold. "Katherine."
"I've missed you Damon."
"What do you want Katherine. I'm a little busy at the moment."
"I want you Damon."
"Too bad Katherine. I'm taken."
"This is a beautiful lake Damon. Lots of trees. Nice house too."
"You're bluffing."
"Am I? She drives a red Explorer. Sadly 2 of the tires are now flat. Shame when that happens. No phone serves to the house either. Someone must have cut the wires. Oh and when she took her things into the house she left her cell in the car...it's in the lake now. Nice talking to you Damon."
"Dammit!" Damon yelled as he dial Stefan
"Did you find her?"
"Not exactly but I got a call from Katherine. I'm heading to the lake house. I think Elena is there and if she is she's in trouble. Katherine is there."
"Alright I'm on my way. Meet you there."
"ok see you there."
"Hey, Damon."
"yeah"
"We'll get to her. Don't worry."
"I hope so brother."
Katherine watched Elena move through the house from the shadows outside. She finally had her exactly where she wanted her. She wasn't going to kill her right away. She was just going to play with her a little bit. She might even let Damon have her back for a while.
Katherine walked into the house through the front door. Elena was coming down the stairs from the second floor. Katherine hid in the shadows. Cat and mouse was one of Katherine's favorite games. She could see Elena's nervousness with every glance in the direction of a noise Katherine made. Katherine decided it was time to finally make her move. Elena was in the kitchen getting something from the microwave. Elena walked back into the livingroom just as Katherine came in from the hallway. "Hello Elena." Katherine said. Elena dropped her dinner and took a step backward. Elena couldn't speak. She was paralized with fear.
"We haven't met. I'm Katherine."
"I..I know who..who you are."Elena stammered.
"Good. That's very good." Katherine said stepping closer
"What do you want?"
"Why does everyone keep asking me that? Stefan asked me that the other day. Damon ask me that a little bit ago and now you. Isn't it obvious what I want. Why else would I come to this boring little town. I want you dead and Damon where he belongs."
"You..You talked to Damon?"
"Yes just a little bit ago. He said to say hello. He seemed happy to hear from me"
"I found a picture of you." Elena said ignoring Katherine's taunting
"Did you? Probably that old picture I gave to Stefan. Surprised he kept it. What did you think?"
"How do we look exactly alike?"
"They didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what."
"You are the Petrova doppleganger Elena. That's how."
"The what?" Elena was sure that Katherine had lost her mind.
"I am your long lost Petrova ancestor Elena. Sad that I want you dead. You know..being that we're related and all." Katherine said with a sinister grin.
"My Petro..what? Katherine you make no sense. I'm not related to anyone named Petrova. Besides isn't your last name Pierce."
"Oh my god no one's told you." Katherine said with a laugh
"What? Told me what?" Elena asked.
Katherine smiled wickedly at Elena. "Damon's great in bed don't you think." She said picking up a picture of Elena and her family. "Cute brother you have."
Elena didn't answer. She just kept her eyes on Katherine as she walked around the room.
"You don't have to say so. I already know. Anyway, I'll let you live tonight and just for the record, the picture you found belongs to Stefan. Not Damon."
Suddenly Elena was alone. Her legs would no longer hold her up and she collapsed to the floor in her shock and fear. How could this be happening? What had happened to her life? 3 years ago she was just a normal high school girl. With normal friends. A normal boyfriend. How did everything get so insane? Suddenly everything went black. Elena passed out in shock.
She had no idea how long she'd been out. When she woke up she heard a voice saying her name.
"Elena. Wake up babe."
It was Damon.
"That's it. Come on. Open your eyes. Everything's ok."
She was in his arms.
"Damon?"
"Come on Elena open your eyes. Everything's ok. It's just me."
Elena was still in shock but she forced herself to look up at Damon. "I look like her"
"I know. I'm so sorry Elena." Damon sat on the floor holding Elena as she clung to him crying.
"Why Damon?"
"Why what babe?"
"Why do I look like her?"
"I don't know but I promise you we'll figure it out. I won't let her hurt you Elena I promise. You have to trust me ok"
Elena looked up at Damon. Her eyes full of tears and sadness. "Is this why you fell in love with me? Because I look like her? Be honest with me Damon."
Damon looked into Elena's eyes and spoke with complete honesty, "Elena I fell in love with you. Not with your resemblance to Katherine. You are nothing like her and you never could be. Maybe at first it's what attracted me to you but once I got to know you. You're heart and everything else about you. Nothing else mattered."
"What about Stefan?"
"I can't answer for Stefan."
"Where is he?"
"I don't know. He was suppose to meet me here."
"Damon."
"yeah?"
"I love you"
"I love you too Elena."
"Take me home please"
Damon helped Elena to his car and after gathering the things she'd brought with her he drove her home.
