3
"Look, there's the coliseum!" Caroline practically shrieked pointing to the nearly destroyed monument. She started taking pictures like there was no tomorrow. Probably for some sort of scrapbook, Klaus mused.
He could already imagine the title-My Life, by the former Miss Mystic Falls.
Klaus couldn't help, but let out a chuckle, however that chuckle caught Caroline's ear. She put down her camera and about a million other gadgets. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing," he tried to hide his smirk, but it was nearly impossible. It was just so funny seeing Caroline get excited for the smallest thing. To Klaus the coliseum was about as ordinary as the Wal Mart back home. "I just like seeing you so excited."
A smile quivered on her lips, but she was determined not to show it. "Aren't you going to take any pictures?"
Klaus shrugged. "I've seen enough of this monument to last me a lifetime. Why did you ask me to accompany you, Caroline?"
"Well my original companion has a hangover." she practically snapped. She had called Stefan around eight in the morning to come meet her for breakfast. Stefan had ignored her call and send her straight to voicemail.
For all she knew him and Rebekah were probably still at the bar.
"And how am I doing?"
"Well, you're a sucky tour guide."
Klaus pretended to be hurt. "You could be a little more delicate, love. Now come."
Caroline frowned as she tucked the camera into her bag. "Where are we going?" Klaus was leading her towards the open market which was filled with street vendors and people selling food. "I thought you might want to get a bite to eat."
Caroline scowled as she hissed under her breath. "Klaus, I'm not feeding on innocent tour guides."
"They're not all innocent," Klaus said mischievously as he stopped in front of a food booth and ordered a strange Italian dish. He held a dish that held a little round bun with coco powder and chocolate shavings.
She looked at it curiously. "What is that?"
"Tartufo de pizzo." Klaus informed her. "It's hazelnut gelato with melted chocolate, cocoa powder, and sugar. Try it, the chocolate will melt on your toung."
She took the spoon that Klaus was offering her and took a bite. Klaus was right, the chocolate melted on her toung. It was like eating a frozen Hershey bar. The delight showed on her face. She looked at Klaus. "Well, what do you know, you're right about something for a change."
Stefan woke up groggily, not really sure where he was. He guessed it was because of the six bottles of Italian wine that he and Rebekah had gone through. He wondered how they had even arrived at the hotel.
He looked around at the large hotel room that he had booked. When he had first arrived, he had thought it was too large, but now he was glad that he had, otherwise the room would have been too small.
He looked to his side and saw Rebekah fast asleep. She was wearing one of Stefan's shirts to sleep and her eyes were smudge with mascara and there was still a hint of lipstick on her berry colored lips.
He got up, determined not to wake her as he went into the shower to take a shower. He turned on the handle and started undressing enjoying the warm water on his shoulders after a particularly rough night.
After a quick shower he got out and dried himself, with only a towel around his waist. He had barely gotten out of the shower when he felt himself being pushed down again on the tiled floor.
"You smell as fresh as a dainty," Rebekah giggled, lying on top of him. "And like peppermint."
"Rebekah?"
Everything that happened last night was a complete blank to him, but apparently she remembered everything.
She frowned at him. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. It's just a little weird, I mean we haven't seen each other in three years."
"Three years is three seconds for a vampire," Rebekah murmured. "Don't think Stefan, feel." she kissed him.
He needed to forget about Elena. About Damon. He needed to be happy too. Hell, he deserved it.
Wrapping an arm over Rebekah's neck, he pulled her forward enjoying the long kiss. She pulled away and smiled at him, joy in her eyes. "Ready for round two?"
In her own hotel room Katherine was just exiting the bathroom after a long bath holding her towel around her body in one hand and attempting to dry her hair with the other.
Goosebumps appeared on her skin as the air conditioning hit her skin. She was trying very hard to forget about her little encounter with Elijah. But damn the man was hard to forget.
He was everything that Katherine always dreamed of in a perfect man, smart, kind, and protective. And let's face it she was a sucker for an expensive suit and dark hair.
Katherine was determined to forget about him, after all he had been the one to cause her the most pain it seemed. He had abandoned her for his sibling in New Orleans and looked how well that turned out, she had been forced to endure the cure, had Silas drained her only to become an immortal human, create a new life for herself and where had he'd been all those time?
Happily sipping bourbon with Klaus.
Well, maybe not, but obviously having a better time than Katherine.
She needed to forget about the eldest Mikaelson sibling. That family was poison.
All she wanted to do was get into her pajamas and curl up in front of the TV and watch the Italian version of Chucky. No romances for her, thank you very much.
However, the plan was ruined when she stepped further into her room and saw Elijah standing in the room waiting patiently for her as if they were sharing a room.
Elijah looked at her and then his lips quivered when he saw her only wearing a towel.
She flushed as she threw him the towel that she had used to dry her hair. "Elijah, don't you knock?"
Elijah grabbed the wet towel from her easily, not taking his eyes from her. "Forgive me. . .I wasn't aware that you were preoccupied."
Katherine scoffed as she pulled out a pair of boy shorts and a tank top. She quickly changed, not caring that Elijah was seeing her completely naked.
"I'm not having this conversation again, Elijah." she said.
When she turned around, she saw that Elijah was holding his wrist, it was filled with blood. She looked at him puzzled. "Drink."
"I can't," she snapped. "Even though the cure is out of my system I don't know if the vampire blood will work on me. If I die I might really be dead."
Elijah paled slightly as he wiped the remaining blood. "I'm sorry I thought-"
"You thought that if I turned back into a vampire we could be together," she said. "I get it, but it wouldn't solve anything. I would still be a monster. I'm not the same person, Elijah. I've changed, I don't know if for the better, but," her voice cracked. "But I want to find out. On my own."
"I see," he said sadly. "In that case I will leave you to rest, Katerina. I wont bother you anymore."
"Wait," she chocked out before he could leave. "Please. . .don't go. I mean you can stay. .if you want too." she said awkwardly.
Elijah looked surprise. "As you wish."
Katherine gave him a sad, innocent smile. "You were never one to give up on the hopeless cases."
Elijah approached her and petted her cheek. "You're not hopeless, Katerina."
The tears stung Katherine's eyes. She had been waiting to hear those words for three long years. "Elijah-"
Without continuing her sentence, she kissed him slowly wanting to savor every moment. She hadn't been kissed like that, loved like that in years. She was tired of fighting, tired of being alone, tired of being brave. She just wanted someone to love her and take care of her and make her feel safe.
She needed Elijah. She wanted to be his Katerina.
-End of Chapter Three-
Thanks so much for the reviews! Everyone will meet up in the next chapter. I really hope Katherine doesn't die in TVD : (
