AN: The talk with Katherine. Read carefully because Katherine has some important information about my version of the curse. I'm a little worried about the flow of their conversation, but I hope it's okay. Enjoy and review. :)

Elena stepped into the tomb with Damon. He moved the stone and turned to Elena. "Be careful. She's an untrustworthy psychotic bitch," he called out toward the tomb in hopes Katherine could hear him. Then he headed out of the tomb to wait outside while they talked.

Elena sat outside of the tomb waiting for Katherine to come out of the tomb. "Katherine?" she called out when she didn't appear after a while. Then she saw Katherine struggle to the opening. Her hair was a mess, and her make-up was smeared. Her dress had tears, and Katherine looked weaker than Elena had ever seen.

"Hello Elena. Come to watch me rot?" she coughed bitterly. She made her way slowly to where Elena was waiting.

"I brought you something." Elena reached into her bag and pulled out the bottle of blood and a small cup.

Katherine's eyes narrowed in on the blood and launched herself toward it forgetting about the seal. She was stopped quickly by the seal and fell back dejected.

Elena smirked a little to herself. It was nice to see Katherine not get something she wanted. She poured a small amount in a cup and used a stick to push across the threshold of the seal. Katherine grabbed it quickly and downed it. She savored the taste and licked the remainder of the blood off her lips. "I need you to tell me everything you know about the Originals."

Katherine cackled. "So this is why you're here. You know about Klaus and the cures and have come to pick my brain to find out what I know."

Elena rolled her eyes. "I know you know about it. Tell me."

Katherine rolled her eyes and handed her back the cup for a refill. As Elena poured more blood into it, Katherine began telling her what she knew. "I had been shunned by my family after I had a baby out of wedlock. I left Bulgaria and found myself in Britain where I quickly adapted and became British," she said as her voice changed to a British accent. "It was there where a met a nobleman named Klaus. He enthralled me at first. He was beautiful and strong, everything I wanted, and he was willing to turn me or at least I thought he was. I found out it was a lie to get me to want to be with him. Then I found out why he wanted me, and I ran like hell," Katherine said bitterly. She continued to let Elena know how she ran to Rose and tricked Trevor. She told her how she hung herself and turned into a vampire.

"I found out years later that Klaus wasn't after me because I ruined his plans to break the curse. When I met Emily, she told me more about the curse. He went after me thinking that I could break the curse, but he was wrong. A different doppelganger was the key to breaking the curse. You," Katherine looked at her pointedly.

Elena tilted her head in confusion. "Why are you running from him then? And why am I the key? I thought it just had to be a doppelganger."

"Klaus doesn't like anyone defying him. I may not have been useful to him in the end, but I still disobeyed him and wasn't punished. You are the key because you're the vessel."

"The vessel for what?"

"What do you know about the origins for the spell Elena?" Katherine asked aimlessly drawing in the dirt with her nail.

"Rose told us no one but the Originals and the first DeBenidictus witch know the truth about the origins," Elena recalled.

Katherine raised an eyebrow. "Well she's right about one thing. Not many people know the truth. Luckily for you, I'm one of the few who knows more than the average vamp." She moved the cup closer to Elena for another refill. "The person who cast the curse was the first Petrova, Elena Petrova. There's a reason why the two of you share the same name. You are the only one who can end the curse.


Stefan gripped the side of his seat a little tighter as they pulled into the garage where Slater lived. Rose hadn't heard anything from him since she asked him to contact Elijah. She parked the car, and they got out to walk to Slater's café.

"Aren't you going to lock it?" Stefan asked before they walked away.

Rose rolled her eyes at his comment but clicked the button until the car made a beep. "Are you ready now?" she asked a little sarcastically.

Stefan nodded and followed her to the entrance of the cyber café. Her comments reminded him of Damon. They walked in, and Rose went off to find Slater.

"Stefan Salvatore, this is Slater," Rose introduced.

Stefan held out his hand to shake Slater's who took it eagerly. "It's nice to meet you. I would have hoped it would be under better circumstances."

"Rose told me you need to know everything you can about the Originals. Come with me up to my apartment. I have all my files up there, and I'll take a look," Slater suggested. They followed him up to the apartment. "My computer is right up there. I have all the files electronically," he informed them as he jiggled the mouse to wake up the computer.

Stefan looked impressed. He had never met a vampire so updated with the current technology. He only learned how to use a cell phone because the little things were amazingly useful.

"Alright, here we go. I don't remember having that much information about them, but this is everything I have." Slater pulled out a memory stick and transferred the files on to it. He pulled it out when he was done and handed it to Stefan.

"Thank you Slater. We'll be in touch soon I hope," Rose smiled and led Stefan out of the apartment.

Once they were gone, Elijah stepped out of a different room. "Very good Slater, those files better be useless like you told me."

Slater flinched at Elijah's presence. "I did exactly what you told me to do. The real files are right here." He pulled out a second memory stick that Elijah quickly snatched, from him.

"I can't let this get into the wrong hands," Elijah smiled and slipped it into his jacket. He walked to a chair. He snapped off a piece and fashioned a crude stake.

"I did what you said. You said if I did exactly as you said you wouldn't kill me," Slater pleaded when he saw the stake.

Elijah gave him another smile. "I'm not going to kill you." Slater let out a small sigh of relief. Elijah's smile widened and turned into a full on grin. He sped in front of him. "You're going to take this stake and drive it into your heart," he compelled and held out the stake for Slater.

Slater's eyes widened and tried to stop himself from reaching out but couldn't. He brought the stake up to his chest and plunged it in. His body quickly turned gray, and Elijah stepped over it and made his way out of the apartment. He had business to attend to.


"What do you mean I'm the only one who can end the curse? You're a doppelganger too. You came before me!" Elena cried and began pacing.

Katherine rolled her eyes. Pacing and becoming hysterical wasn't going to help. "I wasn't meant to break the curse. You were. The first vampire Elena Petrova was not only a vampire but and exceptionally powerful witch. She made a deal with the devil to turn herself and Klaus into vampires. The only vampires who have their original blood are Elena and Klaus. The first vampires they turned are also known as the Originals. Elijah I believe you know him is one of them. There are others, but Elijah is Klaus' second in command. Anyway, Elena turned Klaus and herself because Klaus wanted eternal life and power, and she wanted to make him happy."

"Why did Elena cast the spell then? Why would she cast a spell to restrict her own powers?" Elena asked as she paced.

"Oh Elena, get that furrowed look off your face. Leave the brooding to Stefan. Now fill me up barkeep, and I'll continue," Katherine looked pointedly at the cup at Elena's feet.

Elena rolled her eyes. How could Katherine joke at a time like this? Nevertheless she filled up the cup with blood once again and shoved it toward her.

Katherine took the cup gratefully. She could feel it restoring her power. "Now where was I?" she thought. "Oh right! The curse, Elena cast it to get away from Klaus. After many centuries together, Elena took a lover. Klaus of course found out and killed him and his brother. Elena cast another spell to bring them back but hundreds of years later. I believe you know them. Stefan and Damon," Katherine smiled.

"Stefan and Damon are what?" Elena asked confused. She needed to sit down.

"Whoa! You're not going to faint on me here are you? I'm just getting to the good part," Katherine said. She was really getting into the story now. She honestly couldn't believe she was telling Elena all of this. She must really be desperate to talk to someone. She looked at Elena carefully to makes sure she was still with her.

"No I'm fine. Go on," Elena said as she took deep breaths.

"Ok," Katherine said hesitantly. "So Elena Petrova cast a spell that would reincarnate Stefan and Damon. Then she cast the curse to restrict Klaus and all the other vampires' powers. She sealed the curse with her blood. Only she can break it."

"Great, so we have to find her and convince her to not sacrifice me to do it" Elena cried and threw her hands up in the air. Like that was going to be easy.

"Easy there. It's a bit more complicated than that. See the spell was sealed with her blood. She kind of killed herself to make sure it couldn't be broken."

Elena snapped her head toward Katherine. "Why would she do that?" she cried outraged. "She went through all the trouble of making sure Stefan and Damon could back only to make it so she could never see him again."

"Settle down. I'm not done yet," Katherine chided. She was really getting tired of being interrupted. "Like I said before, she was an exceptionally powerful witch slash vampire. You asked what you were the vessel of. You're here Elena, so Elena Petrova could be brought back. You're her. She planned for this to happen. Well at least she planned most of this. Some things didn't really go her way," she added thoughtfully thinking about the mess with her, Damon, and Stefan back in 1864. She had made a mess by playing them both, but it wasn't until now when she was trapped in this stupid tomb Katherine was really regretting playing them.

Elena gaped at her like she was crazy. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard." She began to laugh at the idea of her being the reincarnation of the first vampire.

Katherine glared at her. "I'm not kidding Elena. When Elena Petrova sacrificed herself to bind the curse, her essence went into a special limbo. She's been trapped there for over 1000 years. Only a spell can restore her essence with your body."

Elena stopped laughing and looked at her. "Are you suggesting that we have Bonnie cast some spell to have the first vampire take over my body? You're crazier than I thought." She crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"You wouldn't be possessed Elena. It would still be you; it'd be like you have a second set of memories. Think of it as a past life. You'd just regain the memories of that life. Same with Damon and Stefan."

Elena scrutinized Katherine. She still had one more pressing question. "Elena Petrova fell in love with Stefan all those years ago. Why did you turn Damon too if you never loved him?" she asked thinking of 1864 when Katherine had played both of them.

Katherine smiled and stood up. She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall of the tomb. "Who said it Stefan was the lover she took?" She grinned as Elena gasped and looked in the direction of the entrance where Damon was standing guard. "I never loved Damon because he was meant for you. You are Elena Petrova."

AN: So? What do you think? The back story with Elena and Damon will be explained in the next few chapters. Up next: the return of their memories.

I hope I'm not progressing the story too quickly, but I really want to get in as much as I can. Review! :)