Chapter Four

"Katerina," Elijah said her name with a breathy tone. He couldn't believe that his Katerina was here. In his home, in New Orleans, with his siblings and Miss Forbes. He hadn't seen the brunette since they said goodbye last May.

He had thought that they weren't good together, like oil and water. Katerina was smart, manipulative, and like a coin there were two faces. She was no longer the Katerina he remembered, sweet, innocent, and kind. Her years as a vampire had transformed her into a monster.

He had, had to say goodbye to her last May, in order to protect her. He knew how vindictive Klaus could be and he would no doubt sooner or later attack something that Elijah loved and that was his Katerina. He could still here the pleading in her tone, "Elijah, please."

But the question still stood. What was she doing here?

He thought for sure, Katerina would be long gone and far away from Mystic Falls as possible and yet here she and Klaus were standing in the same room without a single drop of blood like they were old friends.

"Elijah," Katherine whispered. She didn't know why her voice lowered at that moment exactly. Or why she was suddenly feeling shy and awkward. Come on, she had known the guy for 500 years and she had even slept with him and yet here she was acting like a little kid with her first crush.

And then there was the Hayley Problem, she had expected the wolf to be long gone by now and yet here she was glaring at Katherine, with her arms across her pregnant belly (in Hayley's defense, Katherine had sent people to kill her.) "What the hell-"her voice trailed off and it grew uncertain.

"Hayley, please," Klaus put an arm around Katherine's shoulder and practically pushed her towards Elijah. "Brother, I have a lovely surprise for you. Look who came for a visit, your beloved Katerina. Weren't you moping for her a few months ago?"

Elijah ignored his brother's comment. There was something different about Katerina though he was unsure of what. Her hair was still in perfect curls and her makeup was sexy. But she looked more vulnerable and awkward, perhaps it was the clothes. It had been centuries since he had seen Katerina wear bright colors. She usually dressed in black or navy blue.

"You came back?" he heard himself say.

She nodded. "I'm back."

Whatever moment they were having, however was broken up by Caroline. She let out a hiss, like an angry cat, "What the hell is she doing here?"

For a moment Katherine thought she meant her, until she remembered that she and Caroline had formed some kind of truce for the time being.

No, the she that Caroline was talking about was Hayley.

Caroline was growling at Hayley and Katherine guessed that the only reason that Caroline was holding off beating her to a bloody pulp was because she was pregnant.

Hayley raised an eyebrow. "Chill."

"Chill? Chill?" Caroline snapped. "Last time I saw you, you snapped my neck and left me dead in the bathroom because you were helping Shane rise Silas!"

"I did you a favor," she replied. "You needed to wake Silas up so that you could give your whiny friend the cure."

"At least I didn't sacrifice my own people," Caroline shot back and Caroline was glad that she saw Hayley flinch just a little. "What the hell are you doing here? Unless the Mikaelsons decided to open up a maternity ward."

Rebekah cocked her head to the side. "Didn't you hear-"

"Rebekah," Klaus gave her a warning tone.

"Oh, stuff it Niklaus, she's bound to know sooner or later." Rebekah said. "Hayley has Nik's, how do you say it? Oh, yeah she's carrying Nik's bun in the oven"

Katherine and Caroline exchanged confused glances.

"Did you know about this?"

"Klaus and I weren't exactly exchanging postcards and pleasantries over the summer, Caroline."

"Love, I can explain-"Klaus tried to soften the blow.

Caroline pulled back. "Don't you, love me. I can't believe you, one minute you are making epic promises of forever and I'll wait for you and all that crap and then you get the werewolf slut pregnant!"

"Watch it," Hayley hissed.

Klaus felt his temper rise. "Caroline, as much as you dislike Hayley, she's still the mother of my future child and I command you to treat her with respect."

Caroline gave a little scoff of disapproval. "You don't order me to do anything," she shook her head. "I'm done here, Katherine I'll wait in the car."

Katherine narrowed her eyes at Caroline. Did she really think she could tell Elijah everything she wanted to tell him in a five minuet visit? Katherine's reproach escaped Caroline. She was clearly too upset and annoyed at Klaus to pick up signals.

For good measure she slammed the door behind her.

Katherine smiled awkwardly. "So . . . I'm guessing we're not welcome at dinner?"

"I won't take long, I promise," Elijah and Katherine had slipped out into the garden and now they were seated near a fountain with the statue of a little baby angel. Who knew that Klaus was religious?

"Please," Elijah said, trying not show how surprise he was feeling. "Take all the time you need."

Katherine didn't know where to begin. She really didn't want to begin with the whole I'm dying, Elijah conversation, she definitely did not need a pity party. But at the same time she knew that it wouldn't be long before Caroline started to get annoyed especially after the way that Klaus had pissed her off with the whole Hayley baby thing.

"I'm human," she blurted out instead, then wanted to hit herself in the head for being so stupid.

Elijah looked confused. "How did-"

"The cure," she said. "I tried to kill Elena and at the last minute she shoved the cure down my throat."

Elijah's look darkened. "You tried to kill her, Katerina. After everything she has gone though, you still try to harm the girl? Your own flesh and blood?"

"Why are you defending her?" she snapped. Of course Elijah would defend poor, innocent little Elena. The man practically worshipped her word. "I got the short end of the stick if you remember. I'm not exactly having the time of my life as a human."

"Yet, I still see you haven't changed even if you have been given a second chance to start over."

"A second chance to what?" she felt her blood boiling. "To let myself be executed? You know what Elijah, I don't care about Elena. In fact I would try and kill her again in a heartbeat. You know why? Because I'm cold and heartless and everything I do, I do for my survival." She let out a shaky laugh. "But then again I shouldn't be surprise, the girl you once love is dead. I can never be your Katerina. Either you love me like I am or you don't love me at all."

Elijah's features clouded with a mix of disappointment, hurt, and anger. "You're hurting yourself, Katherine," she flinched at her Christian name. "You push people away, your hurt them, that will be your downfall. And yet I still, after all this time foolishly believed that the Katerina I loved was still in there. I guess I was wrong."

Before Katherine could even ask what he meant by that, Elijah turned away and walked back to the house.

Katherine felt the tears in her eyelids and a lump in her throat and she really wished that she didn't start with the waterworks now.

She raised her head up defiantly. Well, that was that and there was no use crying about it. That was their goodbye.

-End of Chapter Four-

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