Thanks for everyone who has reviewed so far. I'm considering continuing this story after Elena's initial training; if so, I need a new title for it. Any ideas?
The library of the Salvatore boarding house could never be considered small, but standing in the doorway, staring at Katherine, it suddenly felt uncomfortably so.
"We need to talk?" Stefan repeated. "'We' as in 'you and me'?"
"And 'talk' as in 'open our mouths and say words to form a conversation'." Katherine said, smirking slightly. "Yes."
"I'm not interested in anything you have to say." Stefan said flatly, crossing the floor to Damon's liquor stash.
Katherine sighed. "Look, Stefan, I'm not asking you for anything. I'll talk, you'll listen, I'll leave. That's it."
"That's it?" Stefan asked dubiously, pouring himself a glass.
"That's it." Katherine repeated.
Stefan grimaced. "Alright, fine." He debated for a split second, and poured a second glass. "Then talk."
Katherine accepted the glass with a smile, but stayed by the fireplace, keeping distance between them. "First of all, I want to assure you that I mean Elena no harm. I really do want to help her."
"Why?" Stefan asked immediately. "What do you get out of it?"
Katherine frowned. "I'd be hurt by your assumption that I need to get something out of it, but you know me, so I won't bother."
"No games, Katherine." Stefan said. "I'm not in the mood."
Katherine took a sip of bourbon, contemplating her next move. She had learned from an early age that, if she didn't put herself first, no one would, which was the underlying reason for her admittedly selfish behaviour.
But, at the same time, as long as it didn't hurt her, Katherine would do almost anything for the people she cared about.
Not that there were many of those.
Caring about people got you killed, or got them killed, especially when Klaus was involved.
Her family was a perfect example of that.
It made you vulnerable.
Katherine did not like feeling vulnerable, which was why Damon still had no idea why she was helping Elena either.
For some reason, it was easier to tell Stefan than it was his brother.
"She's family." Katherine answered, shrugging. "Is it too much to believe that I care?"
"You tried to kill her, Katherine." Stefan pointed out coldly.
Katherine rolled her eyes. "Not really. The only time I came close was when Lucy linked us, and I knew you'd stop when you realised Elena was in danger."
"You handed her over to Klaus when you took him the moonstone." Stefan said.
"I was trying to keep myself alive." Katherine retorted. "By that point, there was no way she was going to escape it. That was never my plan, Stefan. My plan was to break the curse of the sun, thereby destroying the moonstone and the werewolves, meaning that Klaus could never become a hybrid. And before you say anything, the curse of the sun didn't require Elena to be sacrificed. Just her blood, which could have been taken bit by bit." She rolled her eyes, seeing that Stefan didn't look convinced. "C'mon, Stefan, you and I both know that if I wanted Elena dead, she'd be dead."
"Alright." Stefan conceded. "Let's say I believe you. What was your 'second of all'?"
Katherine took a deep breath. This was the part she really didn't want to do. "I want to apologise."
Stefan stared at her. "You? Apologise?" He laughed. "Come off it, Katherine – what do you really want?"
"To apologise." Katherine repeated, defensively. "I will never regret or apologise for anything I've done to keep myself alive, you're right. But my intention was not and has never been to hurt you or Damon, and I did, so for that, yes, I'm sorry."
Stefan shook his head. "Are you looking for forgiveness, Katherine?"
"No." Katherine admitted. "I'm not. That's not why I'm saying it. I'm saying it, because you need to hear it. Because you need to let go."
"Do you know what it's like?" Stefan demanded, rising to his feet. "Do you know what it's like to love someone, only to realise it's all a lie?"
"Not all of it." Katherine protested. "I never compelled you to feel anything for me, Stefan – why would I?"
"Because you were in love with me." Stefan answered, pacing behind the couch. "And now you're trying to screw with my head again."
"Stefan, the first time I compelled you was after you found out I was a vampire, right?" Katherine asked.
The question pulled Stefan up short and he frowned. "Yeah, why?"
"Stefan, my humanity was off." Katherine admitted. "It had been off for three hundred years, and I didn't turn it back on until after I first compelled you. If I didn't feel anything for you – couldn't feel anything for you – why would I compel you to love me? I compelled you not to be afraid of me. If you feel that's the same thing, then I'm sorry for that, but I can't go back in time and change my decision."
Stefan crossed his arms. "What did you mean when you said I need to let go?"
"Elena's not me, Stefan." Katherine said softly. "When she says she's in love with you … she means it."
"You didn't." Stefan stated, rather than asked.
"No." Katherine admitted. "I loved you, Stefan – part of me still does and always will – but I was never in love with you. Like I said, my humanity was off when we began, and when I turned it back on … I was too selfish to lose you. You were in love with me, and I didn't want to lose you completely by telling you the truth."
Stefan's frown deepened. "It never occurred to you that if I knew what you were …?"
"No." Katherine said honestly. "It didn't. Maybe I didn't want to think about it. I just knew I wanted you to stay in my life; that's why I compelled you to drink my blood … But Elena's not me."
"I know that." Stefan said stiffly. "You'll notice I knew the difference between you when I walked in."
Katherine smiled slightly. "That's not what I mean. I mean that Elena is in love with you, not Damon. She wouldn't lie to your face."
"I never said she would!" Stefan protested. "It's got nothing to do with not trusting her …"
"It has everything to do with not trusting her!" Katherine interrupted. "She's saying she loves you, not Damon, and you don't believe her. You don't trust her to tell you the truth."
Stefan gripped the back of the couch, his face white. "Oh God … I hadn't thought about it from that angle."
"Don't lose what you have with Elena because I screwed up 146 years ago." Katherine said firmly, finishing her drink. "She's not me."
"That's it?" Stefan asked, as she walked to the door.
"That's it." Katherine confirmed, turning to face him. "I told you – I'll talk, you'll listen, I'll leave. I didn't apologise for forgiveness, Stefan. I don't deserve it. Although, while we're on the subject, do you think you'll ever be able to?"
Stefan was silent for a few minutes. "Ask me in another 150 years." He said finally.
Katherine smirked. "It's a date."
And then she was gone. And he was alone.
The following evening, Katherine breezed into the living room, where Elena was reading a book, and dropped an outfit on her lap. "Get changed." She said. "We're going out."
"Excuse me?" Elena asked.
"We're going out." Katherine repeated. "We can't teach you to hunt here; there's no prey."
"So where are we going?" Elena asked warily.
"Nearest town." Katherine answered. "Not Mystic Falls, don't worry. It's just a little place I know."
'Little place' turned out to be an understatement, and Elena found herself outside a nightclub, revellers spilling out onto the street, the music turned up so loud she was surprised the building itself wasn't pulsing with the beat.
"Here?" She asked dubiously.
"Of course." Katherine answered. "It's perfect."
"Best place to hunt is in the middle of a crowd." Damon agreed. "Come on, Elena; according to Bonnie and Caroline, you used to love places like this."
"I'm not that person anymore." Elena muttered, as the bouncer stepped in front of them.
"You've already checked ours." Katherine told him with a smile, and he stepped back again to let them in.
"Right, here's what you need to do." Damon said, drawing Elena closer. "First, pick a target. You're better off with a woman or a guy on his own, because they don't have people clambering for details after they get back. Compel them to follow you somewhere private, and then do exactly what you did last night. Got it?"
"I haven't fed since this morning." Elena said shakily. "Maybe …"
"That's the point, Elena." Katherine said, rolling her eyes. "But it does mean one person won't cut it. You'll have to drink from at least …"
"Actually," Damon interrupted, "let's not tell her. See if she can figure it out. We won't let you overdo it." He assured Elena. "Call it an impromptu test."
"I'll come with you for the first one, if you want." Katherine offered.
Elena nodded jerkily. "That'd make me feel better."
"Come on then." Katherine grabbed her hand and pulled her into the crowd, leaving Damon standing by the bar.
"Twins." The bartender said, almost dreamily. "Dude."
Damon rolled his eyes. "Shut up."
Nearly an hour later, Katherine reappeared at Damon's side. "She's on number four." She informed him.
"I know." Damon said. "I've been watching. Three more, and we step in."
"Four more." Katherine corrected. "We both fed from number two. She'll need an extra." She smirked. "You were watching us?"
"Stefan would kill me if I let Elena get hurt." Damon said, ignoring the hand that ran up his arm.
"Right." Katherine drawled. "Dance with me?"
"Last time you and I danced, it was a waltz." Damon remarked, catching her waist and holding her still. "And my brother's the better dancer, remember?"
Katherine pouted. "Come on, Damon. Just one for old times' sake?"
"Trouble with that, Katherine, is that since those 'old times', you've tried to kill me." Damon said darkly. "Remember? Frankly, you're lucky I haven't staked you."
Katherine's hands rested on his chest. "There are two sides to every story, Damon." She whispered, her lips millimetres from his. "And we both know you won't."
"Don't," Damon said, his hand tangling in her hair and pulling her back, putting distance between them, "count on it."
Katherine didn't flinch, despite his tight grip on her hair. "Think what you like, Damon."
"As can you." Damon retorted. "But as soon as Elena has this sorted, we're going back to Mystic Falls and I never want to see you again. Clear?"
"Crystal." Katherine responded coolly. "But that'll be difficult, Damon, seeing as Elena and I share a face."
"Done it." Elena announced, appearing beside them. "Am I interrupting something?"
"Nothing." Katherine said, turning to her. "Done what?"
"Eight people." Elena elaborated. "I fed from eight people. That was the number, right? Because I don't think I need anymore. Actually, that last one felt like too much, so I stopped early."
Argument forgotten, Damon and Katherine stared at her in surprise.
"Yes." Damon said after several minutes, realising Elena had asked a question. "Yes, eight was the number." A smile spread across his face. "Well done, Lena."
"I suggest we go back to the lake house and get something to eat." Katherine said, also smiling. "We can make our way home tomorrow."
"Okay." Elena said cheerfully, making her way towards the doors.
Damon caught Katherine's arm. "I meant what I said."
Katherine pulled her arm from his grip. "I know."
"You know, Elena, you did really well tonight." Katherine said, as she began clearing the dishes away.
Elena smiled. "But?"
"But nothing." Katherine insisted, squeezing her shoulder as she passed. "You did really well. I'm proud of you."
"Careful, Kat." Damon said. "Your humanity's showing."
Katherine rolled her eyes. "Don't call me that, Damon. It's weird when you call me that."
"Stefan called you that." Damon pointed out.
"That's why it's weird." Katherine called back from the kitchen.
"Stefan called her 'Kat'?" Elena asked.
Damon nodded. "Yeah, it was his pet-name for her, so to speak."
Elena shook her head. "How many pet-names did he give her?"
"Just that one." Katherine answered, leaving the kitchen. "Why?"
Elena frowned. "Who called you 'angel' then?"
Damon snorted. "That was me. Although how you knew …"
Katherine stared at Elena quizzically for a few seconds, before her own words came flying back to her. "I fell in love … I wanted to be his angel for eternity."
Elena, for her part, was looking from Katherine to Damon, with an expression of realisation dawning on her face. "I …"
"Elena, outside, now!" Katherine said firmly, grabbing Elena's hand and dragging her through the kitchen.
"I knew it!" Elena burst out, as soon as they reached the back yard. "I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!"
"You don't know anything." Katherine insisted. "You're assuming …"
"It makes no sense that you'd go after Stefan when you got back to Mystic Falls, knowing that Klaus could use him to get to you." Elena said, cutting her off. "In the tomb, you told me that you couldn't condemn the man you were in love with to eternity without his brother, so you took desperate measures. There's nothing desperate about Damon willingly drinking your blood – you were talking about compelling Stefan. You had no idea the dagger would kill Damon; you lied to him. You told Stefan that Damon was in danger, which is why he saved Klaus. And you told me that you wanted to be 'his angel' for eternity, that's why you turned him – admit it, Katherine …"
"Alright, I lied!" Katherine said with a huff. "I knew that Klaus would do anything to get to me, so I lied to Damon. I spent 145 years making sure he was safe; I wasn't going to screw that up by being selfish again. You're right. I never loved Stefan. It was always Damon ..." She trailed off, closing her eyes. "And he's standing right behind me, isn't he?"
"Yes." Damon answered from the back door. "He is."
AN: I know the Curse of the Sun was a myth, and I can't remember if Katherine knew or not. If she did, chalk it up to AU.
