Pain. If you were to look it up in the dictionary, you would get a vast selection of descriptions. One would be an unpleasant physical sensation; another, the feeling of discomfort; or perhaps emotional distress.

None of those explanations seemed to cut it though. Unpleasant was nowhere close to how it felt locked up in a tomb for so long. Elena hadn't the slightest clue how long it had been, but she never stopped wishing for eternity to end. She wanted to die, rather than remain slumped on the cold floor of a long since forgotten tomb. She had to admit, though, that she couldn't actually feel the cold anymore. Her senses had dulled, and the only thing that actually got worse with time, was the pain burning through her veins. Her veins rubbed together like sandpaper, desperately trying to pump blood through her dead body. Her heart never beat, and she never really missed it. In fact, she didn't really miss much. She supposed that she hadn't properly experienced life as a vampire, making it difficult to miss human traits. She tried to distract herself by listing things that had changed since Katherine bit her, but it was clear that her brain had dulled too- she could only stay focused for so long. One thing she knew that she missed, however, was mortality. Although she couldn't pinpoint exactly how much time had gone past, it had to be longer than any human lifetime, and as the pain merely grew more excruciating, she never achieved a moment's release.

Back in the early days, when Elena could still move and walk and hold an intelligent thought, she had found a peculiar stone. She had been wandering around the tomb, looking for something to distract herself, but her legs had suddenly collapsed and before she was fully aware of what was happening, she was sprawled on her back. It didn't even hurt; she supposed that was a perk of the Vampire condition. Anyways, while on the floor, she spotted the stone. It wasn't like the rough chips of granite. No, it wasn't dirty or chipped. It was a smooth, round, ivory stone. Its size was easily larger than her palm, and sparkling glints of quartz were like magic to her untrained eye.

She had thought of it as precious, something she would very much like to keep, but she didn't know just yet that the stone would be the only thing that got her out of the wretched tomb.

She kept the pebble on hand at all times, and eventually she stopped moving. She settled for a spot near the doorway, slumped against the wall. The stone was tucked under her hand, and she was blankly staring across the incredibly dull tomb. It all looked the same, and she was so terribly tired of the sight. She had been there for well over ninety years, after all. It was as she gently smoothed the stone with her right hand thumb, that she heard distinctive voices. The accent was foreign to her: British. She couldn't recall, but she had met British men and women before- though it had been another life.

"How can you be so sure that the moon stone is here?" One asked. The words were almost as foreign to her as the accent. She remembered them, but they were odd. She hadn't heard speech in a long time, and it took a moment for her to comprehend the sentence.

"She said it was here, didn't she?" Another replied harshly, "And if she has any sense, she won't lie to me again."

Harsh footsteps grew louder as they approached. Weakly, Elena raised her head and watched a person come into view from. He was tall, with broad shoulders. His hair was short, in a style Elena hadn't ever seen before. She had to admit he was very handsome, but her memory faintly, and bitterly, reminded her of the stunningly attractive Damon Salvatore, and how this British man was not even close to Damon's level of beauty.

The man had frozen in shock, and was staring silently at Elena- or as he thought, Katherine. Why was she there? He had seen her days ago, back in New York, and she hadn't had any thoughts of escorting the British brothers. His brother came to a stop beside him, his eyes falling instantly on the brunette.

"Katherine?" The second man asked lamely, "What are you doing here?"

She only groaned in reply. Katherine? There was no other Katherine who could be taken for Elena. Elena felt rage spark within her at the thought of Katherine. Did everyone know Katherine? Was Elena's first human contact in decades going to be dashed by Katherine?

"Give her some blood." The first man said, "She might know where it is."

The second man complied, the willing sidekick; the happy servant. He opened a blood bag and helped her to drink it. Gasping back to life, she shuddered and clasped the bag, sliding the stone under her skirt as she did. "Oh, God bless you…" Elena moaned, to which the second man chuckled dryly.

"I don't think I'm quite in God's favour." He said, amused, "Nor are you, for that matter."

"Why are you here, Katherine?" The first man asked coldly, glaring openly at the brunette and not bothering to sugar-coat his speech.

"I am not Katherine." Elena gasped out breathily, "My name is Elena Gilbert. Katherine turned me into a… vampire, and left me here."

Klaus sent her a calculated look before he leapt at her with haste Elena couldn't manage- not even as a vampire. She was swung up against the wall, the man's right hand bracing her throat, and her feet hanging in mid-air. Elena thrashed her hands, terrified of the man with fiery rage burning in his eyes, "I've warned you before, Katherine. I won't be so lenient with you any longer."

"N-no! Please! I really am E-Elena!" she cut off with a strangled cry. The first man loosened his grip a little, "Why should I believe you-"

He was cut off by his dark haired brother, Elijah, "Brother, I think she really is Elena Gilbert. I heard about her from the Salvatore brothers."

Klaus seemed surprised, but accepted it, remembering how the brothers had spoken of the girl- the doppelganger. He retracted his hand and she fell with a clatter to her spot on the floor, gagging and gasping. "My name is Klaus Mikaelson, and this is my brother," Klaus pointed to his brother, "Elijah Mikaelson."

"Do you know where the moon stone is?" Elijah asked, earning a groan from his brother.

"Honestly, Elijah, a little tact wouldn't go a miss." Klaus turned to Elena, "But seeing as Elijah has said it, where is the stone?"

Elena stares for a moment, unsure what to say. She was trying to regain normal breathing; still grateful for the blood they had given her. She raised her right hand, revealing the white stone in her fingers, "Do you mean this thing?" She asked.

Klaus seemed stunned, looking at the white marble stone. His mouth was slightly gaped, as if he had expected it to be much more difficult than that. "Give it to me." He snapped.

Wordlessly, Elena stood and handed the stone to him, only slightly disappointed to be without the beautiful stone. She spoke delicately, "Why do you even want it? It's just a stone."

Klaus seamlessly switched the conversation. "How long have you been here? And why should I believe that you aren't Katherine?"

Elena scowled at him in irritation, "I don't know how long I've been here. I think, since 1864. But I'm not sure." Her brain had turned to nothing, "And Katherine did this to me. I can't prove I am who I say I am, other than if I was in the same room as her, and then you would see that there are two of us, and I am not the conniving one."

Klaus looked at her curiously, "Why have you been here since 1864?" He finally asked.

"It wasn't through choice." She said. If Elena had enough energy, she would have rolled her eyes. "I can't get out. Katherine locked me in here."

Klaus smiled and knelt down near her, "What would you say if I told you that I know someone who can get you out of here?" He asked, "A witch."

Elena deliberated for a few seconds, "I would ask why you took so long getting her."

Klaus smirked, than stood. "I will return tomorrow with my witch. She will let you out- providing you follow my instructions. If you betray me or try to run, I will kill you." He warned, and Elena believed him.

She nodded, "Thank you." She exclaimed suddenly, "But how can I know for sure that you will return tomorrow?"

He smirked, "You cant. But the way I see it, it's not like you have anywhere to be."

Elena gaped at him, unsure of whether he actually would return to help her escape.

Klaus rolled his eyes at the brunette. He had no doubt that she wasn't Katherine. This girl, while harmless, was not nearly as cunning or intellectual as Katarina Petrova- somehow, it was endearing, while Katarina was irritating to him.

"Elena Gilbert, I am a man of my word. I said I would return for you tomorrow, and I will." he told her.

She could believe him. She trusted his word. Maybe it was because she was too trusting, or because he was so alluring, but his noble attitude and grand, traditional morals made her believe him. She nodded, her mouth a straight line, but her gleaming eyes giving away her excitement and hope. Not to mention her building anticipation.

Klaus' eyes were sparkling as he held out the shining moon stone, "And just in case you still don't believe me, you can keep the moon stone here with you and give it back to me once we are both safely outside of this tomb. He slipped the cold stone into her awaiting, open palm. "For now, Miss Gilbert," he smiled and drew away, standing to his full height, "Goodbye."

Elena stared after him, and he had almost reached the cove of the tomb door, she stretched out her hand, the left one that wasn't holding the marble stone, "Wait-" she said, in a pleading whisper. Thanks to his supernaturally enhanced hearing, he turned curiously and looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "Before you go-" she swallowed, liked her dry lips, "Please give me more-"

He didn't let her finish. He sat down beside her and bit into his own wrist. He held his bleeding, but quickly healing, wrist to her and, taking it in her own, more delicate, hands, she pressed it to her lips, and felt sharp fangs pierce her gums before they pierced his wound, and drank hungrily.

Too soon, Klaus left, along with his brother, who had awkwardly loitered outside the tomb while Elena fed on Klaus.

When she was alone again, she wondered if she had dreamed it all up. It had happened before. This tomb was driving her insane, after all. But when she licked her lips, she tasted the metallic but strangely delicious blood. She savoured the aftertaste until the morning, only seeing faint creeping streaks of yellow sunshine that occasionally singed her pale skin, making her flinch and move further along the wall until she was out of the bright rays reach.

Sorry for the very, very long wait. I have no excuses other than writers block and being lazy over the summer.

Anyway, I will try to post another chapter soon!

Bye, Kate xxx