Chapter Ten: Threads

A/N: Woot woot! We've gotten to chapter ten!

Enjoy your read

"Who's car is this?"

Katherine glanced at Damon, "Who says it's not mine?"

He merely snorted in response.

"You were going to tell me about what you were planning? Do you even have a plan?" Katherine asked, steering the car the driveway of the boarding house.

Damon frowned deeply, "If I did, you really really think I would tell you?"

No, she didn't imagine he would unless it was to gloat but at the moment she was counting on his drunkenness. They got out and headed to the door. Maybe they knew how to kill Irina.

"Oh!" Damon suddenly jerked his arm from her grasp and stopped right before the door.

Katherine gave him a questioning look but took a step forward, only to be held back by an invisible force. She frowned, trying again, "Why can't I…?"

She trailed off, her eyes landing on Damon beside her who was now biting his lips and trying to suppress a laugh. What a sudden mood change. He looked childish.

"You can't get in," and he sounded childish.

"Very funny. Now invite me in."

He narrowed his eyes, his face donning a sudden sober expression, "No."

Damon stumbled into his home, inevitably backing into the table in the foyer and smacking straight into the mirror on the wall.

"Damon!" she reached forward and was stopped in mid-air. She held her hands up in frustration. It'd been a really long while since she'd seen Damon so plastered. But aside from the hazard-to-himself Salvatore at the moment her thoughts also expanded to the fact that Elena lived in the boarding house, and how was she supposed to enter when the only person who could invite her in was smacking into walls instead?

Damon groaned. He was on the floor and his hands were bleeding from the broken shards.

"Katherine," he frowned, "ugh, it hurts. I hate this. I hate being human."

"Do you need help?" she asked in an urging manner. He didn't say anything. Just sat, looking at his bleeding hands. Damon took so long that Katherine had to swallow back the smell of blood wafting into her senses.

"Damon," she repeated, getting his attention.

"Come. Help me up, will you?" he reached out and Katherine stepped through. It seemed that had been enough to let her in. She held him by his forearm and pulled him to his feet.

"How come you're the one inviting people? I thought you and Stefan put Elena's name on the deed?"

Damon shrugged a bit longer than normal, "Beats me."

Katherine frowned but quickly redirected, "So your plan?"

"Damon, are you okay? I smell blo—" Elena stopped short at the bottom of the stairs, her eyes on Katherine, "You!"

"Me?" Katherine imitated.

Elena suddenly lunged towards her but Katherine was quicker and in one instant she stood at the foot of the stairs while her doppelganger turned around where Katherine had stood at the door.

Quickly, Elena broke off the foot of the table in the hall, dropping all the contents. With her makeshift stake she ran towards Katherine again. Instead of moving away, the elder doppelganger caught Elena's wrist, the stake just above the spot where her heart was. Struggling against her strength Elena kicked at Katherine, distracting her enough to push the stake into skin.

Katherine grunted, easily crushing the wrist she held and dropping the weapon.

"Elena!"

Before Caroline could jump to the rescue Katherine sped them a few feet away, into the living room.

"ARGH!"

On her knees, Elena's arm was twisted behind her back as Katherine stood behind her.

"Don't even try, Caroline," she pulled, eliciting another cry from the younger girl at her feet, "but what I do need you to do is get her out of here before I do decide to kill her."

"Okay okay, just let her go," the blonde said hurriedly, stepping forward when Katherine did just that. Taking her friend by the shoulder Caroline sped away, leaving with Elena.

"See? Classic bitch. Why would you do that?" Damon stepped from the foyer, catching most of what had gone on even with all the speed.

"Me? You may be a little too drunk or a little too human to see but she attacked me first."

Damon's face darkened at human, "You're lucky I'm not a vampire anymore. I would kill you."

She laughed, "Is this before or after you profess your undying love for me?"

He made a face then, rolling his eyes as his attention shifted back to his bleeding hands. And then his gaze lifted, landing onto one of the tables behind the couches. He moved towards his alcohol cabinet and quickly she blocked him.

"What is it with you? No more drinks," she emphasized, "Now was there anything you left out?"

He shook his head and her eyes narrowed. What had Irina told her before she left? Don't tell anyone… no, not that one.

"She said there was a hunter here?" she concluded, "What's happened with him?"

Had they even met the guy?

"Oh, he's downstairs, all chained up," Damon shrugged, and then suddenly donned that sober look once more, "Wait, she said? Who's she?"

She? Katherine blinked, she hadn't said anything had she? Looking through her lashes she held his arm, "Okay, enough talk. Why don't we get you upstairs?"

He pulled off her hand, "Hold on. We had uh… a deal. What do you know about the cure?"

"Nothing," she said simply.

"What?"

"Nothing really. I just know what you probably already know. It was created two thousand years ago for Silas and it turns supernatural beings human," she frowned, they probably didn't know this but "it's also not just for vampires."

"You lied! We had a deal!" Damon advanced towards her and she held up a hand, stopping him.

"No, I said I'd tell you what I knew about the cure, Damon," Katherine shook her head, "I never promised you any new information."

He raised a finger pointedly, his already red face turning brighter, "You lying, manipulative bitch! I don't know why I ever trusted you!"

Katherine almost rolled her eyes. He had way too much to drink. It was one deal. He knew better than to trust her without actual proof. She'd just been lucky he was drunk.

Damon turned around, about to storm off when she grabbed his arm. He jerked it away.

"Wait," she said and then sighed. He stopped, placing a hand on the couch to steady himself, though he didn't turn around, "I got to Ir—Silas' island hours before you."

They had made a deal, and a hunter in the basement and an invitation to the Salvatore's "fortress of solitude" was a fair enough trade.

"And I didn't have the help of some run down professor. I know someone. I didn't have time to look through everything but this witch I know in Michigan has a library of ancient books."

He turned his head, listening.

"I don't know if there's anything on the cure but that's how I found the island," she said with a small mental roll of her eyes, "but that's all I know."

"Where is it?"

"Detroit."

He turned his head to look at her and she shrugged, "The witch's name is Jasmine Rivers."

"Rivers?"

"You know them?" she tilted her head, curious.

He shook his head though his eyes said otherwise and without another word he walking away with seemingly steady steps.

When he was gone Katherine listened into the house. There was Damon, making his way up the stairs and then three people downstairs. She made her way towards the basement listening in. If whoever was in there with the hunter didn't leave soon then she wouldn't get the chance to talk to him. Quietly at least. She didn't know if Irina would somehow find out but the stealthier way was always better.

"Hey, you okay?" she heard Stefan say and then received a reply from Tyler.

Since when did the Lockwood boy get back to town?

At that thought her mind quickly went back to her dream. Amidst waking up on the Ridge of Elistear and running away from Irina she hadn't thought much of the dream she had just before waking up. Stefan actually had been found in a safe and Tyler Lockwood who had been with them was in town. Would she be crazy to think that what she saw actually happened?

Katherine stepped back in thought. She couldn't go downstairs any time soon, and like it or not she still had to get Elena for Irina.

She huffed out a deep breath.

"Are you okay now?" Caroline asked and Elena sighed deeply. After pulling her out of the boarding house, Caroline had given Elena a second to sit at the park before they headed off to the Grill. Right then, they sat outside on one of the tables, a plate of food in between them.

"If you're asking if I've calmed down then yes Caroline, I have," she said, dipping a fry into some ketchup, "but if it's about Katherine being at the boarding house then no. Why is she even still here?"

"I don't know, Elena. But as much as I'd like to join you, you can't kill her."

Elena let out another deep breath, "I know."

Plotting a vendetta against her doppelganger had driven her emotionless self to do things she never would have done and she didn't want to go back there again. As angry as she was in the end it wasn't worth it. And besides, right then there were much bigger things to worry about, "I just… she tried to kill me during grad. And with everything going on I don't want to have to deal with her too."

Because whatever reasons Katherine had for lingering in Mystic Falls couldn't be any good.

"I'm betting she knows something."

"What are you talking about, Care?"

"Well, it's Katherine. She probably knows about… you know, your original doppelganger," the blonde whispered original and doppelganger as if it were a secret, which it was.

She shook her head, "I don't even know."

And quite honestly, she would rather not ask.

"Ugh, I'm beat!" Matt appeared, sitting on the chair between them and placing his head on the table.

"Hey, watch the food," Caroline snatched the ketchup away before his hair could dunk itself in it.

Elena chuckled, "What's with you? Long shift?"

"The longest," Matt sat up and rubbed his palms over his eyes, "Zach is getting me to work extra hours to make up for when I leave with Rebekah. It's exhausting, but I really need the money."

With Rebekah. Elena glanced up to meet Caroline's eyes. And though they both encouraged Matt to go, a part of Elena still couldn't believe how she was rationalizing just letting one of her human best friends go to unknown places with an Original. One that she personally didn't have a good relationship with, and one that she particularly didn't trust. And not just because she had killed Elena and ultimately, turned her into a vampire.

"So," Caroline looked just as uneasy at the thought, "when are you leaving?"

"On the fifth," the blonde boy dropped his hands and scanned his two best friends. Elena raised a brow at the way he was looking at her and then he turned his gaze to Caroline, "Guys, I know you don't trust Rebekah. I didn't either, but after the wrecking yard…"

"You do?" Caroline finished for him.

"Yeah… er well, at least enough to know I'll be safe," he said with a sigh. From what Caroline and Matt had told her about grad, Rebekah had died protecting Matt. A good sign though it didn't erase anything the blonde Original had done in the past to her and to all her friends.

"I uh… I better head back. It's not even my break really," Matt stood, one hand twisting the Gilbert ring off his finger. He handed it to a baffled Elena, "Here. I only borrowed it to help you turn back your emotions."

"No, Matt, you might need it," she argued, trying to hand it back to him. Who knew what he'd run into out there?

He shook his head, "It's not mine to have. Besides, no offense but I'd rather not rely on supernatural rings to keep me alive. I mean that's Alaric's, right?"

The same one that had driven their former teacher insane? Yes, and Elena understood. Matt didn't want to ever take the chance into turning into what it turned Alaric into. An evil alter ego that got him killed. Elena bit her lips, maybe this was a discussion worth having with Jeremy too.

She nodded an okay as Matt headed back into the Grill.

When he was gone Caroline spoke, "I still can't believe he's going to travel the world. I mean I want to travel the world. Why can't someone sweep me off my feet and take me places?"

Elena laughed, "You know what, why don't you just ask Tyler?"

"Because that would defeat the whole purpose of 'sweeping me off my feet' in the first place."

The brunette laughed again, "Whatever you say, Care."

Caroline furrowed her brows, "What are you saying?"

"Well how is Tyler supposed to know you want to be swept off your feet if you don't tell him?"

"Instincts, Elena, he just should!" she explained.

Elena raised her brows with a smile and a nod, though she didn't doubt that sooner or later Tyler would just take Caroline and go see the world. In fact, the notion felt teasing enough that Elena wouldn't mind getting away from Mystic Falls either. Home wasn't exactly feeling like home lately.

A deputy car stopped on the curb next to their table and Sherriff Forbes greeted them as she got out of the car, "Caroline, Elena, how're you both?"

"I'm good, Sherriff," Elena responded.

"Hi, mom. What's up?"

"Nothing much," she said, glancing around them. Both Caroline and Elena shared a look, "Excuse me, Elena, but I need to speak with Caroline."

"Um, oh yeah sure," Elena nodded. "I'll just… I'll go back to the boarding house. See you back there, Care?"

"Yeah," Caroline nodded but she also gave her a pointed look that spoke volumes. Don't do anything stupid, like attacking Katherine again. Elena nodded her response.

Leaving mother and daughter together Elena walked away. She and Caroline had walked to the Grill and walking back was her only option. Her stomach growled. She was hungry and this time not for fries. Licking her lips Elena headed to the woods. She wasn't going to look for animals, or anybody living, there was a shortcut. And with some speed she got to the boarding house in record time.

Before she went in she hoped that Katherine had left. She didn't want to see her again. At all. Though what Caroline had said ran over her thoughts. Did Katherine know something? Is that why she was there? But even if she were Elena doubted that her doppelganger came to help them.

Elena made her way up the steps of the back porch and pulled open the door.

Katherine turned around just as the door shut behind Elena.

For a moment they stared each other down; Elena glaring at her face while Katherine's eye flitted down before coming back up.

"It seems your temper tantrum has run its course," Katherine spoke.

Elena rolled her eyes, making her way towards her so the she could get out of the room.

"Good. Though I was hoping to have an excuse just to get rid of you."

"Shut up, Katherine," Elena began, already fed up. "No one wants you here. Just get out. You're not welcome."

"Ouch," Katherine feigned, placing a hand over her chest, "Who knew you could be such a bitch?"

"A bitch? You deserve to burn in hell! I don't like you and I'm not going to pretend that I do."

Katherine chuckled, her eyes glancing around, as if she was listening.

"What are you doing?" Elena questioned, suddenly getting an odd feeling.

Her doppelganger grinned, "You know what? Forget that hunter. I don't want to wait."

In one swift motion Katherine had Elena by the neck, her fingers squeezing her throat shut. Elena struggled, kicking and digging her nails into her ancestor's wrist but to no avail.

"This is a good a time as any," she heard Katherine mutter.

Choking from the lack of air Elena barely noticed when she kicked a lamp crashing to the floor. Hand still around her neck, Katherine whisked them away through the back door.

Damon jerked awake, his eyes squinting as the light threatened to burn his pupils.

"Ugh," he groaned, shutting them as he held his head. 'Oh, my head. What the hell?'

Pulling a pillow over him he turned, pulling it up so that he could breathe. That's right, he had gotten drunk. So drunk that—he pulled off the pillow, briefly glancing around—that he had no idea how he got to his room. Hadn't he headed to the Grill? Since when did he get home?

He massaged the back of his head, remembering glimpses of Elena… no, Katherine, who brought him home. And who—he sighed, "Great."

He had been complaining to her about being human like a baby who just had his candy stolen from him. He rolled his eyes, yet another thing she could hold over him. As if the first time when he told her and she laughed and left him in the woods wasn't frustrating enough.

Damon rubbed his eyes, and after a few moments sat up. He went straight to his curtains, pulling them close.

Nice day for a hangover. He shook his head, tempted to just lie back down and sleep it off.

His eyes found the grandfather clock in his room. It read, 3:47 PM.

He had left the house early morning to try and get drunk, brushing off the fact that the hunter was chained up in their basement and Stefan and Fido would need help questioning the guy. They'd had more than a couple hours, maybe he already said something.

Something lurched in his stomach and Damon placed his hand just below his ribs, running right into his bathroom. He found his toilet before the contents in his stomach spewed out.

"Ugh," he wiped his mouth. Now he was really tempted to just sleep it all off.

He sat with his back on the wall. It was cold and it felt good. He rolled his eyes again, trying not to think about the fact that this was yet another reason why he hated the cure. Rinsing off his mouth and finding a pair of sunglasses, in case he had to go out, Damon left his room. He was slowly heading down the stairs when he heard the sound of glass smashing onto the floor in the study.

When he got there Stefan turned to him, puzzled.

"Having a tantrum?" Damon asked with a small grin.

Stefan's brows furrowed, "No, I… the lamp fell," he shook his head, "Where have you been all day?"

"Around," Damon shrugged, "Why? Has that hunter said anything?"

"Uh, yeah actually, that's why I came up. He's about to tell us something," his brother jerked his head, "Come on."

Following the younger Salvatore to the basement, they made their way into the cell. When Damon entered he was surprised to find that not only was Issac only sporting minor bruises but he was also unchained and sitting comfortably on a chair.

"Whoa whoa whoa, why is Myth Buster here not tied up?" he turned to his brother for an answer.

"We've come to an agreement," Stefan said.

"A truce," Tyler explained, "Sort of."

"What? This guy attacked us! He would kill us if he had the chance! He broke my arm!"

Issac chuckled in his seat, "And it seems you have that fixed. Now stop your whining, because you're about to learn a few things."

"We're helping each other, Damon. We all have the same goal."

Damon turned to his brother, shaking head. Though he didn't say another word.

"Great, now that that's over. I'm sure you all know that we hunters have been searching for the Immortal, and the cure that comes with him," Issac began, leaning on one arm of his chair, "It is written that the cure is only one dose, and seeing as you've all said that its long gone, that is one way to kill him that's gone down the drain."

"So there is another way?" Stefan asked, leaning forward.

"There are but two ways to kill the Immortal."

Katherine held Elena by her arm, dragging her through the forest to where Irina had instructed her to go.

After figuring out that screaming would not magically produce any sort of help, Elena reduced herself to struggling. There were a few times Katherine wanted nothing more than to just knock her out cold but she couldn't do that.

As they made their way over a fallen tree Elena's nails dug deep into Katherine's arm and prompted the elder of the two to temporarily let go. When Elena disappeared through the trees Katherine sighed. Did she really think she could run?

Quickly, Katherine appeared in front of her, stopping Elena in her tracks.

"You do know you're running straight to where I'm supposed to take you."

Elena took a step back, about to run the other way when Katherine jumped forward, gripping her by the hair.

"She told me to keep you conscious. She never said anything about coming there in one piece."

"She?" Elena asked through gritted teeth.

Katherine raised her brows with a half sarcastic chuckle, "The one true Immortal."

Elena tensed and Katherine grinned, "Oh honey, she's worse than you think."

"Why are you doing this?"

Katherine sped them up the hill and onto the top. She shook her head, "I'll admit, if I had a choice, Mystic Falls would be long behind me."

She pushed her doppelganger to the ground, and Elena sat up eyeing her and then surveying her surroundings.

Katherine took a deep breath. Irina said she would know once she and Elena were there. They were to wait. And hopefully, not too long.

"Before the Immortal was a true immortal, he was a warlock," Issac spoke, his eyes scanning his audience, "It was said that he wanted to live forever and therefore created a spell that could do just that."

Stefan nodded, "Absolute immortality."

"Yes, though nature had other plans. Nature requires balance."

"And here I thought you would run," Irina said, stepping out from behind one of the outer taller stones.

Katherine shrugged, "You said you would show me what you did. I'm curious."

Irina chuckled but her eyes read something else. Her lips lifted, "Don't pretend as if you weren't trying to see the hunter."

Katherine blinked, she made it a point not to take a step back. How did she know?

Irina's eyes landed on Elena.

"Elena Gilbert," she greeted, and boldly stated, "You've heard of me."

"Irina," Elena stood, her eyes wide at yet another person who shared her features. She swallowed, looking every bit as if she were about to run.

"I would not recommend that," Irina said, her tone serious.

She looked to the sky briefly, mirroring the time she had first brought Katherine there and for the hundredth time Katherine wondered what the hell she really was doing.

"W-What do you want from me?" Elena stuttered slightly, lifting her chin.

Irina smiled as she pointed to the boulders in the middle, "I want you to stand over there."

"Why should I listen to you?" she asked, ever defiant.

"Because if you do not. I'll gladly kill everyone you love," Irina's smile never left her face, and Katherine shuddered.

Biting her lips Elena's eyes travelled from Irina to Katherine, and without further word she complied.

"You too," Irina nodded to Katherine, "stand opposite of her."

With furrowed brows, Katherine blinked though in the end she did as she was told.

"Nature didn't just want some sacrifice, or some random person's life. It wanted real balance. Shadows of the immortal. Copies of him. Doppelgangers."

Subtly Tyler, Damon and Stefan shared looks. Doppelgangers.

"Weaknesses. And speaking for anyone with power, weaknesses aren't exactly something you'd want, right?"

"So what?" Damon voiced, "The Immortal is planning on gathering them and killing them, is that it?"

"Speaking of hunters. Did you know that my beloved friend Qetsiyah was the one to create the Brotherhood of Five?" Irina asked, informing them as she circled her doppelgangers, who stood over the middle boulder.

She pulled out a stake, holding it in her hand and stopping beside Katherine.

"It was a failsafe. Something to ensure her that even through time, if I decide never to take that cure, that they would find a way to kill me."

Katherine's eyes lifted, and she glanced at her predecessor from the corner of her eyes.

Irina sighed, holding out the stake so that Katherine could take it.

"What was it that I promised you before you left?"

Katherine's fingers curled around the stake, "I'd get to kill Elena Gilbert."

Her eyes met her doppelganger's who took a step back and swallowed the lump in her throat but other than that she didn't move.

Reaching over so that she held Katherine's hand, Irina angled the stake, her breath whispering into her ear, "I lied."

Issac's frown turned into a sudden grin. One that didn't mask his amusement. He laughed, pushing his head back and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Okay, okay, I guessed wrong. Get on with it."

"Oh man, you guys may have met him but you have no idea about anything."

"We're asking you," Stefan interjected.

Issac shook his head, "You've heard of the Moirai, right? From ancient Greek? The incarnations of destiny. They had the powers to cut the metaphorical threads of life in order to end someone's life."

Stefan nodded but Damon shook his head, "Those hags from the Hercules cartoon? What does that have to do with this?"

"Because, idiot!" Issac spat out, "That's exactly what nature gave the Immortal in order to keep balance."

Stefan's eyes narrowed, it clicked together instantly and he muttered, "The doppelgangers… the threads?"

"Life lines," Issac nodded, smiling, "The second way to kill the Immortal. The only other way besides the cure. He would never dream of killing them, in fact.."

Katherine's heart leapt and she gasped. Wood met flesh, and unconsciously she held her breath as the stake was shoved in—into her heart. Eyes wide, her gaze found Elena's, who had covered her mouth in shock. Katherine's lips parted as she consciously breathed and she could feel an odd sensation crawling through her skin as it stiffened and hardened.

"No—" she breathed as grey veins crawled over olive skin.

"..he'd be smart to protect them."

Her head slowly fell forward as her eyes shut on their own.

And then for Katherine Pierce, everything was gone.

A/N: Sooo, I hope this chapter shed some light. This is honestly my first real multi-chaptered fic and I hope nothing is confusing!

Thought sharing is much appreciated!