Title: Miles To Home

Summary: For Elena Gilbert life couldn't be more perfect. She has the perfect life, perfect boyfriend, and headed towards the perfect dream job. Everything is going, well, perfectly. There's just one catch… her twin sister Katherine. When Katherine disrupts Elena's perfect life, she runs away to New York. It was the perfect plan… until she has to return home and face everything she ran away from; including her ex-boyfriend Damon. Based off the amazing trailer of the same name by the extremely talented minds and video editing talents of ElePatro (noralsel) and Caro (_LightToMyDark).

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made from this work.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Caroline asks.

I stare at the tiny weather-beaten apartment building before me. Its siding is grey and worn, shingles crooked, two-by-fours covering up some of the windows, the door scraped up and the screen torn open. Shrubbery and weeds have overgrown to the point of neglect and I can barely make out the stone pathway leading to its front door. But this is my sister's home.

My sister lives here.

Here.

I had the need to jet the whole ride over from my parents' house. And it didn't help that Caroline has pretty much been trying to talk me out of this since the moment we left that brunch and I begged her to take me here. But the moment I filled her in on everything that my parents said and how I can't believe everything she's been keeping from me, she felt guilty enough to drive me anyway. To be fair, she did try to tell me about Damon and Stefan and as she keeps saying, Katherine's secrets aren't hers to tell. And as she's said, Damon is the only person who knows the whole story.

And I know she's right but… I deserved to know that my sisters life has spiraled this much.

Being here and seeing the place my sister has been living is putting aside any issues I have with my best friend and my own fear over what's about to happen. I need to figure out what's going on with Katherine. I need to help her even though for as long as I can remember she's never bothered to help me. In fact, she's been the main source of my strife.

But she's my sister.

Turning back towards Caroline, I give her a small nod. "I need to do this."

"It can wait. If you're not ready for this… it can wait."

I sigh. "I'm never going to be ready for this but with everything my parents said I actually have the strength to push passed my fear. I don't want to lose that nerve."

Caroline studies me for a moment before giving me an encouraging smile and saying, "I'll be right here if you need me."

"Thank you."

"And we have a nail appointment and a major bridal magazine stack waiting for us afterwards. So, focus on that."

I smile at her and with a shaky breath I step out of Caroline's car and follow the uneven stones towards Katherine's home. I'm not even sure she's home but Caroline called the Grille while we were heading over here and she wasn't working. That made Caroline pretty sure she was here.

I step towards the building and let my eyes scan the list of names along the mailboxes and find our last name next to the number 2B. Her apartment. I reach forward and grab hold of the door knob, turning it free and stepping inside. Inside it's loud and busy. There are people mulling around in the hallways and I hear screaming and yelling from inside several of the rooms as I make my way up to the second floor where Katherine lives.

The stairs creak and with each step I repeat the same thing over and over again in my head: I can't believe my sister lives here.

When I do I find Katherine's apartment, I hesitate. There's no busy bar to interrupt us. No best friend to pull my attention. This long awaited interaction is going to happen the moment I knock on that door. No going back. I take a deep breath and then my closed fist reaches up and knocks on the door. There's a doorbell but seeing as part of it is currently springing free from the rest I'm going to guess it's broken.

Just as I'm trying to decide between knocking again and walking away, the door opens up to reveal my sister dressed in skinny black jeans and a blue tank with a black meshed tank over it. Her hair is curled with the top portion gathered back. At first her eyes are focused on her phone but then they slide up my black tank and plaid button-up combo and meet my eyes and I see her own grow wide.

"Elena? H-How did you… Wh-Why are you… What are you doing here?"

I swallow the anger and fear down my throat and try to focus back on that feeling that started in my parents living room and has been lingering ever since. That feeling and instinct to protect my sister no matter what she's done to me. The first sisterly connection I've felt for her since before I left for school.

So instead of answering her questions, I ask her one of my own. And despite the shakiness in my voice, it comes out firm and full of concern I never knew I could feel again for her. "Is everything okay, Katherine?"

She lets out a humorless laugh, gesturing around the place I haven't been invited into. The place that I can just get little glimpses of over her shoulder. I can see that the walls are devoid of paint, the furniture sparse and secondhand. Its looks like she barely lives here. Like it's just a place to rest her head when she's not working.

"Since when do you care? You haven't spoken to me in years."

I bite back a retort, trying to prevent myself from rehashing the past until we deal with what's going on with her. My piece will be spoken the moment I make sure she's okay. "That doesn't mean I stopped being your sister even when I didn't want to be."

"Yeah, I bet you spent hours wondering what I was up to in your fancy brownstone with your fancy boyfriend doing your fancy job. Minutes even."

I sigh. "I'm not going to pretend like I wasn't angry with you, Kat. I was. I hated you. You tormented me. But I know something's going on with you and I know our parents aren't doing a thing about it. But I'm going to."

And I almost find myself focused on the fact that all my words were tensed in the past. As if those emotions no longer belong to me. Like somehow in the drive over and the walk up all my hate and anger fell away to make room for the huge amount of concern I have for my twin.

But Katherine isn't letting it go that easy. And really? How could I ever expect she would? I've always been the one to keep letting her back in. While her chip and grudge remained firmly in place. A grudge I've never understood.

"What does it matter to you?" Katherine yells. "So, you can hear my little sob story and then turn your back just like your parents did? Be ashamed to be related to me? Have a little horror story to bring back to the big city?"

"No," I say back firmly. I almost want to reach out to her but I stop myself. We're definitely not there yet. "I'm not going to turn my back on you. I want to help you, Kat. I want to get you out of here."

She balks at me, her mouth opening and closing almost comically. But her eyes are fierce with a burning hatred and seeing it aimed at me and knowing all she's done keep on conflicting me. If anything I should be the one going off on her and spitting out all the words I've held back all these years. But I can't.

"Go back to your perfect little life, Elena. Don't worry about me. Karma's a bitch and so am I, right?"

"Stop it!" I yell and somehow silence follows. The sound of my voice, the desperation in it has managed to quiet everyone in this godforsaken place. Even my sister. "We have a lot of things to deal with but that's not what's important right now. What's important right now is whatever is going on with you!"

I see Katherine chew her cheek but for she says, quietly, "What's with the change of heart?"

"Mom and Dad said some things."

She nods and I see her blinking back tears even though her face remains taut. When she finally looks back at me her eyes are glassy but her words when she speaks cut like a knife. "The parentals pulled back the curtain for you, huh?"

"Just talk to me, Kat."

Katherine studies me for a second before pushing the door open more with her back and gesturing for me to come in. The moment I step inside I sense just how uncomfortable this makes her; having me in her home. I try to keep my face neutral as I look around. Walking straight towards the beige sectional I try not to let my eyes linger on the older television across from it that's resting on some empty crates Kat probably got from the restaurant or the sheets being used to cover the window. Instead I focus on my sister because right now she's the only thing that matters.

"What did Miranda and Grayson tell you?"

I make a face at the way she's referring to our parents by their first names before I simply say, "Just that you made some mistakes you couldn't come back from and that you were living here."

She sighs, tapping her fingers against her knees. "And that's all you know?"

"Yes," I respond. "All I knew before I came home was that you were in school and working at the Grille. Though I didn't know until now that it was Damon and Stefan's."

Taking a deep breath and wiping underneath her eyes, she looks at me. "I was in school and living at home. I didn't start working at the Grille until… Well, until after everything. It wasn't even open."

"Caroline was telling me it's only been a year or two."

She nods, agreeing. "In school I had this one history class about Vikings. It was my favorite class. The teacher, Professor Smith was young and fresh and fun. It had nothing to do with my major but the way he taught, the energy he brought in the room; it just inspired. He was by far the most popular professor on campus."

I watch as her hand clasp on her lap and she seems focus on a stain on her beige carpet. Whatever turned her life around from that inspired student to this overworked young woman before me is about to be revealed and I find myself inching closer, angling my body towards her and watching her face as she continues.

"One night my friends and I decided to try this new bar a few towns over that we heard didn't check ID's. We got inside no problem and ordered drinks. A lot, actually. They had met some guys and I let them do their thing as I went to get us another round. Professor Smith was there at the bar."

"Oh no," I say. Silently hoping this is as bad as the story goes. Maybe she got kicked out of college for underage drinking. Our parents would be pretty pissed about that. Honestly, there's no way a professor—even as cool a one as she's proclaiming—can let something like that slide. Right?

"I wish that's where everything ended. A thousand times a day I do." Katherine sighs. "Since my friends were busy, Professor Smith and I got talking. So much so that he insisted that I call him Niklaus. I volleyed back that I preferred Nik and he laughed and smiled saying he did to. It got late and my friends went home with the guys they had met. Nik offered me a ride home."

Something about the way her tone changes, catches my attention and I somehow manage to fill in the blanks all on my own. "You slept with him."

I say the words without judgement, without contempt. It's merely fact. I can tell it happened.

Katherine nods, tears slowly spilling down her cheek. "It happened so fast. One moment we were driving to the dorms and then he said something about dropping me off a block before so we wouldn't get caught. Then we were kissing and then… Then it just escalated. The next morning I felt disgusting and forget about how awkward attending his classes were. Nik pretended like nothing had happened."

"I'm sorry, Kat."

She takes a deep breath and continues on without acknowledging I've even spoken. "A few weeks later I started getting sick. I already knew what was wrong but I still went to the campus doctor and found out for sure."

That lump I had in my throat at my parents makes reappearance followed by the same thought that formed in my head then. My eyes search the apartment looking for any signs to accompany the truth but I find no evidence to support it. It's still bare and devoid of any personal items. Did she do what I think she did?

"You were pregnant?" I ask.

Katherine nods. "I was. The first few months I hid it and since I was staying at the dorms most nights it was easy. But then I couldn't any longer. I was showing too much and I finally confessed to Nik and our parents."

"That's when they kicked you out."

"Yeah." She lets out a humorless laugh. "Can't have a baby out of wedlock. That would be scandalous! And with a professor? Forget about it."

"But that's their grandchild. I don't understand how they could just turn their back on you like that."

Katherine is staring at me with the oddest look. Just when I'm about to ask what her problem is she finally says, "You and I grew up in a very different home, Elena. You were the golden child that could do no wrong. I was always expected to be in trouble. In their minds, I had just proven right everything they thought of me."

"Why are you always saying that?" I balk.

"Are you serious? Because it's the truth! You were Daddy's little obedient daughter and Mommy's mini me. I couldn't keep up or compete with you!"

"I never asked you to. They never did."

She shakes her head. "They did. Anytime I didn't do as well as you or do what I was told I never heard the end of it. 'Why can't you be more like your sister?' was all they ever said to me along with words and phrases like: disappointed, let down, going nowhere."

I run my hands through my hair in frustration. This isn't where I wanted this conversation to go. "Katherine, no matter what it still doesn't make sense that they would turn their backs on you and that baby."

"If it had happened to you they would've been there, made sure everything was done right. But the difference with me is they expect this behavior. You would never be in this situation. They didn't blame the professor for taking advantage, they blamed me for pursuing him. I didn't stop him, Elena. I didn't say no. That's all that mattered to them."

For a moment I watch her, seeing the broken parts of herself she's long kept hidden from me. She had such a wall up of snappy comebacks and hurtful remarks that I never considered that it was all to protect herself from getting hurt. I always thought we grew up in the same house, with the same parents but seeing our life through Katherine's eyes tells me that maybe we didn't. I grew up in a home of love and support while my sister stood in my shadow dealing with parents who constantly compared her to me.

And I had no idea.

I thought those comments they made were because of all the trouble she was getting into. Like that they hoped she would see me as an example. But the way Katherine is telling it is as if there has been a much bigger problem going on.

It doesn't forgive all that she's done to me but it helps me to understand her a little better. I may have more questions about things my parents have done or possibly that I have done but I finally have an answer to why she could hate me so much. Even if I wish she hadn't.

"I can't believe them," I finally say. I'm learning a lot about my parents since I've been home. Since I've started questioning my life and the choices that brought me to Dr. Laughlin's office.

"Well, it's the truth."

"So, you had the baby."

Katherine nods and wipes away under her eyes. She wears a smile despite the tears as she speaks. "A girl. Nadia."

"Where is she?" I ask and the look that crosses my sister's face almost makes me wish I hadn't. I had only wanted to meet this niece of mine that I had no idea existed but instead I've cause a look of such pain to cross my twins face that my heart aches. "Katherine, what happened?"

"Nik has full custody of her."

This time I actually reach out to her, placing my hand on top of hers and squeezing tight. "What? How?"

"He brought it to the courts and proved that I was an unfit mother. That he could provide a better, more stable life for her than I could."

I shake my head. "I honestly can't believe some judge would do that."

Katherine is full on crying now. "Look where I live, Elena? This is no place for a little girl. Not when Nik has some big house near campus. I didn't have the support of my parents or anyone except for Damon. Nik had a whole room. And bartending is my only income. Nik no longer has his job at the college but he's a best-selling author, he saved. Not to mention Nik brought up my past behavior and how Nadia was conceived and well… the judge had no choice."

"Damon was there?"

For some reason despite everything this is the thing I noticed. Maybe it's because of the way Damon and her were talking at the Grille or the way her voice said his name, but it stands out. It could just be because I can't dispute any of Nik's claims against her when she compares their lives the way she did. Still I'm disgusted that some judge could let Nik have full custody and not split custody. But with everything against her, my sister didn't stand a chance. Even with Damon on her side.

She nods. "He's been a godsend. When he found out I was pregnant, he gave me a job. When our parents kicked us out, he gave me a place to live until I got on my feet. He's flexible with my schedule because Nik has full control over when I can see her and he found me a great lawyer for my appeal and is helping with the cost of it."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, Kat," I reply. And it's the truth. We're sisters and despite everything, I would've been there for her.

My sister seems shocked by my answer. "You would've defended me? After everything?"

"After everything," I repeat. "We have a lot to work through and get over but if I had known this was happening I would've pushed all of that aside to make sure Nadia had her mom. That you had your daughter."

"Thank you, Elena," she says, placing her other hand over mine.

And we may not be friends yet—definitely not sisters—but maybe this is the first step towards that journey. Maybe for once we have reached an understanding.

After the emotional talk with my sister, the afternoon spent with Caroline getting pampered and picking out ideas for her wedding was just what I needed. The conversation had taken so much out of me and somehow my best friend knew that all I needed was a hug and to lose myself in her life for a little while. And despite all the fun we got quite a lot done.

She conveyed her theme to me and we came up with some great ideas, picked out ideas for floral arrangements and bridesmaids dresses as well as the kind of dress she would want. We even got ideas to decorate the Lockwood Mansion, the staple venue for the people of Mystic Falls which just happens to belong to Mason Lockwood's uncle.

When she pulls up to her place with Stefan, I'm completely spent. Everything is catching up with me and I don't know how I'll react when I see Damon tonight. We're all meeting to discuss the wedding and Caroline plans on giving us all our jobs to make it easier for her to get everything done. I need to be focused but with Katherine's praise of my ex-boyfriend earlier playing on in my head, I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for Damon for being there for her when no one else was.

After years of not understanding their connection, I'm finally beginning to.

Katherine never felt like enough in my family and Damon grew up in a home where he felt the same way. They bonded over that, understood. And I got in the way of that relationship when I took Katherine's friend and made him my boyfriend. And when Damon found out that he had a brother, he ran to Katherine because now he understood her even more. Because now he too had a sibling to compete with, a sibling that he felt he didn't measure up to.

It doesn't mean I forgive either of them for their actions but I understand them.

Caroline opens up her front door and I smile at just how much this place reminds me of her; the soft almost pastel colors mixing in with the dark woods of the floor and tables that are so obviously Stefan. It's welcoming and warm and I just want to collapse on the white fabric couch the second I see it.

But then there's Damon, standing behind it and bringing a beer bottle to his lips.

I don't know what's come over me but I drop my purse on a nearby chair and cross the space to him and wrap my arms around him. He seems shocked by my forwardness but then I feel one of his arms embrace me, pulling me closer.

"Not that I'm complaining," he says, "but what brought this on?"

I pull back and look up at him, forgetting Caroline and Stefan staring oddly at us from in front of the massive TV. "Thank you for what you've been doing for Katherine. Thank you for not abandoning her like her family did."

His eyes are wide as saucers as they fly back and forth across my face, but then they soften and he gives me a grateful smile. "Finally."

And he doesn't need to clarify it for me because I know that word covers so much. Finally I reached out to my sister. Finally we talked. Finally I know the truth about their relationship and just how bad my family has been. Finally I know she has a daughter and I have a niece.

And maybe, just maybe he means…

Finally I decided to stop running.