A/N: I'm so sorry again. I promised I would update soon but I went on vacation and than I had a huge writer's block, it really sucked because I had so many ideas and than they were gone. I'm really sorry but I think I'm over it and I'm back. :)

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Chapter 11: Numb

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Katherine sat against the bars of the steel cage. Her hands were wrapped around the steel bars. At this point the pain was so bad that it almost felt like it was gone. Katherine felt numb but every few seconds an unbearable wave of pain washed over her. She didn't scream anymore when the pain came, it had no use anyway.

Suddenly Katherine heard footsteps behind her, the heavy breathing of the person was also very loud as if the person had been running very fast. Katherine couldn't turn around, she didn't want to because she didn't want to see anybody. Not when she was like this. Katherine didn't look but the sent of the person told her everything, she would recognize the sent anywhere.

"You have to leave." She spoke very calm hoping Elena would listen. Katherine knew she wouldn't.
Elena didn't listen and she didn't think anymore, she ran towards Katherine. She just wanted to touch her and comfort her.

Katherine felt how close Elena came and rushed to the other side of the cage. She had to go further away because Elena's sent was to tempting and she just couldn't look at her, it would be to much. But she couldn't, she was trapped in the cage.

"Katherine." Elena whispered. Once again the tears were running down her face. She looked at Katherine and saw how much pain she had. Katherine's eyes were cold, or not even that. They looked empty, death. The smile Katherine used to have was gone, her lips were just pressed together and almost had the same color as her skin that looked like it was so thin and fragile as if Katherine could disappear with the wind.

"Elena you have to leave, I'm dangerous and I don't want to see you." The last part was a lie but she had to so Elena would go away and be safe.

"I don't care, I need to see you so I'll stay." Elena said trying to sound firm but the tears and sobbing just broke her voice and it was nearly a whisper.

Katherine wanted it, she wanted to feel Elena's touch, to feel her warmth and smell her sent but she couldn't. She never wanted something like that, not since she became a vampire and became cold. But now she wanted it more than anything, she needed it but she couldn't. At that moment she realized she had made a mistake. Katherine promised to protect Elena in the first place because she felt she owed it to Damon and Stefan. She made a mistake the first time she let Elena touch her, she made a mistake when she allowed herself to feel again. She couldn't go back now, it was to late.

Elena tried to get closer to Katherine, slowly so she wouldn't scare her. When Elena was close enough Katherine jumped against the cage and screamed, her face became one of a monster and Elena stumbled backwards and fell to the ground.

"Leave!" She screamed and her voice was monstrous.

Katherine had to scare Elena away, it was the only way.

Elena crept further away from the cage and closed her eyes, she tried to get herself back together. She took a deep breath and stood up again. She walked towards the cage.

"I'm not afraid and I'm not going." Katherine gave up, she sat back down in the corner of the cage and rolled herself up like a ball.

"Katherine." She didn't answer, "Katherine!" Elena tried again.

Elena felt so powerless. She just wanted Katherine to listen, to do something. She became angry and picked up things she could find on the ground and threw it into the cage hoping Katherine would do something. Katherine felt things on her skin but still didn't react, when she felt a very hard object hitting her she opened her eyes and saw it was a thick branch of a three and then it hit her. This was her way out. Katherine took the stick and broke it so it would be sharper at the tip. Katherine stood up and looked Elena in the eye.

"I'm sorry Elena, I can't do this anymore." Katherine felt tears falling from her eyes. It felt so good, it felt like redemption. She didn't care anymore, all the feelings she blocked out the past 500 years came rushing to the surface and she let it be. She cried and smiled at the same time it was a very strange experience. "I'm sorry I can't protect you any longer, it hurts to much."

Everything was happening so fast, it took Elena a few seconds before she knew what Katherine was saying.

"No!" She screamed suddenly, "Don't do this, I need you."

The words 'I love you' came up in Katherine's mind. She didn't say it out loud.

"I'm sorry, please be safe Elena." She spoke the words and whispered, 'I love you' so Elena couldn't hear it. She just had to say it before it was over.

Katherine took the stick and pointed it to her heart.

"Katerina stop." A voice said. A voice Katherine wished to hear for so long and a voice that was totaly unfamiliar to Elena.