PART 28

The cellar door was locked and, under Damon's insistence, no one was aloud in, not even Elena, especially not Elena. Damon placed a big iron padlock on the door and he had the only key there was. The group listened at night as Stefan's anguished cries rang out through the whole house. Katherine didn't have to worry about her nightmares anymore, because sleep completely evaded all of them. The sound upset Elena so much that she often spent most nights with Bonnie and Caroline. Everyone thought strength in numbers was the right way to go.

Most of the time it was only Katherine, Elijah, and Damon at the boarding house. Damon rarely left the cellar. He was always watching over his brother, and giving him animal blood only occasionally. So, it happened, that most of the time, it was just Elijah and Katherine. Elijah spent a majority of his time reading in the library. Katherine strolled in one day. He didn't seem to take notice of her presence so she'd made herself comfortable. From then on Katherine often joined him when he was reading.

It was obvious that she was still angry with him, because they did not speak. So, they just sat together reading. Katherine tried to ignore the fact that many of the books he selected were one or more of her own favorites. There was no limit to the type of books that they would devour together. She found herself intrigued by him more and more. Katherine began to ask herself questions that she never had before. One of which was, just how old was Elijah?

She decided that it was impossible to tell how long he had lived because he seemed to have a knowledge of everything. His reading was not specific to any one time period, nor were they limited by language either. He seemed to know them all.

It always happened the same way. They would each select a book, and regardless of what she selected she would very quickly loose interest and her attention would be on him. He'd startled her once when he'd spoken for the first time since they began their reading ritual.

She had just selected another book from one of the book cases, and was crossing the room, back to her seat, when she heard him. His eyes stayed on his book as he said, "You know, before there were books…people had memories." Katherine was started and her steps faltered. For the first time that she could remember she stepped wrong on her heel, and it turned to the side. She stumbled as one leg became shorter than the other. His voice cut through her thoughts like a bucket of ice. Elijah watched from the corner of his eye as Katherine nearly tripped over her own feet. When she was human her legs often got tangled in her dress skirts because she insisted on being in a hurry everywhere she went.

It was the first time that he'd spoken to her when they were reading together. Although it was not the first time he had wanted to. Katherine's grip on her book tightened, but she didn't answer him. Elijah kept his eyes on the page in front of him as he heard her take her seat again. Time passed, and Elijah went back to reading his book, convinced she was not going to answer him. "Some things, people just don't want to remember, Elijah," she said, after a long time. Her voice had a hint of sadness to it, and Elijah looked up from his book over to her. Her eyes stayed on her book for a few moments before she looked up at him. There eyes stayed locked together for a second, before they both looked away. Their attentions settled back on their books and they didn't speak again for the rest of the night.

The second time they spoke was the same as the first, out of the blue, and unexpected. It was only a couple of days later than the first time. Katherine was sitting in an oversized arm chair, that completely swallowed her small body whole. Elijah had found it difficult not to laugh as she'd sunk down into it, and placed her book onto her lap. He stood by the fireplace leaning against the mantle. Elijah held his book in one hand, and a glass of wine in the other. Katherine looked up from her book as he set his wine glass down on the shelf.

She watched as he slowly turned his page, and resumed reading. The flames danced across his face and she felt herself get lost in it's beauty. Her appraisal was interrupted by Stefan's scream as it echoed through the whole house. Katherine cringed, it did not make her happy to hear anyone in such pain, unless it was of her own inflicting. It especially bothered her that it was Stefan. It had been at least a week since they'd locked him up. And he was showing no improvement. She closed her book in frustration, leaning her head back against the arm chair.

"Your book not suit you Katerina?" Katherine turned her head to look at Elijah, before she laid it back on the chair again . She considered lying to him, but thought better of it. Lying wasn't as fun as it used to be. "It's been a week," she said in a frustrated huff. Elijah stopped reading the words on the page in front of him, and waited for her to continue. "It was difficult for him to pull out of it the first time.." "But this time….he's not Stefan anymore…it might be impossible," she finished. Elijah slowly put a bookmark into the page he was on and closed his book. When he answered her, he didn't turn to look at her, but he could hear her move. "More impossible things have happened Katerina." Katherine's only response was a long breathy sigh.

Elijah raised his eye brows and looked at her over his shoulder as she slumped back into the chair. He set his book down on the mantle before he spoke, "In my life...I've seen…amazing things...things, I never expected to see, nor that I could hope for." Katherine looks up immediately when he starts to speak and she watches him as he continues. It wasn't often that he'd actually spoken to her with no anger in his tone. His voice creates a melody in her ears and she finds herself imagining all that he could have seen. She waits for him to continue when silence falls upon the room again. Was he trying to reassure her of Stefan's possible recovery, in his own way?

The only sound in the room is the soft click of Elijah's wine glass as he sets it back down after he takes a sip. Katherine gets up from her chair and slowly begins to walk towards him. She is standing behind him as he finishes his thought, "But I've not yet seen some of the most amazing things I will see… in this lifetime." Katherine moves to stand beside him, leaning her head onto the mantle by his arm. "What's the most amazing thing you've ever seen?" she asks him quietly. He turns to look at her, and his face is blank. Elijah stares at her, and she finds herself getting lost in his gaze. She looks into his beautiful brown eyes and notices the areas in them that are darker than the others. A small smile begins to form on her mouth, but before she can get him to return the smile, or to answer her, he breaks his gaze and turns away. The rest of the evening passes in silence and Katherine doesn't get an answer to her question.

Elijah watches Katherine from across the room as she turns a page of the book she's currently engrossed in. Today is just like any other day and Elijah finds himself unable to concentrate on the book in front on him. The normally easy to read language of the Spaniards was indiscernible to him and appeared to be more Greek or Latin. Elijah was a studied scholar. He had decided long ago that he wanted to be able to communicate with people of all types, from all different walks of life. He had focused much of his studies on that goal. As a result, there was scarce a language in the world that he could not understand or speak.

But he found it impossible to concentrate on anything with Katherine's laughter ringing in his ears every five minutes. Elijah looks over at her and waits for her regular smile to grace her lips. She was almost constantly smiling as she read. He'd watched her over the last week, and noted that most of the books she selected were romances in some way, shape, or form, with only the occasional historical documentary thrown in. It seemed that the book she now had was pleasing her because she was smiling and giggling. Elijah looked down, and noted the French script on the cover. He recognized the title, a famous work by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. Elijah had read the book, and while he didn't recall it being particularly funny, he didn't care.

He watched her as she read. Katherine was in her own little world. She had always been a great reader, he recalled. There were a few occasions, many years ago, where he had observed her go along for a journey with the characters, and this day was no different. She laughed, and sat forward in her seat, holding the book closer in suspense, and by the middle of the novel, she was crying for the characters. Elijah watched her with fascination. He didn't even have to begin to guess what part she was reading because he knew from her reactions. Elijah smiled as Katherine's grip on the book tightened and her knuckles flamed read. She was nearing the book's climax. Elijah's book sat in his lap, long forgotten.

He began to recall a time so long ago, when he had noticed Katherine's preference to books over people, especially men. They had taken one of their walks in the garden that afternoon. Katherine stood beside him, her nose in a book. Elijah stopped at a small stone bench and sat down. Katherine sat down with him, turning a page as she did. Elijah pulled out his own book and began to read with her. She finished her own book long before he did, closing it with a satisfying thud. She hugged the book close to her, and smiled. "The players of your novel please you today Katerina?" he asked her, continuing to read his own book. "They did, My Lord… and yours?" she asked him. "Somewhat," he answered her in jest, smiling as he turned back to the page in front of him. Katherine giggled in response. "And what is it that you are reading, My Lord?" she asked, with curiosity.

Elijah proceeded to give her a short summary of the novel he held in his hand. He watched her over the top of his book as she got more and more excited. She sat next to him as he finished answering her question. "That sounds fascinating, My Lord," she said, the excitement in her voice was evident. "May I read it?" she inquired. Elijah smiled when he answered her "Well…seeing as how, I am reading it at the moment, that would be a little difficult, don't you agree?" Katherine gave him her own smile and laughed in return. "Will you read it to me then?" she asked him. Elijah looked at her with interest, dropping his book down in front of him, letting it hang in his hand. He smiled, "If you wish," he said turning his book back to the first page before he began to read out loud.

It wasn't to long after that Elijah learned how active a reader Katerina actually was. She often stopped him to ask questions, and commented on the dialogue. She was an observant reader, or rather listener, as well. They hadn't even gotten half way into the novel before she'd figured out that one of the main protagonists loved one of the other central characters. Elijah had questioned her judgment, but by the end of the first half the poor man's love had been revealed.

Elijah smiled as he ended his train of thought. The book they'd read was redone hundreds of years later by a female author that garnered a lot of fame. There were a few differences between the one they'd read that day and the one that sat across from him on the Salvatore's book shelf, but both books held great meaning for him. Elijah had read most of the afternoon with Katerina, and though they had never gotten to finish the book, it was one of Elijah's fondest memories with her.

The third time they speak is nearly a week after the second time. And just like the other times, there's no indication or clue that either one of them will open their mouths. Katherine is the first to address Elijah this time. Every word she says is carefully spoken and he's almost tempted to ask how long she's been practicing this. "Why did you lie to me?" she asks him, getting straight to the point.

Elijah was so taken off guard by her question that he had to pause for a moment to figure out what she was speaking about. He took note of the defensive tone in her voice and responds, "Careful Katerina," in warning. Elijah doesn't take his eyes from the page in front of him. "You left on purpose Elijah," she points out. "I left for a reason," he returns. You still could have told me, she says. "But I didn't…" Elijah says back to her, turning his head to face her as he does. He looks bored. "You told Damon…" she accuses him, glaring, with her arms crossed over her chest. Elijah laughs as she says that, "Touché, Katerina," he says through his laughing.

Katherine huffs her annoyance and uncrosses her arms. "I don't trust anyone Elijah, least of all someone who shuts me in the dark…twice." "You shut me in the tomb." Elijah stops laughing and fixes her with a warning glare. "I owe you no consideration Katerina...least of all, my own personal thoughts." Katherine can hear the anger in his voice as he speaks. She shuts her mouth against any reply she would have made.

Elijah looks at her and he thinks back to that night.

It was the first time he'd seen her with his own eyes for hundreds of years. She still effortlessly took his breath away. He was close to her. He could smell her skin. He could nearly taste her blood as he breathed the cold tomb air. She was suffocating him. Elijah watched her as Stefan moved past the barrier. What would he do with her? Images danced around in his mind, and he did not recognize the woman in front of him as he remembered her.

If nothing else he needed her to stay put. She could do little damage to whatever situation arose if she was confined to one area. Klaus would not be able to find her. Elijah shook his head against the memories that flooded his mind. Truthfully, he would never have let Klaus get a hold of her if he could have prevented it. If he had been alive to prevent it.

Katherine doesn't expect him to offer her any further explanation, but he does. "Regardless of what you may think, the decision I made, the decisions I've made, were in everyone's best interest...including yours." he offers her. "Can you at least trust that?" Katherine's mouth hangs open, and she can't believe anything that he just said. She has no idea how to answer his question. It wasn't to long ago that she would have answered a definitive, no. The word sits on her tongue, but she finds that she can't get her lips to wrap around that syllable. "I don't know," she finally answers him.

Elijah turns away from her, moving to the door, and she can tell by the stiffness of his back that he is angry at her response, or lack there of. "Could you ever trust me?" she asks in defense of her answer. She sits in her chair, her feet propped up, and waits for his answer. Katherine is surprised to find that she doesn't know what she wants his answer to be. Silence stretches across the room, and still she waits. "I did, once...never again" he says. Katherine kicks her feet out and stands, crossing the room to stand in front of him. She tosses her book down on an end table as she walks. "I guess that settles that then," she says, and Elijah can almost swear he hears a little hurt in her voice, masked by the anger. He shakes it off quickly, "I guess it does," he answers her, and his gaze is unwavering.

The next day Elijah only goes to the library once, to select a book, and Katherine reads one of her own. Her book is very worn and the spine is creased many times over. It's not known to either of them, but they end up reading the same novel, "Pride and Prejudice. Neither of them get to the third chapter before Elijah returns to the library in favor of another book, and Katherine ends up tossing hers off the side of her bed.