PART 31
The blade of the dagger caught the sun as the scenery flashed by them, blurring in the windows. Katherine's gaze slid sideways and she watched as Elijah examined the dagger as she drove. He turned it in the light and it reflected upon his face. She never would have thought in a million years she'd find herself here. Elijah sitting by her side and her dagger in his strong hands. Her goal isn't to shove the blade deep into his stomach. She could almost smile at the absurdity of the situation. But she wouldn't, she could not. Smiling wasn't something she did freely, and their heading prevented her from trying to do so at the moment.
"Where did you get the dagger?" Elijah asked suddenly. "Russia…" she offered as a simple explanation, "…turn of the century." In truth she had no idea where the blade had originated from. But she knew that the handle was Russian. There was so much about the last 500 years that she didn't understand. So much that she didn't have time to stop and question. But she had done what she needed to do to survive.
Katherine shut her eyes as memories flooded her mind. All the people that she'd killed. All those that died because of her in the beginning of her eternity. People that she had once called friend. They'd all died for helping her, no matter how small their contribution. It wasn't always right away. Sometimes she'd hear of their deaths years later. Klaus's bloody trail of revenge would reach her no matter where she was. And she never had time to mourn anyone. It was always time to run. In the end, it was just easier to be alone.
Her gaze slid sideways to Elijah and she watched him as he looked out the window. His gaze was thoughtful, and she found herself intensely curious about what he was thinking at that moment. She wanted to know so badly, because she was scared to death. Her hands shook, and she gripped the steering wheel tighter. She didn't want him to notice. Katherine wasn't sure if Elijah had ever been scared in his entire life. Nothing could kill him really, and nothing could touch him. As far as she'd seen nothing really affected him. What did he have to be afraid of? What did he have to loose?
Katherine blinked, what am I doing, she asked herself. It was just one more thing in the last 500 years that she didn't understand. She just knew that she needed Klaus to finally die. It was the one true wish she'd had in her life. If she could finally see him take his last breath she could breathe again herself. Katherine knew why she was so scared. She was terrified because she didn't know whether or not his death was worth her life. When she'd been running from Klaus she'd been running from her own death. So why now was she running towards it? No one had forced her into this. She was here of her own free will. Katherine had to accept that her decision to come with Elijah may have been a death sentence that she'd given herself. She had made her decision. But that didn't mean she wasn't shaking from head to toe.
Elijah had noticed the moment Katherine began to shake. Having her sitting right next to him guaranteed that he couldn't concentrate on anything else other than her. Her breathing hitched, and her eyes danced wildly over the windshield. He knew that she wasn't really looking at the road. Why had he agreed to let her come with him? He knew that answer before he'd asked the question. Because he had seen the sadness in her eyes when she'd talked about her family. He knew her looks. He knew when she was putting on a mask, and when her emotions were genuine. It was a strange fact, considering, that he'd spent little time with her in the last half millennium. But he knew her, probably better than anyone. So he knew by just looking at her that she was scared.
Elijah knew that she was thinking of all the loss she'd had to endure in her life, and he hated it. She was making ever effort to mask her fear, so he let her be with her thoughts. In truth he had no idea what he could say to put her at ease. But more than anything he didn't trust what he could say. There was so much that needed to be said. But as the drive wore on neither of them said a word.
Katherine tried to focus on the road. She gave it her all to focus on driving and not on the vampire sitting next to her. She failed in her task miserably. Her thoughts switched back and forth between Klaus and Elijah. There really was no similarities between the two that she could find. The vampire that sat next to her was no more like his brother than she was. In truth, she had known that the day she'd met them. It was true Katherine had been hurt when she'd learned that Elijah had known about the ritual. But she knew the difference between the two.
Katherine had never believed Elijah could have had any part in her families deaths. The person, who she'd believed to be a man at the time. The man whose voice she could spend hours listening to because it brought her such comfort and tranquility. That man would never in his life be capable of that. She questioned so much after she'd left them, but that had never been a question. Katherine could never bring herself to believe that Elijah had played any part in their death.
Elijah looked up as Katherine pulled the car to a stop. His eyes widened and he realized they were in familiar territory. Katherine let go of the steering wheel and reached for the door handle at her side. Her hands had stopped shaking, but he knew she was still afraid. When you'd had to deal with all she had you became intensely good at hiding your emotions. As good as she was, he was ten times better. His face was blank and his emotions betrayed none of his thoughts.
Elijah wanted nothing more than to compel her away. He didn't want her anywhere near his brother ever again. Elijah glanced sideways at her, and there gazes caught each other's. He couldn't do that to her, he realized. It wouldn't be honorable. But was his honor worth her life? For the first time, Elijah questioned his trust in honor. Maybe just this once, he could make an exception. He could not loose her….
No, he would not do that to her. Klaus had taken so much from her, and she deserved to be here.
Katherine turned to Elijah and watched as his eyes scanned the building in front of them. "Look familiar?" she asked. Elijah nodded in response. It was the same building they'd been in when Katherine had revived him. They had come full circle, and were, essentially, back where they had started.
Katherine shifted nervously beside him and he turned to look at her. They just stood at the entrance, gazing at each other. She swallowed hard as she looked at him, and her eyes shifted to the ground at his feet. Would this be the last time she saw him? Would they ever argue again? She smiled when she realized that of all the people she would miss the one that stood out was Elijah. It had taken her hundreds of years to forget his kindness, and just having him near had been an unavoidable reminder. If there was anyone she wanted to be here with, it was him. She just wished that there wasn't so much separating them. Both physically and mentally. Maybe if they'd had more time they could have worked things out.
Elijah stuffed the dagger into his coat pocket, wrapping the blade with his handkerchief, and took a step towards the door. "Elijah," Katherine's voice sounded behind him. Elijah stopped, but he did not turn around. He could not look at her and walk through that door. He just couldn't do it. He didn't have the strength. Katherine's words stuck in her throat. There was so much that she wanted to say. So much that she needed to say to him.
Her mind swam over so many different things that she could whisper, nothing seemed right. No words fit the moment that stretched out before them. At least, nothing that she would allow herself to say. Her mind betrayed her. Her thoughts weren't her own, there were so many. She only knew that she wanted to close the distance between them. She needed to be closer to him. She needed to feel how she felt when he'd held her in his arms, and she'd broke.
"Did you feed?" she found herself muttering. Elijah turned around and tilted his head in her direction, regarding her with a curious glance. Of all the things he would have thought would break the silence they'd created, that was not one of them.
"I beg your pardon?" he asked. Katherine drew in a deep breath. What she was about to do didn't really make sense, but she didn't care. Katherine shook her head, moving closer to him. Elijah followed her movement as she stepped closer.
"If you haven't fed…you'll be weaker." "And we need all the help we can get." Elijah watched her as she stared at the ground. Katherine looked up suddenly, straight into Elijah's eyes. She gazed at him, afraid to look away, because she would loose her nerve.
"Out with it Katerina…we did not drive three hours for us to simply stand here all night. " Katherine ducked her head, closing her eyes tightly. Elijah sighed, stepping closer to her. He hung his head as she shifted her feet. Katherine did not look up and Elijah found that he was at a loss of what to do. He sighed deeply and reached his hand out to her chin.
Katherine fought the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. Now that they were here she was unsure. She felt Elijah's finger as it touched the bottom of her chin. He slowly tilted her head up and she felt the first tear fall. Elijah's soft fingers brushed her cheek, wiping the tear away. Katherine smiled, despite the situation. He tilted her chin up more, until her eyes met his. Elijah took another step closer to her, his chest almost touching hers.
"What was it you wanted to say?" he whispered. Katherine blinked away the rest of her tears before she opened her mouth.
"Take my blood," she offered. Elijah's eyes grew wide and his eyebrows knitted together in confusion. He was unsure if he'd heard her correctly. "Of the two of us, you have more chance to defeat Klaus." "Take my blood," she repeated. Elijah smiled at her, and Katherine returned the gesture. Her smile was weak, but it was there. Elijah recognized the offer for what it was. She was saying she was sorry in her own way. He appreciated such a display coming from her, but even so, it was out of the question. Elijah reached towards her face and grabbed a loose strand of her hair, gently tucking it behind her ear. Katherine stilled and watched his eyes as he did so. Her eyes closed under his touch and she leaned into his hand. Elijah's fingers pressed against her cheek. The pad of his thumb stroked her jaw lightly.
Katherine fought her instincts to not wrap her fingers around his and hold his hand to her face as he caressed her skin. She had wanted him close, and if this was the last time she would feel his touch, she wanted it to last. Elijah didn't question what he was doing and rational thought escaped him. He only wanted to be here, in this moment, touching her. He had waited long enough to do so. Katherine allowed Elijah's touch to carry her away and she let herself get lost in the feeling of his skin against hers. As far as last requests went, she could do worse.
"I appreciate the thought, Katerina…but keep your strength, I've enough all on my own." Katherine heard his voice somewhere in the background, but it didn't register until his hand left her face. Katherine opened her eyes, shaking her head as she watched Elijah's feet step back. She wouldn't get him as close as she wanted, but he'd touched her. He was here with her, and she knew that he cared in some way for her survival. Why he cared she couldn't, and wouldn't understand. But his presence and his touch would carry her into that building. What happened when she got inside, was another story entirely.
