A/N: I recommend you read the previous chapter to refresh your memory or else… you'll be very confused. Updated with revised corrections.
Gilbert Residence
She feels like she's waking up from a dream, shrouded by a thick, dark smog. Everything is blurry. Her brain is foggy and strange, foreign memories return from the carousel of rewind. She remembers school, moving through packed hallways, talking to her friends, and entering a dark office near the teacher's lounge. Then nothing.
Strange noises come up next to her. It is then her senses awaken in dizzying realization; she's in her own room. The thing above her is the ceiling. Underneath her body is the duvet and mattress. But how did she end up here without remembering anything else prior to it? If the memories are still in her head, there are no bread crumb trails to follow.
Slowly, Elena digs her elbows into the duvet and props herself up. Her clothes are lying discarded on the floor and she should be freaking out now, but the feelings of panic do not come. She feels strangely fine… and someone's fingers trace the contours of her nether regions. Arousal and pleasure flood her senses, but the ringing in her ears don't stop.
It's dark in her room with just a bit of moonlight reflecting through the mirror. Her brow furrows at the other person prodding her with fingers, pushing and petting. Her hair looks wavy but not in curly tresses. A mass of dark hair pops up and she is greeted by a pair of icy blues. "Am I boring you, pet?"
It's the same woman Elena nearly crashed into when she turned the corner a little too quickly. What is she doing here in her room?! Why are they both naked? How did she- they get here- in this situation?!
It scares her enough to kick start her brain. Elena kicks out and the woman who lets out a loud 'oof'. She scrambles off the bed and rushes for the door. Fingers close in around the knob before she is flung back against the wall. The vampire presses in, right into her space. Her heart thumps loudly in the silence.
"I'll scream," Elena whispers.
"You will do no such thing, pet." The vampire reaches out to tuck a stray strand back from her face.
"I'm not your pet," Elena hisses. "You don't own me."
The vampire clicks her tongue. "But Katherine does, doesn't she?"
Elena opens her mouth to protest but no words spill forth. Of course, Katherine's compulsion stopped her from saying anything about their relationship. She'd been compelled to keep them a secret, even when that secret ceases to be a secret.
She glares and the vampire fakes a yawn. "I'll just have to re-compel you, pet."
She finds herself dragged back onto the bed, the vampire straddling her hip. She puts up one hell of a fight but thin fingers squeeze her jaw, forcing her to meet a cold blue eye stare. The smog resettles around her being and she hears herself moan as teeth nip her nipple.
She lets out a hitched gasp and a soft 'oh' when cruel fingernails pinch her clit. The woman bites her earlobe and whispers, a wicked grin etching wide on her face.
"Behave, pet and reward will come swiftly."
On the far edge of town, in an unknown location...
"Come to put me back in the cage?"
The wayward Ripper sneers and lunges forward, however his movements have been telegraphed.
"I won't go back there."
Swiftly, Elijah sidesteps and neatly dodges the curled fist, followed by the Ripper's makeshift weapon - a broken end of the floorboard torn from the bloodied stage platform. He snaps the wayward vampire's dominant wrist clean in one smooth motion, earning a sharp crack and pained yell.
Unperturbed, Elijah chucks the offending weapon over his shoulder and claps a firm hand onto Ripper's shoulder. "I didn't set free your chaotic other half, just so you can go on a killing rampage."
Ripper throws him the most amused smirk in reply and mockingly gestures in apology. "I'm sorry. Were you expecting me to talk sense into my weaker rational side and have an internal, silent debate? Talking was never my strong point."
"Then I see no other reason left but to return," replies Elijah as he pulls out a pocket watch.
"I'm glad you see my point. Now if you excuse me, I've got-"
Another snap and Ripper drops to his feet, motionless. Elijah shuts the cover, dulling the continuous ticking of the clock, and looks down at the ground. "However, I'm afraid this town is a bit unsuitable for such a ravenous bloodthirsty… wild creature."
He lifts the unconscious young Ripper in a fireman's carry-like grip and begins heading toward the back exit. The stairwell door swings open and he nods at his travelling companions whose arms are both laden with a recently turned vampire and a knocked-out waiter.
"Time to go. Luka, would you be so kind to lift the boundary spell? We don't need to gain any more unnecessary attention."
Mystic Falls High School Entrance
The road lay black with rain under the still shining streetlamps while a feeble morning sun peeks from behind a grey cloud. Rain falls in large, lazy drops and the yellow school buses arrive in groups, headlamps and wipers on. They each come to a stop, patiently waiting for students to descend from their doors with leaden feet. Friends greet each other with a hug or a playful punch while newcomers stand looking scared. The seniors stand, tall and proud, confidence born of experience.
Katherine observes the high schoolers with a pinch of interest, whilst on the lookout for her own doppelganger. Elena hasn't been responding to any of her calls or texts. It's highly unusual and Katherine finds herself at a loss at the sudden change. And then to add to the confusion, the guardian has left her with an encrypted message, leaving her perplexed.
It says: "Tie a scarf on the door next time. Or better yet, lock it."
She frowns at the sight of a familiar blond wearing a cast on his arm walking towards the school's entrance doors, while raising his good arm and settling for a fist bump with the Lockwood kid. She's no telepath but she bets she can hear the screaming thoughts from the other blonde. The look on her face, down to her hands twisting and curling anxiously, say it all. Guilty as charged.
Katherine rolls her eyes, considers pulling up her brake, and driving away. But she hasn't seen Elena yet or her car for that matter. There's still time. The bell rings and the brunette curses. What if Elena had arrived early or had Jenna dropped them off instead?
Well, she would never know now. Students amble into the building, leaving a few still hanging by the benches, especially the blonde who just stares at the entrance, unmoving.
Against her better judgment, Katherine mutters under the breath, "For fuck's sake, Forbes. If you're just going to stand there, you might as well join me on a trip… before I change my mind."
Additional Notes: Hopefully the website's bugs have been fixed because I uploaded the unbeta'ed version of this chapter last week and it still shows the fic updated on Dec 24 last year. Oh and if you have been following Sure Fire Winners, its next chapter (#8) will start right after this scene. Who doesn't want to read ROAD TRIP WITH CAROLINE AND KATHERINE?! (I sent it to my beta last night, so it should be posted within this month. Can't say when exactly.)