The More Things Change
by Aivaeh

Disclaimer: Familiar characters, plot elements, dialogue, and settings belong to L.J. Smith, Julie Plec, and the CW. The author of this work of fanfiction has made no money from it.
Summary: I have no idea how it happened, but one morning I woke up in the world of The Vampire Diaries. Which, aside from the insanity of waking up inside a television show made real, might not be so bad—if I weren't stuck in the body of vampire magnet and doppelgänger herself, Elena Gilbert.
Pairing(s): OFC x Damon, OFC x Stefan, OFC x Elijah, OFC x Klaus
Rating: M
Warning(s): Graphic descriptions of violence on par with the show itself. References to sex and drug use. Mind control and all the issues of consent that go along with it. Character death.
Author's Note: This chapter pushes the story into the 80k word range! That's a whole novel's worth of story! Seeing as the protagonist is an OC, I'm thankful that y'all find this fic worth the time it takes to read it.

Once again, thank you for your reviews, follows, and favorites! They really do encourage me to keep going. I'm so grateful to anyone who takes the time to leave them.

Chapter Thirteen

"Elena?" Stefan stared at the woman Damon cradled in his arms. His mouth was slightly ajar, and his throat bobbed several times before he managed to ask, "I thought you said—"

"She's not supposed to be here." I couldn't understand. I squeezed my flashlight, its beam pointed straight at the dark brown eyes staring back at Damon as she suckled at the blood bag he held at her mouth. "She's not."

"You were wrong." When Damon turned to look over his shoulder at me, his narrowed eyes promised murder. "Or you didn't want me to find her."

I stepped closer to Stefan, even though I knew he wouldn't be able to stop Damon if he was determined to kill me. "I didn't know!"

Fortunately, he seemed more interested in holding Katherine than tearing my heart out. He went back to staring in complete fawning adoration at her. Like a worshipper granted the rapturous honor of viewing their god.

Stefan closed his mouth, jaw jutting as his teeth ground together. "You got what you came for. It's time to leave."

"I couldn't agree more," Damon replied. The blood bag must've been empty.

Damon was about to toss it aside when I cried out, "Don't!"

He paused.

"That's how the others get free. The blood."

"I'm tempted to rip out your throat and feed the rest of them right now," Damon said. His voice was frigid enough to frost the walls.

Stefan moved in front of me. "If she knew Katherine was here, and didn't want her out, why tell you where the grimoire was? Or allow you to get the crystal?"

Damon shrugged.

"I'll take the blood bag." Stefan extended his hand. "You got what you came for, Damon." Stefan's green eyes entreated his brother to listen. "What does the rest of it matter?"

"Damon?"

It was a voice exactly like Elena's. Like mine, now. Which I knew it would be, of course. Katherine was the spitting image of Elena, but for her curly hair. Still, to hear it. To know it was Katherine speaking it.

Fear stabbed an icy hand into my chest and squeezed my heart. I gulped down my breaths, hoping she wouldn't hear me.

"Yes, Katherine," Damon said, reverent and adoring. "I'm here."

"Stefan?"

I'd swear both brothers tensed at the same time. Stefan frowned so deep his forehead had lines. "Katherine."

"You came for me."

"I did," Damon declared as his grip on her tightened. His eyes burned like blue fire.

Stefan's frown somehow managed to dip even lower. "We need to leave," he said, taking my arm. "Now."

That sounded like a good idea. I nodded. "Yeah."

Katherine squinted into the light I held in front of me, still beamed straight into her face. "Have you brought me food?"

I swallowed, taking a step back despite my weak legs. I did not want to meet a ravenously blood thirsty Katherine.

"No," Stefan insisted firmly.

But Katherine had a hand on the wall, was dragging herself upwards.

I shuddered and pressed into Stefan's side. I don't know why. She was centuries older than Stefan, even if he weren't on the bunny diet. It wasn't as if he could protect me.

I did the only thing I could think of.

I turned tail and ran.

And almost smacked into Katherine.

"Shit!" I stumbled back from the sight of my recent reflection staring back at me with blood red eyes and very long, very pointy incisors. Hissing.

"Katherine!" Stefan yelled. "Look at her face! Show her your face, Elena!"

I was trembling, black spots dancing across my vision. I somehow managed to flip the flashlight around with hands made clumsy from how hard they were shaking and shine the light right on me.

Apparently, that beat out a hundred plus years of vampiric hunger.

The hissing slowed to a stop, the blood drained from her eyes and the veins disappeared beneath her skin. Brows pinched in puzzlement, Katherine glanced behind me. "What is this?"

"She's your doppelgänger, Katherine," Stefan said, hands stretched out before him, slowly edging towards us.

"My doppelgänger," Katherine repeated, sights fixing once more on me. I kept the light pointed under my chin. I must've looked like a girl scout telling fireside ghost stories. Except for the shaking and tears of terror gathering in my eyes.

She moved towards me. Glided, almost, she was so graceful. I stiffened, except for the uncontrollable shivering. I suddenly felt a deep kinship for all those thirsty vampires, who could only move their eyes, because the only thing I could do was watch her come closer.

"Katherine!" Stefan might've meant to sound authoritative, but fear made his command come too quick and breathless.

Katherine flicked an irritated look at him before that annoyed gaze fell on me. When she was close enough that we could have bumped noses, we stared at each other like the most screwed up fun house mirror in history. If fun house mirrors put people in Victorian dresses and made their doubles smirk like super villains, anyway.

She bent her mouth over my neck. I think I may have blacked out a little at that point, but I know I heard her sniff.

I shut my eyes and hoped it'd be quick. Painless was probably asking for too much.

"I know someone who'd love to meet you."

A breath exploded out of my chest. My knees were as sturdy as jelly, and I nearly fell as I took a trembling step back.

"That's the plan," Damon said, suddenly beside her. He tilted his head and smirked at me. "She says some big bad original vampire wants to eat her."

"She's not wrong," Katherine said, eyes narrowing. Turning to Damon, she asked, "But how do you know that?"

Damon's eyebrows shot up. "So she's right about the Originals?"

"Look," Stefan said, finally at my side and then in front of me. "We can discuss this back at the boarding house." He gave a pointed look around. "This isn't the place to have any sort of conversation."

"True. I've had more than enough of this wretched tomb," Katherine declared. "Tell me you have a way out."

"Of course," Damon said. "It's why I had to wait a hundred and forty-five years to free you, Katherine."

She put a hand to his chest, as if to steady herself from falling over. "Has it been that long?"

Damon covered her hand with his. "I'm sorry. All the witches I asked said the comet had to pass over Mystic Falls again." He raised her deceptively delicate fingers to his lips. "I freed you the second I could."

She smiled. "My dear Damon."

He lit up like a praised puppy.

I just wanted to get the hell out of this entire nightmare. Tomb. Body. Universe. I wasn't picky at this point. I looked imploringly to Stefan.

He nodded. "Come on." He lifted the torch and took my arm. "We'll have Bree seal them back inside."

Katherine turned, brows pinched, lips curled into a frown. "What?"

"We can't let this many vampires out on the town, Katherine."

She frowned but demurred with, "If you insist, Stefan."

That was quick. I knew Katherine was ruthless, but wow. I guess that vampires who starve together, don't necessarily stay together.

The four of us hurried back out of the tomb. I kept to the back, as far from Katherine as I could manage without being left behind. Not that Stefan would have allowed it. He stayed by my side as if stuck there with superglue, eyeing the remaining vampires that watched us pass with a deep frown.

By the time we reached the slim opening, I swear all three vampires held their non-essential breath. Damon stayed back and indicated the opening with a nod. "After you," he said to Katherine.

Katherine, skirts in hand, gave the lit opening a considering look and took a step. She made it past the threshold. Moving so fast I couldn't see she practically blinked out of existence. Damon was gone in the next instance.

Stefan echoed Damon's earlier nod. "Go on."

"You first," I insisted. "I won't get stuck if that barrier springs up."

Stefan looked as if he wanted to argue but ended up acquiescing. "Stay right behind me."

"Okay."

He stayed to human speed as he slid sideways through the door. With a final glance back over my shoulder into the darkness, thinking of the dozen or so vampires who still—well, existed—in that darkness, I swallowed my pity and slipped after Stefan.

I had to blink against the sudden influx of light after so much darkness. When my eyes adjusted, I saw our small party gathered between the remaining torches. Katherine was gazing around, dark eyes calculating as she took in the grimoire and Bree. Damon had sights only for Katherine. Stefan was waiting beside the door, apparently for me, because he shuffled immediately beside me as soon as I'd exited.

Bree's head moved back and forth as she studied Katherine and I.

"You can bring the seal back up?" Stefan asked her, having taken my elbow. He was guiding me towards the stairs, but along the opposite wall from Katherine and Damon. Glancing over, I saw Katherine watching us. Something in her eyes made my hairs stand on end.

"Sure," Bree replied. Blinking, she asked, "But didn't you stake the rest?"

"Not enough time." Stefan put the torch back into its holder. "Just seal them inside. It will hold, won't it?"

"It will." Bree held up the crystal. "But there isn't going to be as strong a seal this time. The crystal doesn't have enough juice."

"But they won't be able to get out."

"No, honey. They won't."

"Good enough," Stefan replied.

Sealing the tomb back up was a lot like removing the seal, or so it seemed to a layperson like me. Like Bree had hinted, the light emanating from the crystal wasn't nearly as bright this time around. Not that I didn't have to squint and hold a hand over my eyes. When it was finished and dimmed back down, spots danced in front of my eyes.

The door was still open.

"Shouldn't we shut it?" I asked.

Bree let down her hands, and her shoulders dropped with her. "Sorry, kids, but I'm about out of juice myself." She closed the grimoire by hand and held it out to Damon. "Best I can do."

I frowned at the open doorway. I could practically feel the foreboding emanating from within.

"It's more than enough, Bree," Damon replied, taking the grimoire from her. "I owe you."

"I'll collect someday," she promised.

Expression unusually serious, he nodded.

"May we leave this cursed place?" Katherine appealed to Damon.

Damon, taking her hand, said a final thank you to Bree that sounded sincere and, without a backward glance, led Katherine up the stairs.

Bree watched them go with a strange expression, some combination of wistful and relieved. Once they were gone, she sauntered over to join Stefan and me. "What's the deal between you and Katherine?"

I didn't know how coveted doppelgängers were by witches. It seemed safest to say, "Distant ancestor."

Bree's brow ticked up. "And Damon was dating you until this morning?" She clicked her tongue. "That's—" she gave a small chuckle. "That's Damon, alright."

I let Bree take the steps first and noticed she was moving a little too carefully. She must've been more exhausted then she'd let on. "You're sure you're okay?"

"I'll be fine once I get some rest." She smiled over her shoulder. "But thanks for asking."

Back at the top of the ruins, Bree insisted she could make it to her car alone. Fortunately, she hadn't parked far from me, so we all ended up walking the path back to the graveyard together. The woods were peaceful, but so dark it was black. The night was filled with clouds that covered the moon, forcing me to use my flashlight. Bree had her own, and between our two beams, we had a fair view of the path and the trees lining it.

Back at the cemetery, we shared a final goodbye. I waited by the door of the SUV until Bree managed to turn her car about and drive off down the narrow road that would lead back to Washington Street.

Once Stefan and I were seated in the quiet of the car, the full weight of the evening began pressing in on me. I stared into the darkness past the windshield. "She shouldn't have been in there, Stefan."

Stefan laid a hand on one of the arm rests separating us. "I believe you."

I had just released Katherine Pierce—Katerina Petrova—into the world.

What had I done?

"Everything I do—I make everything worse." Gathering tears strangled my voice, made it wobble.

"Hey," Stefan angled in his seat towards me. His hands cupped my face, thumbs wiping back the tears as his eyes met mine. "That's not true."

The words I'd held back for so long, even from myself, slipped out. "I want to go home."

Stefan frowned, then leaned over the arm rests. His lips pressed against my forehead. Releasing my face, he wrapped his arms around me and tightened his hold until I was enveloped in a strong, warm hug. Side of his face pressing against the top of my head, he said, "I know."

My face screwed up, but the tears squeezed their way out despite my best effort to hold them back. And once the damn had broken, they came in a flood. I sobbed ugly and wet heaving breaths. Stefan's arms were firm and kept me pressed against him.

It wasn't until I the terror and the grief began to ease back into manageable levels that I realized who I'd been bawling on. My neck heated. I swallowed against the remaining lump in my throat. "I'm sorry," I rasped, anticipating he'd say some version of 'It's alright,' but needing to say it anyway as I straightened.

"You've been through a lot lately." Stefan used both hands to brush my hair back behind my ears. "I'm surprised you've held together as long as you have."

"I hate crying." I huffed a little laugh, wiping my face off with the backs of my sleeves. "It's pointless. Just leaves me a mess." I was an ugly crier, too. Apparently, Elena was no prettier.

"Sometimes it helps to purge, even if it gets messy."

I sighed. "I just feel tired with itchy eyes. And I really want to wash my face." I shook my head. "But I'm done complaining."

"I don't mind," Stefan assured.

He was a sweetheart for saying so, but I'd already sobbed onto his shirt. He didn't need me whining in his ear, too. "I don't know why not. I'm annoying myself." I blinked my eyes as clear as I could manage, until he became clearer in my sight. "Are you—alright? You're the one who should be in shock."

Stefan's lips sealed tight before he admitted, "I'm not happy about Katherine being out of the tomb." He frowned. "I'm hoping it will calm Damon."

"I'm not so sure about that. I don't think Katherine is very good for Damon."

Stefan shifted back into his seat. "Neither do I. But after a hundred and forty-five years, I doubt anyone will convince him of that."

We both let the reality of a Katherine led Damon sink in.

I gripped the steering wheel. "If I was wrong about this, what else am I wrong about, Stefan?"

Stefan shook his head. "What are you right about?" he wondered. "Can we afford to ignore everything because details might be different?"

"Katherine being in the tomb is a pretty major detail."

"Lets see what Katherine knows about the Originals. Compare them to the ones you," he paused, clearly searching for a word and settling on, "saw."

"Watched on t.v.?"

Stefan close eyes. "I'm trying to forget that part," he muttered.

Of course, comparing with Katherine meant talking to Katherine. Something I'd rather not do. Ever. But she was the only other person around with knowledge of the Originals. I didn't think I had much of a choice.

I made another less than attractive attempt to clear my sinuses, the kind that came with a horrible snort that caused my face to flush in mortification. I rubbed my face with my sleeve again and started the engine. The brake lights lit the trees blood red. "This is going to be a nightmare to back out of," I muttered.

Stefan unbuckled his seat belt. "Here, let me. My night vision is better."

Right. Because of the whole nocturnal predator thing. "Okay."

We took a minute to switch places. Both settled, Stefan backed all the way to the road without so much as scraping past a branch—a feat I hadn't managed driving in with full-beam headlights. "Do you want to drive?" he offered as he pulled out alongside Washington.

"I'm fine riding. If you don't mind."

Stefan shook his head and pulled onto the road. I expected him to drive pell-mell like Edward in Twilight, but Stefan kept to the speed limit. I suspected, based on what I could remember of the sports car he'd end up driving later, that there was a speed demon lurking beneath that responsible exterior. Maybe it only came out when he was in his own car and alone.

Except for a few lights, the boarding house was deceptively quiet as we pulled up. Zach must have taken off for the night, or he was in his room. Either way, he was nowhere to be found when we walked in. The parlor was filled with the sound of a woman giggling. Katherine.

Stefan and I exchanged a glance. He looked no more eager to head into the parlor than I was. Still, he moved first, reaching the doors and pushing them open as I trotted up behind him.

We found what we expected. Damon and Katherine necking like a couple of teenagers. Katherine's back was pressed to one of the bookshelves while Damon worked his lips on her neck. Head thrown back, Katherine's lips curled in satisfaction. When her eyes rolled down, they took both Stefan and I in. One side of her mouth quirked a little higher, as if our viewing heightened her excitement.

Despite that, she nudged Damon. It wasn't enough. Damon's head only came up off Katherine's shoulder once she gave a strong push on his.

"You seem to be acclimating to the times," Stefan observed in a droll tone.

Damon's answering grin screamed contentment while his eyes were dark with lust and wicked anticipation.

Pursing my lips, I crossed my arms and stared at a nearby shelf.

"Jealous, Stefan?" Katherine asked, voice airy with amusement.

The swish of silk accompanied Katherine as she moved. Like the prey that knows a predator is near, my sights darted back to her, tracking her as she drew closer. Though Stefan was her target, not me. I still tensed, my stomach clenching and heart drumming in my ears.

Stefan could not have looked more unimpressed as she came to a skirt rustling stop before him. "Concerned."

Katherine gave a coquettish little smile before her attention slid to me. "Damon tells me she's some sort of—creature?"

A pang of hurt stuck my heart, though I don't know why that should have surprised me.

"She's human," Stefan corrected. "But not from our world."

"It was a remarkable tale," Katherine went on. The way she looked at me—I didn't care for the interest sparking in her eyes.

She turned away, back to smiling at Damon. "But I was somewhat distracted by the marvelous carriage." Katherine glided back to Damon, whose hand was waiting to claim hers as she stepped up to him. "This camaro."

Damon grinned down at her. Then, for the first time since we'd entered, Damon's gaze fell on me. He smirked.

God. Fail to fall over yourself fawning after a man's car, and he holds it over your head forever. At least this one did. Scoffing, I turned back to the bookshelf.

"Is that the manner of style now?" Katherine asked, sights fixed back on me. "Trousers and shirts?"

"There are still dresses," Damon assured her. "But most women prefer to wear them on special occasions. Casual wear is mostly jeans. Slacks. Sweatpants. Shorts. Skirts."

"Skirts," Katherine's brows raised in interest.

"Much shorter," Damon's voice held a wicked note, and I could hear the smirk he was probably sporting again.

Katherine gave a humming laugh. My shoulders stiffened, lips pinching together.

Stefan apparently had no more patience for it than I did. "What do you know about the Originals?"

All humor fled from Katherine's voice. "I know you should stay far, far away from them, Stefan."

"Because Klaus is angry at you? For turning?" I asked.

Katherine's brows lifted before her chilling gaze fell on me. "My. You are well informed."

"So it's true," Stefan said, this time staring at Damon. Damon frowned.

Katherine smoothed her hands against her skirts. "I'm sure Klaus would love to torture and kill me, yes."

"I'll never allow that to happen," Damon pledged.

Katherine pressed a gloved hand against his cheek, which he immediately leaned into. "You couldn't stop it."

Damon's face shuttered.

"Why not deal with Elijah?" I asked, pulling her gaze back to me. "Were you worried he wouldn't be happy you used him, too?"

"I never used Elijah," Katherine countered smoothly. "He chose his brother over me. Would you trust your fate to such a man?" Her gaze sharpened. "Or is that your hope? That Elijah will protect you?" Katherine's face took on a bitter cast. "He won't. Not over Klaus."

Pale hands curved over her bare shoulders. "I have clothes for you to change into, Katherine," Damon assuaged, drawing her attention back to him. "I thought you'd want to be out of the dress you've been wearing for over a century."

The lavender silk of her gown still shimmered under the lights. The black trim's lacework was impeccable, no hint of a snag. It looked amazing for its age. All the pieces I'd seen in museums had been faded and stiff.

Katherine blinked before turning her head towards Damon and smiling. "Yes. Thank you, Damon."

"I'll show you to your room," Damon said, holding out the crook of his arm.

Katherine slid hers within, locking them together. "Why, thank you Mister Salvatore."

"My honor, Miss Pierce."

I wanted to vomit.

Part of me couldn't believe this version of Damon. Besotted, he led her out of the parlor like a genuine gentleman of old. Granted, nothing of their behavior when we first walked in was very gentleman and gentlewomanly, but Katherine glided beside Damon like she was the princess to his dark prince. Lord help me, it was almost Disney-esque. I felt blindsided. Especially compared to how he'd been treating me. It was night and day.

"So he does know how to not be a dick." I couldn't help the bitterness that slipped into my voice.

Stefan sighed. "Vampirism didn't do either of us any favors."

"You're not a dick," I pointed out archly.

That got me a slight smile, but it fell almost as quickly. "I'm not drinking human blood."

I guess on the scale of 'kind of a jerk' to 'homicide,' Damon was practically kind to me. Or so I'd thought, until I'd seen this version of him in person.

I moved to the wet bar and poured myself a generous tumbler of tequila. I noted said bottle was under halfway empty, now. I set it back down with a mental shrug. The least he could do for all the crap I had to put up with.

That in mind, I downed a third of the glass before topping it off again.

Damon came waltzing back in. "Katherine must be hungry."

"Then get her another blood bag," Stefan replied, unconcerned.

"I can't give her anymore of that disgusting sludge. We have a fresh vein we could tap in the basement. Too bad about the vervain. Or maybe it's out," Damon mused.

He was talking about Not-John. Shoulders tensing, my head lifted from my morose perusal of the bar's selection. "You can't feed prisoners to people, Damon!"

He threw me a venomous glare. "You need to stop reminding me you're there. Before I forget our deal."

Heat flushed up my neck. I gripped my glass and dropped my gaze, my humiliation redoubling as my eyes started to burn.

"Damon. She didn't know," Stefan said.

"Stop defending her," Damon thrust a finger at me. "If I'd believed her, Katherine would still be rotting away in that tomb."

"But she isn't. You've proven your loyalty." Stefan frowned. "Katherine said herself, the Originals are no fairy tale. If for no other reason, remember that we need her to bargain with them."

"How very mercenary of you, Stefan." Damon smirked and glanced my way. "I suppose whatever some 'vampire of legend' has planned will be a fitting punishment, anyway."

My grip on my glass tightened.

"Are you boys fighting again already?"

At first, when Katherine marched in wearing a dark blue denim jacket, red sweater, and a pair of perfectly fitting skinny jeans, something about the outfit struck me as familiar. Then I realized why.

My mouth dropped. "Are those my clothes?"

"No. Those are Elena's clothes." Damon gave me the most pointed arching of a brow I'd ever received.

"Did you clean out her closet?" I demanded, anger roughening my tone, making my voice deeper—or, rather, Elena's voice.

"Relax, Fake-lena." Damon settled into the couch. "I left half for you."

At this point, I was shocked my glass didn't shatter. I set it down hard enough to send a bang reverberating through the room. "I need to go." I marched towards the door, grabbing my purse and jacket.

Stefan hurried to my side. "But—"

"Jenna made me promise to be home by ten, Stefan." I said before threading my arms through the jacket. "With Jeremy and everything—"

He nodded. "Alright. Will you come over tomorrow?"

I glanced over at Katherine, who was examining the bookshelves, hands folded behind her back. My sights shifted to Damon, who watched her every move with rapturous wonder.

I really didn't want to be around either of them.

But Stefan was probably less happy about it. I looked down. "Yeah." It was the least I owed him for losing it and crying all over him.

Stefan relaxed a touch. His hand moved, as if to reach out, but fell back to his side. "I'll walk you to your car."

Katherine's head turned towards me again, the same dark hostility glittering in her eyes.

I swallowed, eager to be on my way. I walked as fast as I could without outright jogging, Stefan keeping pace. As he escorted me to the SUV, I was pretty sure he was doing it to get away from Katherine.

He opened the driver side door. "Drive safe."

"Yeah," I assured him. I paused before slipping inside. "Will you be alright?"

Stefan grimaced. "I think I'll spend some time in the woods tonight."

Super hearing. Must suck at times like this.

"I'm sorry, Stefan."

He took hold of my face again, bending until my line of sight was even with his. "This is not your fault."

Looking down, I nodded.

Stefan held my face a moment longer before his hands drew away. Our eyes didn't move off one another, didn't blink. We held gazes until I finally climbed into the driver seat. Stefan shut the door once I was settled inside.

He stayed on the porch, watching as I drove away.