Phoenix Rising
Ch. 25
"Is there ever a boring day in the life of a vampire?" Katie flopped back on Damon's bed letting her arms land above her head. "Or is it only in Mystic Falls where in one day my witch best friend not only got her powers back, but absorbed the power of a hundred deceased witches, my doppelganger best friends vampire mother kills herself, my boyfriend and his brother give said doppelganger their mansion, and my vampire best friend tells her boyfriend that she's a vampire then compels him to forget?" she asked. "Oh and much to my disappointment there is no hope that a spell to unlink me from Elijah exists."
"I'm pretty sure it's just Mystic Falls." Damon told her as he flopped down beside her.
"All the more reason to get into college and get the hell out of this place." She sighed then rolled over onto Damon and grabbed the hem of his black t-shirt and pushed it up his torso.
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The next morning Katie, Damon and Stefan stood outside the boarding house on the front porch while Elena, with Bonnie as her witness signed the papers officially putting the house in her name. "You really think Bonnie can take on Klaus?" Damon asked from where he stood behind Katie with his arms wrapped around her shoulders as they looked out across the sunny yard.
"She said she could channel enough witches' power to kill him." Stefan answered as Damon let go of her and turned to his brother. "Elijah thought it would work and he was an original."
"We just need to find him." Damon sighed and turned his eyes to Katie.
"Don't look at me. The only original I know how to find is lying in the dirt in your basement." Katie said as she pulled herself up to sit on the railing.
"Elijah didn't tell you anything about him back in the day?" Stefan asked because he knew Damon wasn't going to.
"Not that I can remember. There's still a lot that's fuzzy." Katie shrugged with a glance at Damon then looked at Stefan. "All I can remember is that he was a ruthless monster that Elijah hoped I never had the displeasure of meeting."
"Can't Bonnie just do one of those tracking spells?" Damon asked with a look back and forth between Katie and Stefan.
"Nope." Katie answered popping the p at the end of the word. "She has to have something that belongs to Klaus." Damon wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her back into his chest as he leaned back on the railing.
"She's right, I already asked." Stefan sighed and leaned next to them.
Things fell quiet for a moment before Damon asked, "Do you think he killed her?"
"Katherine?" Stefan asked and she felt the vibrations of Damon's hum against her back. "Probably."
"Try probably not." Katie spoke up. "If he treats everyone else that wronged him like he does his family then she's going to suffer for a long time." Damon leaned around her and gave her a wide eyed, curious look. "He doesn't go easy on the people that piss him off. I told you…he's ruthless."
A few seconds later Elena showed the lawyer to the door and invited Stefan then Katie inside. "What are we, 12?" Damon asked with an aggravated smirk.
"One of us is?" Elena popped off. "If I let you in, do you promise to obey the owner of this house?"
"No." Damon scoffed.
"Seriously Damon. My way. You promised. I call the shots." She told him being completely serious making Katie frown at him behind Elena's back. "No lies, no secrets agendas. Remember?"
"Ha!" Katie laughed leaning back a little and Elena looked at her. "I tried that one already." Elena rolled her eyes and turned back to Damon.
"Yes, Elena. Sure." Damon told her with aggravated attitude.
"Then please, come in." Elena waved him by.
"Okay, see you later." Katie kissed Damon then headed for the door along with Elena and Bonnie.
"Wait, where are you going?" Stefan asked Elena and the three girls stopped.
"To school." Elena answered as if it were obvious.
"Huh?" Stefan asked with a dumbfounded look on his face.
"No, no, no. We didn't create a safe house for you to leave it." Damon said as he walked over and placed his hands on the sides of Katie's neck. "The house may be in her name, but I did this for you too. The last time this guy saw you he beheaded you. What if he recognizes you and does it again?"
"Damon, I was a weak, un-expecting human back then. Now I'm a vampire who knows how to fight and has a very powerful witch as a best friend." She argued. "I promise you I'll be okay and he's probably ripped so many people's heads from their body that he won't remember me. Plus I know what he looks like."
"Look I know Klaus is out there, but as of right now no one knows where. I really appreciate what you guys are doing and I'll be able to sleep at night knowing that I'll be safe here, but I'm not going to be a prisoner."
Damon sucked air between his teeth then smirked at Katie and Elena aggravated. "Your way, Elena."
"Don't worry, I'm ready. If he shows his face, I can take him." Bonnie spoke up. "I know how."
"The way I see it," Elena started looking at Katie and Bonnie, "next to Bonnie and Katie is the safest place that I can be." The three girls headed outside.
"Wait. I'm…coming." Stefan sighed and followed after them.
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The four of them were sitting in Alaric's class when Elena waved the flyer for the 60's dance that was happening tonight at her and Stefan. Katie shrugged while Stefan frowned and shook his head no. Elena gave them a disappointed look then turned to Bonnie and waved the flyer at her. Bonnie nodded and Stefan looked at Katie with a look that told her to do something. Katie pretended to scratch the underside her nose with the top of her finger, covering her mouth as she almost inaudibly whispered, "Hey, you're the one that signed a mansion over to her and sent her flying off on a power trip."
"It was your idea." He whispered back covering his mouth too so no one would know they were talking.
"No, it was my idea to put my house in her name. Small, slightly run down, nothing to get a big head over." Katie replied.
Stefan shrugged his shoulders with a flick of his brows that seemed to say, "Well, too late now."
"Hey." Elena snapped getting their attention. "Secrets don't make friends."
"Sometimes they do." Katie popped off with a smirk and a shrug of her shoulders. Elena just rolled her eyes and shook her head knowing Katie was just kidding.
"Hello class." Alaric said as he walked in and grabbed a book from his desk. "What…are we learning today?"
Katie noticed he seemed a bit off as he flipped through the book looking a little confused, but she brushed it off, thinking he was just having a bad day because of everything that had recently happened with him and Jenna. However, as the class went on Katie noticed him looking at her as if he were trying to place where he knew her from, which was odd because obviously he knew who she was. Once again, against her better judgment she brushed it off.
At lunch, Katie, Elena and Bonnie sat at a round table eating when a fellow classmate, Dana, walked up. "Hey, Elena, there you are. This is going to sound freaky, but this totally hot guy asked me to ask you if you were going to the dance tonight."
Elena made a flattered face then smiled at Bonnie. "Tell him she has a boyfriend." Bonnie told her.
"You could at least meet him. He'll be at the dance tonight. Look for him. His name is Klaus." Dana told them excitedly.
All of their faces fell. "I'm sorry what did you just say?" Elena asked.
"His…name is Klaus?" Dana asked as if Elena's question had been weird. "I know the name is stupid, but I swear he's hot."
"What did he look like specifically?" Katie asked with a confused frown. She'd been on the look out for Klaus all day and hadn't seen him.
"I don't know…" she answered looking around like she couldn't remember before she smiled at them and said, "But he's totally hot."
"Elena, she's been compelled." Katie warned her then looked back at Dana.
"He wants to know if you'll save him the last dance. How cute is that?" Dana asked.
"Why don't you go see if Caroline needs help with the decorations?" Katie asked as she looked Dana in the eyes. The girl shrugged with a smile and walked off. "Okay," Katie looked across her shoulder at Elena, "You're in charge. Are we staying at school or ditching and heading to safety?"
"You're sure you know what he looks like?" Elena asked with a worried look.
"I've seen is face almost every night since I turned. Trust me. I know what he looks like." Kate assured her.
"Then we're staying in school. I miss too many more days and I'm going to get held back." Elena complained.
"Um, you have two friends that can work some compulsion on whoever we need to. You won't get held back." Katie told her with a wave.
"Even still, we're sticking it out." Elena told her with a stubborn nod.
"Sticking it out it is." Bonnie agreed as the bell started ringing.
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"So we go to the dance and we find him." Damon suggested after the girls told him and Stefan what happened. They stood in the doorway of the boarding house where they had been met by Damon as soon as they got home.
"Really how are we going to do that?" Stefan asked. "We don't even know what he looks like." He looked at Katie. "One person out of all of us isn't much help."
"Something tells me he's not going to be 16 and pimply." Damon pointed out with a roll of his eyes.
"Try dimple chinned, dirty blond kind of curly hair, naturally pouty lips, dark blue-green eyes with a body build similar to Damon's but maybe a little taller." She answered making everyone look at her. "You guys remember me making you watch the movie Raise Your Voice right?" she asked and the two girls nodded. "Think Kiwi only more mature."
"Yeah we don't know who that is." Stefan told her with a shake of his head and the ever present frown.
"Bing Johnny Lewis." she told them.
"Can we get back on topic here?" Stefan asked. "The point is that Klaus could be anywhere at anytime. He compelled someone at school today and none of you saw him." he told them as he put his hands on his hips and gave the girls a pointed look. "I guess it's not as safe as you guys thought, huh?"
A knock sounded at the door before Alaric came in. After that they decided that they were going to go to the dance and if need be Bonnie would used her powers to kill him. "Come on, I want to show you something." Damon told her as everyone was going separate ways and he nudged her shoulder with his and jerked his head for her to follow him.
"All of this is vintage?" Katie asked looking at the boxes of women's clothing from the sixty's.
"Yep, it's the perks of living so long. Plus my ancestors tend to be pack rats." He told her as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. "Pick anything you want."
After digging through some boxes and scattering clothes all over his room Katie had three potential outfits laid out on his bed. "Twiggy, Audrey Hepburn or generic hippy?" she asked with a point to each outfit.
"Audrey." He answered without even having to think about it as he pointed to the black dress, black gloves, pearls and even a vintage cigarette holder.
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Katie and Damon were walking arm in arm through the parking lot toward the gym when Katie overheard Jeremy and Bonnie talking. Katie's sensitive ears caught Jeremy saying, "I can't just let you get yourself killed."
Katie pulled Damon to a stop. "What?" Katie tapped her ear and pointed to Bonnie and Jeremy. "Now who's an eavesdropper?" he asked and she shushed him.
"So you're saying there's a 50-50 shot that you won't die?" Jeremy asked Bonnie and Katie looked up at Damon with wide eyes.
Bonnie hugged Jeremy and caught Katie looking at them with wide eyes. Katie started over to them, but Elena and Stefan walked over at the same time. So Katie and Damon refrained from talking about what they just over heard.
"Hey guys." Katie greeted. "Loving the looks." She told them with a smile and a motion to their outfits.
"You too." Elena replied then looked up at Stefan with a worried face.
"You guys ready to do this?" Stefan asked everyone in the circle.
With heads held high they headed to the dance. As they walked into the gym Dana cut off the music and started making an announcement. "We have a special shout-out tonight. This is for Elena." It caught the group's attention. "From Klaus."
When the loud over the top intro stopped Damon spoke up. "That was a lame, cheep shot. He's just trying to bait us."
"I know everyone here." Elena said as she looked at everyone in the over the top decorated gym.
"Yeah, I don't see him." Katie added doing the same. "If he's here he's staying out of sight."
Damon looked around at them standing still in the middle of the dance floor. "This is a party people, blend." He grabbed Katie by the hand and gave her a twirl. "Let him come to us." he said to everyone, but looked at her.
"Good idea." Bonnie said as she grabbed Jeremy's hand and pulled him away to dance.
"I'm gonna go talk to Ric." Damon said as he pulled Katie with him, leaving Elena and Stefan to dance.
"Special dedication huh?" Alaric asked as Katie and Damon walked over. "This guys a little twisted."
"I'm not impressed." Damon said as he wrapped his arm around Katie's waist.
"No?" Alaric asked sounding surprised.
"No." Katie answered. "It was stupid and way too typical of a taunt."
Alaric gave her another weird look for the millionth time that day, but this one looked a little more like he was disappointed by her words. "Let me know if you see anything out of whack." Damon told him before he gave Katie a twirl and they headed out onto the dance floor. They were dancing to Last Kiss by Pearl Jam when Damon noticed how down Katie looked. "You're worried about Bonnie aren't you?"
"Of course I am. Taking on Klaus could kill her, but not killing Klaus will kill Elena and there is nothing I can do to make it better." She explained over the music. "I feel useless. I'm the only one who knows what Klaus looks like yet I can't find him."
"Don't worry about Bonnie and stop putting so much pressure on yourself. We're all pretty much useless at this point. Well, other than Bonnie." he told her then spun her out then back into his chest, dancing with her back pressed against him.
When Matt and Caroline walked in Stefan started dancing with Caroline to fill her in and Elena danced with Matt to keep him company. "You know, even though there's a dangerous vampire somewhere at this party…I'm having fun." Katie told him over her shoulder. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." He twirled her around so that they were dancing face to face again. "And if things ever calm down, I promise to take you out on an actual date."
"I'm holding you to it." she told him with a smile and a glare.
"I need to talk to Bonnie. I'll be back in a second." He told her and they headed over to Bonnie and Jeremy. "May I?" Damon asked.
Jeremy looked at Bonnie who nodded. So Katie held her hand out to Jeremy. "You gonna leave me hanging?" she asked with an awkward smile. He sighed like he really didn't want to then slapped his hand into hers. They walked a little ways away from Damon and Bonnie and started dancing. "I know this is awkward, but I overheard what Bonnie told you…about her having a 50-50 chance of surviving if she goes up against Klaus." Jeremy rolled his eyes and looked away from her. "You're mad, I get it, I am too."
"So you think you could talk her out of it?" he asked as he looked her in the eyes and he could tell by the look in hers that she wasn't going to try. "Of course not. You're just like Damon." He scoffed as he jerked his arms off of where they rested on her shoulders and took off.
"Jeremy." Katie tried to stop him, but he kept walking.
Katie sighed and let her head fall forward. "Hey, everything okay?" Damon asked as, I Think We're Alone Now by Tiffany, an upbeat song, started playing.
"Yeah, let's just…get back out there and blend." She sighed so Damon grabbed her hand with devious smile. They were smiling and dancing when Stefan came over and pulled Damon away.
"Please tell me that you didn't know Bonnie was on a suicide mission." He told Damon, but look at Katie too.
"Oh, great, Jeremy told you and of course you told Elena." Damon replied with a frown.
"Yeah, I told her." he told him then turned his eyes to Katie. "You should have the second you found out." He then looked at Damon. "You promised her no more secrets."
"I changed my mind." He told Stefan with a glare.
"Guys," Katie spoke up getting their attention, "Jeremy's getting jumped in the hallway." She didn't give them a chance to say anything before she started running for the exit.
"Hey assholes!" Katie yelled making the three guys look her way. She was almost to Jeremy when one of the guys pulled out a crossbow and shot Katie in the neck. "Seriously?" she rasped not being able to breathe. Damon zipped over and pulled the stake out of her neck.
"Let me guess, Klaus says hi." Damon said as he grabbed the guy that shot her.
Katie punched one guy while Stefan punched the other, knocking them out. "No, no, no." Stefan stuttered stopping Damon from staking the third guy. "Don't kill him. He's compelled."
"So?" Damon asked.
"So the whole thing is a distraction. You two go find Bonnie and Elena. I got this." Stefan told them.
Damon threw the guy against the lockers that lined the hall then he and Katie took off outside to find Elena and Bonnie. "Look who can punch guys and run in heels." Damon commented as they ran.
"Yeah, I'm really maturing." She joked flatly
"Seriously, where'd you learn to punch like that?" he asked as they paused for a second, looking around for the girls.
"Elijah." She answered then met Damon's eyes. "He taught me how to fight. Fat lot of good it did to help me then." She sighed. "Where are they?" she stopped and started listening.
Eventually they heard the sound of glass breaking and headed that way. They ran into Elena and Bonnie. "What happened?" Damon asked as they all came to a stop in the middle of the school hallway.
"Klaus is in Alaric's body." Elena panted with a point over her shoulder.
"What?" Damon and Katie asked at the same time.
"He's possessing it or something." Bonnie added.
"Go find Stefan. Now." Damon told Elena and she ran off. "Can you kill him?" he asked Bonnie.
"He's got some kind of protection spell on him." Bonnie answered.
"You have the power of a hundred witches. Break it." Damon told her.
"I'm trying!" Bonnie snapped at him. "If I kill Alaric, he'll just possess someone else. He knows I have my power, Damon. He's trying to kill me."
"No." Damon said with a shake of his head. "Klaus does not get to win tonight, no way. You still willing to do whatever it takes to kill him?"
Bonnie nodded. Katie looked at Damon knowing he had an idea. "So what's the plan?" she asked.
"He wants to kill you." he told Bonnie then looked at Katie. "So let's make him think you're dead." He looked back and Bonnie who gave him a stiff nod.
Damon and Katie went looking for Elena and Stefan who found them fairly quickly. "What are you doing? Where's Bonnie?" Elena asked when they met up in the hallway.
"She's doing what she has to do." Damon answered.
Elena and Stefan looked back and forth between Damon and Katie. "What?" Elena asked.
"Where is she?" Stefan asked Damon then looked at Katie. "I would expect this from him, but not you."
"Stefan, let Bonnie do this." Damon argued.
"Damn it Damon, where is she!?" Stefan yelled.
When neither of them answered Elena and Stefan took off in the direction Katie and Damon had come from. The couple followed a little ways behind them. They were rounding the corner when they saw Bonnie slam the cafeteria doors in Elena and Stefan's faces.
Katie and Damon waited behind Stefan and Elena who where fighting to get inside to Bonnie, until the witch passed out and the doors opened. The tears on Katie's face were real as she walked into the cafeteria where Elena sat beside Bonnie begging Stefan to do something to save her. "It's too late. I'm sorry." Stefan told her.
"How could you let her do that?" Elena shouted at Katie. "You knew she would die if she took him on!"
"It was her choice Elena." Katie told her then wiped her tears.
"Stefan, get Elena out of here. I'll deal with the body." Damon said as he walked into the room.
"What do you mean deal with it?" Elena asked still crying hysterically.
"Sheriff Forbs can't know about this. If she finds out that Bonnie died mysteriously people will start asking questions and that's the last thing we need." Katie answered as Damon walked over and tried to pick up Bonnie.
"This is Bonnie!" Elena yelled at them then looked at Katie. "How can you be so heartless?"
Damon looked at Stefan. "Get her home. Now."
Stefan started trying to get Elena to stand up. "No. Jeremy. Oh my god, Jeremy. What about Jeremy?"
"I'll find him." Katie told her gently. Elena cried as Stefan lifted her up and took her from the cafeteria.
While Damon brought Bonnie to his car Katie went after Jeremy. They found Damon as he was shutting the trunk. "You said you were bringing me to Bonnie." Jeremy complained when he saw Damon.
"We need to have a little talk." Damon then explained what happened and what they were going to do next.
They brought Bonnie and Jeremy to the witch massacre house then headed home.
"What did you do with her?" Elena asked when she saw Damon and Katie walk into the boarding house.
"Will you please calm her down?" Damon asked.
"Don't talk like I'm not standing right in front of you." Elena told him, still upset and crying.
"Please…calm…down." Damon told her putting emphasis on each word.
"You knew!" Elena yelled at them. "Both of you knew didn't you? You knew that if she harnessed all that power, that she would die."
"Yes." Damon and Katie answered at the same time.
"Yes, we knew." Elena slapped Damon. "You need to listen to me and prepare for what I'm about to say."
Katie stepped back, content to let Damon explain everything to them. When Damon finished telling her everything he walked away and Stefan went after him. "How could you do that?" Elena asked her.
"Damon, Bonnie and I did what had to be done. I'm sorry to have put you through that." She told her simply then went to her room.
She had just gotten out of the shower when she heard Damon and Elena talking in his room. "Let's get one thing straight, Damon. Bonnie will not die for me. I will not let that happen." She heard Elena say.
"We need to kill Klaus, Elena. Real Klaus. Who will probably be coming to pay you a visit soon now that he knows that Bonnie's dead. She's the only one who can do it." she heard Damon tell Elena as she dried off and grabbed some clothes out of her dresser.
"We'll find another way." Elena argued.
"I hope so." Damon answered.
"Look, I shouldn't have hit you." Elena told him.
"Apology accepted." Damon answered and Katie thought the conversation was over, but Damon started talking again. "Let me be clear about something. If it comes down to you and the witch again, I will gladly let Bonnie die."
Katie stopped listening when she heard Elena leave Damon's room. She was pulling an old band T-shirt over her head when she heard a knocked on her door. To her surprise it was Elena. "Can we talk?"
"Yeah, sure." Katie stepped aside and waved her into the room.
"I want to un-dagger Elijah." She told her quietly.
"What?" Katie asked. "No."
"Hear me out." Elena whispered. Katie tapped her finger on her ear then held it up telling Elena to give her a second. She plugged her phone up to a speaker and turned on some music to make it harder for Damon and Stefan to hear them. Katie motioned for Elena to talk. "I refuse to let Bonnie die for me and I know you were willing to let her do it tonight, but I won't let it happen again."
"So what does un-daggering Elijah accomplish?" Katie asked as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Other than making things between me and Damon complicated again?"
"If anyone will know of another way to kill Klaus it's him." Elena argued.
"I'm guessing you don't want Damon or Stefan to know what you're planning?" Katie asked and Elena sighed and shook her head no. "I can't keep secrets from Damon."
"Katie, please, this is bigger than you and Damon or me and Stefan for that matter. This could save people's lives." Elena begged her.
"I'm not going to help you, but I'm not going to stand in your way either. As far as I'm concerned we never had this conversation." Katie told her then opened the door and jerked her head for Elena to leave her room.
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Katie was getting dressed when she heard a crash downstairs. She whooshed down only to be grabbed by Elijah and whooshed outside with him where he collapsed on the porch taking her down with him. "Katie." He panted and she put her finger over her lips. When Elena showed up at the door Elijah tried to go inside after her, but he couldn't enter. "What happened?" he asked.
Elena shushed him and pointed to her ear then up to the guys rooms. "I'll tell you." she whispered almost inaudibly. "Not here. Can I trust you?"
"Can I trust you?" Elijah whispered back. As an answer Elena handed him the dagger she had taken from him. Elijah took it then looked at Katie. "Katie comes too." Elijah told her and she nodded.
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Katie and Elijah both drank blood bags from her stash at her house as Elena drove. "Where did you get the dagger?" Elijah asked as she pulled to a stop on the shoulder of the road.
"I'll tell you everything, but we have to work together, Elijah." Elena replied. "I need your word."
"Your ability to make demands has long passed." Elijah told her.
"No demands." Elena told him with a glance at Katie in the back seat, finishing off her blood bag. "I'm offing you my help and in return, I want yours."
"And why should I even consider this?" Elijah asked also glancing back at Katie who hadn't said a word to him since he woke.
"The same reason that you haven't killed me. You need my help to kill Klaus and I need you." Elena's phone started ringing and she picked it up to see Stefan's name on the screen.
"Where's Elijah?" Stefan asked.
"He's right here." Elena told him.
"Where? I'm on my way." Stefan said hastily.
"No, Stefan, Elijah and I need some time to talk." Elena told him.
"Listen to me. He can't be trusted." Stefan argued. "He'll use you to get to Klaus."
"Elijah is a noble man, Stefan. He lives by a code of honor. I can trust him." Elena told him. "He knows that I'd be incredibly stupid to betray him again. By removing the dagger I have proven myself."
"You can't do this alone." Stefan argued.
"It's my decision, Stefan. Please respect it. And I'm not alone, so make sure Damon doesn't do anything stupid." She told him as she looked back at Katie.
"Who's with you?" Stefan asked on high alert.
"Elijah wouldn't talk to me unless Katie came too." Elena informed him. "I'll be in touch." She hung up the phone then looked at Elijah who held his hand out for her phone. She put it in his head then he looked back at Katie and held his hand out for her phone too.
"I don't have it." she told them with a shrug. "I wasn't exactly prepaid to leave the house when you snatched me up." She said with a point to her messy hair.
"Okay so where are we going?" Elena asked as she put her hands on the steering wheel.
"The Lockwood's. We will be able to talk freely there." He told her so she pulled onto the road.
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"Elijah? Katie, Elena, what are you doing here?" Carol asked when she answered the door looking like she was about to leave and saw Katie and Elena standing on each side of Elijah. "What happened?" she asked when she noticed the burned and tattered state of Elijah's clothes.
"I've had a bit of an incident, Carol. I'm hoping you could help." Elijah answered and Katie couldn't help but smirk. What he called and incident was really Damon attempting to burn his desiccated body.
"Well, I'm on my way to a meeting, so I-"
"It won't take but a minute of your time." Elijah stepped up and looked her in the eyes.
"Of course. Anything you need." Carol replied with a smile as she stepped back and let them inside.
"Well first things first." Elijah said as they walked in and Carol shut the door behind them. "I'm going to need a change of clothing."
"Well, we could try one of my husband's suits. I haven't boxed them up yet." Carol told him then headed upstairs.
"How did you know she's not on vervain?" Elena asked and Katie was curious too, but she wasn't speaking to Elijah unless he spoke to her first.
"Because I'm the one that got her off of it." Elijah answered. "Right before you and," he looked at Katie, "your friends killed me." He looked back at Elena. "Twice." Katie rolled her eyes at him. "If you'll excuse me I'll be down in a moment." He headed up the stairs leaving Katie and Elena alone.
Katie headed into the parlor and flopped down on the couch and Elena sat down in an armchair. "Am I sensing tension between you two?" Elena asked noticing that once again Katie's arms were folded over her chest.
"Just a little." Katie said as she held up her fingers in a pinching motion. "I don't really want to talk about it."
Soon Elijah came down wearing a fresh suit and his hair was combed. Katie's eyes took him in from head to toe and he cleared his throat to get her attention. "So I assume the martin witches are no longer with us." he asked as he sat down on the couch next to Katie. She got up and sat down in the armchair that was next to the one Elena sat in. A round end table separated them.
"No." Elena answered. "I'm sorry."
Katie thought he was going to ask if Jonas had managed to give her memories back to her, but instead he said "And Katerina? She would have been released from my compulsion when I died."
"Klaus took her." Elena answered and Katie noticed a ghost of an emotion danced across his face. She doubted Elena even saw it, but it made Katie wonder if Elijah cared about Katherine. "We think that she may be dead."
"I doubt that." Elijah replied. "Not Niklaus' style. Death would be too easy for her after what she did."
"I don't understand. You say that you want Klaus dead, but you still made Katherine pay for betraying him." Elena said as she scooted to the edge of her chair.
"I have my own reasons for wanting Katerina to pay." His words make Katie pay closer attention. "I'm assuming that Katie has told you everything I told her during our lunch the other evening?" he asked looking at her only for her to look away from him.
"Yes the told us that Klaus is your half brother and his biological father was a werewolf. I know you have other siblings but I don't know where they are or even if they are still alive. And I also know the sun and moon curse is not real. What Klaus really wants to do is break the curse put on him to keep his wolf gene locked away." She told him and he nodded at her then looked at Katie who still wasn't looking at them.
Elena's phone kept buzzing. He sighed and pulled it out of his pocket. "Your phone will not stop its incessant buzzing. Answer it, please." He stood up and held it out to Elena and she took it.
"Stefan," She started ready to give him an ear full but her face changed to one of worry. "What's wrong? No. No, no, no." she rushed, "Okay I'll be right there." She hung up then looked at Elijah. "Klaus went after Jenna. I have to go to her."
"I'm afraid that wasn't part of today's arrangement." Elijah pointed out.
"She's my family, Elijah. I have to." Elena argued. "I'll be back. You have my word."
"That doesn't mean anything to me until you live up to it." he told her and she ran off, the front door slamming behind her.
Even with Elena gone Katie didn't look at Elijah. "You're mad at me." He said from where he still stood in front of the couch.
"You think?" Katie asked as she stood up, glaring at him. "You had Mr. Martin destroy the dam in my mind and flood it with memories, most of which I still don't want."
"And you conspired with Damon to kill me. The feeling is mutual." He told her with a glare of his own.
"I didn't conspire with him!" Katie defended herself taking a step closer to him as she started ranting. "He and Alaric did that behind my back. I naively thought it was just going to be a simple dinner party. I didn't know that stupid dagger even existed until it was shoved into your back and knocked me to my knees."
"You didn't try to kill me?" he asked a little shocked that she was yelling at him.
"No." she answered.
"Even still am not sorry for making you remember me." he told her as he looked down at the floor with his hands in his pockets.
Katie took a deep breath and let her head fall to look at the floor as she calmed herself. "I need some fresh air." She told him and he looked up at her. "Take a walk with me?" he gave her a small smirk as he held his arm out to her. She looped her arm through it, feeling the pull to him she always felt in close proximity, and led him to the back door. "You didn't know why and neither did I, but there was a reason I didn't want my memories back." she explained as they walked down the steps out into the yard. "It has nothing to do with you and me or Damon and me and everything to do with my father."
"What does Bradley have to do with your memories?" Elijah asked a little confused.
"Not my father from this life, my first father, Hannah's father." She told him as they walked over to the pond in the back yard. "I never told you why Ronan and I moved so far away from them to live in a piece of crap cabin in the middle of nowhere." She told him and he looked down at her, squinting in the sun. "It will be easier to just show you." she told him as they came to a stop at the edge of the pond and she let go of his arm. He watched her curiously as she grabbed his hand and placed it on her head, the heel of his palm resting over her temple.
As they both closed their eyes, flashing images of Hannah and her sister getting flogged with a cat of nine tails, running through the fields as their father yelled for them to come back, or climbing a tree in an attempt to hide from the vicious, hateful man, flashed through their heads. When Katie thought he had seen enough to get her point across she took his hand off of her and opened her eyes, staring into his sympathetic brown eyes. "I never would have guessed." He said with a shake of his head as he let what she'd shown him sink in. "You didn't have any scars on your back."
"My nanny was Fiona's mother. She used magic to keep me from scaring." She explained. "If it hadn't been for her my sister and I wouldn't have made it past the age of ten."
"I take it back. I am sorry." he told her as he cupped her cheek in his hand.
She closed her eyes, reveling in the feel of him for a moment. "You didn't know." She told him and he slid his hand around to the back of her neck and pulled her in for a hug. "I was so mad at you, for forcing me to remember everything." She told his as she wrapped her arms around him, pressing her palms over his shoulder blades. "But I can't stay mad at you." she realized it was true. She couldn't stay mad at him for the same reason she couldn't stay mad as Damon. She pulled back, her hands resting on his shoulders while his held her waist. "I forgive you."
He took in a deep breath and slid his hand over her cheek. She thought he was going to kiss her lips, but instead he placed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I have to wonder if Damon knows how lucky he is to have you."
Katie sighed and tried to hold back her emotions. "He does." She told him with a nod as she lifted her head from his. "And I'm sorry, but I'm still choosing him. The only thing getting my memories back has changed is the fact that I now know that my love for you isn't the link or magic, it's just…us. It's real."
"How can you choose him after admitting that you love me?" he asked getting a little angry.
"Because I love him too." She answered as she slid her hands up to hold the sides of his neck. "And in this life I loved him first. I told him I would always choose him and who would I be if I went back on my promise?" Elijah just stared at her. "I wish I could be selfish like Katherine and have both of you, but I can't." She stood on her tip toes and pressed a kiss to his stubbly cheek. They both heard Elena pull up out front. "I have to go." With a whoosh, she disappeared.
TVDTVDTVD
"Where's Elena?" Stefan headed her way from the parlor when he heard her walk in.
"Still talking to Elijah." She sighed as she walked into the parlor and over to Damon where he sat on the couch and sat down next to him.
"You left her alone with him?" Stefan asked as if it were a big mistake.
"Yes." She answered as she noticed Damon lean away from her. "She's safe with him you don't have to worry."
"I don't have to worry?" Stefan asked getting mad. "He's an original. He can't be trusted."
Katie stood from the couch and headed to the decanter behind the couch. "I need a drink."
TVDTVDTVD
They were sitting in the study having a drink when Elena and Elijah walked in. "Now you've invited him in?" Damon asked as they all stood up.
"Elijah and I have renewed the terms of our deal." Elena told them.
"Really?" Damon asked with an attitude getting a warning look from Katie.
"The two of you will come to no harm at my hands." Elijah informed them then walked closer to the railing that separated them. "I only ask for one thing in return."
"What?" Damon asked as Elena walked over to stand behind Elijah.
"An apology." Elijah said as Katie grabbed Damon's hand in an attempt to calm him.
"A what?" Damon asked snarkily.
Stefan, Katie and Damon exchanged looked before Stefan walked closer to Elijah, "I'm sorry for the part I played in your death. I was protecting Elena. I will always protect Elena."
"I understand." Elijah told Stefan then everyone looked at Damon who glared at him and shook his head no.
"The sacrifice is going to happen, Damon." Elena told him. "Bonnie will be able to kill Klaus without hurting herself and Elijah knows how to save my life. I told you I'd find another way and I did."
"Is that true?" Damon asked, glaring at Elijah.
"It is." Elijah answered flatly.
"And you're trusting him?" Damon asked Elena then looked at Katie letting her know he was asking her too, then looked back at Elena.
"I am." Elena answered.
Damon looked at Katie. She looked at Elijah who gave her a nod then looked back at Damon. "I trust him. And I don't think an apology is too much to ask considering you guys killed him, twice."
"You can all go to hell." Damon told them with a pointed look at Katie before he walked off.
"This is who you chose to love?" Elijah asked not caring about the other people in the room.
"He's mad at me for trusting you. He'll come around." Katie defended.
"Perhaps." Elijah replied before Katie went after Damon.
"Damon?" Katie called as she walked into his room and found him in his closet. "I know you're mad at me for siding with him and Elena, but he told me before that he knew of a way to save Elena and I'm sorry, but I believe him."
"Get out of here, Katie." He didn't look at her and instead put an empty hanger back on the rod.
"No." she told him sternly as he brushed past her and tossed the plain black shirt in his hand on the bed. "I know you care about Elena and you have for a while now, but this is the only way we can save her and kill Klaus without Bonnie dieing."
"I said get out." He snapped as he turned to look at her.
"And I said," he walked over to him and slid her hands up his chest to each side of his neck, "No." he glared at her. "Be mad at me all you want, but don't shut me out."
"Did you help Elena un-dagger him? Was it your idea?" he asked and now Katie understood why he'd been pulling away from her all day.
"Last night she told me what she wanted to do and I begged her not to." She answered and Damon got angrier. "She told me she wouldn't and I believed her."
"But you didn't go out of your way to make sure she didn't do it, did you?" he asked and Katie's eyes fell to the floor. "Right." He sighed and headed to the door and opened it then jerked his head for her to leave.
"You said you wouldn't let him come between us." Katie argued not moving from where she stood in the middle of his room.
"So did you, but you let Elena take that dagger out of him." he told her angrily.
"What do you want me to say?" Katie asked raising her voice. "That I couldn't stand the thought of him laying dead in the dust? That I love him?" she asked rhetorically and he just stared at her with wide angry eyes. "Fine, I love him. I love him just as much as I love you and I hate it! I hate having to choose between the two loves of my lives, but I have to and I choose you, Damon." She told him as she crossed the room and grabbed his open button up shirt in her fists. "From the moment I saw you at the grill, making flirty eyes at Caroline I knew I wanted to be with you. I never thought for a second that you'd actually want me back, but you do and I will be damned it I let you go." A little anger faded from his face. "So please, don't give up on me."
Damon grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her to him, kissing her like his life depended on it. When the kiss broke he pressed his forehead to hers, "I won't give up on you."
"Thank you." she sighed and opened her eyes to stare into his before he kissed her and they slipped closed again.