Phoenix Rising
Ch. 29
Katie's Alarm went off at 5:45 waking her up for school and she groggily grabbed her phone and turned it off before she let it fall to the floor. She threw the black and white floral patterned comforter off and put her feet on the floor. "First day of my last year in this miserable place…Let's get this over with." She told her self as a crappy pep talk as she stood up and headed downstairs to put a pot of coffee on, but she found Damon pouring a cup and she stopped walking with a yawn. "What are you doing here?"
"Stefan's home and the house is full of women, live and dead. He's also blaring music so loud I want to scratch my eardrums out." He told her as he handed her the cup in his hand and she took it. "I needed to get away. Plus, I figured you could use those." He motioned to two blood bags on the kitchen table. "I like the new hair by the way."
"Thanks." She told him as they both sat down at the table. "Not to sound like a bitch, but why aren't you seeing Elena off to school?"
"Elena has Alaric and Jeremy. I didn't want you to be alone on the morning of your last first day of school." He told her honestly and she gave him a small smile. "Also Elena told me you said you hate her. Wanna talk about that?"
Her smile fell as she rolled her eyes and downed her coffee then set the empty cup on the table. "Nope and I need to shower and get dressed." She whooshed upstairs to her bathroom. She had just finished rinsing the shampoo out of her hair when she opened her eyes to see the plexiglas distorted image of Damon leaning on the birdbath sink with his arms crossed. "Seriously? We are not together anymore. Get out." She threw her wet shower puff at him over the door.
He caught it and tossed it in the sink behind him. "Not until you talk to me." He told her not giving up.
She took a deep breath and let it out as she bit her lips closed and turned off the water. He held a fluffy white towel out to her as she stepped out of the shower. "She was flirting with you when we were still together, Damon, not to mention she's still pining for Stefan." She told him as she wrapped the towel around herself. "She knew things with us were rocky and she took advantage of it. She all but stabbed me in the back by not having the common decency to wait until we were broken up before she started hitting on you."
"I didn't stop her from flirting, but you're not mad at me." He countered as she walked into her bedroom and he followed her.
"I'm not mad at you because I can understand you. We fell out of love so you sought it elsewhere." She grabbed a pair of distressed, dark wash jean shorts out of her closet and tossed them onto the bed along with a white t-shirt and her leather jacket. "Turn around please." She told him and he opened his mouth to protest, but she interrupted him. "Boundaries, Damon." He rolled his eyes but turned around. "But her… I don't understand how she could do this to me and Stefan." she said as she started getting dressed.
"It's not like she can help it. Some girls just can't resist my good looks, my style and my charm…"
"And there's the cocky Damon I remember." She said as she pulled her shirt over her head and stuck her arms through the sleeves. "I feel like he got a little lost while we were together." She added as she pulled on her shorts, buttoned and zipped them. "I didn't miss it." she walked past him to her closet and grabbed the one pair of shoes that didn't get thrown away when she did her wardrobe overhaul, her broken in pair of black and white converse.
"She also said you were a little too buddy, buddy with Klaus." He said as she headed into the bathroom and started putting on eye shadow, black cat eye eyeliner, mascara and a nude tented lip gloss. "The guy ripped your head from your body."
"I wasn't buddy, buddy with him, I just didn't tell him to go screw himself like I wanted to." She answered as grabbed her new black messenger bag with gold heart buckles, her jacket and shoes then headed downstairs where she put her bag down and sat down on the couch while Damon moved to stand across from her.
"This wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that he has Elijah would it?" he asked and she ignored him while she put her shoes on. "Talk to me Katie Cat."
"I'm not going to talk to you about Elijah." She stood up and grabbed her jacket and bag off the floor and threw the strap over her shoulder.
"You clearly need to talk to someone about what's going on with you." he followed her to the kitchen where she grabbed one of the blood bags and stuck it in the icebox then popped the stopper out of the tube of the other.
"Then I'll hire a shrink." She popped off at him then started drinking the blood as Damon stared at her. "Look, do I miss him? Yes. Do I want that dagger taken out of him? Yes. Will I go dark side in order to get what I want? No…maybe. I don't know…All I know is that it is driving me insane knowing that he is lying in a dark box while I'm just…carrying on with life like nothing is wrong." she finished off the blood bag then threw it in the trash. "So just…Stop asking me about him, okay?"
"Fine." He told her as he held his hand up like he was giving up then followed her to the front door.
He stopped in the doorway while she walked out on the porch then turned back to look at him. "You're welcome to hang out here if you don't feel like going back to the boarding house."
"Na, Klaus has compelled Stefan to keep an eye on his doppelganger for him. So you can expect to see him at school today." He told her as he stepped out and shut the door.
"Fun." Katie sighed as she turned and headed to her car.
She pulled into the parking lot of the busy school and quickly found her friends in the crowd. "Here we are. Senior year." Caroline said with a look across her shoulders at her friends that stood slightly behind her.
"Anyone else think this should feel slightly more empowering?" Bonnie asked as they all looked at the school. None of them felt anything about it being the first day of school.
"Okay, so prank night was a bust. But we are accepting it, and we are moving on." Caroline said talking with her hands as she tried to pep everyone up.
"You're right. I mean why should I let the fact that my boyfriend is seeing the ghosts of his dead girlfriends hinder this experience?" Bonnie asked from where she walked between Katie and Caroline as they started walking toward the school.
"My soul mate is lying desiccated in a coffin with a dagger in his chest." Katie added with a look over at Bonnie and Caroline, ignoring Elena where she stood on the other side of Caroline. "My day is gonna be grrrreat." She said impersonating Tony the Tiger. Bonnie and Caroline shook their heads with small smiles on their faces.
"And why should I let the fact that my boyfriend turned into a hybrid put a damper on an otherwise fabulous day?" Caroline said one again talking with her hands.
Elena stopped walking and said, "Today's our anniversary." They all stopped and looked back at her. "Technically, Stefan and I met on the first day of school last year."
"Are you sure you want to be here?" Bonnie asked.
"I have to be here. I have to put it behind me." She told them as she held her head high. "New year, new life." She heaved out a breath and walked past them toward the school. Katie thought about warning her that Stefan was going to be making an appearance today, but feeling like being mean she kept her mouth shut.
Katie walked into Alaric's A.p. History class to find that Elena, Caroline and Tyler were also in the class. Stefan walked into the room after her and made someone move out of the seat next to Elena. Katie sat in the back corner of the room kitty corner to Caroline.
Alaric had started talking to the class when Rebekah came in late and sat down in the front row. "Who are you?" Alaric asked confused as to why Caroline and Elena were looking at her with wide eyes.
"My name's Rebekah. I'm new and history is my favorite subject." Alaric looked at Elena and Katie then took a deep breath and got back to business.
Katie was putting her history book in her locker when Rebekah walked over and opened the locker next to hers. "So has Klaus asked you to keep an eye on Elena too?" she asked, in an attempt to make conversation.
"I'm keeping an eye on Tyler." She answered not looking at Katie who shut her locker and put a purple combination lock on it. "Not that it's any of your business."
"Look, I was in a bit of a bad mood last night." Katie said as she watched Rebekah struggle to open the locker without breaking it. Katie hit it lightly with her fist and it popped open. "So can we start over?"
"Just because you're supposedly in love with Elijah doesn't mean you have to be nice to me." she told her with and attitude.
"There's no supposedly about it." Katie argued as she pushed the strap of her bag father up on her shoulder. "I do love Elijah and he told me a lot about you when we were together. He anticipated that we wouldn't get along, but I would like nothing better than to actually be on good terms with his family when that dagger is finally removed." Rebekah glared at her. "I'm not trying to manipulate you. I'm just offering to be your friend when you don't have one."
"Fine, but if I find out this is just some ploy you and your friends have cooked up I will have no problem-"
"Killing me, I get it. Where's your schedule?" Katie interrupted her then held her hand out for her schedule.
"I know how to find my way around." Rebekah told her and Katie smirked.
"I want to see if we have any of the same classes." Katie told her and Rebekah pulled her schedule out of her bag and handed it to her. "We actually have the next three classes together." She handed it back then watched as Rebekah put her history book in her locker then shut it. "Have you ever been to high school before?" Katie asked and Rebekah shook her head no. "I'm guessing you want to be popular. So step one: cheer squad. Thanks to Klaus and Stefan there's an opening and with your looks all the football players will be drooling over you."
"Tyler plays football right?" she asked as they started toward their next class.
"You're interested in Tyler?" Katie asked with a look across her shoulder at her.
"He is very attractive." She answered.
Katie laughed. "Been there had that." She didn't want to point out that Tyler was with Caroline and that she didn't approve of Rebekah's interest in him. She was trying to be her friend after all.
"You and Tyler?" Rebekah asked as they walked into calculus.
"Yep, back when we were both…" she looked around at the other students in the room, "normal for a lack of a better word." The bell rang and the teacher shut the door ending their conversation.
All the cheerleaders were standing on the side lines of the football field after school stretching when Katie took her spot in the line up. "Hey Care, before she shows up you should probably know that Rebekah is after your guy and I invited her to be on the cheer squad." Katie told her quietly.
"You what?" Caroline asked as she stopped stretching and Katie started. "Have you gone insane?"
"If you call making friends with the sister of the man I love insane then sure." She answered as she leaned down and touched her toes. "But I don't think the whole, keep your friends close keep your enemy closer, thing is a bad idea either." She whispered then stood back up. When Rebekah walked up and took the spot between Katie and Caroline, Caroline didn't say a word.
They were headed to the women's locker room when Rebekah asked, "So are you going to this spirit squad bonfire thing tonight?"
"I never say no to free booze." She answered. "Will I see you there?"
"Yep." She answered. "I've never been to a high school bonfire. Sounds fun."
Katie was standing in her bathroom straightening her hair for the bonfire when her text tone chimed and she looked down to see a text from Alaric. "Meeting, my classroom, 8:30 tonight before the bonfire." She read out loud then clicked the phone off.
Since she got the message a little late she got to the meeting a late, she trained her ears on Alaric's classroom and caught what they were saying. "I'll lure Stefan away from the bonfire. Then, when he's distracted-" Elena was saying.
"I'll shoot him." Alaric finished.
"What are you doing here?" Elena asked when her eyes landed on Katie.
"Alaric texted me." Katie answered with a tone that suggested it was obvious.
"Was I not supposed to?" Alaric asked with a look between Katie and Elena. Elena shook her head no with raised brows and tight lips. "You said she made friends with Rebekah. I though she could help distract her."
"It's because she's friends with Rebekah and Klaus that we don't trust her." Elena told him.
"I told you why I'm playing nice with Rebekah." Katie said as she turned to Caroline. "And I'm not friends with Klaus."
"You all but admitted that you would do whatever it takes to get Elijah back and Klaus and Rebekah are the only ones who know where he is." Damon told her.
"We can't trust you." Elena told her with a snooty look that made Katie want to slap it off of her face.
"Caroline?" Katie asked as she turned to her friend that she'd been closer to since they turned.
"I'm sorry. I don't like it, but they have a point. If you loved him enough to link yourself to him what else are you willing to do?" Caroline answered.
"Does Bonnie feel the same way you all do?" Katie asked Caroline who nodded with sad eyes knowing this was hurting Katie. And it did hurt her, but hurt quickly turned to anger. It pissed her off to no end that her friends would turn their backs on her like that. "You know what?" she turned her eyes to Elena, Damon and Caroline then back to Elena. "You can all go to hell." She turned to walk out of the room.
"Katie don't be like that." Caroline said as Katie slammed into Tyler who was walking in.
"Whoa, you good?" Tyler asked as he grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back.
"Let me get a keg in me then ask me again." Katie commented as she walked around him and out of the room.
Katie was standing at the bonfire working on her tenth cup of beer still fuming, when a football player class mate of hers walked over. "Happy first day."
"Yeah, not so much." She answered back with a polite smile.
"Are you at least enjoying the bonfire?" he asked trying to make conversation with her, but all she could concentrate on was the blood pumping through his veins.
"I am now." she turned toward him with a flirty smile and put her hand on her hip, putting her boobs on display in the tight somewhat low cut tank top she was wearing.
"You wanna go make some smores?" he asked happy that she was showing interest in him.
"I have a better idea. Come with me." She told him with a devious smile as she grabbed his hand and he willingly followed her out into the woods. When she was sure they were far enough away that no one would see them she shoved him against a tree and looked him in the eyes. "Don't scream." His eyes grew big and his heart started pounding as he watched the veins arrear under her eyes that turned blood red. She smiled with a hiss, freaking him out even more with her fangs. The fear in his eyes only made her that much happier as she sank her teeth into his neck.
After a while she let go of his shoulders and he fell to the ground as she tilted her head back and licked the blood from her lips. "God that felt good." She sighed then looked down at the guy, "Now what do I do with you?" she said as she kneeled down and listened to his slow heart beat.
Knowing he would die if she didn't, she bit her wrist, opened his mouth and let a little blood fall inside. Soon after he sat up and started scrambling away from her. "What did you do to me?"
She grabbed his shirt to keep him for scooting back any further and straddled him as she looked him in the eyes. "We made out. It was fun, but it's never happening again." She told him then let him go. He blinked out of the compulsion then smiled at her. She grabbed his chin and tilted his head to the side to see a little blood that was left behind from the bite so she licked it clean before she stood up and held her hand out to him. When he as standing she looked him in the eyes again. "Don't follow too closely behind me. People don't need to know what we were doing." she left him behind to snap out of his compulsion.
As she walked through the woods back to the party she made sure her face, neck and teeth were free of blood. She came out of the woods behind Damon, sitting on a bench at a small fire. When she walked past him he grabbed her wrist to get her attention. She stopped and looked down at him. "Did you just do what I think you just did?"
"Nope." she answered as she pulled her wrist out of his hand and kept walking.
"You did." He argued as he grabbed her hand pulling her to a stop. "Who are you and what have you done with Katie Cat?" he asked with a worried look at her.
"She's right here. You've just never seen her this pissed off before." she jerked her hand out of his. "Now leave me alone." She started walking off. After a while she got bored of the stupid bonfire that she had yet to see Rebekah at and threw her cup away then headed to the parking lot. She was opening her car door when she saw flames engulf Alaric's SUV. "Seriously, if it's not one thing it's another." She sighed and closed her car door then whooshed over to Alaric. Who was trying to break the window with a lacrosse stick.
"Elena and Stefan are trapped in there." Alaric told her as he pushed his hand through his hair in frustration. Alaric watched her thought process play out on her face as she debating leaving them in the car to burn. "Do something, Katie!"
"I don't have to tell you that vampires and flames are a bad combination. So do not let me burn to death." Alaric rushed off to find something to put the flames out while Katie grabbed the back hatch door, pulled it off and threw it behind her then climbed inside. She got Stefan out first and whooshed him a safe distance away from the car and laid him on the ground then whooshed back inside and wrapped her arm around a coughing Elena's waist and whooshed her out. Regardless of whooshing through the flames, Katie's legs caught on fire as she whooshed out. She dropped Elena and screamed in pain as fell to the ground, slapping at her legs right before Alaric threw a blanket over her them putting out the flames before they could fully engulf her.
"Thanks." Katie huffed out as she got up.
"You're welcome. Now let's get out of here before it blows." He told her and they ran over to where Katie had whooshed Stefan. Just as they got to them, the car exploded.
Stefan started coming to so she grabbed him and helped him stand on his feet. "What happened?" he asked while she held him up with her hands on his shoulders.
"Yeah I don't know." Katie told him as she let go of his shoulders. "You good though?"
"Yeah, no thanks to those two." He told her with a look at Elena and Alaric.
"Okay I'm gonna go home before another car decides to spontaneously combust." She said tiredly and started walking off.
"Katie!" Elena yelled and Katie stopped and turned around. "Thank you."
"I didn't do it for you." she replied then looked at Alaric. "Sorry about your car."
The next day after school, Katie drove to the cemetery. She hadn't been to her parent's graves since their funeral so it took her a while to remember where the headstone was. After an hour of looking she found it near a large tree the roots of which she sat on and looked at the oval picture of her parents that sat between their names engraved on the stone. "I had been hoping to feel something by coming here…" she admitted quietly looking into her mothers pretty blue eyes. "Anything to keep me tied to my humanity because I can feel it slipping away." She hadn't thought much about her father since she learned that he was still alive and it was his idea to leave her with her grandfather. However the memory of her mother, who didn't want to leave her to be raised by her grandfather, had remained unscathed.
Katie moved from the tree root to sit in the grass where her mother should have been buried, but instead her ashes had been scattered here. She closed her eyes and pressed her right hand into the grass and dirt, trying to feel connected to her mother in any way she could. Trying to remember a time when things weren't so bad.
"Almost." Her mother encouraged her five year old daughter from where she sat next to her on a piano bench. She was teaching her to play twinkle twinkle little star. Katie touched the wrong key and stopped with a frown. "Don't get aggravated. Practice makes perfect." Her mother told her, but Katie didn't try again.
"I can't do it." Katie pouted, staring down at her small hands in her lap.
"You can do anything you set your mind to my little Scarlett." Her mother told her gently and grabbed her daughter's hands, placing them back on the piano keys. "Try again." Katie tried again and finally got it right. "You did it!" her mother made a big deal, clapping and smiling for her daughter. "Good job Katie." Her mother held her hand up and Katie giggled and high fived her.
"Katie." A familiar feminine voice pulled her out of her memory and drew her eyes upward to land on the blue eyes and wavy brown hair of her mother.
"Mom?" Katie asked as she stood up. "What…how…?" Katie stumbled over her words as her mother took a step to her and pulled her into a hug. "How are you here right now? I thought you were dead."
"I am." Her mother answered as she pulled back and looked into her daughter's green eyes. "Your friend Bonnie cracked open the door to the other side when she brought Jeremy Gilbert back from the dead. Then last night, a witched wedged it wide open so we can interact with you." her mother told her, but Katie was still stuck on the fact that she was talking to her dead mother. "I've been watching over you this whole time."
A pained expression took over Katie's face as her eyes slipped down to the ground. "I've disappointed you."
"No sweetheart, you haven't." her mother answered making Katie look up at her with questioning eyes. "I disappointed you. I never wanted to leave you behind and I never should have. Your father wanted to keep the originals away from you he said it was his family's duty to keep who you are a secret. When he told me the story of you and Elijah I wanted you to find him. I didn't want to keep you from someone you loved so much you tied yourself to him for eternity." She told her. "The whole thing sounded like some bazaar fairly tale."
"So you're not mad at me for becoming a vampire?" Katie asked.
"No sweetheart." Her mother shook her head and tears started slipping down Katie's cheeks. "I always assumed you would make your choice when the time came. I never hated vampires as much as your father did, but he was raised to hate them just like the founders of this town."
"Then why did he become a vampire?" Katie asked. "Why did you?"
"Because he thought it was the only way to protect you." she answered. "He talked me into it. You're father was always good at talking me into things." She laughed.
"How did you die?" Katie asked, wanting to fill in one a blank.
"After we turned your father and I started fighting about what was best for you. He wanted to find Elijah and Klaus and keep them from you. I thought the best thing for you was to be under Elijah's protection until you were old enough to be given your memories and decide if you wanted to be with him." Katie listened tentatively. "I became involved with some witches, attempting to track down Elijah." she walked around Katie and sat down on her side of the headstone. Katie turned, keeping her eyes on her mother. "Your father found out what I was doing and…stopped me."
"He killed you?" Katie asked with wide unbelieving eyes.
"He didn't mean to. He was aiming to throw the stake at my neck, but his aim was horrible and he hit my heart." Hatred flashed in Katie's eyes. "Do not hate him, Katie. He was doing what he was raised to do. He genuinely thought he was protecting everyone, including you."
"How am I not supposed to hate the man that left me to be raised by an abusive grandfather and killed my mother?" Katie asked with wide watery eyes.
"He is still your family. Your true family." Her mother told her.
"If he really cared about me he would have come back." Katie argued.
"Maybe so, but do me a favor after you graduate go find him and talk to him." she asked and Katie just stared at her. "You need to talk this out with him Katie. Make him see that you are okay. Promise me."
"I promise." Katie nodded.
"About your recent decisions…" her mother started with a stern look and a lifted brow. "You are a good, loyal friend. Get over your anger and find a way to remind your friends that you haven't changed."
"But I have changed, Mom." Katie argued.
"You have. You're stronger, more stubborn, you grew a back bone. But you still love your friends." her mother pointed out. "You're upset with Elena and rightfully so. But you have been friends with her since you shared a play pen with her and Matt. Work it out with her or you will lose her. Caroline and Bonnie too. I've seen many groups of friends divide over conflicts like yours and I don't want to see that happen to your little group." Katie bit her lip and looked down at her mothers white Keds. "Look at me Katie Scarlette." Her mother told her in the authoritative voice she remembered. "Fix things with them."
"I don't think I can." Katie looked up at her mother realizing that it had grown dark out.
"You can and you will." Her mother assured her. "Now, when it comes to the originals." Her mother started with a stern face. "Klaus killed you and doesn't have a good reputation. Don't trust him. Rebekah is wishy washy so trust her at your own risk. Elijah, he's noble and keeps his word, him you can trust, but I'm sure you know that since Sheila's spell had been lifted. I wouldn't have been looking for him if I didn't trust his reputation." She brushed Katie's hair out of her face. "I never got the chance to give you love advice and I don't think we have much more time so I'll give you a crash course. First, if it feels like he isn't treating you right then he probably isn't so don't put up with it. If he ever hits you, leave him then and there. Don't wait for it to get worse or make excuses. And lastly, follow your heart."
"And if my heart and my head say two different things?" Katie asked.
"Always go with your heart." Her mother answered.
"What if my heart leads me down a dark path?" Katie asked again making her mother smile.
"You still don't listen very well. What did I just tell you?" she asked.
Katie looked down at her hands and smiled, "Always go with your heart. You realize you're giving me conflicting advice right?" She looked up expecting to see her mother, but she was gone. "Mom?" she looked around but didn't see her anywhere in the dark cemetery. "Momma?" When no answer came a tears slipped down her face and she wiped it away with the back of her hand.
The next afternoon she got a call from Alaric. "Hey, you have an extensive knowledge of the original family right?" He asked after she answered the phone.
"You could say that. Why?" she asked skeptically.
"I need your help with something." he told her.
"I'm not helping people who don't trust me." She said as she shook her head and shrugged.
"I trust you." he told her making her feel like crying.
"You are working with Elena and Damon. You may trust me but they don't. So it's nothing personal but I can't help you."
"Okay. Never mind then." Alaric replied then hung up.
After sitting around the house by herself for the most part of the day she decided she didn't feel like being by herself. Since her friends no longer trusted her Katie went to the store, bought the three classic flavors of ice cream, Oreos, peanut butter and milk and headed to the boarding house. "Rebekah?" she called letting herself inside.
"In here." Rebekah's voice came from the kitchen and Katie found her sitting at the bar with a drink in her hand. "What do you want?"
"To hang out with the only friend I still have." Katie answered as she walked around the bar and set the bags down.
"What are you talking about?" Rebekah asked with a frown.
"I'm friends with you and I didn't tell Klaus to stick it where the sun don't shine. So now they believe I will do whatever it takes to get Elijah back." Katie answered as she took the junk food out of the plastic bags. "I'm untrustworthy." She rolled her eyes then threw the bags in the trash. "So how's your day been?"
"Your friend Elena informed me that Klaus killed my mother." Rebekah told her and Katie froze.
"I thought Mikael killed your mother." Katie pointed out with a frown.
"Your friends found a cave under this town that my siblings and I used to play in. It was filled with hieroglyphics that told the story of our family including my mother's death." She told her.
"Damn. Sounds like you could use this more than me." Katie said with a motion to the pints of chocolate, strawberry and vanilla ice cream.
"Ice cream?" She asked with a look at the containers.
"And Oreos with peanut butter or milk for dipping." She answered as she put the milk in the ice box.
"Do I look twelve to you?" Rebekah deadpanned.
"Okay. I'll eat it myself." Katie said with a shrug as she put her hand on top of the pint of strawberry ice cream, but Rebekah snatched it out from under her hand. Katie fought the smile that wanted to take over her lips as she grabbed two spoons out of the drawer and handed Rebekah one then grabbed the vanilla ice cream for her.
"So people really dip Oreos in peanut butter?" Rebekah asked with an indecisive face.
"Yeah, I hear it's good, but I don't eat Oreos." Katie answered as she stabbed the spoon into the white ice cream. "Or any kind of chocolate for that matter." She added as she grabbed the chocolate ice cream and stuck it in the freezer.
"What is wrong with you?" Rebekah asked making Katie laugh because she got that reaction every time she told someone she didn't like chocolate.
"I grew up in a house with a grandfather who didn't allow me to eat sugar." She explained. "By the time I got old enough to disobey him my taste buds were kind of locked in place. Vanilla and strawberry is about as sweet as I can handle."
"Anyone ever tell you you're weird?" she asked then put a spoon full of pink ice cream in her mouth then turned the spoon upside down and pulled it out.
"All the time." She told her then took a bite of ice cream. "So…I can't help but wonder…what all did Elijah tell you about me after Klaus killed me?"
"He said you were wildly beautiful, heard headed, strong willed and you couldn't cook to save your life. He also mentioned your songbird voice." Rebekah answered and Katie smiled. "If I'm being honest I don't get the wildly beautiful part."
"My hair was different back then. More copper than auburn and a huge mess of tight curls." Katie pulled up a picture of the sketch that had been drawn of her, Jonah and Ronan. "This is me/Hannah." She turned the phone around.
"Other than the hair and lack of freckles you look the same." Rebekah observed and Katie closed out the photo.
"This is going to sound nosy, but…"
"You want to know about his past romances." Rebekah said with a know it all smile and Katie nodded. "Elijah's only had a few romances over the last thousand years. You were one of the greatest and longest. Klaus really hurt him when he killed you." She told her as she scooped ice cream out of the carton. "Now that I think about it, you should probably run." She told her as they both took a bite.
Katie swallowed with a frown. "Why?"
"Because Elijah's history with women is somewhat tragic." Rebekah told her and Katie grabbed her ice cream and hopped up on the kitchen cabinet behind her. Rebekah looked at her through narrowed eyes. "I don't know if I should be telling you this."
"Please?" Katie stabbed her spoon into the ice cream. "I don't want to be blind sided by anything when I finally get him back."
Rebekah thought about it for a second. "Fine. The first woman I ever knew of him loving was the first doppelganger, Tatia. He and Niklaus both loved her actually." Rebekah told her and Katie breathed in a deep breath and held it for a second before she let it out. "This displeases you?"
"Let's just say I have a very strong dislike for the two doppelgangers I've met." Katie answered, but made herself get over it because Tatia is dead. "How'd she die?"
"Our mother killed her for her blood to use in the ritual that turned us into what we are." Rebekah answered. "I believe you've met his second love." Rebekah said and Katie cocked her head to the side in confusion. "Katerina Petrova."
"Please tell me you're joking." Katie said with a slightly angry tilt of her head and Rebekah shook her head no. "Is there a man alive that skank hasn't slept with?"
"You really hate Katherine don't you?" Rebekah asked with an amused smile.
"Hate isn't a strong enough word." Katie answered the hopped down off of the bar, set her ice cream on the counter and placed her palms on it for support. "Keep going please."
"There's only two more that I know of. A witch named Celeste who was killed because of Klaus. Then you…also killed by Klaus." She finished and Katie was glad that there were no more doppelgangers notched into Elijah's metaphorical bed post. "Like I said, his love life is tragic." Rebekah noticed Katie's face and her hand that rested on her stomach. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah I'm just…processing." Katie answered staring down at her ice cream.
"Hey you asked." Rebekah laughed. "You had to know you weren't the only one he'd ever been with."
"It's not the amount of women that's bothering me." Katie answered. "It's the two doppelgangers." She said then snapped out of her shock and put the lid back on her ice cream, her spoon in the dish washer and put the ice cream container in a plastic bag to take the rest of it home. "Thank you for well, being a friend to me when I don't have any, but I think it's time for me to go home." She grabbed the bag and took her keys out of her pocket as she headed to the front door.
When she opened the door she slammed into Damon. "Hey." He pushed her back and tried to make eye contact with her but she looked down and brushed past him out the door. "Hey, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, Damon just leave me alone for once." She felt him grab her hand and she tried to jerk it away, but his grip was too tight. "Let go of me." She practically growled at him.
"Did Rebekah do something to you?" he asked.
She glared up at him. "You do not get to ask me questions. The last time I answered one you used it against me. Thanks to you I have no one."
"You still have me." He told her and a fire ignited behind her eyes.
"I lost you the second you got yourself involved in yet another doppelganger love triangle." She practically spat the words at him. "Now let me go before I make you." she told him through gritted teeth.
Damon let go of her and lifted his hands in surrender. "Just do me a favor and don't eat another football player."
"I'll do whatever the hell I feel like doing." She told him as she walked away.
A/N: I have rewritten this chapter at least three times and I'm still not satisfied with it. I feel like I'm making her too dramatic, but at the same time when vampires hurt they really hurt. So as always reviews, favorites and follows are always very much appreciated.