A/N: a want to give a summary of where we are in this timeline before the chapter starts bc I have changed so much around just want us to all be on the same page:
-Vee has seen how this has originally all played out watching the Vampire Diaries and has replaced Vicki here while Vicki has taken over her life
-Lexi is alive and off somewhere with Harper and Lee
-Lexi still hates Damon because in this version he still killed Bree
-Katherine has arrived and has already taken possession of the Moonstone
-Stefan and Elena are still together, Elena knows she is adopted and about Isobel but hasn't met her and doesn't know about John(other than he's her uncle)
-No originals have shown up yet, with the exception of Esther's ghost to warn Vee if she keeps interfering in a way that leads to her not being resurrected she will send more than just the Martins after her so she is sidelined
-Damon and Stefan have slowly started to repair their relationship after Damon turned his dimmer a little further on after being banished
-Damon and Vee had a brief, casual friends with benefits arrangement but are now just friends
-Jeremy cheated on Ana with Bonnie resulting in Bonnie's Grams dying and Ana and Pearl leaving town, he still has feelings for her but she is keeping her distance
-We are now in the late summer before Elena, Matt, Caroline, Tyler, and Bonnie's senior year (Tyler is the only one not in the know)
*deep breath* okay... now let's start the chapter-
3rd Person POV:
Katherine had the moonstone, the doppelganger's location, a werewolf and plenty of vampires to choose from now came the scary part... time to send up a smoke flair and get in touch with Elijah or Klaus to hand over all the ingredients in exchange for her freedom.
Elijah was the more reasonable one but only truly getting Klaus' approval could mean her freedom.
Still, he was almost more paranoid than she was and impossible to locate or get a message to. Elijah, on the other hand, was slightly more accessible.
After one of her descendants had proved her worth she used her to negotiate on her behalf after successfully sending out a message.
Elijah POV:
I had received an unexpected message from Katarina apparently, she had not perished in a fire and wished to meet to discuss recent developments that she believed might earn her a pardon from Niklaus.
I didn't plan on sharing the status of my brother and mine's deteriorating relationship and how I no longer spoke for him however I was intrigued after not hearing from her for nearly 500 years what she could have possibly obtained to try and negotiate her freedom with.
The meeting was set at a foreclosed mansion about an hour away from Mystic Falls, a town that stood over what was once my home.
Arriving I heard 4 slow heartbeats... vampires.
If Katarina thought to set a trap for me I was not impressed, no one she could have possibly recruited or seduced to stand between us as fodder would do me any harm.
As I passed over the threshold I announce my presence and warn any vampires foolish enough to stand against me to go before it's too late.
"No one here wishes you any harm,"
I turn and notice a dark-haired woman,
"While that is very comforting Ms..."
"You can call me Isobel, I am a descendant of Katherine's and here to negotiate on her behalf."
I scrutinize the woman and admit there is a vague resemblance but I am still not convinced,
"Katherine turned quite young and after foolishly running from Niklaus and myself her family was slaughtered... she has no descendants."
"It's true, Elijah" I hear her voice coming from a phone in Isobel's hand... "Katarina?"
"It's me."
I sigh, "I should have known you wouldn't have been brave enough to face me,"
"Can you blame me?"
"Yes," I tell her unfeelingly, "Just get on with saying whatever it is you wish to say so I may leave this wretched place."
"Isobel," Katarina prompts...
"Katherine has in her possession the moonstone and a werewolf."
Fighting the bad habit to roll my eyes I adjust my tie and compose myself, "While that is marginally impressive it is all useless without the doppelganger of which she was the last."
"Actually that would be my daughter... my human daughter," Isobel tells me.
"Impossible."
"Cherie," Isobel calls as one of the other vampires in the house speeds over, "show Elijah,"
The vampire holds up a facetime call showing a slightly younger-looking Katherine talking with some friends outside the Mystic Falls high school.
"And how am I to believe that isn't just you Katarina with less makeup on and ironed hair, do you think you can play these games with me?" I ask getting angry,
Isobel holds her phone now switching it also to facetime showing me Katarina in a different location.
"I promise Elijah this is no game, I just want my freedom... to stop running, please."
"Everyone leave beside Isobel" I command,
I take the phone from her and hang up on Katarina.
Compelling her I ask, "Is the doppelganger really your daughter?"
I see her pupils dilate and know she isn't on vervain, "I gave birth to her but she was raised by someone else,"
"Do you love her?" I ask,
"Yes."
"Then why are you working with Katarina to give her to me?"
"Katherine swore you would find a way for her to survive, she told me you were noble and not like Niklaus, and before she ran she could see you softening wanting to save her."
"I assure you I no longer soften... but yes I did have a way to ensure she survived the sacrifice without becoming a vampire."
"That's what I want for her to stay human and be safe, I don't want her becoming like me or Katherine."
"Call Katarina back, tell her I will consider it... if she is able to produce the moonstone so I know she is serious."
Vee POV:
I am 2 months in and so far I love school, I still make sure to come back as often as I can the last thing I want is for Matt to think I'm ditching him. I'm home now actually walking from the market picking up some stuff to make for dinner when I bump into someone,
"Ooff, sorry..." we both say as my groceries tumble to the sidewalk.
As I am putting things away again I look up to see Mason Lockwood, "Mason?"
He looks up at me, "Sorry do I know you?"
"Oh uh, no sorry I used to date your nephew, Victoria," I say holding out my hand for him to shake,
"Vicki Donovan?" he asks surprised "Wow you grew up."
"Ah thanks I think."
"Sorry, I didn't mean it to sound like that,"
"No really it's okay," I tell him, when I look down and notice some blood on his side, shit... did Damon just stab him?
"Are you okay?" I ask motioning towards his side,
"Oh yeah, don't worry about, just a scratch, look I gotta go but I'll see you around."
I nod and watch him walk away but suddenly I am grabbed and dragged into the ally once again dropping my bags,
"Oh come on what the hell!"
"Relax, I'll give you $20 for a pizza," I look up to see it's Damon who has accosted me,
"Now tell me everything you know about Lockwood."
"Seriously, haven't we already had this conversation? I can't tell you anything."
"Hmm, I seem to recall you promising to intervene if it meant one of our deaths and seeing how we have recently learned... no thanks to you, by the way, that werewolves are a. real and b. deadly to vampires I'd say this meets the exception."
I sigh, "yes a werewolf bite is deadly however if you just leave him alone he'll do the same your making problems where there are none." I try to walk off but he pulls me back rather roughly,
"Just ignore it, that's your advice? We aren't talking bees at a picnic sweetheart afraid that's not gonna cut it.
"Look Damon, I know it's challenging but try to think about what this might be like for him,"
"For Lockwood, why the hell would I do that?"
"Because he hates what he is! It's torture having everything in your body break over and over again scramble itself and realign every month just to somehow survive it and know in 30 days your just going to have to do it again. If you keep going after him yes you will provoke him into starting something and since he's only deadly to you once a month you will come out victorious... congratulations, but he's not the only wolf on the planet. That's the thing about wolves, they tend to travel in a pack, so ask yourself would you rather swallow your pride and learn to tolerate one or kill someone who is already suffering and then have to deal with 10 or more coming for revenge?"
He scrutinizes me, "on second thought, you can pay for your own pizza," he says walking off.
I sigh, "good talk."