Chapter Thirty-One: No Accuser So Terrible

A/N: Ah, I hope this finds y'all well! It's freezing where I am. Keep warm, don't get sick, stay safe!

Also enjoy!

Perspective: Katherine

-x-x-x-

"There is no accuser so terrible as the conscience that dwells in the heart of every man."

-Polybius

"She'll be fine."

You hear this.

It sounds like Klaus.

The world is shaky. A car.

A cool hand strokes your burning forehead.

"If you don't go any faster. I swear to god, Klaus—"

You grimace.

"Kat."

Your head is on her lap. She smiles tentatively, brushing sweat soaked hair from your face.

"Care," you breathe, taking comfort in just holding her hand. You feel a guilt in your chest. "I'm sorry."

"What for?"

You shake your head, trying your best to hold in a sob, and unsure if the tears in your eyes are from your pain or from your guilt. You don't try to explain, but you don't need Sherlock Holmes to see all the things you should be apologizing for.

Jeremy. Elena. Tony. Rebekah. Caroline. Everyone around you. Everyone you've ever met.

"Your little habit of killing everything you touch."

"It's okay," she assures but you can hear the fear in her voice.

She doesn't even know what you're really apologizing for. How can she?

"I'm so sorry," you cry, "I'm so sorry."

-x-x-x-

Six.

The first time you ever cried like a baby—like your heart would just come out of your chest any second—was when you were six.

At least, that's the furthest you remember. Crying like that.

Two weeks prior, you and Rebekah had met a bubbly blonde at the local day camp with an equally bubbly pup of hers.

Two weeks and a few days prior, Gustav and Esther Mikaelson had invited their good friend Amelia Pierce to spend some much-needed vacation time at their lake house on Lake Kerr.

You remember spending a great day at the local summer fair. A Ferris wheel ride with Amelia that went all the way up.

Two weeks that felt like a lifetime in your little six-year-old mind.

Two lifetime weeks that had you sharing tears with your new friend; crying like a baby because her dog had died suddenly.

-x-x-x-

36bt13 ac49pa 71cd47.92a

It's three weeks into Port Hill when you walk into your cell to find this note.

You'd frowned at first, spending the following day making sure it wasn't some kind of joke from Rebekah or Caroline. While their cell might be on the other side of Block D, there was no logical reason it would come from them.

By the second, and then third notes, weeks later, you were sure you'd figured out who was sending them. And honestly? You'd been completely intrigued.

Esther.

Conflicted, yes, but definitely intrigued.

Why would she ever reach out to you? And what makes her think you would respond?

By the time you got a fourth note, Finn Mikaelson had stopped by to pay you a visit. His proposition wasn't completely absurd, but the timing made your mind race.

Rebekah would murder you for even thinking about it. Caroline too, if there's anything left after Rebekah is through with you.

'I really shouldn't,' you thought.

And you didn't.

As if to tempt you, a timely sixth note appeared on top of your bed soon after.

You found that day, that you really are a sucker for punishment.

Tearing a piece off your notebook, you pick up a pen to respond.

-x-x-x-

For the first time in a long time, you wake up with a sense of relief; a security you never thought you'd have to miss as your eyes open to a familiar room.

A guest room.

In the Mikaelson compound in Virginia, you realize. The one just outside of Petersburg.

You're alone.

Beside your bed, a glass of water sits on the side table, and beside that, there's a stand with an almost empty bag attached to an IV, attached to your arm. Blood.

"Hello?" you call after a long moment of laying there, shivering at the cold sweat under the duvet.

When no one answers, you get up, thankful that the action is no longer dizzying.

It gets colder though, and you question if you should try to get out of this room just to check around.

You drink the water from the glass, noting that it does next to nothing to quench your thirst.

Wiping a hand over your eyes, you gaze at the door and try again. "Hello? Caroline? Rebekah?"

Doubt colours your expression at the lack of response. You know full well that you aren't completely alone. They're probably down the hall, or outside in the courtyard.

You shift in your seat, bemoaning at the ache in your entire body.

"Freya?" you try.

When no one responds yet again, you reach for the IV stand, turning the knobs and cutting off the flow of blood. With how many you've had in the past year, you should consider just drinking the damn things.

'It's almost done anyways,' you justify, biting your lip as you pull out the needle.

Actually getting to your feet is a little difficult but you manage it.

You glance at the closed door again.

No one.

Not even a peep from beyond the door itself.

When you push them open and stumble out, you find your suspicions correct. Weird.

Where was everyone?

You choose not to call out anyone anymore, holding your side and looking at both directions of the hall. With a frown, you head to your right, pausing at the bottom of the stairs that eventually leads to the second-floor terrace that looks out to the main courtyard.

Once you get to the top, you hear the muffled voices.

Your brows furrow.

'A party?' you joke to yourself, easily realizing that they're arguing. 'Without me?'

You stop a good distance away from the open doors.

"She's biased." You hear a mocking laugh. Klaus.

The voices are in the library, the usual spot for their meetings… or arguments, more like it.

"And still," Rebekah bites back, "my word counts just as much as yours. If not more."

Another laugh and you can imagine Klaus' eyeroll.

Elijah speaks next, laying out the obvious, "It's a risk—"

"—a risk we're going to take," Rebekah cuts in indignantly.

"A risk because Tobias will no doubt come looking for her."

Ah. You're the topic of conversation. That shouldn't have been a surprise.

"That vile man thinks Katherine is dead. How the fuck is he going to come after her!?"

"We have to think about what father would have us do."

"No. You left her for dead on the bus; you don't get a say in any of this!"

There's a scuffle. Something falling to the ground.

"Rebekah, stop." Freya.

"Elijah is correct," Finn intercedes. "We have to think about father."

"Thank you!" said younger man uncharacteristically exclaims, frustrated.

There's a pause before Finn continues firmly, "And his last order had been to bring them both to meet him. Klaus."

"Hey now, this is not the time to be pointing fingers, brother," Klaus defends. "I'm sure father will make do with just the traitor in the other room."

"Seriously?" Rebekah snaps.

Meet Mikael?

You blink at the prospect, speculating the reason Mikael is looking for you.

'Tony. Obviously.'

You lean on the wall, just now recognizing the small limit of your stamina.

"Feels like old times."

You tense for a moment, identifying the voice only a second late.

Caroline places an arm around your waist and directs your right arm over her shoulders.

You wince, silently thankful for the assistance.

"Yeah," you reply with false bitterness, and an equally fake glare towards the library doors. "Elitists, the lot of them."

She laughs and you hear the arguing stop for a moment.

No one comes out to check and they're back at it by the time you allow Caroline to guide you away from the library.

"Is no one here?" you question the quiet; apart from the Mikaelson children, of course.

"Pretty much."

"How did you know I'd be up here?" you ask, figuring that Caroline had most likely found your room empty.

"Please, Kat. You're so predictable."

"I doubt that."

"Alright, but if I couldn't at least tell the first place you'd go, I should have my best friend card revoked. And you know that's never going to happen."

You chuckle a little as she leads you past the stairs. "Where are we going?"

"The garden," she says simply, "I doubt you want to go back to bed, even if that's where you should be."

You nod. Maybe you are becoming too predictable.

"They seem like they're really going at it," you comment at the siblings you'd recently eavesdropped on.

"Yeah, well, a lots happened that they can't just discuss over tea anymore."

"Kol's missing…"

She glances at you, "And Elena."

The verbal reminder has you stiffening. "What do we know?"

"Not much. Just that they've been trying to contact Kol since Klaus came back alone from Elena's hometown."

"Mystic Falls?"

Caroline nods, "They were looking for you both."

You were right. Elena had gone back home and in turn ran into the Mikaelsons.

"Why would Kol stay behind?"

"Klaus said Elena was adamant about speaking to her aunt, Jenna. He didn't have a reason…"

No, Kol doesn't usually need rhyme or reason to do something but still. Staying behind and letting Elena speak with Jenna is odd. If anyone could infer what his motive would be, you could, but you can't think of anything.

"There was a shooting in Richmond. During the parade. Finn thinks it might've been Tobias because it happened soon after Kol went MIA. We were looking into a lead when you called."

"The shooting was a lead?" you question.

What was wrong with Tobias? First a motel, now a parade in a major city? What is that sick maniac doing?

"Nothings panned out yet and besides, Mikael's not here so, you know. For now, they have to vote out their next step."

Their next step meaning you. "Finn isn't putting his foot down?"

"No, but last I heard he isn't completely convinced he should let you stay. But I mean, you're already here."

You nod, knowing that nothing short of Mikael guarantees your stay.

That talk with him might come in handy. Not to mention, you need to talk to Freya, or Finn even.

When you get to the garden, you raise your brows at the foliage around the entrance.

"Wow," you marvel, gawking at the open space once you step in. The last time you were here, this was still under renovations. The room is a large courtyard with a glass roof to keep plenty of sunshine on all the plants and flowers. "This is beautiful."

"I thought so," she agreed. "And guess who keeps it maintained?"

You question with a look.

"Klaus," she says, barely holding back a laugh.

"Klaus? Since when?"

He must have a great deal of time on his hands to take up gardening. You'd have thought his depressing paintings kept him plenty busy.

"Apparently, he and Elijah have been doing a really good job. Says he enjoys it, actually."

You laugh. There's nothing wrong with gardening. It's a skill, really, but the thought of Klaus (and his stiffer older brother) kneeling by a flower bed to plant seeds one by one is an image you never thought you'd have to imagine.

When your laughter subsides, you take a breath of fresh air.

"You want to walk through it?"

You glance down at the path from the balcony to the garden itself, but then grimace at the thought of a long walk. Caroline was right, you should be in bed.

"Let's stay here," you suggest, leaning forward on the rails.

Caroline does the same. She points out plants and sections of the garden from this vantage point, telling you little fun facts about them. No doubt a reiteration of a tour she likely took from Klaus himself.

"Do you remember the ride here?" she asks abruptly, after a long while.

Your smile falters a little.

She reaches over, holding your hand and caressing the back of it with her thumb. "I haven't seen you cry like that in a while."

You turn your head to her but avoid eye contact.

"Hey, talk to me."

"I'm sorry."

You remember feeling the heaviness in your chest—the weight of all the guilt you're so good at keeping out of mind coming to the surface.

"I do remember," you murmur.

There's a beat too long that makes you question if she heard you.

"I'm sorry, Care."

"For what?" she repeats from the car, but this time you can answer… For the most part.

"I left you at the crash. Left even though I knew you were still there."

You look away even as she squeezes your hand.

"That's not something you need to apologize for," she affirms, but your blonde friend has never been the type to hold grudges. Not with the people she loves, at least. "The important thing is, we all survived that."

"Somehow…"

Caroline's lips twist as she offers you an encouraging smile that just somehow makes her look sadder.

You shake your head, "You know, what I can't believe is that they left you there."

"I got tossed out of the bus, Klaus said they didn't know."

"Bullshit," you mutter, but Elijah and Klaus had seemed surprised to see you there.

It's possible they only knew Rebekah was on the bus—it's definitely all the reason they need to intercept the transport.

"They spoke to you, right? I never thought they'd leave you behind."

"I can," you scoff.

"They had no excuse to leave you for dead, Kat. 'Bekah was pretty much still biting everyone's head off by the time I got here. She still is."

You only chuckle at that but Caroline is completely serious when she says, "I'm not forgiving them for that."

Not any time soon is what she means.

The blonde sighs, still holding your hand but fidgeting.

You would ask, already knowing what she really wants to say, but she starts.

"Katherine."

Caroline turns her whole body to face you, leaning on the railing with one elbow.

"How do you feel?"

Your sigh is deep.

"You're okay?"

Your bottom lip curls between your teeth before you answer, "Better I guess."

It's not a lie, and you're not hiding anything, but when you meet her eyes you have to add.

"I mean, I'm not dead, so…"

Caroline's expression matches her sad eyes.

You swallow at the thought. Tobias. Robero. Markos… that freezer… You don't want to think about it.

The blonde has tears on her cheeks by the time you read into that look.

"What?"

"When Tobias opened that account… We saw it, Kat," she says, pulling you into a hug you could believe she'd never let go of. "The whole thing. We thought…I—I thought…" That you'd died?

You want to assure her, tell her that you're right here and that you're fine but you fail to shake off the paralyzing thought.

Your words come out shaky, "Me…me too."

For more than a hot second, you really did think those were your final moments. And as much as you feared for the inevitable death, you hated the intense regret you felt as well. The guilt. And that scares you so much more than you'd like to admit.

Another person suddenly engulfs you and Caroline with both arms, and you know it's Rebekah before she even says anything.

You hadn't heard her come in, but you do hear her sob against your shoulder.

Caroline is crying too, and you have no reason not to do the same, holding them tighter than ever before.

-x-x-x-

Your fists curl into the blanket around your shoulders.

'Dumbass.'

"Fuck you!"

You look away.

You don't need to see what happens next. You were there.

Did you really have to taunt him? What were you thinking?

Freya closes the laptop just as a pixelated Tobias stalks over to you in the video. It's not HD, but you don't need high quality video to remember. No one needs high quality to get the picture.

"After what happened, I sent this to Kol. He and Elena left for Richmond to look for you, and then I lost contact with them."

"There was a shooting?"

The eldest Mikaelson nods, confirming.

"It was Tobias?"

"Jackson, actually. I briefly saw him and Elena on a street camera before they disappeared."

Freya pauses for a moment.

"Did you tell her?"

You glance up, "She found out..."

She is the only other person who knew about Jeremy. Freya doesn't tell you, she told you so, that's not her style.

"You had a fight?"

"Pretty much."

"Well," she diverts, knowing you'd rather not talk about it, "I checked every other camera I could find on the street. It seems like one of Tobias' men fired the first shot, but after the crowd went into a frenzy, I couldn't find anything on Elena or Kol."

You sigh.

Tobias won't kill her, or at least you highly doubt it.

"By the way, we located that kitchen where you had pointed. They swept the place. Robero was still there, but Tobias didn't leave anything else behind."

You wouldn't have expected him to.

"What now?"

"We find my brother and your sister. But we also can't have Tobias finding out that he failed in his attempt to kill you."

"What're you going to do? Burn down the place?"

"No."

"You already did something," you conclude and Freya nods.

"Finn and Elijah have spoken to one of our men in Richmond PD and a media outlet. We expect a domino effect once it gets out."

"A cover story."

"Yes. It'll be out this evening."

She hands you a tablet, and you read the headline, Two Bodies Found in Freezer of Hotel Construction Site!

The title makes you cringe.

"Hey," Freya notices, placing a hand on your shoulder. "You're safe here."

You huff out a deep breath, meeting her eyes. "Until Mikael decides to kick me out, you mean."

"No," she says firmly. "That's not happening."

You purse your lips, not doubting her assurance but Mikael isn't one to be disobeyed. Even from his favourite child.

Freya sits at the side of the bed. "You know, this is the perfect opportunity."

"For what?"

"Frame your death. Disappear. Tobias already thinks you're dead. You could go anywhere."

Anywhere. Your brows furrow at the thought

"Is Kol with Tobias?"

The elder woman pauses for a second, gauging, "He wasn't on the CCTV, but most likely, yes."

"Would you disappear now, knowing where he is?"

Freya chuckles sardonically, "No."

"Then you understand why I wouldn't either. You said I was safe here."

"You are."

"Good. Now I have to make sure Elena's safe," you say this, aware that it's not just your guilt talking.

You can tell she wants to say something, but she doesn't verbalize the assumption on her face. "Alright. I figured, but I had to make sure you were clear about your options."

"I know," you say gratefully. "Thank you, Freya."

She gives you a hug, telling you to get some rest, before gathering her tablet and laptop, about to leave.

You grab her hand. "Wait. Mikael sent Klaus and Kol to look for me. What does he want?"

"An explanation."

"About Tony?" Tony is basically self-explanatory. Even if he wanted an explanation, or your side of the story, it still didn't warrant him ordering his sons to hunt you down and bring you to him. "What does that mean?"

"I don't know, Katherine," Freya narrows her eyes in thought, finding the prospect as odd as you did. "He didn't say."

-x-x-x-

Rebekah places her hand on your forehead. "Your temperature's better. Lower. You should get some sleep."

"I would," you say, sighing exasperatedly, "but someone's hogging my bed."

On your left, Caroline doesn't even stir.

Rebekah only laughs. There's plenty of room on the king-size bed. It's like they planned that they'd invade your space eventually when they chose this room for you.

"You two don't have to sleep here."

"'Don't have to'? Babe, you'll be lucky if I let you out of my sight in the next five years."

You scoff as the elder girl settles herself between the two of you. Caroline groans, rolling away to make room.

"Won't you get sick?"

"Not a chance. Besides, Caroline's already asleep. Wouldn't want to bother her, now would we?"

"She's not."

"I am," the groggy voice of the blonde disputes, hugging her blanket tighter, and naturally relaxing as she falls asleep for real.

You frown a little, giving in, "I guess she is."

"Please," Rebekah mocks, "Don't pretend you don't love it."

"What's to love about an invasion?"

"Too bad it's been long settled that you're stuck with me."

"Lucky you."

This time, she's the one to scoff, amused. You chuckle again, shifting in your spot. God, you're sore.

You groan a little, feeling your drowsiness creep in.

"Hey, Katherine," Rebekah barely just whispers, and you look to her. "Don't die on me, okay?"

You almost reply with a snide remark like that last times she's said this but the blonde just leans her head against your shoulder. She doesn't expect you to placate her worry with something you can't guarantee. Not with Tobias out there.

You sigh, leaning towards her as well.

"I'm sure Freya's mentioned. You can leave if you want."

"Yes, but—"

"Oh, I know," she cuts you off. "I just wanted to be the one to tell you. Caroline and I have to leave the country."

"Soon," you ask for clarification.

"Soon."

That made sense. Before the mass evacuation of Block D, there had been that initial plan to escape Port Hill. And Rebekah and Caroline were always set to leave the US. Unlike you, there's no exonerating them, no conspiracy twisting their reason for being imprisoned.

"What happened to 'the next five years'?" you joke.

"There's an extra seat on the flight out with your name on it."

Given the circumstances, it really is tempting.

"I can't."

"Because of Elena," Rebekah states with a nod. "So, are you finally going to tell me what's up with her?"

Your fatigue falls away at her tone, "Huh?"

At Port Hill, Caroline had found out that you knew about Elena before she became your cellmate. You told Rebekah about it when she called out the both of you on fighting about something behind her back, but that's not what she's asking.

She laughs a little. "You've been weird since I told you about her."

"What?"

"Remember when I informed you, you'd finally get a cellmate again? You've been off since and not because you've been hiding the fact that you looked into your birth family."

No, you roll your eyes at yourself. As if you really could hide anything from your oldest friend.

"What is it?"

You stare at a blemish on the ceiling, sighing deep. You don't respond right away, and Rebekah waits.

"Do you remember what Elena went to Port Hill for?"

"Um… Didn't she and Penny exchange fists that one time…?" she ponders aloud, gasping a second later. "Oh Kat, no."

"It wasn't me," you say evenly, correcting yourself, "What I mean to say is… I was there. When her brother died."

"She's innocent," she concludes. "Why didn't you tell me?" About the whole thing because clearly, it's been weighing on you.

"You and Caroline were in Port Hill. I told Freya."

"What happened?"

"I was talking to Jeremy Gilbert. We had plans to meet up. He was going to introduce me to his sister."

"Elena."

"Yes," you acknowledge, running your teeth over your bottom lip at the nerve-wracking feeling. "I didn't notice at the time, but Jackson had followed me all the way to Mystic Falls."

"That creepy bastard. Why?" She glances up suddenly, "Hold on. He killed him, didn't he? It was Jackson?"

You only nod. "The prosecution had me subpoenaed against Tobias, and Jackson thought I was meeting with someone about it. That I knew something he didn't. I mean, I did. Everyone already thought Tobias was guilty."

"Thought?"

You shake your head, unable to explain your uncle's supposed innocence.

She had seen that video, and you'd been there—sitting in that metal chair—as Tobias professed the "truth" of the matter and you can barely believe it.

"You don't believe him?" she asks, reaching up to stop you from nervously wearing down your fingers with your thumb.

"Do you?"

She pauses at that, probably not expecting the turnaround.

Believing Amelia Pierce alive isn't necessarily an equivalent to Tobias' innocence, but it was giving merit to the words of a liar. Why lie about both?

You think of the voice you heard through the phone.

Amelia. Alive.

No matter how much joy that voice gave you, that thought is still a hurtful one.

You glance at Rebekah.

After Esther Mikaelson went away, Mikael never remarried. Amelia Pierce had been the closest thing to a mother figure the blonde had and there was no denying she'd left behind two daughters when she had… died.

"Amelia wouldn't…" she starts, trailing off with good reason.

"I want to believe she's alive," you voice honestly, "but she wouldn't do that to me, would she?"

"No." Rebekah is sound, a certain tone in her voice that neither of you can afford not to trust.

The reality though, is that you'd both been thirteen at the time. What could you possibly be certain of back then?

After a long moment, Rebekah turns and places her arms around you in a hug.

"I'm so sorry, Kat," she says, apologizing for nothing specific.

"Yeah," you say, leaning your head against hers. "Me too."

-x-x-x-

Ring Ring.

Ring Ring.

Your face scrunches up at the noise.

Ring Ring.

It doesn't let up, but you're already awake by the time it rings a fourth time.

Rebekah shifts beside you.

You turn your lamp on and pull open the drawer on the bedside table. The phone Damon had given you rings again.

Placing the burner to your ear, you speak, "Hello?"

"Katherine."

"Damon? Did something happen?"

You sit up, anticipation building. There's only one reason for this call.

"Enzo called me," he says.

You hold your breath.

"I know where she is."