A/N: Hey guys! This is my first fanfic and I hope you like it but if you've got some advise or constructive criticism for me please let me know. Also english is not my first language so excuse mistakes please.

The beginning feels a little rushed, that is because I wanted to create the setting at first and only got into the flow towards the end. Also one scene is not how I think it would go but I had two scenarios in my head that I just couldn't figure out how to combine so it might feel a little weird.

Also sorry for skipping the actual sex scene, no matter how many I have read I kinda didn't feel comfortable writing it here, especially since I felt it would be a boring one. Maybe I'll do them in the future but this ff is more about the feelings anyway.

Generally I am not writing with the intention to publish. It's more that I've got ideas in my head that I need to get out of my system and thought since it's written down anyway someone might enjoy reading it. So here we go :)

Oh yeah disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters I'm borrowing, otherwise both of them would have gotten the happy ending they deserved.

Chapter 1

When Katherine learned about a cure for vampirism an idea started to form in her head. She wouldn't want to take the cure herself but when word gets out and more people start to find out, somebody is going to want to use it against Klaus. This could be her chance. If she could get her hands on it first, maybe he would be willing to make a deal with her. In return for the cure she could get her freedom. She really was tired of running… A plan started forming in her head.

After considering all options and forming plans all through the alphabet she realised that there's no way around involving Elijah for Plan A. He was her best shot. While there had been feelings involved way back when they met, Katherine also feared the original brother. She heard Elijah calling for her in the woods when she ran and compelling her to stay in the tomb after the spell was lifted where Klaus could find her didn't help either. The brunette was definitely nervous but if she could convince Elijah to talk to Klaus she would actually have a chance. That was worth the risk. No one else could take that role.

That leads us to the present. Katherine and Elijah are sitting in his living room, occupying the two ends of his couch. Usually when they talked the plan through Katherine didn't stay that long but today it was already getting dark outside.

„Okay I think we're done here for today. I should probably head home".

Usually Elijah wouldn't object but somehow he didn't feel like ending the night yet. The Original really started to like her company.

„Or you could stay? I could get us each a glass of wine and we could talk about something else? In case you don't have anything better to do."

Katherine contemplated her options and found that she wouldn't mind staying for a while longer.

„Sure, why not."

A while later they were sitting on the couch, a little closer this time. Each with a wine glass in their hands, when Katherine paused the topic to say:

„We were always good at this."

Elijah looked at her a little puzzled, as if to tell her to explain further through his look.

„We were always good at sitting down and just talking. Do you remember that time we sat down on the bench in the garden?"

Katherine wouldn't admit it but she missed talking to someone in this depth. There had been no one she could confide in within the last 500+ years. Those talks with Elijah back in the day were the last times she let herself be vulnerable with someone. They were the last times where she could openly talk about her actual thoughts without having to fear them being used against her or without having to protect herself. That made his betrayal hurt all the more so she had learned from that mistake quickly. But right now she couldn't help it. She was determined not to open up but there was something about him that made her want to be honest with him.

„Of course I remember. I remember everything, Katerina."

Slipping in her given name hadn't been his intention, it just felt natural in this situation. He generally prefered to use her real name but it usually had a different taste to it. This time it felt like his equivalent to calling her „darling" or „sweetheart" only a lot more beautiful.

Of course Katherine noticed it, too. Katerina. How long has it been since someone had called her that and made it sound like a loving nickname. Sure, Elijah and Klaus had mostly called her that but especially coming from Klaus it sounded more as if he was mocking her. As if he was using her name to torture her in between supposedly harmless moments just by making her think of the time back then. Her mind slipped to the time when he held her at Alaric's appartment and she shuddered internally.

But the way Elijah just said it, it made her feel… different.

The Original noticed her mood swing and asked: „Where did your mind just go?"

Katherine looked back up at him and quickly pulled her facade up higher again.

„Nowhere" She smiled slightly to not worry him.

But the Original wasn't stupid. He may not know what exactly was going through her mind but since her mood changed when they talked about the past he was pretty sure that it had everything to do with Klaus.

Elijah looked at her intently and thought it's time to dive into this unaddressed territory.

„I wanted to safe you."

Katherine, who had been staring into her half-empty glass of wine, looked up at him.

„I had a plan to safe you. There was an elixir that would have brought you back to life after the ritual. The night you ran was the night I planned to hand it to you."

He made a pause, waiting for her to say something but she just sat there, stunned. So her continued.

„I couldn't let you die. Not after…" He almost slipped up when he notice the mistake.

But Katherine wouldn't let him get away this easily. „Not after what?"

Elijah hesitated for a second but figured that it was time to be honest. If he expected that from her he had to do the same.

„That day when we were talking in the garden. Do you remember exactly what we were talking about?"

The brunette nodded.

„That was the moment you made me believe in love again, Katerina. After a long long time of living to search for my brother's happiness, you were able to make me believe in love again." He waited for her reaction until he said „In that moment… I was falling in love with you.

This time he didn't give her time to interject, he felt that he needed to explain himself further.

„That is why I was so angry at you for running. I could have saved you. Everything could have worked out.

At that Katherine almost bursted out „I didn't know! How could I have. If you had talked to me Elijah… What did you expect me to do when I would find out? You and Klaus were planning to have me killed!"

Elijah interrupted her „I didn't say I was rightfully angry."

Katherine sat there, looking away from him, shaking her head. „I can't believe this. Do you know what hurt more than Klaus' betrayal?"

It was Elijah's turn to sit by silently while she talked.

„Yours. Putting aside that Klaus killed my entire family, the moment I found out about the ritual it was your betrayal that hurt me most. I thought you cared about me. You spent time with me while he was gone for the day. The way we talked… there haven't been many people before that I connected with the way I did with you, even as a human. To find out that it was all an act to occupy me until my blood could be spilled to break some stupid curse it…"

She didn't have to continue her sentence. They both know how it ended. It was the first step to truly break her.

„I know that you think that but I can assure you it was not an act, Katerina."

Katherine looked at him „What do you expect me to think? You led the search party when you went after me. You would have done anything for Klaus."

„When I led that search party do you really think I didn't smell your blood? Trevor foolishly thought he could trick me. I knew where you were and I knew he was trying to safe you. I didn't want to bring you back to Klaus and Trevor gave me the perfect opportunity. So I let him lead me away from you."

„You did?"

„I did. I have done everything in my power to safe you."

Katherine tried to process all the new information she learned today. She went through her memory to try to find some evidence to varify what she was just told when a question started forming in her mind. She looked directly in Elijah's eyes when she asked:

„Did you have anything to do with… the death of my family?" She gulped in between.

The Original knew Katherine needed the eye contact to search for the truth behind his words.

„No I did not. Niklaus hadn't let me in until his plan was fulfilled. I did not even know what he had planned. Otherwise I would have tried to find a way to stop him, Katerina. What he did to you has been one of the cruelest things I have ever seen him do in the thousand years of living with him."

Katherine nodded slowly as if to show him that she believed him.

Suddenly she realised how tired she was. It had been a long day and a very emotionally exhausting one at that. She checked her watch.

„Thank you for your honesty Elijah. It's gotten pretty late, I should head back now."

When the brunette started to get up Elijah interrupted her, again. „You don't have to leave. You are right, it is fairly late. We have more than enough room in this place, you are free to choose one of the free bedrooms."

Katherine looked at him apprehensively when she checked her watch again. His suggestion sounded way more appealing than getting a cab in the middle of the night so she nodded to confirm that she will stay. The entire time she looked him in the eye and saw nothing but kindness. For the first time in forever she felt like she was treated like a person. At some point during their talk she started feeling something different. Since she had been busy with comprehending all the information she was given she hadn't paid much attention to it. But now with the way he sat there, looking up at her expectantly with his kinds eyes, the feeling started increasing. Now that she concentrated on it she could place the familiarity. This was what she felt like back in 1492. Her old, deeply buried feelings started flaring up again. She sat back down, closer to him this time. Elijah took that as a yes to his proposition.

„You know… I never reacted to what you just told me.. about your feelings for me. And I want you to know that… they weren't onesided. Something about you struck me the moment we met. And when you started spending time with me and we got to know each other.. I had never felt that way before." She cleared her throat and searched his face for a reaction, for any sign that his feelings may not be gone completely.

Elijah swallowed the lump in his throat. The only word he could get out was a hoarsely whispered „Katerina..". He had always wondered if she felt the same way back then.

Katherine stayed silent and moved closer to him gently touching his cheek and neck with her hand. She leaned in slowly and kept checking his eyes for any kind of rejection before she reduced the rest of the distance and pressed her lips softly against his. Elijah immediately kisses her back. After a while of this chaste kiss both parties pull away slightly and lean their foreheads against each other. They look each other in the eyes and this time neither of them knows who initiated the next kiss. Elijah slides his hand into her hair to pull her closer and Katherine holds onto his collar while they kiss more passionately but still gently. His tongue asked for entrance which she gladly granted and they started to explore each other in new ways.

At some point though the pair broke apart. They looked at each other and were completely overwhelmed with their feelings in that moment. Katherine broke out into a reliefing half smile half laugh and looked down. It was as if a weight that had been pushing her down for the last 500 years has finally been lifted off of her shoulder. After 500+ years of feelings never having been acted on, spending most of the time buried deep within her and not knowing the truth, she finally knew what it felt like to kiss him.

In this moment Elijah realised that he had not seen her laugh or smile geniunely in a very long time. What he saw in front of him was the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on, that had endured way more pain than anyone should ever feel but still made it through. Right now who he saw was Katerina, trying to make it through after being hidden away and protected so well behind these walls she had put up.

A feeling of guilt rushed through him as he contemplated the role not only his brother but he had played in forcing this woman before him to create a new persona that she could use to hide away most of what makes her herself for pure self-preservation. He feels the strong urge to touch her cheek as she smiles and gives in. Elijah pecks her lips gently as he says „we should probably go to sleep. It has been a long day and we could both use a little rest."

„Yeah you're probably right."

He takes her hand to pull her up from the couch and lead her through the house. As he tried to escort her to the bedroom next to his, she looked in the direction of his bedroom. Neither wanting to actually voice out loud that they don't want to be alone tonight. He noticed her reluctance and wordlessly pulled her with him into his bedroom.

„Um Elijah? There's a slight problem. I didn't bring any clothes to change." She bit her lip and looked at him.

„That shouldn't be an issue I'm sure I can find something suitable for you. Would you be okay with sleeping in a shirt of mine?" Katerina raised her eyebrows at him, suprised that he even owns „just a shirt" but nodded. She whispers a quiet thanks before she leaves to change in the adjoining bathroom. They switch places so that Elijah can follow his nightly routine but Katerina remains standing while she waits. For the first time in forever she was kind of nervous to get into the bed of a man. When Elijah steps out of the bathroom and sees Katerina standing there he immediately senses her apprehension. He moves towards her and slightly touches her arm.

„I believe we both are way too tired to do anything but sleep, Katerina. Nothing will happen tonight." He walks towards his queen size bed, pulls back the blanket and gets in. With his hand he motions her to come over and lay down next to him. Katerina chastises herself for being so insecure and lies down. Just laying there next to him feels awkward though so she turns sideway and scoots closer to lay her head on his chest. Elijah smiles slightly at her and starts threading his fingers through her hair. Both close their eyes and sigh in contempt. They whisper:

„Goodnight Katerina."

„Goodnight Elijah."