Up to this moment, after she suffered the heart attack that initiated the process of dying, Katherine believed that death was hard and painful. However, after Stefan injected her with another, the final, syringe and gave her that beautiful dream, it felt so easy. Her mind floated and found comfort in the dream she so wished had been the reality.

Suddenly, however, Katherine found herself in the living room of the Salvatore Boarding House. She has no idea how she got there and she looked around hastily, seeing the bunch of idiots who celebrated her death.

"Katherine..."

Her gaze immediately swept to Bonnie who apparently was capable of seeing her while the others don't. Apparently, the whole anchor thing really has worked.

"Ding dong. Does that mean the witch is dead?"

Katherine turned her head to stare at Damon who had a stupid grin on his face. However, it couldn't convince her that he indeed did have a good time. No, it rather was a pitiful attempt to convince himself that he was fine although everyone knew that he was dissatisfied with himself.

So that's it... it happened.

She knew what she theoretically should do, yet she couldn't. She couldn't do the final step.

Katherine looked around in panic, shaking her head while Bonnie stared at her in confusion.

"No. Uh-uh. It's too soon. I can't!"

From the corners of her eyes, she saw a shadow entering the room. She noticed how everyone's heads snapped wide-eyed in that direction but Katherine couldn't figure out who or what it was. Instead, everything went black again.

This kind of darkness was a different one.

It wasn't scary, it wasn't painful. Everything appeared to be ... dulled. Wrapped in cotton. It felt like she was ... without a body. Weightless. She felt strangely disconnected as if her spirit is floating in some kind of intermediate plane.

She hasn't passed over on the Other Side, has she? She can't remember. But while she was floating in some kind of strange atmosphere, she also felt oddly connected to something, to another realm. Something that felt so familiar. It reminded her of an astronaut that floated in space but still had a safety line to protect him.

Eventually, Katherine felt a light pressure. A warmth.

She couldn't recognize it, couldn't tell where it came from. But it gave her a good feeling and she focused on that.

Again she had the feeling as if she's emerging from something, only that this time, it was deeper and more infinite than before. As if she's diving through different layers of different spaces.

Suddenly, Katherine's eyes snapped open and she took in a shallow breath that rattled in her lungs, eyes darting around in panic and confusion without seeing anything.

"Katerina..." she heard a surprised voice whisper from far, far away although Elijah was directly in front of her, his forehead leaned against hers, his hands cupping her cheeks.

"Elijah..." she whispered groggily, recognizing his voice. She blinked a few times to see better, although her vision was still blurry.

"I thought I came too late ... your heart ... your heart stopped beating."

She stared into his teary face, relief but also worry clearly written over his expression.

"You're here..." she whispered weakly and tried to muster a smile. The attempt alone exhausted her endlessly.

"I am, Katerina, and I won't leave," he told her in a soft tone and tried to swallow down his grief. The Original had cradled her lifeless body in his arms but now he gently rested her head back into the pillows, careful to not hurt her. She seemed terribly fragile and although Elijah refused to believe it, he knew they didn't have much time left for he knew that her heart has indeed stopped before. It probably is going to remain a secret how she had managed to come back but he knew that their time is limited. Although he wished there would be more that he could do, that there would be something he could to do help her.

"Sorry ... you've ... see me like that," she muttered and mentioned something with 'wrinkles'. The corners of his mouth twitched and he tucked a lost curl of once so shiny hair behind her ear.

"I assure you, you're the most beautiful woman I've seen. You'll always remain an exquisite beauty, Katerina," he confessed, knowing how vain she was. And it's the truth, although her hair was dull and with a touch of grey, although her skin was pale and worrying transparent she still was a beauty.

There were so many unspoken questions he wanted to ask her. So many things he needed to know. What has happened? Why hasn't she reached out to him? What could have been done? Could he have saved her if he returned to her any time sooner? Could her fate have been changed if he never left? ...

Stefan had told him that she won't wake up anymore, that her body has grown too weak, and that she won't feel any pain. Everything spoke against her waking up again but yet she did for some reason. Elijah is aware that the younger Salvatore told him the truth. He could see it himself, see that she was already far, far away although she reacted to his presence and his words. Her beautiful chocolate brown orbs lacked their usual spark, even they appeared dim. Nonetheless, he could see in those once so shiny eyes her relief, her happiness that sparked an even deeper love for her.

"I shouldn't have left you, Katerina," he whispered; regret swinging in his tone. Perhaps if he hadn't been too afraid of Klaus' threats and his ability to turn them into reality rather quickly, this could have been prevented.

"And I love you, Katerina. No matter what." his voice was still low as he caressed her beautiful face. "Love is so incredibly rare but know this: I have found it with you. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. All I wanted was your safety," his voice broke as he uttered those words

"You ... love ... me?"

It pained him to hear how much she struggled to utter her question but he nodded, his thumb carefully caressing her cheek.

"Yes, I do, Katerina. Yes, I do. And I beg your pardon if it didn't seem like that." It is a regret he's going to carry it with him forever and he didn't expect her to accept his apology. It was his fault for how they parted. And it was also his fault that he hasn't found the right words and letting her know that their separation has nothing to do with his feelings.

"I forgive you, 'lijah" her words were strangely clear, and in her eyes sparked something that hadn't been there before.

He took in a deep breath, wishing that this conversation could be held in a different situation, wishing it wouldn't be a goodbye.

"I ... love you ... too. You just ... you just found me in the wrong universe," Katherine uttered, tears dwelling in her eyes. Now she knew what it had been that had prevented her from passing over to the Other Side. Unconsciously, she had waited, had hoped, for Elijah to return. Had hoped that she does matter to him. That he still cares and loves her.

He was the string that kept her connected to this world and she so desperately tried to hold on, although that string grew thinner and thinner.

"My blood ... perhaps it saves you" he offered, already uncuffing his shirt to bare his wrist. Katherine, however, only let out a sob.

"'s too late. Pl-please stay?"

Elijah let his hand fall into his lap and bit down on her lower lip as his last desperate attempt to save her was not accepted, making it clear that he's going to lose her in the next minutes. His confession of loving her has revived her for a moment but the energy quickly faded away.

"Of course, I will," Elijah's voice trembled and he had to fight the tears, not wanting to make it harder for her. The Original carefully moved up to her and pulled her even more carefully towards him, his arms loosely wrapped around her petite frame.

He wasn't ready to let go, wasn't ready to say goodbye to her. But he could see that she and her body grew tired, although she fought it.

For a long moment, Katherine's eyes rested on him before they fluttered close.

"Tell me ... something," she requested, trying to hold on as long as possible although she grew groggy and everything went blurry.

Elijah swallowed and thought of something fitting... of something that gave her peace.

"I knew you liked the rose gardens in England. I often watched you admiring all those flowers and blossoms like it's something you've never seen before. You could spend hours in those gardens without doing anything else. When you left, I preserved one of your favorite roses so it'd always remember me of you. It laid in between the pages of my diary and was always with me, no matter where I lived."

Katherine hummed groggily in response.

"There's a rose named after you ... it's a pretty shade of rosy that merges in bright pink..." he continued and finally stopped when he noticed how weak her pulse was. However, he could see by the deep frown on her face that she was trying to delay it.

He knew it was time...

Elijah took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he pressed a kiss to her temple.

"It's okay to let go, Katerina. I'll stay with you. It's okay... go get some rest" he assured her, his fingertips brushing over her scalp.

His voice was far, far away as the string faded away and her mind floated deeper in the endless space that was dipped into a shade of pink. Flowers ... rose scent ...

"We'll meet... again ... 'lijah", she didn't know if those words actually left her mouth, if he was able to hear it but she needed to get it out. They'll meet again eventually, she was sure of that.

Then, she entered the bright light of the horizon and her heart stopped again. This time for forever.

"Good night, Katerina", Elijah uttered when he heard Katherine's heart-stopping, a silent tear running down his cheek as he pressed another kiss on her temple and kept holding her lifeless body, "You'll live on in my heart, always and forever."

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A/N: This was written out of a mood because I felt like writing angst. Hope you like it.

Stefan is giving Katherine the dream he also has given her in the show in 5x11.
Please leave feedback if you liked it and my work because feedback keeps me motivated