Mystic Falls, 2013

FS*FS*FS

Felicity took the ceremonial dagger into her hands and started chanting in her native language, the Old Norse. Without her asking Nadia extended her hand as she knew what was required for the spell. Dripping her daughter's blood on her biological mother's hands and then she stabbed her own hand chanting even stronger. The power rushed over her almost overwhelming her. She felt the bond develop between her and Katherine. Now the doppelganger will be in stasis until Felicity wake her up or Felicity dies. And latter option was unlikely.

She felt the tugging sensation and her knees became weak. The spell was done. Darkness overcame Felicity's vision as she started to fall to the ground.

Next time Felicity opened her eyes she was no longer was in Salvatore Boarding house. Instead she was standing in front of the cottage she owned in late fifteenth century in French province. This was the home where Nadia grew up.

Energies surrounding her were familiar. She knew that it was her mental construct. Place she put Katherine Pierce's consciousness while her body was in the stasis. And now Felicity was pulled inside too. The side effect of making herself an anchor, holding Katherine's existence in the world of the living in her hands.

Speak of the devil. Where was the doppelganger? Looking around Felicity didn't notice brunette anywhere outside. So she went inside. While exterior was exactly the same it was half a millennium ago, inside was much more modern. Interior was done in soft pastels, with sudden bursts of color in the details.

Skimming her eyes over the living room blonde vampire noticed Katherine lounging on iron framed settee staring into the painting hanging over the fireplace of six year old Nadia playing in the gardens.

As if sensing her presence in the room woman jumped up her movement elegant and agile. It wasn't vampire quality but still very graceful.

KP*KP*KP

Katarina Petrova was young and innocent girl. She believed in love and had dreams of family. But then she fall pregnant and the boy she loved run away after he found out. Her father took away her daughter even before she had a chance to hold her in her arms. Katarina's pregnancy without a husband brought the rumors and her father sent her away to the England where she met Mikaelson brothers. The best and the worst experience of her life.

After everything that happened in Bulgaria Katarina was guarded but Elijah Mikaelson was able to break through her wall and his charm, sincerity and loyalty made her fall in love with him. But the same loyalty that made him choose his brother Klaus over her. To survive she did that she had to.

That was the day the innocent girl by the name of Katarina Petrova died and the fierce vampire Katherine Pierce was born.

She spent next five hundred years running without a chance to settle somewhere. Katherine learned to survive at any cost. But then she became human again and she was vulnerable again. She started aging. And her biggest fear became true - she was dying. And it was happening fast.

Only ray of sunshine in these dark days was Nadia, her long lost daughter. She found Katherine when she had lost and buried deep down in her icy heart the hope of seeing her little girl ever again. And she found the way to save her and brought somehow familiar looking woman to help her. It was hard for Katherine to trust but she saw clear motive in Nadia's eyes - she wanted more time with her biological mother, so former vampire pushed down her fear, put on her brave face and let Nadia and the mystery woman do what was necessary.

What she didn't expected was to close her eyes in Stefan's room and next time she opened them she was in sunny garden in front of nice and cozy cottage. She decided to check out that was inside. Carefully Katherine opened the doors and stepped inside. Near the entrance she saw the mirror and was surprised by the image it displayed. Her skin no longer sickly pale, her hair had healthy shine without any grey streaks in them and her eyes lost the dazed look from painkillers, now they were once again sharp and observant. Former vampire was dressed in white one shoulder dress and white Jimmy Choo's. And she didn't remember how she turned up here.

Wandering through the house she found a living room. Above the fireplace was hanging the painting. She immediately recognized Nadia in it. She looked just like her little sister Irina at that age.

Katherine was sitting on comfortable settee when she felt another presence in the room. She jumped up and turned to see the same woman Nadia brought to help her. Her daughter mentioned her name was Felicity and she was really familiar but Katherine still couldn't place her. She didn't appear to be even slightly surprised to be in this place with her. So Katherine demanded answers.

"What is this place?"

"This? This is French cottage I once owned. Or more accurately it's a mental construction of it. I put your consciousness here to keep you safe from any psychic attacks while your body is in stasis. I always liked it here. It's a scheme it was destroyed in one of the wars. This place holds a lot of happy memories. You know this is where Nadia grown up. It was quite a distance from the nearest village, but my brother stayed with us and another one would visit often. They were fighting at the time but this place was neutral territory." Felicity's babbling caused Katherine to give her weird look.

"Okay... Why are you here?" Katherine tried to appear threatening. She was used to being feared and the months spent with frail human body deprived her from that.

Felicity wandered to the book shelves and picked up one of photo albums sitting there. "Since I didn't have any additional energy source so spell took too much out of me and it sucked me in too until my energy levels come back up." Felicity flipped through the album in my hands with a smile dancing on her face. "I think you would like to see this." She tossed album in to Katherine's hands.

Warily she opened it. Inside was the images of her daughter's life and they were moving. "What?!"

Felicity chuckled at brunettes shocked expression. "You are in place created by my mind. These are my memories put in tangible form. I borrowed an idea from Harry Potter."

Once again looking through the pictures Katherine asked. "What happened? Why you took her in?"

Smile faded from blonde vampire's face as she sat in armchair. "I found her frightened and alone because the man who I thought was her father was abusive bastard. Thank the stars she only witnessed his actions. But I was too late for Ivana, the woman who was raising Nadia."

"Ivana? I had cousin named Ivana. She was married but never had children. I suppose my father gave her my baby. When I come looking for her and couldn't find her I hoped she had a perfect life I had always imagined for her." Katherine's voice had waivered.

"I'm sorry. Maybe the first years of Nadia's life were not the greatest, but after I took her in I tried to give her the best life I could. It was hard when she was growing up and I was not aging. That's why my brother helped to find human governess who let Nadia feel a little bit normal, to see that she was not the only one aging around here."

Katherine didn't know what to say. It was all too much. She looked up at the painting above the fireplace again. There was something familiar about it.

Her attention shift didn't go unnoticed by Felicity.

"This one is actually my favorite. Original still hangs in my study." Older woman glanced over her and mischievous smirk appeared on her face, inside her eyes Katherine saw glint of determination as if she come to some kind of decision. "Painter just went through something in his life. His lifelong goal was ruined just when he thought it was in his hands. Nadia helped him overcome disappointment and rage it caused him. She bought a little bit of joy and hope in his life. Mind you he would argue against it till his last breath. "Love is vampire's greatest weakness and we are not weak."" Last sentence she said in the mocking manner.

"L- Love is vampire's greatest weakness?" Katherine repeated her eyes widening. She knew the person who always repeated this phrase and that person hunted her for a half of a millennium. Klaus Mikaelson. "Who are you?" The usual bravado left former vampire's face. She knew about Original hybrid's passion for arts. It came up in her research, but she also knew he didn't give the fruits of his private hobby to just anybody.

"Oh. I think we were never introduced properly. Hello, my name is Felicity Mikaelson Salvatore."

Shock caused brunette to lose ability to speak for a moment.

"What? There are only... were only five members of Mikaelson family: Fin, Elijah, Klaus, Rebekah and Kol. Two of them are now dead."

"Actually there were seven of us. I'm the oldest. After becoming a vampire my witch side became prominent. You might say that I am The Original Hybrid. But contrary to Nik I didn't go shouting about it from the frigging rooftops. Few weeks after he broke his curse almost all supernatural world knew about him being hybrid. I decided that it was easier to live in the background. Fewer whack-a-doos are trying to kill me or find out why I have powers, less headache for me."

Katherine understood vulnerable position she was in. Her life, her future was in this woman's hands.

"Are you going to kill me?"

"Wh-What?!" That was clearly not a question Felicity was expecting. "Why would I kill you? I came to Mystic Falls from Starling City to save your life."

"But why? Klaus- Your brother..." Felicity nodded when Katherine hesitated for a moment. "He hates me. Damon too. So why do you want to help me?"

"Because Nadia is my daughter. She might not be my blood, but she will always be my family. We Mikaelsons would do anything for our family. It's most important thing in our lives. And Nadia is a part of that family. No one would do anything to hurt her." Felicity sent her a meaningful look.

Implication of blonde's words came to her. "And you don't want anything in exchange for that." Katherine's suspicious nature reared its head.

"Well, I'll bring you back regardless, but I'd love to hear more about life in Mystic Falls. Elijah told me some things, but I believe he left a lot out.

Request seemed fair and if Katherine wanted Nadia in her life she needed to make nice with oldest Original sister.

"Okay. But I need something to wash off all this touchy feely stuff. I'm Katherine freaking Pierce and I don't do this. I have a reputation to maintain."

Felicity laughed and with a snap of her fingers a bottle of champagne with two glasses appeared on table.

"Let's go to the garden. I'll tell you in more detail about ritual to restore your life essence and you'll tell me about Mystic Falls."