Enjoy chapter nine. Like always, VD does not belong to me and leave a review. I would love to hear your thoughts.


Chapter Nine, Katherine

My heart was beating wildly against my ribcage as if it was trying its hardest to pry itself out from between my ribs as I parked the red Mini Cooper in front of the Salvatore boarding house. The house was dark, no lights on but still I couldn't be too sure there was truly no one there. Flipping my almost empty weekend bag over my shoulder, I used the knocker first, waiting for several minutes before deciding that indeed, no one was home.

Crouching down in front of the door, I used my father's letter-opener to pick the brass locket, grinning when it clicked. Somewhere it should probably worry me that with the whole good girl act I had going, it was that easy to fall back on my old routine. Carefully, I pushed the door open and peered inside the darkened hall.

"Stefan?" I tried, although by now I was sure no one was there. I waited a minute before moving over the threshold. I remembered vaguely that when I'd been a child I'd been dared more than once to enter the spooky boarding house but now when I was not nine-years-old and having something to prove, I could actually appreciate the interior.

The corridors were almost all made out of wood and I'd describe it as dark. If I were honest to myself then I would admit that I had no idea what I was looking for. Something to bribe Katherine with would be a lot easier when I knew more about her or vampires in general.

I knew where Katherine was, of course. The locator spell had been easy, using the Vampire girl's hair that had been wrenched out of her head when I got my bracelet stuck in it and my own blood to channel my magic. For once I hadn't ended up blowing something up (I did set the curtain on fire) and I considered it progress.

Katherine was where old Fell's church was, which meant she was in the tomb. Or at least, I expected she was. And Elena, although being kidnapped, was physically all right. After Elena had been taken the evening before, I had to resort to asking Stefan and Damon for help. Damon had taken to compelling me again, which of course, hadn't worked, and forget what happened. The down sight of pretending to not know about the vampire infestation meant I'd have to listen. Or at least, had to listen partly.

I rounded a corner and almost dropped my bag. The back wall was adorned by the largest stone fireplace I'd ever seen and from the side daylight filtered in from the cathedral windows. I guessed it must be the living room, decorated lavishly with detailed carpets and plush red furniture and I took a moment to gawk at it. I suppose when you lived as long as Stefan and Damon did and had the ability to compel yourself a nice life, you could afford things like this. Considering that gawking at the furniture as if they would better be suited in a museum (which they would) wouldn't help anyone, I started my way upstairs.

The house seemed upstairs almost larger than it had downstairs and ever so often I stopped in front of a painting or trailed my index finger over a piece of furniture that must be older even than the two brothers who inhabited the place. Moving in another room I almost winched at the heavy male cologne that laced the curtains, the sheets and even the plush of the chair near the window. I concluded it must have been Damon's room and fingered a black button-up before crossing the room once more. It held nothing of particular interest to me but I was still awed by the large bathroom with the huge bathtub.

Even without the handsome face Damon definitely held, I could almost understand why so many girls would fall for this. Almost and with that, I forced my feet to lead me out into the hallway again. I encountered a number of guest rooms and what looked like a storeroom before I found Stefan's room.

I held little interest for my sister's boyfriend's room either, but once I took a look at his closet I felt my lips quirk. There was a large section filled with my sister's clothes and I hoped she would not miss them as soon as she would, were I to raid her closet at home.

I yanked at a pair of denim pants, almost toppling all of the shirts over the floor and started to push several panties, bras and comfortable t-shirts with matching guardians into my weekend bag. I often wondered how she could miss anything as her clothes all were so similar to each other. Not that I didn't approve. I was functional and understood why you'd rather want two nice fine shirts instead of one pretty dress, but I tried to buy things that although might have been the same still possessed a different colour.

Although, when it came to it, my older sister had a much better taste in dresses and satisfied, I shouldered the bag again.

I wasn't sure what else Katherine would want. I'd gone through all of my drawers, making an even larger mess of my room than usual until I found my old mobile phone. Our dad's phone number was still in use, mostly because Uncle John hadn't been able to part with one of the last remnants of dad's memory and when I'd put his sim card in my old phone I'd felt a flutter of guilt run through me. However, I couldn't think of another way. If I wanted to be able to reach her without driving over every single time, this might be easier. The phone was fully charged and we could just swab phones when Katherine's battery was low.

The steps creaked beneath my feet as I descended into the cellar. It was sandy and while upstairs everything was displayed in grandeur, none of it was reflected here. It took a few minutes for my eyes to adjust to the dark halls spreading rather far from under the house and at some point, I stumbled into a bare room.

It was small and made up of large, rough, grey stones. In the door, there was a minuscule hole complete with bars and all and I back-pedalled quickly. The winding corridors below the house reminded me more of a dungeon. A dungeon with a fridge. Personally, I thought I might have gotten the jackpot on that one.

It hadn't even hit me until I curiously looked inside, half expecting a dead body for me to find, that what a vampire might have needed, above all, was blood. And there was a lot of it. The Salvatore Brothers had collected many blood bags, obviously stolen from one hospital or the other and I ran my fingers over the last reddish traces still visible on the base of my neck from Damon's bite a few weeks ago.

I still resented him for that and slowly I started to stack them into my bag. I wasn't really sure how many I would need, so I settled for what I thought might have quantified for four litres, swiftly clambered up the stairs again.

I didn't waste a moment. Once I sat in my car again, I started the engine and raced to the closest forest edge, in the roadside. I felt rather ridiculous, stomping down the dry mud-path with my weekend bag. It was heavy too and I held onto the straps tightly. I wasn't exactly sure where the old church had been, with the original town of Mystic Falls built in what was now part of the forests that surrounded the heart of the new village.

The breeze was strong enough to keep the trees and bushes in a constant stir, mostly masking the sound of my footsteps. It took me a little bit over an hour before I finally found the remnants of what must have been the church, scorch-marks still visible on the stones that still stood in a circle. I surveyed around the old broken-down building until I found a small gap leading below the church.

I knew exactly when I'd reached the entrance even though the large boulder with the pentagram and the pentacle should mean little to me and dropped the bag at my feet. My eyelids fluttered in concentration and I grunted slightly as the large boulder in front of the tomb's entrance trembled and moved aside.

The cave, because whatever my sister might like to call it, it was a cave foremost, was situated right under the old church' ruins and I was quite sure that I'd never been there before. Which, was surprising as I'd used to play around the old ruins in the woods a lot when I'd been younger. I'd just never noticed the stairs leading down here. Perhaps they hadn't been here when I was a child. Perhaps I hadn't cared for something that might have looked scary to me.

I breathed out softly.

The walls were damp and mossy and the only real light came from a distant pinprick of sunlight filtering in from a gap off above. It was still early in the day and I nervously plucked at a loose threat of my guardian. The tomb smelled slightly of mildew and dirt and I crossed my arms over my chest. In the distance, even to my human ears, I heard something or someone move closer. The closer it came the more I tried to yank a lock of hair around my fingers. It fell in frizzy wayward curls around my face and no matter how much I'd liked to deny it, my heart was beating fast.

"Cестра—" A voice much like Elena's asked softly and I felt my eyes widen slightly. The woman's resemblance to Elena was truly unbelievable. Katherine Pierce had the same beautiful features, the same pinkish lips and the same olive-skin (although the latter looked rather pallid now). She even stood in the same way, as if she, just like Elena often did, expected everyone else in a room to turn towards her. However, the look she gave me reminded me of Caroline, eyes flashing in irritation. In Caroline's case that was because I'd pushed her buttons. In this girl's case— I had no idea.

"Hello," I greeted dryly, unsure what sectpa meant and Katherine looked at me with such wounded fury that I might as well believe I was the one who'd locked her up in here.

"Come for a visit?" She whispered, and I wasn't sure what I should say to ease the tension that was thick and palpable and I pressed my hands harshly together.

"Katherine right?"

"Elena's sister." She whispered, her voice rough with disuse and I smiled politely.

"Indeed." I agreed and held up my canvas bag before pulling a blood bag out. Katherine's eyes grew wide with hunger, pupils large and breathing suddenly audible. "Right, yes, I brought this for you," I agreed and held it out to her, realising a second too late that she could grab my wrist as well. However, thirsty as she was, she didn't seem to realise that and yanked the blood bag out of my hand and drank greedily.

She sank to the floor, clutching the now empty blood bag to her chest: "My God."

"Better?"

"Much," she agreed her dark brown eyes flitting over me again. "I feel like you are more aware of what goes on in Mystic Falls than everyone realises."

"Hm, I do." I agreed softly, "But I don't know enough."

"Ah,"

"Katherine, I want to know what it is that gets Elena in danger," I explained softly and I tugged another blood bag out of my bag. "I'm prepared to negotiate, but I'll have some ground rules."

"What possibly could you offer that would interest me?" She asked haughtily and I pressed my lips tightly together, inhaling deeply to keep my temper in check.

"Except for keeping you fed regularly?" I asked sarcastically and she flinched slightly. "I have my ways of getting this tomb open."

She snorted: "And why would I believe you?"

"You don't," I admitted, "but of all the faults I might possess, I do always keep my word. I'll just need time. I'll have to go behind the other's backs and I need certain— things."

"You have a witch friend?" Katherine asked suspiciously and I sat down, cross-legged, in front of her.

"Yes," I agreed. "I feel like I have more supernatural friends than normal humans."

She narrowed her eyes at me before they lit up in understanding: "You're the witch."

"Yes," I agreed, seeing no reason to lie to her. I had after all managed to move a boulder as large as a small truck. Human strength alone would have never been capable to manage that and I tugged the spare clothes I'd borrowed from Elena free. I'd found a large stash of them in what I assumed was Stefan's room and held it out to her. She took it slowly, obviously still suspicious and I fished out a pair of converse sneakers. I sighed out when even the comfortable pair of shoes did nothing to ease her suspicion. "I'm not very good though."

"You're a beginner?" She asked me disdainfully, her eyebrows rising high.

"Take it or leave it Katherine," I grumbled and said beginners magic fluttering the fine baby hairs around my ears.

She pursed her lips: "Well, beginner's witch is still better than no witch."

"I'd say," I drawled, still irritated. Across from me, the sun glinted off of something glassy and I drew a leg up, resting my chin atop of my knee. "Do we have a deal?"

Katherine didn't immediately answer; yanking a small, well-packed toiletry bag out of one of the converse shoes. I'd added a small bottle of alcohol and cleaning wipes and a toothbrush with toothpaste. She held the other shoe upside down as well, before pushing her feet into them and sighed again: "Fine, yes. But be aware, little Witch, that if you betray me—"

"You'll rot into the tomb. Again, as I said, I'll keep my word."

She grimaced: "Fine," her face became curious again. "You remind me of someone."

"Oh, do I?"

"Hn," she agreed eyes flitting over my form again. "A lot really, I can see the Petrova blood in you too."

"Sure," I remarked, "tell me. What is it with this town that attracts all the supernatural voodoo?"

"Supernatural voodoo?" She echoed and I pulled the second-last blood bag from my bag and the veins around Katherine's eyes bubbled to the surface again. She snatched the bag from my fingers and sighed as the blood hit her tongue. I watched her fingers tighten around the bag and as soon it was empty, Katherine slumped against the dusty wall, looking sated. "It's a long story."

"I have time," I whispered and pushed the complete weekend bag towards her. Katherine cocked her head to the side and I shrugged. "I brought you a cellphone too. My number is in it. You can call me when you need something or if I can't answer leave a message. If the battery is low, we can switch." I explained and held up my phone. When she didn't say anything to that I pushed it away in my jacket and leant forward. "The clothes have to do for now. I found a few bits of underwear but I wasn't sure about the bra size."

"It's fine," she stated, "you're thorough."

I shrugged: "I was a bit of a dramatic fourteen-year-old."

Pursing her lips, Katherine took a moment to stare at one of the hoodies I'd brought her before shrugging it on and propped her elbow upon her knee: "A dramatic twist is what makes most stories worthwhile. The story you seek started in 1490. I had turned five and ten and I'd just been banished from Bulgaria."

"Why?"

"I had a baby out of wedlock, my father wasn't best pleased." She stated gruffly and I nodded in understanding. A child out of wedlock in times like that meant shame following the family everywhere. I shuddered lightly. How hard that must have been for a girl barely old enough to birth a child. "Don't pity me."

"Don't you think I should?" I asked, entangling my fingers together. Katherine looked to be around Elena's age now, which meant she'd been my age or even younger when she'd slept with someone behind her father's back (the latter I assumed). And giving birth so young— A dangerous feat in the fifteenth century, as more than one in three women died during childbirth. I'd even thought women wrote their wills before giving birth in case they did not make it through the delivery and I shivered. "You were just a child."

"Well, even so, I moved overseas to England and quickly assimilated into the English culture, becoming a noblewoman," Katherine explained and twirled a straight lock of hair around her fingers. "It was there that I met two noblemen, Elijah and his brother Klaus."

Her eyelids fluttered as if she was remembering a time I'd only ever learned about from textbooks and series and I watched her. Watched as her eyes turned glassy and I nervously pressed my steepled fingers against my lips. Early afternoon light spilt in and turned Katherine's hair a bright caramel and a small fine line had appeared between her eyebrows.

"Katherine?"

"Yes," she whispered before shifting, taking another sip from a blood bag. "Where was I— Ah, yes, at first I was rather taken with them. Both men being incredibly handsome, you see and I was— how did you put it? A child, I suppose you're somewhat right. I had many delusions about love and standing." She smiled coldly and I had the frightening idea something almost more terrible must have happened than her father kicking her out of her home.

"And then?" I asked slowly. "What did— Klaus? What did he and his brother want?"

"He wanted to break a curse by sacrificing the Doppelgänger." She answered slowly and I frowned.

"And that's you?"

"Hm-hm,"

I frowned, considering a curse that needed a Doppelgänger (my mind came up empty at that one) and the moonstone: "Is this for the Sun and Moon curse?"

"Yes." Katherine agreed and rolled my old phone through her fingers, before leaning her elbows on her knees, pressing forward. "Although it doesn't do what you think it does."

"It doesn't… And Klaus and his brother. Where they vampires— werewolves?"

"Vampires, yes." Katherine agreed again. "Although Klaus— Klaus is something more. He is a Werewolf as well."

"That's possible?" I asked, opening and closing my mouth in surprise. "I— I didn't know that was an option. And this curse—"

"It bound Klaus' Werewolf side. And in doing so, they used Petrova blood. A girl with my face got sacrificed and therefore only Petrova blood can undo it. Witches are crafty with their spells."

"How is that the Sun and Moon Curse?"

"As far as I know, the Sun and Moon Curse doesn't exist." She explained and gave me a lopsided smile. "It was all make-believe to find the ingredients Klaus needed for his Curse."

"What did you do?" I asked, but I already knew. I could figure it out because if faced by someone trying to sacrifice me, let me bleed out over an altar, or some ritual ground or— whatever else was needed, I knew I might have done the same.

Katherine seemed to read it from her face and her smile turned even colder: "I ran like hell."

"And you— turned?"

"Indeed," she agreed. "The Doppelgänger is the key to break the curse. The moonstone is what binds the curse. But he needed the blood of a living Doppelgänger. When I died I was of no use to him anymore and because Klaus needed the moonstone, after turning, I ran with it."

"I can understand that reaction," I admitted finally and her head shot up, her eyes wide.

"You do." She settled on after looking at me as if she'd tried to memorise every line my face consisted of. "Of course, you do."

I ignored that comment and leant forward: "But? There is a 'but' to this story, isn't there?"

"I underestimated his spirit for vengeance."

"He has been hunting you." I summarised and she gave a quick affirmative nod. It also made me realise something else. "And that's why you're here. You hoped to extend my sister as the metaphorical Olive branch."

"You've been paying attention." She agreed not looking an ounce apologetic. "Yes, I'd thought after 500 years he would be willing to strike a deal."

"But my sister—"

"I don't care, Honey, I will always look out for myself."

I blinked several times: "That seems like a lonely way to live."

"As long as it gets me to live… What, are you going to storm away now? We did make a deal…" She grinned evilly and I spluttered.

"I can't let you go off and offer my sister up like a— like a roasted ham. She's my sister."

"Honey, you won't have much of a choice. I haven't even told you the best part of the story." Katherine's whispered and her eyes glazed again. It was an expression that made my stomach roll and I froze. "When I ran, Klaus travelled to Bulgaria and killed them. Wiped out my entire family just to get back at me for running. Whatever you think you can do to escape Klaus he will get his vengeance. On you, your family, or anyone you have ever loved."

I felt my face blanch: "He killed—"

"And if you try to stop him getting what he wants, you will die, just as horribly as they did. If Elena refuses, everyone you and she love will die."

"So, you're saying there is nothing I can do?" I asked huffily, my fingers tightening in my shirt. "I can't just do nothing."

"You might manage when you have this." She held up the moonstone and I pressed my lips tightly together.

"I just knew you and Mason were a thing," I muttered and she gave me the Elena-stink-eye. I shrugged and reached forward but Katherine snorted and dropped the stone back at her feet, just where I couldn't easily reach for it.

"What?"

"You'll get it." She jibbed, "The moment I get out of here."

"I told you, I would get you out." I snapped and she tutted.

"This is my leverage. After all, I need you to deliver."

"You're a pain," I snipped childishly and she grinned as if she'd won a battle. "Fine, I'll contact you."

"Not if I contact you," she said, waving my phone at me and I nodded stiffly.

"Bye, Katherine."

When I ascended the large stone stairs again, squares of pale sunlight were filtering down from between the clouds. The chill in the air had dispersed and the air was now rippling with the warmth of spring. A low flower bush had popped, full pink blossoms had opened to the sun. It seemed odd that nature was blooming while my world was standing on its head and I swallowed back the hysterics that threatened to swallow me. My hands were shaking when I managed to park the car in front of our home twenty minutes later and I settled into the squeaky swing seat on the porch. Closing my eyes, stifling a sob with a hand, I leant back, hiding my eyes with my arms. Even with the Moonstone, what was I supposed to do?

My phone rang loudly and startled, I answered it hesitantly, hoping my voice didn't sound— odd: "Yes?"

"Sam?"

"Jeremy!" I whispered almost awed and my fingers tightened around the phone. "Jer?"

"I— is it true?" He asked softly and I trembled. "Is it true, Sam? Anna said they're after Elena."

"It is," I whispered, trembling in earnest now. "I don't know what to do, Jer. I'm really bad at this. I'm bad at magic, I mean last night I accidentally set the shower curtain aflame— I set it on fire, Jer, and I had to bat it out with my tennis racket. I mean I'm so bad at it. I can do four spells without a problem and everything else I attempt blows up in my face and I'm bad at negotiating too— Katherine told me what will happen— and I know Katherine isn't exactly trustworthy, but I actually believe her. Klaus—"

"Klaus?" Jeremy echoed and as I wanted to answer I realised he wasn't asking me.

"What does Anna say?" I asked, swallowing through another round of tears and Jeremy was silent for several seconds.

"That if Klaus is involved it's bad." He whispered and a tremble ran through me. "Sam, we're coming back."

"Don't, Katherine said Klaus will kill everyone that tries to intervene!" I whispered and Jeremy snorted.

"I'm coming home, Samantha."

To be continued...


A/N: And there is chapter nine. I'd like to begin with thanking everyone who is now following and who favourited this story. It warms my heart to see people enjoying this story and it often motivates me to write just a little bit faster (the thing that takes longest is rereading the chapters). As for the mistakes I'm sure are still there, I'm dyslectic. Grammar mistakes I learn from (when pointed out to me), but how you sometimes write something (like definitely or defiantly; I recheck these words like 20 times), that's the hard part.

If you see something (a word written with at and should be spelt with a d), please let me know. As long as my grammar control doesn't notice it, I do often not either. I have that problem with every bloody language (I always saw my grade drop rock bottom when spelling was a thing, they checked for…).

As for the term sectpa, that means sister in Bulgarian.

As for Samantha not going after Elena herself- What is she supposed to do. She's not very good at witchcraft yet and has no real idea what she's up again. I suppose telling Stefan and Damon was a rather smart move for a sixteen-year-old.

Anyway, please leave a review! I would love to hear from you all!

Next update upcoming Thursday!