It had been a few days since they returned from their trip to the island. They had delivered a furious Bonnie a few miles away from Mystic Falls before driving back to Klaus's apartment with the cure safely stored somewhere. Katherine had been trying to keep tabs on where Klaus hid it, just in case.
She was happy to be back. Spending two days in the wilderness with Klaus was something she never wished to repeat. The fact that she was also back at his place meant that Elijah could better figure out a way to free her. That would have been impossible if she was with Klaus on some random island in the middle of nowhere.
Katherine sat composed in the living room. Her hands folded neatly on top of her crossed legs as she stared at the turned-off TV. She was trying to listen in on Klaus since he was rummaging through his room, doing something. She heard him close the drawer and raised a brow. "Really, is that your brilliant hiding place for the cure? Your closet?"
He closed his eyes and exhaled deeply, annoyed by her voice. "That's not where I hid the cure, Katerina. I was just changing my shirt, is that not allowed now?" he asked as he exited the bedroom.
They rolled their eyes at the exact same time.
"Now, since I'm the hybrid and you're the vampire, you will listen to me and shut up before I make you. Don't put your nose where it doesn't belong."
She sighed, not intent on stopping her nagging just yet. "You know, I usually love road trips, but you totally ruined my experience. Out of all my kidnappers, you're the most boring of them all."
It was already bad enough that she was under Klaus's control, but having to be so close to him during their entire trip to the island and back had taken a toll on her. She got up and tipped on her heels, looking for a drink, or blood, or anything to sip on to cure the terrible syndrome called boredom.
"I don't exactly enjoy your company either," he complained as he sat down on the couch, and much to his annoyance, Katherine followed. "Have you ever heard about personal space?"
She rolled her eyes and reached for the remote, but Klaus slapped her hand away.
"My house, so I decide what to watch."
"Fine," she groaned and pulled a blanket over herself. Klaus scrolled through the channels until he found something he liked. He hoped Katherine would like it as well so she could be silent for a while, and he would get some quiet. He was wrong.
"Um... Klaus?"
He took a deep breath, trying not to flip. "What is it now?"
"I helped you get the cure you wanted so desperately. Don't you think I deserve a reward for that? Like, perhaps... my freedom?"
Klaus paused for a second, a mocking curl forming at the corner of his lip as he turned to her, so they were sitting face to face.
"No, I don't think you deserve your freedom for that," he scoffed almost mockingly, thinking of how ridiculous her offer was. She had ruined his life for 500 years. Broken the ritual and stolen his moonstone. The only reason she helped him get the cure was his compulsion, after all. That was all there was to it. "If you want to never worry about me again, you'll have to provide me with more than something as simple as a cure."
Katherine was about to protest when Klaus moved his eyes away from hers, redirecting his gaze to her neck. He took a grip on her shoulder and placed his lips on her neck, flashing his fangs. Katherine shivered, silently praying for him not to bite her again. However, her prayers did not seem to reach anyone since she felt his teeth painfully sink into her skin. She let out a quiet moan of discomfort, but nothing more. She didn't want him to have the satisfaction of her suffering because of him.
She didn't give up on her negotiations despite the hybrid now drinking from her neck, however. "But I am worthy of my freedom. Have you forgotten the time I saved your life, not to mention the entire future of your hybrids?"
He raised his head from her neck and looked at her as if she had just said the most idiotic thing in the world. He wiped his bloody mouth with the back of his hand before speaking. "Now, what on earth are you talking about?"
"The night of the homecoming. You can't have forgotten since your father was there-"
"Mikael was not my father," he gnarled. "Continue."
"You must have already realized that the Elena you were talking to at the party, the Elena that was stabbed, was me. Because of me, I saved your blood bag required to make more hybrids. Although the detail you probably didn't know was that I also convinced Stefan to stop Damon from killing you. Which both saved your life and helped you kill Mikael. Are you saying that's not enough?"
Klaus paused for a long second, thinking about what she just said. His eyes only widened, however, when he realized all she had said was true. It was then he tried to justify it, to find a reason for her actions. And soon enough, he found it, and his expression went stern again. She did it for her precious Salvatore boys. She always did. The boys that had all of her attention, undeserving of it.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. Don't forget that you stole my mother's necklace when you knew that I needed it the most. Worst of all, you resurrected Mikael. That is a sin I'll never forgive," his spiteful tone soon turned slightly more gentle as he uttered his following words. "Despite this, Katerina... Thank you."
Katherine felt her blood boil as she shook his hand off her shoulder, not caring for his gratefulness in the slightest. It wasn't enough. After everything she had done for his advantage, he still held onto the oath to ruin her life—bloody bastard.
She wanted to scream, to yell at the top of her lungs. His voice annoyed her, his face, the way he said her name. "My name is Katherine!" she snarled.
Katherine glared at him as she sent thousands of invisible daggers, and that was the longest she had ever dared to hold her eye contact with him.
She recognized his expression. He was angry at her disobedience but didn't lash out at her like she had expected he would. "You had already betrayed me once, I never tolerate a second time. Even though I didn't exactly accept it the first time either, did I? I have no tolerance of those who betray me, Katerina."
She got even more furious when she heard what he was saying now. "Running away from my own death is not betrayal, Klaus. Are you completely mad? No wait, don't answer that. Name one reason as to why on earth I would stay with you, willingly awaiting my death," she snarled.
Klaus closed his mouth and went silent for a minute.
She crossed her arms and glared at him. "Well?"
"Because you loved me," he murmured.
She scoffed as she let out a fake laugh. He did not dare. "That's pathetic. You're pathetic. No one will ever love you, or be truly loyal to you. You're a monster, and you'll be alone forever." She spat those words with every ill intent in her body. Those words hit him. She knew it would. But they also hit her since she recognized herself in them.
"You say no one will ever love me. But dear Katerina, tell me... Whom did Stefan Salvatore end up choosing? Elena. He didn't choose you, he would never choose you. And you know why? Because you're a monster, maybe even worse than I am."
She looked at him and faked a smile.
"Then I guess we are both doomed to an eternity of loneliness."
Klaus had seemed deeply bothered by her words. So bothered that he left the apartment right after feeding her his blood for the bite. She was glad he was gone. He really irritated her with all his almighty and self-centered behavior, pretending that he was any better than her. Not that it bothered her anyway, she finally had the house to herself.
Katherine stirred the spoon around a mug with hot chamomile tea. She took small sips as she went over to the living room area, sitting down on the couch. The remote was hard to find since it had slipped down between some pillows.
She turned on the TV and watched a random show to distract her thoughts until she heard someone knock the door down. She jumped to her feet and went straight into defensive mode. Few people were brave enough to break down Klaus Mikaelson's door, so whoever did it had to be insanely powerful, or just plain stupid.
"Who's there?" she called out.
An all-too-familiar man in a black suit and polished shoes appeared outside the door. Katherine's frown soon turned gleeful.
"Come, Katerina," he spoke as he reached out his hand to her.
Elijah waited for a few seconds before he noticed that she was hesitant to follow him.
"I have lifted the spell. You're free," he quickly added.
Katherine immediately relaxed at his words, slowly smiling at him. Elijah had done it. He had freed her. And at a perfect moment too.
"Give me two sec," she noted as she ran over to a certain special place in the apartment. She grabbed the cure from the hiding place and hid it under her jacket.
She had carefully studied Klaus to watch where he put it every day since they had retrieved it. He usually had it on him at all times, but since she had caught him off guard, he had forgotten the cure at home. A mischievous smile appeared on her lips as she walked out of the house, head lifted high as she grabbed Elijah's hand.
A few weeks had passed since Katherine escaped from Klaus and joined Elijah's side again. Their plan for peace offering had backfired, with Katherine now having stolen the cure from Klaus instead of offering it up to him. However, she couldn't care to trouble herself with that too much. She was just happy to be free from Klaus, even though she didn't necessarily have her freedom. The weeks had felt like days when she was with Elijah, but she could tell there had been something weighing on his mind the last couple of days.
Elijah entered the house all dressed up as ever, stopping by the living room as his gaze landed on the doppelganger in his hallway.
"Katerina."
Katherine turned around at the sound of his presence in the room, her wine splattering in her glass at the movement.
"Elijah," she whispered as she stepped closer, a smile forming on her lips as she cupped his cheek and pulled him in for a kiss. He pulled her closer as he relaxed to her touch, yet he still furrowed his brows as he released from her lips, looking worried about something yet again. Katherine studied his eyes to see what clues might lie behind them. "What's wrong? Why did you call me here?"
Elijah wasted no time telling her. "Niklaus has gone to New Orleans. Apparently Silas went after him."
Katherine's hand dropped from his cheek to his chest as she looked up at him with gloomy eyes. "And? What does that concern us?"
"Niklaus, as well as New Orleans is... in a bit of a difficult situation. He has seemingly gone mad because of Silas, and not only him. He called me earlier and promised me a few centuries in a coffin for helping you escape. If I'm not there by him to keep him in check, who knows what'll happen."
Katherine's eyes widened slightly in shock as she took a step back. She knew what he was implying, but she just couldn't believe he would leave her for a second time. Only the thought of it almost brought tears to her already glossy eyes.
"But, you just said it yourself. If you go, he'll dagger you. It's not safe, so stay here. With me."
Her eyes were almost begging him not to leave her again, and he could see that. It pained him, having to abandon her yet again, but he had no choice.
"I'm sorry. I promised to put family above all, and right now, my family needs me."
"You're leaving me... for Klaus?" she muttered, lowering her gaze to the floor in disappointment and sadness. This would be the second time he abandoned her for his brother, and she sighed at the realization that it was always going to be Klaus. Elijah would choose Klaus over her every time.
"Not just for Niklaus. But for Rebekah, and for..." he stopped suddenly. As if he almost told her something he shouldn't. "To rebuild our old home."
She closed her eyes, silently nodding to herself. "I get it. This is the end for us."
"Not the end... Katerina," he promised as he moved closer to her and placed a hand on her cheek, making her look up at him. Her eyes were sad, so sad at being abandoned by the only person she had left. Having to live on her own yet again like she was so used to. "This won't be forever. We can find our path together again in the future. Because Katerina, I will always love you."
She shook her head, placing her hand over his. "Don't do that."
She knew that he was trying to give her hope. Hope that they would one day be together again, but she was unsure if she could trust him this time. Was there not a saying about this? Fool me once, shame on you... And after being abandoned twice, only a fool would linger behind. Waiting for a new chance, an opportunity to love again.
"Here," she fuddled with a pocket inside her leather jacket, pulling out the small bottle that was the cure and handed it to him. He accepted it hesitantly, raising his brow at her as his hand wrapped around the cure, putting it in one of the many pockets of his suit. "I have no use for it anymore now that Klaus will never accept it. I know you'll use it for something wise," she explained, taking a deep breath. "Goodbye, Elijah. I hope you find happiness with your new home," she smiled sadly as she turned to walk out of his place for good.
Elijah softly grabbed her hand as she walked away from him, making her halt for a second. He knew it would be difficult for her to forgive him, if she ever did. He also knew there was a chance he would come to regret this decision more than any other he had made in his life. Or that he made the wrong choice of letting her go. Only time would tell.
He wrapped his fingers around hers, squeezing them gently before letting her go.
"Goodbye, Katerina."
"Katherine," Rebekah hissed as she realized who this girl she almost ran straight into was. Katherine stared back at her and narrowed her eyes, equally as agitated. A toilet in a Chicago bar at 11 pm was the last place she had expected to run into the younger Original sister. Especially when Elijah had told her a couple of weeks prior that they were all moving to New Orleans for 'family business.'
"What do you want?" Katherine asked, annoyed, cautious at Rebekah's venomous tone. She tried to move past her, but Rebekah blocked her way, and Katherine knew she was in for it now. If she had to fight the blonde all by herself, she stood very little chance of survival, with Rebekah having almost twice her strength and twice the hatred.
"How can you ask that," Rebekah scoffed as she pushed Katherine up against the bathroom wall, right after kicking the door shut behind her. She pressed her thumb into her skin hard enough to draw blood, and she went even further until she had a hold around her windpipe. "I'll rip this out so you can't ask any more stupid questions," she threatened.
Katherine groaned in pain but still met Rebekah's eyes with a provoking look. "You Mikaelsons gotta stop pushing me up against walls, it's starting to get annoying and my back hurts."
Rebekah growled at her and tightened her grip. "I don't care. None of my brothers are here to stop me now, I can finally kill you without them interfering."
Katherine made sure not to move a single inch so that Rebekah wouldn't tug at her throat. "Why? What did I do to you?" she asked as she rolled her eyes at Rebekah's tantrum. Rebekah really didn't have a valid reason to hate her so much. It wasn't like she had ever harmed her directly.
"Not me, my family. You split apart my brothers, and you'll do it again if I don't stop you," she hissed as she suddenly kicked Katherine's knee with all her might, making her fall sharply to the floor.
Katherine winced but made sure not to close her eyes so she could keep a look up at Rebekah. She dragged herself out of her sight in a split second before Rebekah's approaching heel could kick her yet again.
"Get over it. There's no point in holding grudges when you're an immortal, but I guess it runs in your family," she scoffed.
"You also stole the cure from me! As if you're entitled to anything," Rebekah spat, clearly full of hatred of her.
"You should really be blaming your brother for that," Katherine sighed as her leg quickly healed, and she sped to her feet. "He's the one who forced me along with him."
"At least he didn't attempt to steal it afterward like you did. It was just luck that you were dumb enough to give it to Elijah, or else I would've never gotten it. Never gotten the chance to live a human life. You almost took that away from me."
Katherine raised a brow at her, snickering to herself as she crossed her arms. "Elijah gave it to you?" She shook her head. "I truly regret saying he would use it responsibly."
"You bitch," Rebekah hissed as she launched herself at Katherine. She grabbed a handful of her hair and slammed her head against the counter repeatedly. "This is for bringing so much trouble to my family."
Katherine fought back and grabbed hold around her fingers so tight that she could hear them crack, although they healed as quickly as they broke. "Let go of me you psycho," she muttered through gritted teeth as she managed to loosen Rebekah's grip just enough to release herself. She attempted to flee the scene when a woman harshly swung the bathroom door open.
"What the hell is going on-" she started but was cut short as she witnessed the scene before her. Rebekah quickly flashed her fangs and blood-red eyes at her, making her run away screaming.
The two women kept fighting, even after they had now been discovered. Katherine pushed Rebekah out the way as she sped over to the mirrors and broke one of them with her elbow. She picked up a large piece of glass and launched at Rebekah's throat, hoping to immobilize her enough to get away before she decided to get serious and actually kill her.
She wrestled her to the ground, and despite all odds, managed to press the glass to Rebekah's throat, but Rebekah was quicker and flipped her around so she now hovered above her. She was about to bite her teeth into her neck and rip out her throat when something small suddenly fell out of her jacket that made her stop completely.
"Is that..." Katherine started as her head quickly turned to the side to look at what had fallen out. "The cure?" she gasped and quickly snatched it up, right before Rebekah's hand could grasp it.
"Give it back," Rebekah panicked as she stretched over Katherine to take it from her hand. But as she did, Katherine buckled upwards and drove her leg straight into Rebekah's stomach, making her fly directly into the other wall of the bathroom.
"Stay back, or I'll break the bottle," Katherine threatened, pointing the piece of glass at Rebekah with one hand as she flaunted the cure with her other, showing that the power was all in her hands. "You brought it with you? Are you really that dumb?"
Rebekah huffed, annoyed, and crossed her arms. "There is no place safer than on an Original."
"Well, let's see how safe it is now," Katherine taunted as she threw the bottle in the air, forcing Rebekah to speed over to catch it as Katherine attacked her yet again, stabbing her shoulder with the piece of glass.
Rebekah grabbed hold of Katherine's wrist but failed to stop her as she stabbed her a second time straight in the throat, causing a stream of blood to flow and paint the floor. She twisted Katherine's wrist until she was forced to let go of the glass and stepped on it as soon as it hit the floor, now leaving Katherine defenseless.
"You'll pay for that," Rebekah growled as she sped the two of them over to the counter full of broken glass and picked up a piece behind Katherine. Katherine tried to wrestle off Rebekah and actually managed to make the blonde use both of her hands, forcing her to store the cure in her pocket in the meantime.
Perfect. It was just what she needed, as she pulled her hands down harshly, making Rebekah lose her grip on them, and stole the cure from Rebekah's pockets.
"I'll give you what you want," Katherine growled as she grabbed Rebekah's bloody throat and brought the bottle to her mouth, which made her visibly panic. If Katherine managed to shove that down her throat, she was sure to kill her during her transition, so she had to act quickly.
Rebekah quickly used the piece of glass to cut Katherine's hand, making her drop the bottle in Rebekah's waiting hand. Before Katherine could even react, Rebekah had pushed her to the ground and crushed the bottle of the cure with her hands, smearing it in Katherine's mouth.
"I'm sick of you doppelgangers ruining everything. Enjoy the other side, Katherine."
Katherine's eyes widened as she realized what Rebekah had just done. However, that wasn't what worried her the most. It was the hand Rebekah had started digging through her ribcage and the hand that graced her heart for a slight millisecond before the blonde was suddenly violently ripped off her and thrown in another direction.
"What the hell is going on here?" Stefan shouted. First at Rebekah, then at Katherine, who was slowly losing her sight and energy. "Everyone heard the commotion. They called the police, we gotta get out of here," Stefan urged at Rebekah before turning around to inspect Katherine's limp body on the floor.
"I just gave her what she deserved," Rebekah told him as she got to her feet and wiped some blood off her face.
"We should bring her out of here at least, before the police come..." Stefan started, but Katherine didn't hear or feel what happened next as she slowly drifted off to darkness.