Chapter 81: American Gothic
February 21, 2011
Damon had lost Elena. That was what Stefan had hesitated to tell Ellie when the morning came. She had left Elijah early in the morning with a soft kiss while he'd still been half asleep. "Jenna!" Ellie called as she walked into the house. Both of them had been avoiding the house since Jeremy had died, but she'd asked for her aunt to come to the house so that they could talk safely.
"Hey. Is everything ok? On the phone you sounded upset." Jenna asked.
Ellie had filled Jenna in on everything that had happened since Elena had turned her humanity off, which Jenna had missed due to exams that she'd needed to study for. "Damon lost Elena in New York and took the list he got from some dude that helped Katherine out. Which means Elena and Rebekah are hunting her down." Ellie told her.
Jenna fiddled with her keys before she asked, "So what do we do?"
"We find Katherine first. I need to know what really happened to Jeremy because I don't think Katherine killed him. She wouldn't hurt him." Ellie said confidently. No matter what the others thought of Katherine, they didn't know that she was Ellie and Jenna's family. They didn't know Katherine like they did. She wouldn't have hurt Jeremy, that was the one thing that Ellie knew with absolute certainty.
"Ok, how do we find her first? Do we need to get something from her place?" Jenna asked.
Ellie shook her head as she went to grab one of the maps that she liked keeping stashed around the house. "Normally yes, if she was someone random. Luckily for us, Katherine is my family by blood. Which makes this significantly easier." Ellie explained as she spread the map across the kitchen table. She plucked a knife from the block before dragging it unflinchingly across her palm. As the blood spilled onto the map, she began her spell. "Phasmatos Tribum, Nas Ex Veras, Sequitas Sanguinem. Phasmatos Tribum, Nas Ex Veras, Sequitas Sanguinem."
The blood pulled itself across the map, making its way from Virginia where it fell up north. To their surprise it veered away from New York, traveling west. It stopped in Pennsylvania, but the map was too small for them to see which city. "Now what?" Jenna asked curiously.
"Now we need a map of Pennsylvania, luckily for us, when I was just getting started with all of this, I bought a bunch of maps in case something like this ever came up." Ellie replied. "Give me a minute." She made her way up to her room and ignored the flash of cold she felt at the sight of Jeremy's closed door. No one had dared to go in. Not a single thing had been touched since they took his body out to bury him. She pushed past the pain and headed into the bedroom that no longer really felt like hers. Ellie found the stack of maps with ease and pulled out the one for Pennsylvania before making her way back down to Jenna.
Jenna eyed her suspiciously and with a bit of amusement. "Do you just have a map for every state in your room or something?"
"Yes." Ellie admitted. "And for Canada as well. Figured they might come in handy one day. Turns out I was right." Jenna watched as Ellie reopened her wound and spilt blood once more. "Phasmatos Tribum, Nas Ex Veras, Sequitas Sanguinem. Phasmatos Tribum, Nas Ex Veras, Sequitas Sanguinem." When the blood stopped it was in some town named Willoughby that Ellie was unfamiliar with. "Willoughby? Has Katherine ever mentioned anything about a place named Willoughby to you?"
Shaking her head, Jenna replied, "No. I've never heard of it. She's never mentioned it at least."
"Grab whatever you think you're gonna need. We've got a drive ahead of us if we want to get to her before anyone else." Ellie told her. "Grab an overnight bag or something because we'll probably be gone for a bit." As Jenna headed upstairs, Ellie ran a finger over her open wound, healing it as her hand passed over it. The red rage was still there, but the goal had shifted from getting back at Elena to getting the truth about what really happened to Jeremy.
Once she'd cleaned up the mess of blood off the map, Ellie also headed upstairs to pack what she would need for however long the trip would take. "Are you going to tell Elijah?" Jenna questioned as she walked into Ellie's room. The witch was shoving various things into a duffel bag, though she didn't seem to be paying much attention to what she was packing.
"No." Ellie replied. When she saw how surprised Jenna looked, Ellie explained, "I don't know if Katherine betrayed us and hurt Jeremy or not. I don't think she did so I'm not taking the risk of exposing her to Klaus. As much as I…" She hesitated suddenly, looking flustered before she corrected herself, "As much as I trust Elijah, I can't be sure that he wouldn't tell Klaus about Katherine."
"You want to keep her safe." Jenna said in understanding.
"I failed to keep Jeremy safe, until I know for sure that she actually hurt us like that, I'll keep her safe, even from Elijah and Klaus." Ellie told her. Once she had a reasonable amount of things in her bag, she zipped it up. "Let's go."
Part of her felt guilty for not telling Elijah. Trust and honesty were two major parts of their relationship and it made her feel… wrong to lie to him, like she'd touched something unfamiliar and sticky and it made her skin crawl. The sun was still rising as they piled into Ellie's car. Something was wrong, but she wasn't sure if it was with Katherine or if it was something else.
The hours blurred by as the top forty radio filled the silence. It wasn't a horrible time. Sometimes, they both got lost in the music, singing loudly and intentionally off key to Whitney Houston songs. Other times, the miles and miles of trees blurred together in an endless wave of brown with the faintest hint of green. Sometimes the brown ran red and her mind conjured up horrific images from her nightmares. Mangled bodies and bloodied rooms filled her vision when she closed her eyes.
Since Jeremy died, it was like she was losing the ability to block out all the horror she had seen. That was bad enough, but the part of her that was fueled with rage wanted more. Did that make her a horrible person? She didn't want to hurt innocent people. She just wanted to do something to the people that had caused Jeremy's death. Given, that meant that part of her wanted to hurt Elena. How was she supposed to deal with part of her that wanted to hurt her own flesh and blood? She had hurt Elena once, and had felt no regret afterward. In fact, she'd felt a sick satisfaction as her sister's blood slipped between the tips of her fingers. She would have kept going had Stefan and Damon not pulled them apart.
But even in the heat of the moment, she still didn't want Elena dead. If nothing else, she could rationalize it by thinking if she just killed her, then the suffering would be over and after all the pain she'd suffered because of Elena, how would that even be fair? As the red rage began to make its way to the forefront of her mind, she suppressed it violently. Stomping it down and back into the little corner she kept locked up tight. Now was not the time to let it out, not when she had no way to let the aggression out.
The hours ticked by, songs looping on the radio with how long they'd driven. Quick pit stops for food and bathroom breaks disrupted the monotony and before they knew it, they were driving past a perky sign welcoming them to Willoughby, Pennsylvania. "This reminds me of Mystic Falls." Ellie commented idly.
"Yeah, it does." Jenna agreed as they pulled over at a small diner. "I just want to get out of the car. I think my legs are going numb." She joked.
When they got out of the car, Ellie stretched heavily, feeling her neck crack greedily. "I'm so hungry." Ellie told her. "Hopefully they have something decent to eat. If I have to eat one more burger where I'm not actually sure if it's meat or not, I'm gonna set something on fire." She joked. Well… it was mostly a joke.
"I'm sure… Benny's is a delicious food place." Jenna said with only partial confidence. As they looked about, people smiled their way. Honestly, it was possibly friendlier than Mystic Falls.
When people started waving like they knew Ellie, that's when she found herself a bit suspicious. "Is it just me or do all of them kind of…"
"Act like they know you?" Jenna supplied. "Yeah. I picked up on that too. Katherine?"
"Most likely." Ellie confirmed. "It would honestly be really fucking weird if it weren't because of Katherine."
As if they had read her mind, a young man with a bright smile approached her. "Katherine!" He said brightly as he stopped in front of Ellie in Jenna. "The wavy hair really suits you!" He complimented.
"Hey…" Ellie trailed slightly, entirely unaware of what his name might have been. "How are you?"
"I'm good. You know, I could have sworn I saw you with some random blonde not too long ago. But I guess it couldn't have been you. I think that girl had some red streak in her hair or something." The guy told her.
Ellie glanced over to Jenna. "Elena and Rebekah if I had to take a guess. Honestly never thought I'd see the day where Rebekah actually managed to put up with her." Truth be told, the thought of them getting along kind of annoyed her in a way that she couldn't really explain. "Maybe I just have one of those faces where I've got lookalikes." Ellie suggested.
"I doubt it." He replied. "A woman as pretty as you, I doubt anyone could come close."
She gave him a small smile. "Thank you, but I really should get going. My friend and I have things we have to get done today."
"Of course, see you around Katherine." And then the guy walked off with a grin.
"She's popular around here I guess." Jenna said with a shrug to Ellie. After Jenna nodded, they headed toward the restaurant, which honestly looked like it might have been the only restaurant in town. Suddenly, Ellie froze, looking up with wide eyes. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"Katherine… She's close." Ellie told her as she looked around.
"Wait, where?"
Ellie felt the energy starting to leave quickly, in a car most likely. "Get back in, we've got to follow her. Food can wait. I want answers." They rushed back into the car with Ellie in the driver seat as she rushed to follow the vampire. They drove for a while, following far enough behind that they shouldn't get spotted, before she could feel Katherine pulling into a driveway. At least, she assumed it was a driveway since she stopped.
She gave it a minute before she pulled into the driveway of a house that was for sale a few houses down. Jenna was nervous, though she wasn't sure if she was more concerned over finding out what actually happened to Jeremy or if she was more worried about how Ellie would react if Katherine had actually betrayed them. Ellie unlocked the door with ease and let herself inside. Jenna gasped when Ellie was suddenly pinned to the wall. "Katherine!"
In an instant, Katherine had released Ellie, looking at them with surprise as she tried to ignore her own guilt. "What are you guys doing here? How did you find me?" Katherine asked.
"My brother dies and you disappear and that's the first thing you say to me?" Ellie shot back. Her mind was blurring the line between Katherine and Elena and the red rage was whispering to her.
Katherine flinched at Ellie's cold tone. She had always been the warm one, but now she just looked… broken. She could see how on edge but Ellie and Jenna were as they stood before her. The unnatural tension between them felt stifling. She'd felt regret after Jeremy's death, but she couldn't go back to Mystic Falls. Klaus would be on edge the moment he'd learned of the cure's disappearance and she didn't intend on dying. Once she moved back to close the front door, she started to say, "Ellie-"
But the young witch cut her off with a hard look. "What happened?" When Katherine didn't respond fast enough, Ellie repeated, "What happened to Jeremy on the island? Because everyone is saying that you killed him but they don't know anything about you and I… what happened?"
The regret she felt at not going back to Mystic Falls after she got off the island intensified as she watched as Ellie tried to keep her composure. Both she and Jenna were bracing themselves as if waiting for the blow if she told them it was her fault. Just like that, she saw Malina in Ellie once more, waiting for the pain. For Malina it had been a thin stick that left marks that burned like fire with the force from their father's swings when she'd been bad. For Ellie and even Jenna, it was waiting for a possible betrayal. "I didn't kill him." Katherine told her. "And I didn't intentionally let him die."
The relief was so strong Ellie thought that she might throw up, but she was so scared that her mind refused to let her feel complete relief, like it was waiting for the other shoe to drop. "You didn't?" She asked cautiously.
"He might have seemed annoying to me, but you and Jenna are my family, and he's your family, which means I never would have wanted anything to happen to him." Katherine explained, almost desperate for them to understand. "Ellie, I didn't hurt him."
She could practically see the gears turning in Ellie's head as she tried to decide whether or not Katherine was lying. "Then what the hell happened?"
Katherine moved to sit on one of the armchairs. "After finding out about the cure from you guys, I did some digging and when the Scooby Gang made their way to that island, I followed. It wasn't long after we got there that I figured out we weren't alone. There were the creepy natives and then another hunter. I killed one of the natives that tried to shoot Jeremy, though I must admit I wouldn't have been too torn up had they gotten Elena. I used one of the hatchets I'd nicked from that other hunter."
"Then what?" Jenna asked as she tried to keep herself from letting her guard down too soon.
"So I followed them. When Shane took Bonnie and Jeremy to the cave, I was there. The professor broke his leg or ankle or whatever in the fall. I ignored his pleas for help to try and catch up with Bonnie and Jeremy without being seen. Before I could find them, the hunter found them first. He was fighting with Jeremy after stabbing Bonnie. He'd cut his wrist to try and raise Silas. He'd managed to get Jeremy down. Jeremy was lucid enough to remind me of the hunter's curse before he kind of passed out." Katherine explained.
Ellie's stomach was twisting painfully as Jenna asked. "And then what?"
"I took the hunter and bit him. I shoved him into Silas and Silas latched on like a newborn babe. It didn't take long before he had drunk enough to move his hands, letting go of the cure. I grabbed the cure and grabbed Jeremy and got the hell out of there?"
"You just left Bonnie?" Ellie questioned.
"From everything that I had learned, Silas needs Bonnie. He wouldn't kill her. He can't. She would be safe, but I had to get Jeremy out before Silas was up and running. After we got a bit away from the cave, Jeremy started to stir, so I hid the cure before he came to. He realized that I wasn't Elena and we got into it when he realized I didn't get Bonnie. He wanted to go back for her and he didn't really like it when I tried to stop him. He attacked me and since I couldn't use full force he one upped me. I lost consciousness for a few minutes and when I woke up…"
All three of them knew what was coming, but they needed to hear it all. "When you woke up?"
"I went back to the cave. I found him there with the other hunter but Bonnie was nowhere to be seen." Katherine told them. "I checked for a pulse and I tried to feed him my blood, but nothing worked. Ellie, I tried." In the moment, Jeremy's body had mixed with Malina's, bloodied and vulnerable. "I tried to save him."
"You tried to save him?" Ellie asked gently.
Katherine stood and took a tentative step forward, before holding onto Ellie's shoulders. "Ellie, I would have given anything to protect him. I tried to save him. I am so sorry." It was the most sincere Katherine had ever been in her entire life. "I'm so so sorry."
She watched as Ellie hesitated, before she crumbled. Katherine swooped forward, catching her doppelgänger. Ellie's sobs were painful to hear, but Katherine just held her as closely as she could. "They told me you killed him and I didn't believe them but I was so scared…" Ellie cried. She didn't know if she was crying in relief or grief. Jenna started to cry watching Ellie break down, but Katherine just moved to hold her as well.
The trio slid down, knees hitting the floor as Ellie let out the pain that she'd been holding in. "I'm sorry, I should have come back for you. I should have made sure you guys knew the truth." Katherine whispered. She started to softly sing her familiar Bulgarian nursery songs to soothe both girls. They were in pain, but at least now they knew the truth. They were never going to heal without knowing what really happened.
After Ellie and Jenna had recovered, Ellie told Katherine that Elena and Rebekah were on the hunt for her. While Katherine was running some errands, Ellie had called Elijah to make sure that he was on his way to make the deal with Katherine. Thankfully, Elijah was as trusting with her as he always was and didn't question why she was petitioning on Katherine's behalf. She'd promised that she would explain when he got there. The duo had been walking around the square when Ellie's steps faltered. "You ok?" Jenna asked as she reached out for her niece.
"Elena and Rebekah found Katherine." Ellie explained.
"Wait what? Where are they?" Jenna asked immediately.
"This way." Ellie replied. The energy of the three girls buzzed in the restaurant and Ellie felt her anxiety skyrocket as she walked toward them. She didn't trust Elena with Katherine, nor did she trust Rebekah. Rebekah had hated Katherine even since she caused problems between Elijah and Klaus.
As they walked in, they saw a concerned looking blonde waitress walking away from the table where Katherine sat uncomfortably with Elena and Rebekah. "Every minute you two waste with your yapping is another minute we give Stefan and Damon to find us."
"Trust me, Stefan and Damon are the least of your problems." Ellie hissed, the rage appearing the instant she saw her sister as her anxiety faded. She got even angrier when she saw the fork plunged through Katherine's hand. She yanked it out without hesitation.
"What on earth are you doing here?" Rebekah asked curiously.
"Yeah, I thought you didn't give a damn about the cure?" Elena added.
Ellie grinned as Elena hissed in discomfort. She might have been bursting the blood vessels in Elena's head, but who would be able to prove it. "I don't give a damn about the cure, but unlike you, I actually want to know what the fuck happened to my brother. And trust me, you're already on very thin ice. If you push me, we'll end up having a little repeat of what happened in the woods." She dropped down and hissed in her sister's ear, "Only Stefan and Damon aren't here to save you this time."
Katherine's eyebrows shot up in surprise as she looked over to Jenna. She didn't seem surprised at Ellie's viciousness, which just confused Katherine even more. What on earth had Ellie been going through since the island? Rebekah's hand shot out, grabbing Katherine's chin and forcing the other girl to look at her. "Where's the cure?" She demanded.
Despite Rebekah being twice her age, Katherine just grinned. "I'm sorry. I'm on vervain."
"Oh, I get to torture it out of you. Fun."
"Why do you two want it anyways?" Katherine as Ellie took a seat next to her and Jenna took a reluctant seat next to Elena.
"The question is, why do you want it?" Rebekah shot back. "Let me guess, to kill Niklaus?"
"I've spent the last five hundred years running from your big brother. I have no intention of being within sniffing distance of him. But since it can be used against him, I'm sure he's just itching to get his hands on it. I give him the cure, he gives me my freedom."
"Oh, you poor victim." Elena sassed. "Where's the part of your plan where you screw us over and somebody dies?"
Ellie snorted, "And here I thought that was more your line of expertise? Why do you care anyways? You flipped your switch, remember?"
Elena glared at her before Katherine interrupted, saying, "I have no reason to screw you over. I know you have no reason to believe me, but it is the truth. People change, I'm not the girl you think I am." Rebekah laughed fakely before snatching something out of Katherine's pocket. "I don't have it on me!"
"I didn't think you did, but I'm sure there's something in that that can help us find it." Rebekah told her.
"Who's Em?" Elena asked curiously.
Katherine hesitated before she replied, "A friend."
"It says here you're meeting at two." Elena added. Instantly, Ellie knew that Em was actually just Elijah's initials. Honestly, she found it kind of cute that she put it in her phone planner. "I guess I'll just have to meet Em myself. I'll be right back." She snatched up her purse and headed to the restroom while Ellie shared tense looks with both Katherine and Jenna.
Looking over to Rebekah, Ellie asked, "You do know this is a horrible plan, right?"
"I want the cure. If she's not going to give it over willingly, and you're not going to help me find it, I'm going to have to get it myself." Rebekah explained, though she didn't sound unkind.
Subtly, Katherine nudged Ellie's knee with her own to let her know she was ok. Elena returned shortly after and asked, "What do you think?"
"It's close. Not quite slutty enough. I think you need more eyeliner." Rebekah offered.
Elena laughed before telling Katherine, "I'm gonna need your clothes."
Katherine scoffed before sarcastically replying, "Yeah, that's gonna happen."
"Fine. Your bracelet, watch, earrings. Hand them over." Katherine handed over her accessories before Elena added, "And your other bracelet."
Katherine looked at her like she was stupid, Ellie didn't disagree. "That's my daylight bracelet. It's daytime outside. I'm gonna need it. Besides, it's not gonna work on you."
"Fine. I really am gonna need that jacket, though."
Elena shared a look at Rebekah, who yanked Katherine violently when she didn't agree fast enough. In an instant, Ellie's hand was wrapped around Rebekah's wrist, removing her hand from Katherine. "Don't do that."
Rebekah frowned. "What the bloody hell was that?"
"Don't do that." Ellie repeated as Katherine handed over her jacket.
"This will never work, y'know." Katherine spoke before Rebekah could question Ellie further. "The bad haircut, the doe eyes. You'll never pass for me." She tossed her jacket harshly at the other vampire.
Elena mimicked her poorly before Rebekah instructed, "Throatier and more mannish."
"You two are pathetic." Katherine said as Elena continued to try.
After her next attempt, Rebekah praised, "Oh, perfect. Just the right level of contempt and hidden insecurity."
Katherine glared at her as Elena observed herself. "Almost there. Something's missing. Your shoes. I want your shoes." Katherine handed them over before Elena grinned at Rebekah. "Well, might as well head over now. If I'm lucky they'll be early."
Once she was gone, Rebekah looked over to Ellie, "Now, are you going to tell me why on earth you're being so bloody defensive of Katherine? She killed your brother."
"No she didn't." Both Ellie and Jenna immediately defended. "Stefan was wrong. They just assumed." Ellie added.
"Ok, that still doesn't explain why you care."
"Because she's my family." Ellie told her. "While everyone was busy wanting her dead, Jenna and I got to know her. She's my family and I protect my family."
Rebekah's shock was written all over her face. Ellie had never made the slightest inclination that she'd even really known who Katherine was, and all this time she'd been bonding with her? "What?" Rebekah asked.
At this point, Katherine had relaxed and tossed her arm over Ellie's shoulder, grinning at the Original. "She's saying that they love me, obviously." Katherine told her. "I mean, it doesn't surprise me that you don't get it with how badly you struggle with being loved by your own siblings. And yet here is my family that loves me easily, even when I've done horrible things. Funny, we've had so little time together and yet we're more trusting of one another than you and the brothers you've spent a thousand years with."
"You little bi-" She'd moved to stab Katherine's hand again, but Ellie blocked it with ease.
"I told you not to hurt her." Ellie said simply. "This would be much easier if you two weren't at each other's throats."
"It would have been much easier had she not divided my brothers in a way that's lasted five hundred years." Rebekah shot back, feeling ridiculously conflicted at this new information. Katherine turned and said something to Ellie in Bulgarian, not bothering to whisper since Rebekah would hear them either way. When Ellie started to stand, she asked, "Where are you going?"
"I'm going for a walk. You're not going to let her go anywhere and I've been sitting in a car for hours. I'm tired of sitting." Ellie told her. Rebekah's eyes shot wide as Ellie replied in Bulgarian before she ran a hand through Katherine's hair carefully, saying something in yet another language. "I'll be back soon. Try not to kill each other please. Jenna, keep an eye on them, will you?"
"Of course." Jenna assured her. For the first time in her thousand years, Rebekah felt entirely annoyed that she never bothered to learn Bulgarian. After the mess with Katherine, the thought of Bulgarian and Bulgaria left a bad taste in Rebekah's mouth, so she'd steered clear of it. But with them now blatantly talking in front of her and her not having a clue, she was more than a little annoyed.
Ellie left quickly, in case Rebekah figured out that she was going to meet Elijah and Elena. The gazebo wasn't that far from the restaurant, but she felt their energy pulling her toward an alleyway to the left of it. She spotted Elijah on the phone, looking like he was making a threat. As she approached, she heard Elena say, "You're both idiots."
"Excuse me?" Elijah repeated, and Ellie grinned slightly at the warning in his voice. Even with Elena, he didn't take well to being insulted.
"What happened to you, Elijah? I mean, I thought you were supposed to be a man of honor. And yet here you are sneaking and meeting up with Katherine behind Ellie's back. Were you gonna tell Ellie you were fucking her lookalike?"
"Watch your mouth." Ellie snapped as she approached.
Elena grinned at her. "Not my fault you weren't enough in bed for him."
She stalked toward her sister, and in one sharp move, slammed the other girl's head into the brick wall, watching in satisfaction as the blood dripped down her temple. "I told you to watch your mouth. He's not cheating on me, you idiot. Though, given how easily you switched brothers, I guess it makes sense that that's what you would assume." Ellie replied.
"Then how did he know to meet her here?"
"She contacted me earlier today and offered a deal. We thought we could be of mutual use to one another." Elijah explained.
"Of mutual use." Elena snarked. "Please, you fell for her trap just like every other one of those idiots."
"You underestimate me, Elena. I know who she is. I know what she's done." Elijah told her.
"And you think she's changed? She's playing you. She lied to you, Elijah. But out of curiosity, why did you even come when you know she killed my brother?" Elena asked.
"She didn't." Ellie said immediately. "Stefan was wrong."
Elijah's focus immediately shifted to his lover as he noted her sharp defense of Katherine. "What?" He asked.
"Katherine tried to save Jeremy, not kill him. He only died because he went back for Bonnie. She fed the other hunter to Silas to wake him. Jeremy wasn't her fault." Ellie replied.
"You're sure?"
"I'm sure." Ellie said as she felt the inkling of hope for Katherine's freedom.
Elena was watching them, unimpressed. "Pathetic. You really fell for one of Katherine's lies just like that Ellie? How disappointing." She was wiping at the blood that was drying on her temple.
"You're the pathetic one, turning off your emotions when Jenna and I can't. Once again you left us to deal with the fallout of your bullshit." Ellie snapped.
Elijah's hand was on her waist, calming her as he said to Elena, "I know you're in pain. I only hope that you can find your way back to yourself someday."
"Just like you hope Katherine will find her way back? You still think that innocent girl you saved from Klaus ages ago is in there somewhere." Elena asked.
"I'd like to think so, yes." He confirmed.
"She's not. She's a monster now, Elijah. The sweet peasant girl you fell in love with way back when is dead. And she's not coming back."
"Bold talk from someone that tried to burn her brother's body to ashes." Ellie shot back.
He told her, "I'm not a fool, Elena. Of course this has occurred to me, but what kind of man would I be if I didn't try to find the Katerina I saved beneath this Katherine façade?"
"You boys are all the same. Damon and Stefan still think that the girl they love is still in here somewhere, too." Elena scolded.
"You can't blame them for having hope, Elena."
She shrugged. "Maybe I can't, but it doesn't make all of you any less stupid."
Before Ellie could lose her patience with Elena, there was a sharp snapping sound before Elena collapsed to the ground. "Sorry. I got held up."
Ellie snorted at Katherine's pleased grin. "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine." Katherine promised her as Jenna walked up and spared at glance at Elena's prone form. Katherine was walking away from her body while Elijah paused to look her over. "Oh, come on. She could use a nap. It must be exhausting trying to be me."
"All the energy in the world and she still wouldn't be able to do it convincingly." Ellie joked.
At this, Elijah stood and looked at the three girls standing side by side. "What have you not told me, Eleanor?" He asked cautiously. The three girls were far too comfortable together. Something was going on.
Ellie looked over to Katherine with wide eyes and Katherine took it upon herself to explain, "She's my friend, my family. I've been in Mystic Falls this whole time. Ellie didn't tell you about me to keep me safe from Klaus."
The shock felt like a blow to the gut as the two doppelgängers laced their hands together. "I met her shortly after you told me the truth, I wanted to know more about her. When I learned everything she'd been through… I don't know, I just wanted to help her. Or at least give her a chance. Most people brush her aside as a villain and that just didn't sit right with me. Over time, Jenna started spending time with us and well… here we are."
Ellie looked vulnerable, like she was waiting for him to be angry with her, but mostly he just felt confusion. "If you three are close, why didn't you come back to Mystic Falls after you got the cure?" He asked carefully.
"I didn't want to risk getting caught in the midst of Klaus lashing out, so I hid out here." Katherine explained. "I know now that I should have gone back for Ellie and Jenna." She muttered a soft apology to the two in Bulgarian. It seemed she'd forgotten that Elijah knew the language. When she told them that she loved them, his eyes shot wide.
Jenna and Ellie seemed warm with her, and Ellie seemed more relaxed than she'd been since she learned of Jeremy's death. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Elijah. I just… I couldn't lose her after everyone else I've lost." Ellie confessed as she pulled away from Katherine to go to him. "Even when everyone thought that she'd been the cause of Jeremy's death, I didn't believe it and I wasn't going to risk signing her death sentence without knowing the truth."
He saw both Jenna and Katherine watching nervously, clearly worried for Katherine's safety. "And you trust her? You trust that she's telling the truth?" He asked.
"I trust her with my life." There was no hesitation in Ellie's reply, only honesty. "Elena was wrong about Katherine. She isn't a monster. Yes, she's done bad things, but she isn't a bad person. Elijah, she's taken care of me at my worst, even before I really had you. I just want…" She hesitated before glancing back at Katherine. "I need her to be safe. You granted Rose her freedom. I'm you to give Katherine hers." Katherine really shouldn't have been so surprised to see Ellie petitioning on her behalf, Ellie was nothing if not loyal, but it had been so long since someone had put so much on the line for her that she wasn't really sure how to act.
"You saved me when I was human Elijah, thanks to your feelings for me and your morals. I know you're not in love with me now, because you're with Ellie. Truthfully, I'm glad she's with someone as good as you. But you saved me once, and now I'm asking you to save me again." She said gently as she stepped closer to the couple. "My only crime was wanting to live and being scared. I've run for five hundred years and I cannot make this deal without you. Please… help me."
They all knew it was hard on Katherine to be so vulnerable and to admit her weaknesses. He watched as Jenna laced her hand through Katherine's, a silent sign of support. There was something about their loyalty to Katherine. This Katherine before him was the closest he'd seen to the Katerina he'd known in five hundred years. It was less hostile and warmer and he would have been a fool to miss the adoration in which she looked at Eleanor. She gave Eleanor the same look that she would get when she spoke of her younger sister, Malina.
Ellie had had the same dangerous look of rage talking to Elena that she'd displayed in her fight with Rebekah, yet that tension eased the moment Katherine appeared. Did she really hold that much influence over Ellie? She seemed more at ease with Katherine than she had with Elena. He wasn't sure if he'd ever seen her so comfortable with Elena. Finally, he turned to Katherine and asked, "Where is the cure? Stefan said that he was with Rebekah and Damon. Have they gotten their hands on it?"
Katherine grinned brightly at him, looking incredibly smug. "Oh come on now, Elijah. Don't tell me you think so little of me?" She asked. "They'd never be able to find it no matter how hard they looked."
"Get it and then bring it to me." He instructed.
"It'll take some time." Katherine told him. "With where it's hidden, I require a few things to be able to get it and they aren't always there. I'll have it by tonight."
"If you even think about betraying Eleanor-"
"I'd rather die." Katherine's admission was yet another curveball of surprise. "She was the first person to see past the seductress villain in five hundred years, Elijah. I'd rather die than intentionally betray or hurt her." She looked over at Jenna and said, "Why don't we give them some time to talk, maybe it'll help them out."
Jenna, who had been silent during the whole ordeal, mainly because it was somewhat of a lover's spat, nodded. "I'll go with Katherine to make sure she gets the cure. We'll call you guys once we have it."
Katherine gave them a small smile before she and Jenna left, leaving the lovers alone with Elena's unconscious form. "This whole time…" Elijah said in bafflement.
"I'm sorry." Ellie apologized. "I wanted to tell you, but I didn't know how you would react or if Klaus would find out… he loves tormenting people that have wronged him. When he first came, he compelled her to stab herself endlessly. I didn't want her to get hurt again. And Rebekah hates her, it wouldn't have been safe for her."
Elijah cupped her face carefully. "My love, please don't mistake my surprise and shock for anger. I understand what you're saying, it's just after five hundred years of a bad reputation it's a bit surprising to see her have such loyal defenders."
"She deserves it." Ellie replied. "The girl you knew, the one that was beautiful and kind and so, so innocent, she's still there Elijah. I've seen her. That's the girl that held me through my panic attacks and told me soft stories of Malina and her mama. She's still there, Elijah. She just buries her to protect herself. Katerina wouldn't have survived this violent life if she hadn't made her Katherine shell. She's my family, Elijah. She's my sister. I've already lost Elena just like she lost Malina. I can't lose her too."
The sheer fact that Katherine had even told Ellie about Malina spoke volumes. He rarely spoke of Henrik, and didn't dare unless it was someone he trusted, save for his explanation to Elena about their transformation into vampires. Yet, Katherine had told Ellie about Malina. She's my sister. Ellie loved her that much? "Your judgement has yet to let me down." Elijah told her. "If you trust her that much, if you love her that much, who would I be to refuse to give her a chance?"
Ellie kissed him then, hard and grateful. Words tempting the tip of her tongue, but she bit them back. "Thank you." She said instead. "Thank you, thank you, thank you." She kissed him repeatedly, a small smile gracing her beautiful face. It was the most she'd looked like herself in a while.
"What are we going to do about Elena? We can't just leave her here." Elijah asked as he wrapped his arms around her waist, enjoying the comfort between them.
"I'll call Stefan or something. Though I can't say I didn't enjoy watching Katherine snap her neck." Ellie replied. It had given her more satisfaction than she'd expected it to.
The sun had gone down a while ago, and Katherine had called them not long ago to request them to meet her in the square. No one had heard from the Salvatores since Ellie had told them where to find Elena, but that was alright for them. When they arrived in the square, Katherine and Jenna were waiting for them. "When I give this to you, then what?" Katherine asked cautiously.
"Return to Mystic Falls. Clearly, you've managed to be there and stay under Niklaus' radar. So go back and I'll speak with him on your behalf, and I'm sure Eleanor will be there to petition for you as well. Once we discuss things and we come to an agreement, you'll have your freedom." He promised.
"Do you give your word?" Katherine asked cautiously.
"Yes. I give you my word." He assured her. At that, she handed over a small box, though she did her best to hide the anxiety that still coursed through her.
Jenna nudged Katherine at the sight of Rebekah waiting on the trunk of a car. "We should go. There's stuff I need to get to take back to Mystic Falls." Katherine said.
Ellie tossed her keys to the girl. "I'll ride back with Elijah. I'll see you back home."
Katherine nodded before she and Jenna left once more. She noticed Rebekah as soon as they turned, so she and Elijah headed toward her. "You trusting Katherine? And I thought you were the smart brother." Rebekah sassed.
"You don't have a smart brother. It turns out I'm just as stupid as the rest of you."
"Why don't you just give me the cure so I can judge you silently elsewhere?" Rebekah asked.
"And what could you possibly want with the cure?" He asked, though he was already aware of the real answer.
"I want to be human again."
He gave her a look before questioning, "How do you know that being human is the answer you're looking for?" He'd never asked her that before. "I mean, it's nothing but a romantic notion. The grass won't necessarily be greener, Rebekah."
"You're probably right. But I don't care. I want to live a simple life as a normal person and when it ends, it ends. We've had twenty lifetimes together, Elijah. Isn't that enough?"
"I just don't understand. I mean, why must you always consider our family a burden? Always and forever. I mean, those words are just as important to me today as they ever were." Elijah told her.
Rebekah's eyes watered slightly. "You will always be my brother. And I will never stop loving you. But now it's time for me to live and die the way that I choose, not the way you and Nik want me to. Please, please just give me the cure." Her phone started to ring, interrupting the vulnerable moment. "What do you want, Nik?" She asked as she answered it. "Let's just say that things have gotten complicated. In fact, why don't you speak to one of those complications? Here."
She passed the phone to Elijah, who took it and said, "Complication speaking." Ellie couldn't help but snort. Even in an important moment, he was still so sarcastic. "Well, somebody had to take charge. And now that I have, I've got the cure and I'm bringing it back to Mystic Falls." He moved and opened the passenger door for Ellie as he said, "Not that long."
Things were going to get more complicated soon, of that Ellie was sure. The moment Klaus realized the extent of Ellie's protectiveness toward Katherine and Rebekah actually had a chance to really react, she was sure that they would both have plenty to say. But for now, Elijah had the cure and it was safe. It wouldn't be used on Klaus and Katherine had a chance for her freedom. It was a win, even if it wouldn't last for long.
Author's Note:
And Katherine returns! She didn't kill Jeremy, even tried to save him, but she was too late. And now Elijah and Rebekah know, though Rebekah hasn't really had a good chance to react. Do you think Klaus will grant Katherine her freedom? As always, I hope you guys enjoyed. Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts.
To idontexist07: You're a clown. Love you though.
To Qewbix: I literally have so many of the books and I can hardly remember any of it except that it was quite different lol. I also feel for Bonnie because unlike Elena, she literally always has pure intentions. She just wants to save people and she keeps getting used. Damon could have had such a good redemption though had he been away from Elena. Because I lived for his and Bonnie's friendship.
To skyellebaby: Honestly I agree. I feel like maybe them having a heart to heart after they got back from the prison world. Because honestly the bond him and Bonnie formed while they were there was everything. And literally seasons ago Elena even made a comment where she was like "I think he kind of loves her" so that would have been really interesting. Ellie won't go too far, she's just done with putting up with Elena's shit. Katherine's going to be pissed later, but at the moment she'd just wanted to make Ellie feel better. Ellie being the anchor would be interesting, but I don't think it would work because Bonnie would be dead then and they used it to basically bring her back. I do like the idea but it would change the plot kind of significantly. Lol, Jenna really let Ellie just do her thing lol.
To NaRuKo-InuTaiSHo-XD: Thank you so much I'm glad you enjoyed!
To brigitm28: Lol, them beating the shit out of each other was satisfying though. No humanity Elena can suck it. I really couldn't have imagined him having any other reaction to that than pride lol. I know, the completion of the triangle was rough, Caroline just didn't want to lose her best friend.
To Guest: I feel like we didn't get a chance to really explore Rebekah's reaction, but really the only one that we got a chance to see so far is Elijah, though I do plan on getting the other's reactions soon. But we did get Ellie and Jenna defending Kat. Like if you went the complicated route I could see how he blamed her. Damon was back to get Katherine out of the tomb, had he not then Vicki wouldn't have been turned, but that's still stupid. Matt is just... ick anyways so we aren't surprised.
-Madame Magic
Posted: 8/7/21
