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Disclaimer: I don't own The Vampire Diaries
I was alone.
Heart pounding in my ears, I tried to make sense of what had happened.
Katherine was gone.
When I put my hand to my stomach, I touched something sticky and wet. I held my hand up. It was dark.
Then the pain came.
It shot through my abdomen, cold and harsh and painful. God, it hurt. It hurt.
I whimpered, and I tried to call out for help, for anyone – but the darkness responded with complete silence. There was no one there.
I pushed myself forward, supporting myself against the building next to me. I tried to call for help again, but my voice didn't carry far. With every breath, an excruciating pain ripped my body, and I almost crumpled to the ground, my head spinning.
My phone. I had to get my phone. Shaking hands pulled the phone out of my pocket. Between the tears clouding my vision and the cracks on the screen, it was almost impossible to find the contact list. Squinting, I found his name and managed to press call.
''Evangeline?''
''Are you close to the... the apartment?'' I managed to get out.
''What happened?''
''I-I need help.''
''Where are you?''
''I... somewhere between work and the apartment, I don't know, agh,'' I bit back a scream and pressed my hand hard against the wound.
''Stay were you are.''
My hand dropped to my side and I collapsed to the ground. With great effort, I dragged myself up, leaning against the wall. I could feel the blood running through my fingers, still. Sticky and wet. My heart pounded in my ears. Quick and loud.
I don't know how long I sat there. Eventually, the pain stopped. The thumping of my heart slowed, quieted down. Finally, I thought. It doesn't hurt anymore. A content sigh escaped my lips and I closed my eyes. I was so tired. And without any pain, I could go to sleep peacefully. That was all I wanted right now, really, to just rest a while.
Rushed footsteps and the sound of someone calling my name urgently forced my eyes open again. My vision was clouded, but when he came close I saw the blurry face of Elijah. Why was he here? Had I called him? I had, hadn't I? I couldn't remember...
''Evangeline-''
''Hey,'' I said, mustering up a weak smile. ''I'll be okay. I- I just have to sleep, for a little bit...''
''Don't close your eyes,'' Elijah said and shook me, forcing them open. I was so tired. If he would just let me sleep...
Elijah held something in front of my mouth. ''Drink,'' he commanded, when I hesitated, trying to figure out what it was. ''Drink!'' he urged frantically. ''Please.''
I groggily looked into his eyes and hissed when the pain in my stomach returned. I had hoped it was gone. I thought it had been. He pressed something against my lips, and made me gulp it down. I whimpered at the strange, metallic taste.
Shaking my head, I wanted to stop, and eventually he let go. I felt myself go limp, and when I closed my eyes this time he didn't make me open them.
When I woke it was dark, but for a soft light glowing somewhere close, shining light on the edge of a bed. A bed I was in, I realised.
I tried to sit, but was immediately struck by a searing pain in my stomach, and I fell back down.
''You're still healing,'' Elijah's voice rang from the other side of the bed.
Once again, I tried to get up, but only managed to raise myself slightly on my elbows. When I did, I recognised my bedroom. ''Elijah?''
He was sitting at the bedside with his head down.
''What happened?''
It came back in snippets. A dark street. Katherine. A knife. Elijah, and a weirdly familiar taste in my mouth – rusty, thick...
I stared at him. ''You- I-'' I covered my mouth with my hand, feeling disgusted with what I remembered.
''It was the only way,'' he said. Then he was quiet.
Swallowing, I tried to push back the nausea. Leaning back against the pillows I looked up at the ceiling and tried to put the pieces together. If Katherine had wanted me dead, I would be dead. She wouldn't stab me and then leave me to bleed out... Something didn't feel right. There was more to it, I was sure of it.
My hands were still covered in blood. Brown, cracked. Almost black. I turned them over in the little light there was, and was probably more shocked than queasy. I remembered the foreboding itch. I could almost still feel it.
I pulled my bloodied shirt up and looked at my stomach. My normally light and even skin was red and uneven where the knife had gone, but the wound was closed. When I looked up, I saw Elijah watching me. His eyes lingered where mine had, then he averted his gaze.
''Do you know who did this?'' he asked.
The face was all too familiar to me. It was exactly the same as Elena's, even though it wasn't.
''Katherine.''
He stiffened, and turned to me. ''Are you certain?''
''Unless Elena's gone vampire and mad, yes.''
''Katerina,'' he said quietly, angrily. My eyes went to his hands. They were clenched so tightly that if he'd been holding something he would've crushed it.
I tried to make myself comfortable, but every movement hurt. Elijah looked at me squirming with dark, upset, eyes. ''You know her?'' I asked hesitantly.
''Yes.''
''Do you know why she'd target me?''
''There are a million possible reasons,'' Elijah said. ''She always has an agenda.''
Suddenly, he rose from his seat and started pacing the room. ''I wish I knew what she was thinking,'' he said. ''There must be a reason for this.''
''Okay,'' I said, grimacing when my stomach ached. ''Well, how well do you know her?''
He only had to glance briefly at me for me to understand. ''Oh,'' I said uncomfortably. ''Okay, um... and it's not a way of getting you... you know, back?''
He shook his head. ''I don't know.''
''Well I've got nothing,'' I said, and let my head fall against the pillows to rest. My whole body was stiff. Stiff and numb from all the pain.
''Are you tired?'' I heard him ask.
''Yeah.''
His pacing slowed down, and when I threw a glance towards him he was almost by the door.
''Wait, I-''
Stopping, he met my gaze and was next to the bed in three long strides when I tried to raise myself up again, against my own better judgement. I knew it was going to hurt, and it did. I patted the bed, asking him to sit down.
''What is it?'' he asked, and obliged.
I looked him in the eyes and tried to decipher his thoughts. His feelings were almost easy. He was agitated. He was frustrated.
I spoke softly. ''Are you okay?''
He focused on his yet again clenched hands for a moment before he let out a sigh.
''You almost died today.''
The words hung heavy in the air. They were true, but I had a hard time believing them. Believing what had happened.
''I got your call, heard your voice...'' his voice broke. ''And I-''
The defeated look on his face was like a jab to my heart. When he raised his gaze and I saw his eyes, and there were tears in them; I wanted to cry too.
He leaned over and pressed his lips to my forehead, with an urgency and intensity that spoke more than any words could. I held my hand to his face, fingers gently grazing his jaw; and with my guard up still wished for him to feel some peace.
''I'm still here,'' I whispered, not sure if it would soothe his distress. ''We're still here.''
Elijah rested his forehead against me. His breath fanned my neck, warm. I let my fingers travel and ran them through his hair, while resting quietly against the pillows behind me. Despite what had happened; the pain, my disfigured skin that I wasn't sure if it would scar or not, the taste of blood still on my tongue... right now, I was relaxed. I only hoped he could relax, too.
I never thought wounds could heal so quickly. Even with Elijah's blood, it surprised me. The night had turned to day, and I could already walk without much effort again. The thought of it still made me sick, but I was beginning to feel grateful. I was alive because of him.
I stood in front of the mirror, looking at my skin. It was barely visible, now, but I could still see how it looked before. I flinched when I remembered the sudden flash of metal, and shook my head to try and rid myself of the thought.
I saw Elijah behind me. His face was still, void of any emotion. It was the face he put on when he masked his true feelings. But he couldn't hide as well, anymore. His eyes moved to my reflection, the bare skin of my stomach that I was currently inspecting.
''It's almost gone,'' I said, moving my thumb over the spot where the knife had gone. ''But I can still see it.''
He moved towards me in the mirror, and then I felt his presence next to me. I saw him look at the scar that might not be there soon.
Looking up at him, I frowned. ''What's wrong?''
Elijah shook his head, a movement so small I barely caught it.
''I still see it, too.''
My hand found his and I let the fabric fall down, covering what was still there. ''I never said... thank you.''
He didn't reply, and I got the distinct feeling that he wasn't proud of what he had done. He had seen my disgust. I didn't think there was a need to say anything else.
Elijah released my hand and walked away from me. I followed him, hopped onto the dining table, dangling my legs, barely touching the floor, and watched him go through the kitchen. I knew exactly what he would find when he opened the fridge, which was half a carton of milk and some carrots and lettuce. Not much of a meal.
''When was the last time you went to the store?'' he asked and looked at me over his shoulder.
''I... I haven't had the time,'' I replied.
He closed the refrigerator door and picked up a bag of pitiful remnants of loaf on the counter, before putting it down again. ''I will take care of it.''
''I'll go with you,'' I said, and jumped down from the table.
''No,'' he stopped me. ''You should stay here. You're not fully healed.''
''I'll go with you,'' I repeated. I desperately needed fresh air. And, I guess, part of me wanted to make sure I could actually go places without panicking from unwanted memories.
He looked me over and with a barely noticeable nod moved towards the front door.
I didn't remember where it had happened, but as soon as I saw the dark smudges on the pavement and streaks of them on a building we passed my mind was flooded with images. Recollections of pain, feeling disoriented.
My hand went to my stomach. I clenched it tightly, turned my head away and didn't spare that spot another glance.
Elijah didn't say anything. He kept his stride alongside me, quiet all the way to the store. I think he was as stuck in his head as I was.
On our way back, his phone rang.
I watched his face when he spoke, saw how he grew more agitated and indecisive as he listened to whoever was on the other line. He asked them to wait and turned to me, opening his mouth and closing it again, clearly having trouble choosing between two things he didn't want to choose between.
''I can get back on my own,'' I said, and passed the uneasy feeling in my stomach for not eating in too long. That and being stabbed.
Elijah looked down the street uneasily. He would be able to see me from here, if he wished. I had a feeling he would stay put until I stepped inside the building.
''I'll be fine,'' I said and grabbed his hand.
After a second, he nodded. He pulled me to him gently, before letting me go and raising the phone to his ear again.
I grabbed the bag of groceries from him and started making my way back to the apartment. Looking over my shoulder, I could see Elijah standing there still. Even though he was right there, there was something... Something that made me watchful, prepared. Something that stopped me from impulsively slipping my free hand into my pocket. I kept it ready at my side, and replayed the thought of someone falling down, unconscious, in my mind, over and over.
I had almost dismissed the unsettled feeling in me before as a result of my injuries; but, it was still there.
Elijah was still behind me, as soon as I reached the door I threw another glance over my shoulder and saw him. He would disappear when I was inside.
My pulse was racing; my sweaty hand slipped on the handle – and then I was inside.
I sighed in relief when the door behind me closed, tried to dismiss the feeling now that I was safe and inside, and turned to make my way up the stairs – but someone was blocking my way.
There had been a reason for my body reacting in fear. I stared at her, hoping I was seeing things, hoping it wasn't her but her identical lookalike.
But it wasn't. It was Katherine.
''Hello,'' she said, her voice dragging. She twirled a strand of hair around her finger and looked at me blankly.
''How did you get in?''
Her face went from expressionless to almost laughing with the smirk that fell upon her lips, and suddenly my fear was replaced with red hot anger. I wanted to know why. Why she decided to slam a razor sharp knife and twist it in me, leaving me on the curb to die. Even though there was no appealing to her compassion. I was sure of that.
I pressed my lips together and glared at her. My instinct was screaming at me to run away, but I knew that I couldn't. ''Why did you do it?''
''Oh, it's nothing personal,'' she said. ''No, this is my ticket to a better life.''
She didn't pull out anything this time around. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad one. I couldn't figure it out, what my senses where yelling at me.
''How could stabbing me be of any benefit to you? I'm fine, now.''
The corners of her lips turned up in a strange smile. ''And you'll be even better.''
''What are you talking about?''
Katherine huffed and her face scrunched up in annoyance. ''I thought Elijah liked his women with a little substance to them. You don't remember what saved you?''
''Elijah.''
''His blood did,'' Katherine corrected me impatiently. ''And do you know what vampire blood does?''
''It heals,'' I said, ''and it...''
No.
Oh no.
The anger made way for another flood of fear. A stronger one. A devastating one. I was sure it was going to cripple me, but I somehow stayed upright.
I raised my hands. I saw them shaking.
''Don't,'' I said. ''Please.''
Katherine on the floor. Katherine dropping at my touch. Katherine away from me. On the floor. At my feet.
''By the gods, she's got it,'' Katherine drawled. ''Sorry, blondie, but I've gotta finish my job.''
Then everything went dark.
