AN: HI everyone, sorry for the delay. This is going to be the last chapter…I think I've done all I can do with it, and it doesn't seem to be getting much of a following anymore. Sorry if this chapter seemed rushed, but just wanted to get this wrapped up before I abandoned it completely. Thanks to those who did read and followed along 😊 - Vanessa
Chapter 17: You Should Have Killed Me When You Had the Chance
Katherine sped down the highway weaving through cars like a race car driver.
"Why Mystic Falls?" Damon asked as they blew passed the sign into.
"It's our home; where we grew up. The ritual is very specific about the location. It has to be the birthplace of the doppelganger." Katherine explained glancing at him from the corner of her eye. "I can't begin to tell you how dangerous what we're doing is, Damon. Even if we do save her…we'll probably die trying." She uttered quietly.
Damon nodded. "I know. But I made her a promise…I don't intend on going back on it."
She smiled. "Neither do I."
…
Elena looked out the window of the room as the moon shined brightly in the darkening sky. This was it…after tonight her life was over. Klaus had brought her back to Mystic Falls early in the morning and on the way to the foreclosed mansion, they drove passed her childhood home. There were so many memories there – good and bad, and there was a part of her that wished she never left. Would this still be happening? Would Klaus have found her sooner? It didn't matter now…by tonight she'd be dead.
She didn't put up a fight when Klaus appeared in the doorway, telling her it was time, and she didn't say a word as he led her through the woods to a clearing at the top of the cliff. But when they got there, and she saw flaming barriers holding in two other people the tears started to flow. "What is this? Why are they here?"
"You didn't think you were the only key to breaking my curse, did you?" Klaus chortled. "Thankfully, your home town is just crawling with supernatural beings. Did you know that the Lockwood's are born with the werewolf gene? All I had to do was compel him to kill someone to trigger it."
Elena stepped closer seeing two of her childhood friends screaming and crying for help. She hadn't seen him since she was shipped off to boarding school, and now every bone in his body was breaking against the force of his transformation. Encircled in the other barrier was Caroline, a friend she had known since birth, but there was something different about her. "She's a vampire?"
"A happy accident really; I had only intended her to be a late night stack – but she's a talker. And when she mentioned your name, well…I thought this was a better suited fate." He taunted watching as Elena cried.
"Let them go…this has nothing to do with them!" She begged spinning on him.
Klaus' face hardened. "You involved them the second you decided to run from me, Elena. I should have burned this whole town to the ground, right along with your duplicitous sister and your boyfriend…however, in the spirit of finally breaking my curse, I'm in a good mood." He forced a smile, grabbing her arm and dragging her to the alter set up by the witch who was chanting loudly.
When he released her, she tried to move but found herself stuck in one spot, watching in horror as Klaus reached for Tyler and pulled him to his feet. "Why are you doing this?" he forced out painfully.
Klaus' only answer was a fist through his chest, and Elena gasped, bringing her hands to her mouth, as his heart fell to the dirt. The original turned, and crossed to the vampire who was balling and pleading for her life.
Elena turned to her. "Caroline! Caroline, it's going to be okay…"
"Elena? I'm scared!" she shrieked as Klaus closed in on her.
Tears fell down Elena's face. "I know…but you don't have to feel that way. You can turn it off…just, let it go."
Caroline closed her eyes, letting out a deep breath, and when she opened them, she face Klaus with cold emotionless eyes. "I'm not afraid of you." She seethed.
He smirked evilly, producing a stake from his jacket pocket. "That was your first mistake." He penetrated it through her heart and a anguished sob wrenched from Elena's throat as the grey started to creep up over her friend's face. The original turned back to her now, slowly stalking back to her. "You're up, darling." He came up behind her, brushing her hair off her shoulder.
"ELENA!" Damon's voice echoed through forest as he ran into the clearing.
Her eyes snapped to his and in the moment she was grateful. "Damon…it's okay." She called back brokenly, knowing that there was nothing they could do to stop it now.
Katherine sped up and viciously ripped into the throat of the witch, jerking her body and tearing through her flesh.
Klaus bellowed, before sinking his fangs into Elena to before the ritual was stopped. As the life was pulled out of her and her body dropped to the ground, the last thing she saw was Damon running towards her but Katherine holding him back to keep him away from Klaus. Then it all went black.
Katherine held Damon back, her mouth still dripping with blood and tears streaming down her face as she watched the life drain from her twin sister. Damon's anguish was sharp in the air as he struggled against her.
"Damon you can't, he'll kill you." She tried to explain as calmly as she could. It was taking everything in her to hold it together, but she knew this was the likely outcome as much as it pained her to admit it.
He turned furious blue eyes on her. "I'm not going to leave her here!" he yelled.
Katherine eyed Elena and then her gaze shifted to Klaus who was crawling away in pain. The transition had started, and while he was weak now, soon he'd be the most powerful being on the face of the planet…and they needed to get as far as they could as fast as they could. "Okay, get the car ready…" There was hesitation on his face. "Go, now…I'll get Elena." Her voice broke painfully, but as Damon ran off Katherine's eyes reddened and dark veins protruded beneath them.
She stalked towards Klaus, snapping off a large branch from a tree as she passed it and stopped once she stood over him. He was writhing in agony as the transition broke all his bones over and over again. "Congratulations Klaus…you've won. You've successfully taken the last thing in the world that means something to me." She knew that if she wanted to survive, she'd never be able to see Elijah again. Katherine crouched over him and he stared up at her, fighting the pain. "But know this…I will never stop looking for a way to end your miserable existence." She leaned in further so she was inches away from his face. "Because I'm Katerina Petrova…I'm a survivor." She seethed before standing to her full height and driving the branch through his chest deep into the ground. "You should have killed me when you had the chance."
Katherine sped to her sister, gently hoisting her into her arms before speeding off after Damon.
…
Katherine and Damon sat across from each other on the private jet, silent and desolate. She had arrangements already lined up to get them out of the country as soon as possible, but she had hoped that her sister would be alive and not dead in the back cabin, covered by a bed sheet.
"What are we going to do with her?" Damon finally asked with a cracked voice.
Kat shook her head, bringing a shaking hand to her mouth. "I don't know." She had been thinking about that since they left and still had no appropriate answer. Their mother would want her to be in the family plot, her name engraved on a cross as was tradition, right next to her other daughter's empty grave…but Isobel didn't even know she was dead, and she certainly didn't want to show face and explain it after all these years. They could bury her someplace nice, say a few words and keep running…but mostly Katherine thought about what her sister would want. Elena was far from traditional.
"How am I supposed to-" he stopped, collecting himself and leaning forward resting his elbows on his knees. "How am I supposed to move on from this?"
She huffed a humorless laugh. "I wish I had the answer to that. See, I have it easy…I don't have to feel it if I don't want to. The part that hurts, I can just turn that off; channel it all into rage and revenge."
His head snapped up. "Then turn me. Turn me into a vampire and I will help you find a way to kill Klaus."
She shook her head. "No…Damon, you don't want this trust me."
He rose to his feet. "Why not? It's not like I have anything else at this point, Kat. I can't go home to my old life, and I can't just start fresh and pretend like none of this ever happened! If Klaus is coming for you, then he's coming for me too. I can't protect myself as a human and you need someone strong enough to watch your back." Her eye met his, and he could tell she was considering it.
"Damon?" The sound of the voice coming from behind him made him turn with wide and relieved eyes.
"Elena?" he whispered, running to her and wrapping his arms tightly around her. "How are you alive right now?"
Katherine stood, both relieved and sad, because she knew…
.
Klaus dragged Elena through the entrance of the compound, her feet tripping up as he pulled her along. She dropped to her knees and stared at the puddle of blood in front of her. She raised a shaking hand to see it covered in the sticky red substance, and her eyes widened. "In all the drama I haven't had the time to clean up. That's your sister's blood. I should have ripped her heart out when I had the chance." he mocked, yanking her back up to her feet.
.
Elena blinked away the shock, and let Klaus throw her into a room upstairs. He locked her in, and she look around for any way of escape.
.
With her unbloodied hand, she turned on the taps and caught her own reflection. This was it…after all the running and hiding, she was going to die. Her eyes dropped down as she flipped her palms up; her sister's blood was literally on her hands, and maybe Damon's would be too. She had accepted her fate, but she couldn't let them be damned along with her.
Almost as if without her own volition, Elena's shaky hand came up in front of her face, and her heart raced painfully against her chest. As she brought it closer to her mouth, her tongue came out and licked the length of her palm. She didn't want to be a vampire, but the alternative was worse.
.
When they landed in Italy, Damon, Elena and Katherine exited the air craft wiping the drops of blood that leaked from their lips with satisfied smirks. The body of the poor flight attendant, left behind for anyone to find. It didn't matter…nothing mattered now but the mission. Klaus would pay…and revenge was best served cold.
The End
…
AN: Thanks again to those that stuck with it. It's been a long time coming getting this one completed and wrapped up. Have a Happy New Year everyone! - Vanessa