Chapter Eleven

'I can't believe the day is actually here.' I murmured against his chest, enjoying the feel of him absent-mindedly caressing my bare back.

'Neither can I, love.'

'How do you feel?' I asked, shifting so I could get a look at his expression.

'Excited, determined, mournful.' He said, his tone laced with sadness that I wasn't expecting.

I shifted, bringing my hand to caress the side of his face, 'don't be sad, Klaus. You've been waiting to be released from your curse for nearly five hundred years. Be happy, be excited, but don't be mournful.'

'As much as I cannot wait to be free… I know that as soon as I am, I'm going to lose you.' His eyes were full of unshed tears and the terrified look on his face went right to my heart.

'Listen to me.' I said, my voice determined, 'you may be losing me now, but if I have my way, we will find each other again, Klaus.' If he remembered me or not, I planned on seeking him out at least for a little while and making sure he was happy. My free hand went to my locket, where it rested around his neck, 'and until then, you will always have a part of me with you.'

We shared a tender kiss. It only lasted a moment but the tingling didn't fade when we pulled apart.

'Thank you, Evangeline. Thank you for coming back and helping me, even if that wasn't your intention when you came here. Thank you for reminding me what it's like to feel. Thank you for accepting me for the way I am, despite what my future self did to you and your family. Thank you, for everything.' He murmured, gently wiping away the tears that fell down my cheeks.

'Why do I feel like you're saying goodbye?' I asked in a small voice.

'Because I want to make sure you have a chance to hear what I need to tell you. I don't know how today will go and I don't know how soon you'll be leaving after the ritual. I need you to hear this.' His thumb moved back and forth comfortingly across my cheek and I couldn't help but lean into his touch.

'I want you to know, the future you return to will be the one you deserve. I plan on turning Katarina and compelling her to believe the original story, along with Trevor and Rose.' He murmured, and I felt my expression transform into shock.

'You plan to… what?' I couldn't believe it.

'As far as Katarina, Trevor and Rose are going to be concerned, they will forget ever meeting you. Katarina will believe that she evaded the ritual, exactly the same way she did in your time. She will think she tricked Rose into turning her in order to be rendered useless to me, and Trevor will believe he helped her escape, while Rose will believe she was tricked by the doppelgänger. They will all flee from here and will continue to flee from me until I get word of Katarina in Mystic Falls. When I find out she has turned you, I will either kill her or release her from my compulsion.' My mind was reeling as I listened to his plan. I felt equal parts impressed and guilty. I was impressed that he had come up with it, it honestly sounded pretty flawless to me. But I felt guilty that Katherine, Trevor and Rose would be running for the next half a millennia because of me.

'Why? Why are you planning to do all of this?' I looked up to him, my eyes pleading for the truth.

'I told you; I'm planning on you returning to the future you deserve. The only way to assure that almost everything happens the way it did in your time is to put the compulsion in place. I assume Trevor and Rose will still die as they did before while Katarina will live. Stefan will save your sister from the crash, as Katherine will still go on to turn the Salvatore brothers. You will still become a vampire. The only difference is you won't have me coming to town and sacrificing your sister or aunt.' He was in love with me. I could see it in his eyes I, could feel it from his touch and I could hear it in the way he spoke.

'What about word getting out that you have broken the curse?' I murmured, leaning into his touch as he continued to caress my face.

'Those present at the ritual tonight will be the only ones who know about it. The wolf and vampire will be sacrificed and as soon as the spell is complete, I will compel the witch to forget she ever cast the spell. I will also compel those I have on the side-lines if the result is me not needing them. The only ones who will know that I am a true Hybrid are you and Elijah.' He said, his free hand stroking my hair, 'and it will stay that way. As far as the supernatural community will be aware, I will still be looking for a doppelgänger, which will be Katarina's motivation for coming to Mystic Falls.'

I lay back down on his chest, digesting the information he had given me, trying to calm the spinning wheels in my mind. I don't know how long we were there for, but when I had fully processed everything, I couldn't ignore my gratitude. The only way that this was possible was because of Klaus. He was doing this for me. He was turning Katarina, compelling her, lying about his curse… all so I would experience the future I'd originally set out to change. I didn't think it was possible, but I felt myself fall a little bit more in love with him in that moment.

'Klaus, I—thank you. For doing this for me, I know you didn't have to, but thanks.' I murmured, taking his hand in mine and entwining our fingers.

'Of course, love.' He kissed my hair, 'now today, I'm going to be gone until sunset. I was hoping you could watch Katarina. I know I have Trevor compelled not to betray me and you assured me Elijah wouldn't jeopardise the ritual, but I would feel more comfortable if you were the one to stay with her.'

'I won't let her out of my sight.' I promised him, sitting up so that I could face him more fully.

'I believe you.' He smiled a half smile, making one of his dimples flash, 'just before the sun sets, I need you to slip her this.' He pulled out a vial filled with purple liquid from his bedside drawer and handed it to me, 'it's a powerful sleeping draught and it should make transferring her much easier. It's also laced with my blood, so it's important she ingests it.'

'She will,' I said, my voice sure.

'I will come back to the house once the sun has completely set and before the moon has risen to its apex, which is when the spell will take place.' He kissed my forehead and stood from the bed, moving around his room and getting dressed.

'Everything will go according to plan, Klaus.' I assured him, watching him change with my head resting on my knees.

'I hope you're right, love.' He smiled; now ready to face the day. He came over to me and kissed me in a way that left me breathless before leaving the room to attend to the details that needed to be finalised for the ritual.

I lay back on the pillows with a sigh. As blissful as it had been to live in ignorance since Katherine arrived, her purpose couldn't be ignored any longer. It was the day of the ritual and to say I was nervous was an understatement. Waking up in Klaus' bed again this morning, a place I'd barely left it the past twenty-four hours, had kept my nerves on ice. Well at least until he had walked out of the door, now my fear, worry, excitement and anxiousness has all returned by force and I was freaking out. Mainly internally. As I took deep breaths, I kept reminding myself of everything Klaus had told me. He had a witch he trusted and a back up witch if that one betrayed him. He had two vampires and two werewolves guarded in two different locations. He had the moonstone on his person and promised he wouldn't let it out of sight, Katherine was in the study—I could hear her reading aloud—and Trevor was with Klaus. Everything was going perfectly according to plan.

I took a deep breath as I walked down the stairs, trying to look less suspicious encase I accidentally projected my concerns onto Katherine. She was the last person we needed to be worried right now. I needed her to stay calm and completely ignorant to the hectic atmosphere that was festering around her. A part of me was on guard around her anyway, mainly because she was too calm, collected and reserved. I knew Katherine Pierce, her survival streak was stronger than Klaus' strength and I wouldn't be fooled by her blasé demeanour. I had a feeling that was why Klaus had asked me to watch her until the ritual rather than Trevor or Elijah; I wasn't as easily led astray by a pretty face. I knew what she could really be like, what she had the potential to become, while Trevor and Elijah saw her as a weak damsel in distress that they would try and save if they were given the opportunity.

'Good afternoon.' I greeted Katherine, my tone as polite as I could manage.

'Good afternoon, Lady Evangeline.' She bowed her head slightly before she continued to read.

I took a seat on the free armchair and grabbed a random book off the table beside me. I assumed one of the brothers had accumulated the pile, my money was on Elijah. The book was written in a different language, but I opened it to the first page anyway, pretending to read while I was really watching Katherine from the corner of my eye.

'Do you know where your brothers have gotten off to today?' Katherine asked, clearly uncomfortable with the silence.

'I'm afraid not. Whatever their plans are, they were very sudden, as I had no knowledge of a trip today. They must have decided in the early hours of this morning.' I lied, proud that I sounded so convincing. Usually, I couldn't lie to save my life, but I had a feeling my strong desire for this ritual to take place was inspiring me not to act suspicious.

'I see.' She pursed her lips, clearly unhappy with my answer.

'Although I believe Niklaus mentioned looking for a diamond ring.' I mentioned casually, hiding a smirk when her gaze shot up to mine.

'A diamond ring? Really?' the excitement in her voice was unmistakeable and I almost felt a little bad, but it was better to lead her far away from what was actually happening. I'd rather think I was getting engaged rather than sacrificed.

'Yes. Though don't tell anyone I told you. My brother would have my head,' I said, trying not to cringe when calling Klaus my "brother". It was all kinds of wrong.

'I won't. Thank you for telling me, Lady Evangeline.' Katherine smiled and looked back down at her book, though it was clear she wasn't really seeing it.

'Of course.' I sighed, glancing over to the ticking clock.

Xxx

I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of attacks or attempts to escape during the day. Though, I probably shouldn't have been; this was what I came back to stop, so a peaceful day was assurance that everything was going to plan. By the time night fell, Katherine was looking a little drowsy, which might have had something to do with the sleeping draught I'd slipped her that Klaus had left behind. She hadn't even flinched when she drank the spiked water and I wondered if she had even tasted it.

I was snapped out of my thoughts by a thud and looked over to Katherine to see her slumped over in her chair, the book she had been reading now on the floor. I went over to her, lifting her and lying her down on the couch. I busied myself as I waited for Klaus to arrive by clearing away the books that Katherine and I had gathered around the room throughout the day. I was starting to get anxious energy flowing through me; I was incredibly eager for the day to be over. I wanted, needed this to go well and time seemed to be taunting me by ticking by unbearably slowly.

'What is that you're humming?' I jumped at the sound of Klaus' voice. I span around from the bookcase I had been rearranging and came face to face with him, leaning against the door room, observing me with a curious glint in his eye.

'I was humming?' I frowned, smiling as he walked over to me, taking my hands in his own.

'You were,' he bought me close and I couldn't help but inhale deeply as my head rested against his chest. My eyes fluttered shut when he began humming a very familiar tune and I felt myself relax all the way down to my bones.

'La Vie En Rose' I murmured, wondering when we had started dancing, 'I heard the song when I was a little girl and I fell in love with it immediately. For whatever reason it's always made me want to go to Paris.' I smiled softly, memories of the first time I heard the song washing over me.

'I'm not familiar with it yet, but I know that when I hear it, I'll think of you.' He said, his breath tickling the skin of my neck.

When he takes me in his arms

He speaks to me in a very low voice,

I see life as if it were rose-tinted.

'Me too.' My arms tightened around him and I inhaled again, desperately trying to commit his scent, his touch to memory, and not wanting to let him, or this moment, go.

Xxx.

I stood at the edge of the forest and watched with Elijah. We were both tasked with making sure that no one came to disrupt the ritual and honestly I was almost hoping that someone would so that I could dispose of some of the nervous energy that was bouncing around inside of me. Klaus had just killed the werewolf and the vampire and now he was waiting for the signal to kill Katherine. She had woken up not long ago and was very confused as to what was happening; the bodies around her weren't helping keep her calm but at the same time she couldn't acknowledge she was about to be used in a ritual because she had been compelled to ignore anything to do with a ritual and sacrifice.

Thankfully, she hadn't been very chatty or otherwise I think I would have had a problem with keeping Elijah from interfering; he was making a point of not looking in her direction. I hated the bitch, but I couldn't imagine how hard this must have been for him.

'Now.' The calm voice of Klaus' witch echoed across the clearing and the soon to be hybrid made his way over to the doppelgänger. He ignored Katherine when she tried to flinch away from him and pulled her to stand, easily bringing her over to the alter.

I'll admit, I had to look away when he started to drain her, the fact that she was essentially my sisters twin was too much, making a small part of me itch to interfere. But I simply reminded myself of the reality of the situation and I settled; I even managed to look back over to see her drop to the ground, dead. Elijah quickly swooped in, gathered her body and handed her to me. Elijah didn't know that Katherine was going to come back, something I was sure Klaus would fill him in on soon enough. But I was a little concerned over how I was going to react—if Elijah didn't want to go along with it, it would all go to hell.

I offered the elder Mikaelson what I hoped was a comforting smile as I took the dead doppelgänger back to the house, where she would stay until she woke up. I was tasked with looking after her because Elijah needed to follow Klaus around and clear up any messes he made in his wolf form. It was much more dangerous for me to be around Klaus while he was transitioned; the chances are that he wouldn't recognise me and if he bit me I would be screwed if Klaus didn't turn back before the poison killed me.

I sighed, both relieved and frustrated when I made it back to the house. I was happy the ritual had actually been successful—Klaus was a hybrid now. I was irritated that I was once again tasked with waiting. I placed her in the same room she had been staying—if we were lucky she would think the whole thing was a dream. But that was unlikely seeing as all of the compulsion that had been placed on her will have broken with her death. She was going to remember everything, at least for a little while. I just needed to make sure she didn't leave before Klaus got back so he could alter her memories.

The sun was rising when I heard Klaus and Elijah return. I felt my face break into a smile at the happiness I could hear in the hybrid's voice.

'It was incredible Elijah, I've never felt so free, so at peace.' It sounded as though he was making his way upstairs. I wondered if it was so he could change or so he could see Katherine and I.

'I'm glad we were finally able to break your curse brother.' I could hear the smile in the elder Mikaelson's voice. It was nice to see and hear them acting like brothers.

A groan from the bed gained my attention and I saw that Katherine was waking up, again. She had been waking up on and off all night—I had already fed her some human blood so her transition was complete. I also might have been snapping her neck on and off since then so that I could assure she didn't have the time to escape.

'What is happening?' she muttered and I grinned in amusement when I noticed her English accent was absent. She looked over to me and the fear in her expression was clear, 'stay away from me.'

I rolled my eyes, in amusement and annoyance but my attention was once again interrupted as the bedroom door swung open, revealing Klaus with a huge smile on his face. But before either of us could say anything, Katherine's voice drew my gaze to her.

'Please, just let me go.' She whimpered, inching further and further up the bed until her back was against the headboard.

I looked over to Klaus to see him rolling his eyes and before I could blink he was next to the doppelgänger, leaning over to compel her.

'You will not remember taking part in the ritual, instead you will believe that you found out about it when you were still human and you ran after taking the moonstone. Trevor helped you escape and told you to go to his home in the forest, where you met his sister, Rose. She was planning to bring you back when night fell but you didn't want to, so you stabbed yourself, when she healed you with her blood you killed yourself in order to become a vampire and thus useless in the ritual. After you completed the transition, you ran from Rose and Trevor and you will continue running as you will believe you have betrayed Elijah and I. You will not remember ever meeting Evangeline either. This compulsion will remain in place until I myself take it away. Do you understand?'

'I understand,' She answered robotically and when she had recovered, Nik quickly snapped her neck.

'When she wakes we will be long gone and the compulsion will take place. I've already compelled Rose and Trevor. They are getting ready to run as soon as the sun sets.' He answered the silent question in my eyes.

'How do you feel?' I asked him before I started to step towards him; my hands gripped his forearms as I looked up into his warm blue eyes.

'Free.' He answered with a grin that made my un-dead heart skip a beat.

'I can't believe we actually did it.' I breathed, my forehead resting against his shoulder and my hands around his waist.

'Neither can I,' he whispered, his hands caressing my waist, 'I've waited for this moment for nearly five hundred years, and while a part of me is consumed with joy, the other part almost wishes we hadn't been successful.'

I moved back to look him in the eye and I felt my eyes tear over at the despair in his gaze. I bought a hand up to caress the side of his face, and when he leaned into my touch, I smiled softly.

'Don't regret this because of me, Klaus, you've wanted this for five centuries and you deserve to be free.' I told him, keeping my voice low because I was afraid it would crack with emotion, 'I'm happy for you, but I wish I didn't have to go now.'

He sighed deeply, resting his forehead against mine and closing his eyes.

'How do you return to your time?' he asked, but I had a feeling that wasn't what he really wanted to say, 'do you need a witch?'

'No…I need to die.' I admitted, biting my lip when his eyes snapped open in disbelief.

'What?' he demanded, his grip tightening on my waist as if he were about to refuse to let me go.

'Bonnie told me that in order to return I'd have to die. I was planning on taking my daylight ring off and—,' he cut me off with a furious look.

'What if it doesn't work? What if you stay dead?' He said, releasing me to pace back and forth, a hand running though his hair.

'I trust Bonnie, she's like a sister to me and she assured me that I wouldn't stay dead.' I told him softly, knowing that he was clearly struggling right now.

'Love—,' he stopped abruptly and turned to face me, but before he could speak I flashed in front of him, taking his hands in mine.

'Trust me, Klaus; I wouldn't even consider doing this if I thought I would stay dead. I trust Bonnie and I trust that this is the way to send me back to my time.' I said, imploring him to listen to me.

I could see the emotions swirling behind his gaze; he was reluctant, scared, angry, but I could see the emotion that won out: trust. He did trust me, despite the drastic measures that were needed to get me home. I couldn't blame him for being reluctant—I would have been the same way.

'Alright, love. But if you do stay dead and I don't get a word of you in the future, I'm going to find and kill the witch.' He said, the promise in his voice made me smile and roll my eyes.

'I believe you.' I kissed his cheek and looked over to Katherine with a sigh, 'we should do it now, if you want to be gone before she wakes up.'

'Evangeline,' he waited until I met his gaze again and I was overtaken by the emotion I saw in his gorgeous blue eyes, 'I love you.'

I wasn't sure I heard him correctly at first, but the adoration in his gaze couldn't be mistaken. I had suspected he loved me, but hearing him say it was something else, something I didn't think would ever happen. I felt my expression soften and I leaned forward and captured his lips with mine. The kiss was full of passion, love and reluctance to let each other go.

When I did pull back, it was with great difficulty, and my forehead remained against his as I whispered, 'I love you too.'

His eyes lit up with happiness that made my heart warm and my eyes fill with tears—I felt selfish. How could I do this to him? I came into his life, helped him break the curse, we unwittingly fell in love with each other and now I was leaving him, making him live without me for five hundred years. But I brushed the emotion away; I still couldn't believe that he would still want me when I returned to my time. It was my own insecurity—Klaus was afraid of being alone, but I was used to being forgotten and I was finding it hard to believe that this time would be any different.

His lips captured mine again and this time, he was the one to pull away, his hands coming to caress each side of my face and his eyes staring at me as if he were trying to commit me to memory. After what felt like hours, we reluctantly made our way outside, but before we exited the house, I pulled Klaus to a stop.

'I don't want you to watch me die.' I murmured, squeezing his hand gently.

'I'm not leaving you, love.' He said, his voice firm.

'I don't want your last memory of me to be me going up in flames in front of you.' I said, my own voice thick with determination, 'I want you to remember me like this, happy to be with you, happy for you to be free, happy to be in love with you.'

His eyes filled with tears again, and when one fell down his cheek, I kissed it away, winding my arms around his neck and kissing him gentler then I ever had.

'Forgive me,' I murmured when I pulled away and I snapped his neck in one swift movement, a pained gasp escaping my lips when his body crumpled and fell to the floor. I carried him over to the living room and lay him on the sofa. I focused my hearing and knew Katherine wasn't awake yet, and Elijah didn't seem to be around either, but I assumed he was compelling the "extras" Klaus had got for the ritual.

My gaze returned to Klaus and I smiled softly as I brushed his hair away from my face. Despite having his neck snapped after, his age would assure that he recovered faster than the doppelgänger and would be able to leave before her. After placing a kiss to his forehead I forced myself to leave him and stop lingering. With one last glance at Klaus I took off my daylight ring and placed it into his hand.

I took a deep breath and flashed out into the morning sun, allowing the flames to consume me.

There you have it! The ritual is complete and she is due to return to her time. I wonder how things will unwind from there. How much will things have changed? Will she get the new memories or have to ask someone? Will Bonnie remember the old future or will Evangeline be the only one with the memories? Only time will tell ;) I thought about having things go wrong with the ritual but I quickly dismissed the idea—the whole point of Evangeline being there was to stop the old past from happening so that's what she did. I hope you liked the chapter and as always, PLEASE REVIEW! :)