Sooo, today's the day! The last chapter of my Vampire Diaries Advent Calendar is up.

If we cease to believe in love, why would we want to live?

Katerina Petrova, in a flashback to Elijah, season 2, episode 19 (Klaus)

A Christmas Carol

With a headache like an elephant just walked over her forehead, Kathrine Pierce woke up in the middle of Christmas night. "Hello Katherine" an all to well known voice said. The very moment the vampire heard that voice she sat up straight in her bed. There, half a meter over the ground hovered the semi-transparent figure of Pearl, frozen chains around her chest. Katherine let herself fall back into the pillows, one arm resting over her eyes. "Oh no. I'm clearly not in the mood for A Christmas Carol, the least with me as lead!" The 500 years old brunette stated. Pearl laughed. "You don'T have much of a choice. Don't let your heart get to cold, don't forbid yourself happiness. It will only get you killed in the end. I was too cold and hesitant for too long and see what it brought me. I'm chained with the exact frozen chains I laid around my heart for far too long. Don't make my mistakes ll over again. Be smarter, my dear friend." With those words the ghost vanished. Kathrine turned around, desperate to get some sleep.

When she was awakened again, a little girl sat on the edge of her bed. "Great! I didn't just dream Pearl being here as a ghost." Katherine growled. "Let's just get done with it." The girl laughed silently and toke her hand. The next moment the two of them stood in the hall of a certain english castle. "Katerina, I shall bid my farewell for tonight" Elijah said. Cold started wrapping around Katherine's heart when she watched her human self plead the Original to stay with her. But of course nobel and moral Elijah refused. But he promised to walk with her the next day. Katherine knew what would follow. "Can we please just leave?" She asked the ghost. "But why should we? It's such a beautiful scene. Inappropriate love, a nobel, moral man and - oh look, that's such a beautiful present." It was. The cameo medaillon necklace was beautiful. She loved it. Even after 500 years she still wished she would still have it. It was attached to Elijah after all. But now the memory turned. On the way to her chambers Katerina overheard a conversation between Lord Klaus and another man. "She will be sacrificed, no matter what he feels. I had to wait for 500 years. That's enough. Get everything prepared. And make known to my brother that his presence is required like every other vampire's." Katherine turned away. She didn't need to see it to know what happened next. Her younger self left the necklace and a note with only the word 'Why?' in her chambers, took the moonstone and fled.
"Oh, that's why... I'm sorry, let's head back. I thought this was your happiest christmas... Anyways focus on the happy part of the evening! This happiness is what's important. Weren't you save with Elijah?" The next moment Katherine was alone in her room.

When she awoke next a middle-aged woman awaited her. With a sigh Katherine took her outstretched hand and the next moment she was in New Orléans at the airport. there were Elijah and Hayley. The werewolf softly kissed the Original. "Why the hell are you showing me how happy the love of my life is with the wereslut? Aren't you supposed to convince me that he wants me in his life?" Kathrine asked. "Shut up and watch, Kathrine" The ghost of the present christmas said. The vampire forced herself to watch Elijah and Hayley but then Elijah turned around and boarded a plane. "What...?" Katherine murmured but was dragged to the plain's destination. Or well, not exactly. Because where Katherine was now, was not an airport. It was a more than 500 years old castle. She knew this castle all to well. Katherine saw Elijah walk through the castle they met five centuries ago and followed him to a certain room. It was her old bedroom. At the end of the bed she had slept in still stood the chest. The Original opened it and Kathrine could look in. There were few things in it. A dress from 1492, plain linen, uncoloured with a little lacing. On top of it laid... "The necklace!" Katherine exclaimed as Elijah gently took it in his hands and bent his head down towards it. "I love you Katerina. Forever. Merry Christmas my love." A single tear rolled down Kathrine's face. Slowly Elijah laid the necklace back down to rest on the gown and closed the chest after pulling another pearl on a long string with at least 500 of them. "He comes here, every year, leaving another pearl on the string, grieving over his loss of you. He forced himself to at least pretend to move on, with Hayley, but he can't" The ghost explained. And then Katherine was back in her bedroom.

"I really hope this gets over fast" Katherine thought as she awoke to the sight of an elderly woman. The vampire took her hand and found herself looking at an old mansion the next second. She knew it. Oh she knew it so well. And who stepped out of the mansion? Elijah. Katherine thought it was strange, what did the Original do at her birthplace? Elijah looked... broken. There was no other way to describe it. "What happened?" Katherine asked the ghost of the future christmas. "Many things. Three years after that christmas you saw, you were turned human and got terribly ill, because your immune system didn't work, you know, and even if it would, it's almost against all odds to survive pneumonic. When he heard of your death it broke him. He had lost his siblings, Hayley had left him for some werewolf king and almost every one you knew in Mystic Falls is broken or dead. He gave you a proper funeral here and kept your grave looking good. Almost twenty years this was the only thing keeping him alive, but now he can't go on. So he asked a witch to end his existence." The ghost explained as a woman approached Elijah. Kathrine could do nothing but stare as the witch performed a spell and Elijah started turning into dust. A scream escaped Kathrine's lips as she saw the love of her live die. "I think you understand he needs you. We can go."

The next thing Katherine knew was awaking on the morning of the 24th December. "A new chance" she thought, perfectly knowing what she had to do. Soon she boarded a plane taking her to the very place she should have been 500 years.
"Forever. Merry Christmas my love" The brunette heard the Original. "To you also a merry christmas Elijah." He spun around looking in her eyes confused but also with love. One step was needed for him to reach her. Two seconds passed when he stood there. Three words escaped her lips before he kissed her: "I love you"

You looked out for me when I had no one. You're giving me a second chance now when no one else will. I love you.

Kathrine Pierce, to Elijah, season 4, episode 18 (American Gothic)

This is the story of Kathrine and Elijah getting together at last.
Merry Christmas folks!

Medusa