X.
"We should drive through to Idaho without stopping," Elijah said as he perused the map. "Niklaus told me the werewolves in this part of the world are somewhat inbred and very dangerous. And tonight's the full moon."
"Charming," Katherine said. She snorted as Charlemagne barked from his perch between them, as if in agreement, and then she glanced at Elijah. "When did you talk to Klaus?"
"The first night of our journey," Elijah said, as he precisely folded up the map. "I'm going to drive down to Portland to see him when we're in Seattle. You don't have to come with me, of course. It's just… filial matters."
Katherine snorted. "Us normal folk would say 'brother stuff'," she said teasingly. She hesitated for a moment and then she added. "I supposed I could go with you see Stefan."
Elijah's shoulders stiffened at the mention of Stefan's name and he turned his head away from her to look out the window.
"Yes," he said curtly. "I supposed you could."
Katherine opened her mouth and then closed it again. She had a feeling she'd hurt him somehow, but she had no idea how to fix it without opening a whole new can of worms, just when they were starting to find a common ground again. Instead of trying, she put the key in the ignition and started the car.
"You know, I could drive," Elijah said, his voice sounding hopeful.
"No way," Katherine said emphatically. "My stolen car. My rules. I drive."
Elijah snorted and shook his head.
oOoOo
They'd been on the road for about five hours when Katherine noticed the tail—or tails—as the same two or three cars seemed to be traveling behind them or in front of them at the same rate, an old Ford, a newer Dodge minivan, and further back an SUV that looked a lot like her baby. After she'd adjusted the rear-view mirror for the umpteenth time, Elijah asked her what was wrong.
"I think we're being followed," she said. "Don't," she put her hand on Elijah's arm as he started to turn, "don't look."
Elijah frowned. "Do you think it has to do with the man who attacked you last night? He said he had friends."
"Other vampire hunters?" Katherine shrugged. "Maybe."
Elijah sighed and pressed his hand to his temple. "Why do I get the feeling we can thank Niklaus for this turn of events?"
"Because you know him?" Katherine pointed. She reached over and slapped his jeans-clad thigh, leaving her hand resting on it. "Don't worry, I'll protect you."
Elijah stared at her hand and she jerked it away, feeling uncharacteristically shy.
"After what happened last night, I have a feeling I'm not the one who needs protecting," he said, sounding a little smug.
Katherine rolled her eyes. "I can take care of myself," she said. "I've been doing a pretty good job of it for the past five hundred years or so."
"Like you did with that man last night."
Katherine shrugged. "I would've thought of something," she said. "He wasn't particularly bright."
"That he wasn't." Elijah leaned forward, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the dash. "You need gas. The needle is dangerously close to 'E'."
Katherine gritted her teeth in annoyance. "I know," she said. "There's gas at the next exit in Missoula. I need a bite to eat."
Elijah raised a brow as he leaned back again, burying his fingers unconsciously in Charlemagne's fur as the dog laid his head where Katherine's hand had been moments before. "In broad daylight?"
Katherine snorted. "I was thinking along the line of snacks," she said. "Coffee. Pop. That sort of thing. Don't worry, I can wait till tonight before I feed again."
They pulled off the highway at the next exit, losing the 'tails.' Katherine relaxed as she drove to the gas station, which was just a short distance from the highway junction. After the weird events of the past few days, she reckoned she was getting paranoid. As she filled the tank, Charlemagne wandered off into a wooded area next to the gas station, Elijah in tow, and she grinned to herself as Elijah started to shake his finger at the dog in full scold mode, while Charlemagne's tail wagged wildly.
When she was done, she went into the shop and picked up some snacks and drinks before heading back to the car, where Elijah was already putting Charlemagne onto the front seat. His jeans were tight against his ass, and Katherine's stomach tightened. Now that she'd finally got him into the damn things, all she could think of was getting him out of them again.
She got in the car and started it, tooling one-handed back onto the highway as her other one dug in a bag.
"Pork rind?" she asked, holding out the bag.
Elijah grimaced as he raised his cup. "God, no," he said. "This coffee is bad enough."
"Well, I'm sorry," Katherine said, sarcasm seeping into her voice, "but they were fresh out of first flush Darjeeling."
Elijah harrumphed and then turned to look out the window. A comfortable silence fell over the car.
They'd only about an hour out of Missoula, when a horrible smell filled the car.
"Oh, my God," Katherine said, making a face. "Was that you?"
Elijah gave her a look of horror as he rolled down the window. "Don't be ridiculous. Vampire's don't—it's Charlemagne. I think he needs to relieve himself."
"Again?" Katherine ask, raising a brow. "Didn't he just go at the gas station?"
"It must have been the burrito," Elijah said.
"You let him eat a burrito?"
Elijah looked slightly flustered and pink. With any other man, she would have thought he was blushing.
"Of course not!" he said with a scandalized tone. "It was on the ground next to a trash can. He swallowed it down whole before I could stop him."
"A likely story," she said archly. "All that dog needs to do is bat its eyelashes and you'll do whatever he wants. We need to pull over, fast. It looks like there's a rest area or exit ahead."
She took the next exit, which didn't seem to lead much of anywhere. A half mile from the interstate, however, she found a dirt road leading into the forest and she pulled into it. A little ways in, she came across a barrier, and she parked the truck to the side and got out.
"Come on, Charlie." Picking the dog up off the seat, she set him down, cursing as he—once free—suddenly scurried off down the trail.
"Oh, hell," she muttered.
"He won't go far," Elijah said.
He exited the car as well, waiting briefly for Katherine to catch up, and then they started down the dirt road. They walked a short distance and then rounded the bend, where they found Charlemagne rooting around in the leaves at the base of a tree, obviously finished with his business. Instead of picking him up and head out to the car, however, Katherine looked around, stretching as she turned in place. The trees were dappled in late afternoon sun, and ground and air smelled fresh and clean.
"This place is beautiful," she said.
"Yes."
Katherine started to hear Elijah's voice so close to her, and she whirled around to find him right behind her, his eyes dark and intent as he gazed at her. She opened her mouth to ask him what he was doing, but then he was kissing her, his mouth insistent, but his hands gentle as he pulled her closer, holding her against his chest. She pressed against him, trying to get closer still as she returned his kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. She was vaguely aware of Charlemagne barking in the background, and she waved her hand at him to shoo him off. She was not about to let Charlemagne cockblock them again.
Elijah seemed to be of a similar mind, as she suddenly found herself with her back up against a tree. His mouth remained fused to hers as he reached between them to undo the button of her jeans. Just then she heard a pop and a whistling noise and something exploded into the bark right next to her head.
"Fuck," Elijah breathed, breaking the kiss. He brushed his finger over the hole in the bark as he examined it. "Wooden bullets."
They whirled around just as three men carrying hunting rifles entered the clearing. Charlemagne had placed himself between them and the men and was barking wildly at them.
"Well, lookie here," one of the men said, a large, hairy man who looked like he hadn't bathed any time recently. "If it ain't those vamps who killed Hank. We've been tracking you from North Dakota."
"Why us?" Elijah asked. "We mean you no harm. We're just passing through."
"For sport," the man said. "I reckon you'll be a lot more fun than that night clerk. Probably not as tasty, though." He looked up at the sky or what little of it that could be seen through the canopy of the trees. "Sun's going down soon. Let's say we give you two a head start."
"A head start?" Katherine glanced at Elijah. His jaw was tight, his mouth set in a straight line.
"It's the full moon tonight," he said. "They're apparently werewolves in addition to being cannibals."
She drew in a sharp breath, but before she could say anything, Elijah had pulled her in his arms, pausing only briefly to snatch up Charlemagne before he was racing through the woods. Shots rang out behind them, and she could hear the men laughing.
Elijah raced back and forth for a while; Katherine assumed he was trying to confuse the trail when they tried to track them later. As the sun was sinking behind the trees, he finally came to a stop in a clearing, setting her down. He put Charlemagne into her arms and stepped away.
"You have to go to safety," he said. "I'll hold them off."
"Don't be ridiculous," Katherine said, raising her chin. "I'm not leaving you!"
Elijah's face grew hard. "You're leaving. And that's final."
"I'm staying with you!" Katherine said insistently. "And that's final. I'm smarter than a bunch of inbred werewolves, I can take care of myself!"
Elijah took a step towards her, but at that moment, they heard the howl of a wolf and then two and then more until the air was filled with a crescendo of mourning howls. Charlemagne let out a bark and began to wiggle in her arms, startling Katherine. She lost her grip and dropped him, and he tore off towards the edge of the clearing, barking and snarling.
"Charlemagne!"
Katherine started forward, but then one of the wolves darted into the clearing, grabbing Charlemagne in his teeth and shaking him before tossing him aside. Charlemagne rolled a short distance and then remained still.
"No!" Katherine shrieked. Elijah reached for her, but she tore out of his grip, racing to Charlemagne. She could sense the wolf heading towards her from the corner of her eye, but all she could see was Charlemagne. When she reached his side, she dropped to her knees and scooped him up. He was unconscious, but breathing shallowly. Alive, but just barely.
"Katherine!"
She looked up, her eyes widening when she saw the wolf about to jump. And then he was gone, rolling away on the ground in whirl of fur and vampire. She winced as the wolf snarled and snapped at Elijah and then it let out a single, surprised yelp and went still. Elijah shoved the wolf off him and sat up, tossing its heart away from him with a grimace, and then he turned towards Katherine.
"Run," he said, pushing himself to his feet. He was covered in blood, but Katherine couldn't tell if he was injured. "Please, love, go. I need you to be safe."
She stood up as well, Charlemagne cradled in her arms, and was about to tell him again that she wasn't about to leave, when the dog shuddered. She looked down in alarm, but Charlemagne only whimpered, whistling softly through his nose, his tongue slobbering all over her hand. She started to smile, but then she heard a very Elijah-like cry from across the clearing. She looked over to see him doubled over, one of the wolves on his back, its teeth sunk into his shoulder as the third bounded into the clearing.
"Elijah!" she screamed. She was about head over to help, when Elijah exploded into movement, shaking the wolf off his back. The other wolf sprang and Elijah's arms shot up, grabbing its head and twisting it off, throwing it aside as the wolf's body dropped to his feet, blood spurting from its neck. Without losing momentum, Elijah threw himself onto the remaining wolf, tearing it to pieces as it screamed in pain.
When it was all over, Elijah turned to face her.
"I told you to run," he said and then his legs crumbled beneath him. Before he could fall, Katherine was at his side, holding him up.
"Let's get out of here," she said, guiding him out of the clearing without looking back.
oOoOo
They hadn't walked far on the way back to the truck when they came across a deserted one-room cabin, probably used as a hunting lodge. She helped Elijah over to a cot, placing Charlemagne beside him, and then she lit a fire with some pieces of wood stacked next to the fireplace. When she was done, she turned back to the bed where Elijah was watching her, his face edged with pain as he gently scratched Charlemagne's head.
"He's hurt badly," he said.
"You look worse," she said, kneeling down beside the cot.
"'Tis only a flesh wound," he said.
"You can quote Monty Python?" she said, trying to keep a light tone as she examined Charlemagne, but she had to admit to herself that it didn't look good for the poor pup. "Wow."
"I guess the seventies were my decade, too," he said.
"With the turtlenecks and the sideburns and the porn 'stache," she said.
"And a pipe," he said. "I smoked a pipe."
"You were a regular Dick Cavett."
"Shut up," he said, but he was smiling.
She stroked Charlemagne's fur, blinking back the tears as they started to fall thick and fast. Elijah reached over with one arm, pulling her down onto the cot into an awkward embrace.
"He'll be okay, love," he said, running his fingers through her hair. "We're all going to be okay."
"No, he won't," she said, "not unless I do something."
She hesitated and then she bit into her hand, holding it out to Charlemagne. Charlemagne raised his head weakly and licked the blood off before lying down again. She remembered a story she'd read once about a little girl whose dog had licked her wounds and then eaten her and wondered if what they said about giving dogs blood was true or just an old wives' tale, but she decided she didn't care. It wasn't like he didn't have two vampires to take care of him if he did turn feral.
Almost instantaneously, Charlemagne's breathing became more even and his tail began to wag. Suddenly, he started to struggle, and he jumped off the bed. Yipping wildly, he raced around the room as Katherine and Elijah watched.
"We'll have to make sure he doesn't die in the next 24 hours," Elijah said, his voice weak and tired. "Kol turned one of his hunting dogs once. You don't want to know what happened."
Actually, Katherine kind of did, but at that moment, a coughing fit shook Elijah and when he took away his hand again, it was covered in blood.
"Fuck," Katherine muttered. She got up and fetched his jacket, searching through the pockets until she found the handkerchief. Pulling it out, she returned to the cot and sat down on the edge.
"You sure you're gonna be okay?" she asked as she dabbed at his lips.
"I can't be killed, remember?" he said. "Don't worry, I might be sick for a few days, but I'll be fine."
"Mmm, hmm," Katherine said noncommittally, pushing him back onto the cot. "Just rest."
He seemed to be about to protest, but then he yawned and his eyes fell closed. Within a few moments, he slipped into a deep, but fitful slumber. Katherine watched him, absently petting Charlemagne, who'd come back to lay his head on her knee after his burst of post-healing energy. Theoretically, a werewolf bite shouldn't kill Elijah, right? Still, what if he was wrong?
I don't want to lose him. I can't.
Katherine came to a decision.