Chapter 7:

Every afternoon she shielded herself from curious eyes and ducked into the Catholic Church. She moved to the second pew from the door and sat with an anxious expression on her face. He would soon join her with the familiar smile on his face. Today, she was unusually wound up with the upcoming events. Klaus touched her hand like he'd done multiple times before, "Seven days until the big day." He told her, "Don't look so terrified."

"Nine days until the sacrifice." She told him, which caused him to frown. He had the conversation with her at least once a day. She would tell him she wanted him to go through with the sacrifice, he would tell her that he couldn't and she would insist. "I refuse to pass off my duty to another girl like Katherine."

He was finished arguing with her, "Fine."

"Good." A small, sad smile appeared on her face. "Will you make it quick?" She asks, "As little pain as possible." He promises he will. She cries and says, "I don't want to die, Klaus… that's not my goal but I know if I don't that I will be miserable my entire life thinking about the next girl…and you."

"Me?"

"You've waited a thousand years for this..." She reasoned, "What type of person would I be to make you wait another five hundred years?"

"A sane person." He mumbled, "You treat me like I am not a monster, as if I have not created disaster in my wake."

Elena closed her eyes, "You aren't as bad as you think you are. At least, not to me."

XXX

Caroline and Bonnie accompanied Elena to her dress fitting. Elena made the diplomatic decision to make her cousin Melissa her Maid of Honor rather than one of her friends. Trevor wasn't exactly jumping for joy that her bridesmaids were gorgers but his father Alan Forrest had instructed him "secretly" to top putting his hands on Elena until after the wedding. Of course, Alan was the only one that saw through the lie she told her family. She claimed she'd gotten in the way of his celebratory dance after a successful video game. She wasn't sure that Jenna, Jeremy and Benny believed what she said, but they didn't say anything.

"I can't believe you're getting married." Caroline said in her disapproving, fake happy voice. "And you quit school!"

"Car'" Bonnie warned, "It's great that Elena's following her mother's footsteps. I'm sure your wedding will be beautiful."

Elena was looking down at her phone, smiling like a fool at Klaus' random text message.

"A friend of mine was in front of me coming out of church one day, and the vicar was standing at the door, as always, to shake hands with the worshipers. He grabbed my friend by the hand and pulled him aside. The vicar said to him, "You need to join the army of the Lord." My friend replied, "I'm already in the army of the Lord, Father." So the vicar inquired, "Then how come I only see you at Christmas and at Easter?" My friend whispered back, "I'm in the secret service."

Klaus and she had this joke thing going to lighten the mood of the future serious events. He liked church jokes because they reminded him of their time together.

"Elena!" Bonnie called, "Trevor texted you?"

"Um…No, I just- there was this joke. It's nothing." Elena nodded, "Let's get this dress on."

Elena's whole mood concerning the wedding had changed ever since Klaus agreed to go through with the sacrifice. She could have the wedding of her dreams and then die, knowing she wouldn't have to deal with Trevor anymore.

She set down her phone while Mrs. Wilson brought out the dress, the same Mrs. Wilson that told on her to Jenna. Mrs. Wilson owned the only bridal shop in Mystic Falls. "I knew that boy was your Romeo!" Mrs. Wilson winked, "He's a little old for you, isn't he?"

"Trevor? He's only a year old than Elena Mrs. Wilson."

"Show me a picture." Mrs. Wilson said, Caroline showed her the Save the Date announcement "No, Elena, that's not the boy that was outside your window a few weeks ago."

"That boy had the wrong house, Mrs. Wilson." Elena lied, "I'm engaged to Trevor."

"Like Juliet and Count Paris…" Elena was getting tired of the Romeo and Juliet allusions even if they were kind of accurate. "Hopefully you have no goals to kill yourself because of love." Mrs. Wilson was an old bat that read too much, right? Elena wasn't sacrificing herself because she was in love with Klaus and they couldn't be together. She was sacrificing herself because she didn't want someone else's life to be ruined in the future.

"What?" Elena asked, "No. My life isn't a play written by Shakespeare. I like my fiancée." She said when Mrs. Wilson set down the garment bag and walked away.

"Elena?"

"What?"

"You said you like your fiancée…not love. Who is she talking about?" Caroline demanded to know.

"No one."