1864.

"They're onto us, I can feel it," Anna's voice carried fear.

Katherine took Anna's shoulders and turned her towards her.

"Look at me," she demanded.

Anna turned her face away, her eyes blurry with tears.

Katherine placed her hands on either side of her face.

"I need your strength. I need it now more than ever. Don't you love me?"

Anna looked into Katherine's eyes, her hand reaching up and intertwining with hers.

"You know I do," she said passionately.

Katherine leaned in, capturing her lips in hers.

"Good," she breathed. "You are my wildflower, Anna. Be vigilant. We will survive. As we always have. Do not be afraid. They are beneath us."

She kissed her again.

"Now go home and pack. We will leave soon."

She pushed Anna out the door and shut her eyes. Being a lover to so many was a taxing affair. They all wanted to be coddled, loved and doted over. But having them in her life secured her safety. They would die for her, protect her. She could feel the dark cloud hovering over her and it frightened her. He was looking for her. And he wouldn't rest until he found her. His name was Klaus. He sired her 233 years ago in York, England. Charles I was on the throne and Katherine was 17 years old. The daughter of a wealthy Welsh aristocrat, Katherine was recently betrothed to a man 30 years her senior. It was a match that most pleased her parents and the York society. Katherine, on the other hand, was frightened, disgusted, and wasn't looking forward to marrying the older man. But before plans could be even arranged for the union, Katherine fell ill with a deadly bout of malaria. She had owed Emily her gratitude during her hour of need. It was she, through tears, confessed the existence of vampires. It was she, at Katherine's delirious insistence, who brought Klaus into her bedchamber. And as Katherine stared at him, a golden god, she knew this was her destiny. She accepted her fate and his fangs into her neck. She now had immortality, beauty and power. That in itself was an intoxicating elixir. And with a necklace (courtesy of Emily) that protected her from daylight, she felt invincible. Not a day after her miraculous recovery, did her father insist on a marriage date be set for Katherine and her older groom. She had no use for these mortal people. She had never been fond of her father—cold and distant. And her mother was a cruel and frigid woman who enabled her father's anger and abuse. Soon, an unfortunate "accident" befell the Pierce household. Katherine, freshly turned, lit the house aflame while her family, already dead, lay inside. She made sure they saw her contorted face before she sunk her teeth into their jugulars. The fire started in the living room. It quickly engulfed the entire house, leaving a plume of smoke to be seen for miles. Klaus was impressed with her ruthlessness. He was amused with her and often catered to her ridiculous whims. But he also had a dark temper and an immeasurable amount of jealousy. After over a century being under his guidance, she had done the unthinkable to Klaus. She had betrayed him. And since that day she had been running with her eyes peering over her shoulder. Should he should ever find her…

Katherine shuddered just as there was a knock at her door.

Pearl strode in quickly without invitation.

"We must leave. Tonight if possible."

"Not possible," Katherine said quickly.

Pearl grabbed Katherine's arm.

"Katherine, this isn't a game. Our lives are at stake."

"I'm well aware of what's at stake! I'm in the thick of it. If we steal away in the middle of the night, they will be onto us. Don't you think they would come after us? My God, Pearl!"

Pearl released her grip on Katherine, moving to the window.

"Her scent is all over you," Pearl said softly.

Katherine looked at her, a twinge of guilt curling over her heart. The feeling quickly dissipated.

"She came to me, if it makes any difference," she said quietly.

"It doesn't."

"I didn't think it would."

Pearl turned back towards Katherine, blinking back tears before they could fall.

"We have more pressing matters on our hands," Pearl said.

"Yes."

"What will you have us do?"

"One week."

"You still plan to turn those boys," Pearl realized, incredulous.

Katherine joined Pearl at the window. They watched the Salvatore brothers as they walked onto the plantation property from a recent quail hunt.

"I want them," Katherine said dreamily, but her mind was somewhere else.

"You're a fool."

"Am I," Katherine laughed lightly.

"You'll be waving a red flag. They'll be after your head."

"By then, we will be long gone."

Present Day.

"If you scream, you'll be dead before they reach the stairs."

Katherine's voice was husky and her dark eyes were dancing with mischievousness.

Elena blinked, her hands shaking. She placed her hands in her lap, balled into fists.

"I'm not going to scream."

"What did you say," Damon repeated, advancing towards Stefan.

"You won't kill me, Damon. You don't have it in you."

Damon's blood ran cold in his veins as Stefan looked up casually at him.

Damon's face contorted. His vangs became unsheathed, his eyes grew red and the veins in his face were bulged and pulsating. In an instant, he had Stefan's neck in his steel grasp and pinned to the floor. He reached for a dagger in his pocket and plunged the dagger swiftly into Stefan's shoulder.

Stefan roared in anguish, his eyes large. He struggled like a rabid dog.

Katherine moved closer as Elena sat on the vanity stool. Their eyes were locked to one another.

Just then, a scream filled the Salvatore Boarding House that was unmistakably Stefan. Elena gasped and turned. Katherine's hand came down like iron and clamped on to her shoulder, stilling her in her seat.

"Oh don't worry," she purred, "Our loves are just playing with each other."

She bent down and slid her tongue over Elena's ear.

"Do you want me to play with you?"

Elena twisted in her grip breaking her hand mirror as she moved away. She grabbed a large shard of glass and pressed herself against the wall, several feet away from Katherine. She held the glass threateningly.

"Don't come any closer, bitch," she said, fear echoing her tone.

Katherine giggled and clapped.

"Oh you have such spirit, my love."

"What do you want?"

"You, of course."

"I don't understand…"

"And you don't have to have to. That's the most beautiful thing about this…"

"It was you," Elena said suddenly, pointing the glass at her. "You've been in my room…"

Katherine smiled, saying nothing.

"I thought I dreamt it," Elena said. "But you were here…"

Revulsion filled her suddenly and anger snaked through her body like hot coils.

"No, love. You told yourself it was a dream to alleviate guilt. You told yourself it was a dream because you didn't want to handle the reality."

"And what is that? That you're not only psycho, that you're like…practically a rapist?"

"That you liked it."

Elena shook her head as Katherine moved slowly closer.

"That you loved it. That you'll walk naked in front of the mirror and slide your hand down-"

Elena cried out and slashed her hand towards Katherine wildly. Katherine moved, pinning Elena's hands down at her sides so strongly and she yelped.

"The reality is, Elena, that you are as much as a narcissist as I. You're just wrapped in a pretty box w/ an innocent bow. Your eyes don't fool me, girl. I know your soul like the back of my hand. Tell me, has Damon ever called at my name while he's fucking you?"

"What were you saying about not having it in me," Damon asked between gritted teeth.

He twisted the knife and felt Stefan's sinewy muscles rip under the razored blade.

Stefan screamed again, his face now contorted. He tried to throw Damon off with his good arm but the pain was like fire…

"She'll never forgive you," he panted.

"She'll get over it."

Damon reached for a nearby chair and grabbed the leg. He slammed it into the floor. He clutched the leg, now splintered into a spike.

He raised it high over Stefan's chest.

"Wait…I can tell you where Katherine is…!"

"You're sick," Elena whispered.

"…and loving every minute of it."

"Damon never mentions you," Elena lifted her nose in the air, staring at Katherine. "He doesn't think about you. He doesn't miss you. All he wants is me. All he thinks about is me."

"Oh my love. You're delusional."

"Am I?"

"You're my carbon copy. My doppelganger. If he thinks of you, he is thinking of me. You are nothing. You're here because I made you."

Elena blinked.

"That's right, love. I've been waiting for this moment for a very long time. I hope you've had fun dancing in my shoes. Play time is over."

Damon stopped the stake right above Stefan's heart.

"What?"

"Katherine. She's alive."

"Really," he asked, disgusted. "Ugh, God. You're telling me yesterday's news, bro. Is that all you got?"

"She's in Mystic Falls."

Damon paused. "You're lying."

"No. I'm not."

"How do you know?"

"I've seen her. I've…"

"You've what?"

"She's back here for you," Stefan groaned.

Damon's eyes were slits and he twisted the knife suddenly.

"Explain. Now."

"She found me. In Italy. She-"

A blood curling scream echoed along the every wall and every corridor in the house. Both brothers looked up towards the stairs.

Elena!

Damon pulled the knife out of Stefan and in a flash he was up the stairs. Stefan, despite his pain, wasn't far behind. Damon flung the door of Elena's bedroom open. The wall, just beyond the vanity, had a bright smear of blood. It was so bright that it looked like paint. But the scent was unmistakable. It was Elena. And yet, the room was empty.

"Elena," Damon screamed.

Silence.

Damon turned at a small rustling sound. It was then he saw the window was open. The soft curtains billowed softly in the night breeze.

She was gone.