Present.

The mansion was hauntingly beautiful. Its French Colonial influence was obvious from the moment it came into view. Wide galleries wrapped around the first and second floors of the house. A large wide hipped roof extended over the porch. It was shaded under large cypress trees—tiny slivers of light peeked through the branches. Though at second glance, Elena noticed it was in a rather depleted condition. The shingles of the roof were worn and concave on the west side of the mansion. Blooming Blue Phylox were wrapped around the wrought iron balcony, claiming it back into the wilderness. The lawn was covered in colonies of Prunellas mingling with weeds. It was on the verge of spring and the flora and fauna were on the edge of explosion. Among the weeds, Elena could see a small pond near the porch. The water was dark and brackish and had obviously fallen by the wayside. Two Koi Fish, on the cusp of dead, swam sluggishly to and fro.

Katherine walked onto the porch and unlocked the large French door with an antique key. The door was of fine craftsmanship, fitted with small panes of glass.

"Who lives here," Elena asked softly.

Katherine turned suddenly, almost as if she forgot her presence.

"I do," she said quickly. "Get inside before I drag you in by your pretty hair."

Katherine flicked on a light in the foyer and motioned Elena into the living room.

A large hole in the roof let sunlight stream inside. Vines pulled in from the opening like an octopus looking for shelter. A Victorian couch, pattered in damask, was against the far wall. It was half draped in a large white sheet that pooled onto the floor. A grand chandelier lay on its side, quite damaged and covered with grime. Elena imagined it falling from the ceiling where the hole now was, to its resting place among the marbled floor. A grand piano stood on a slightly elevated area of the floor in the corner, its keys untouched for years.

Katherine took Elena's hand and took led her up a grand staircase, covered in a faded dark carpet, to the floor above.

They walked along the corridor, soft floorboards underfoot, until they got to a large door at the end of the hall. Katherine guided Elena inside, closing the door behind them both. It was immaculate. Katherine's bedroom seemed as if it belonged in a house of splendor, not in a depleted house in the Garden District. Her bed was draped in white satin sheets and decorative accent pillows. Her vanity was made of hand carved imported mahogany covered with her dishes of expensive crèmes and bottles of expensive perfumes.

"You'll have to play the part," Katherine said, drifting over her baby alpaca fur carpet to her closet.

"What do you mean?"

Katherine pulled a dress and pressed it towards Elena's body.

"He always wanted me demure and understated," she said almost bitterly. "He couldn't stand to have a man look at me. It drove him mad. Do you know how many nights I had to stay up and pacify his jealousy after he'd crushed me into a bloody mess? Do you? And the immeasurable number of darling garments he ruined…"

"I don't…" Elena drifted off.

"Of course, of course," Katherine said dismissively. "You don't know. That's all well and good. I remember he loved me in blue. He said it accented my dark heart."

Katherine paused and lifted the gown by its hanger. Its bodice was hand loomed strapless scalloped lace in a lovely shade of indigo and the skirt of the gown was silk—a dark shade of Persian blue with underlying layers of crinoline for volume.

"Now, let's get you out of those clothes…"

He had never felt stronger, more keenly in tune with himself. He stared at his hands. He had killed an immeasurable number of men…of women…of children with these hands. He was one of the Originals. He was one of the last few with his line of untainted existence. He was strong. He could think of a rare few that were stronger than he.

He drove in an unassuming car. His arm was thrown over the passenger's seat and gave a sidelong glance towards the person occupying it. It was a woman; her throat had been viciously ripped open, muscle and nerves exposed. Her eyes, vacant, stared straight ahead into the nothingness. Her blood had been warm, nurturing. He ran his fingers lovingly through her golden strands of hair. So lovely. He pulled over to the side of the road then and shoved her carelessly, as if she were a sack of garbage, out of the car and continued on his way.

He could sense her. Her blood was calling to him. Her soul was in tatters—he could feel it. And she was afraid. And it was an intoxicating feeling to have that power once again. Katherine had to have known that she couldn't hide forever. As he had told her many, many years ago—he would find a way.

Klaus found himself smiling as he passed the Louisiana state line.

Damon stirred.

He dreamt he was laying on a black chaise lounge, his head cradled against the arm rest. His eyes were closed but he could smell her. Elena was kneeling beside the arm rest, her mouth hovering over his ear. Her arm reached over his shoulders and her hand glided across his stomach. His abs twitched as her fingers danced, as soft as feathers, back up towards his neck. She wore a white laced bra and matching panties. She was standing now and leaning over him, her hips pressed into his shoulder as she kissed his stomach. And at his feet, there was Katherine in a red laced bra and matching panties. Her tongue was swirling on his toes before traveling up his legs with her mouth. She ascended, Elena's mouth descended lower. Damon had one arm up over Elena, his hand curled in her hair while the other tangled in Katherine's hair. Two wet and eager tongues were discovering ever part of Damon.

Elena. Katherine. Elena. Katherine.

They came together in the middle. Elena and Katherine's mouths met as their tongues flicked over Damon's hardness. Each one kissing, licking, tasting, teasing. Elena moved fluidly to Katherine. They had both crawled onto him, their hands gliding over him…up and down. They leaned down, Katherine kissing one ear while Elena ran her tongue over the other.

"Don't you love me," one whispered.

"Please…" Damon begged.

Damon closed his eyes as one of them eased onto him, the pleasurable tightness was almost too much to bear. Damon opened his eyes and there was only one. Blood began to drip from her mouth.

"Who am I?" She whispered.

Damon woke with a start.

Bonnie turned her attention from driving and looked to Damon.

"We're here," she said. Her locater spell had worked.

Welcome to New Orleans.

"It fits like a dream," Elena found herself saying.

She stood in front of the mirror, staring at herself.

"Of course it does," Katherine said smugly. "I had it made especially for me at a lovely shop on the Rue de la Paix. So of course it fits like a glove for you."

The curves of Elena's breasts were visible through the clinging lace with her most modest areas just barely covered, and the skirt created lovely volume over her hips. Her legs, smooth and bare, seemingly went on forever. And in a nearby box were an exceedingly expensive pair of Nicholas Kirkwood heels. She felt weak, though, and swayed on her feet. She was quite tired and hadn't remembered the last time she had slept.

Katherine came up behind her, kissing her neck.

"Oh, love," she breathed. "I'll miss you when you're gone."

Elena looked at Katherine in the mirror.

"What do you mean?"

"All will be told in time."

Elena looked towards the door. If only she could make it out the door, she was sure she could muster energy to escape. She could hide and contact Damon. Damon. Her heart lurched. Even his cold demeanor seemed like heaven now. She missed his touch, his lingering kisses and the fire in his eyes.

"Don't you even think of it, you treacherous bitch."

Elena looked in the mirror and at Katherine.

"I'm not doing anything."

"No. But you're thinking it. If I know myself as well as I do, then I know you. And if you even so much as step towards that door, I will bring the most unimaginable hell on your shoulders. Besides," her tone suddenly changed, "as much as you want to leave, I know you want to stay."

Elena blinked and shook her head.

"You're crazy."

Katherine laughed.

"Love, I've been crazy for centuries. Even so, you know I'm right. You feel things with me. I know you do. And it frightens you. Your body calls to mine. As much as you want to leave, if you do, you'd be leaving a part of yourself. And it would hurt you in ways you've never experienced."

Elena said nothing but her eyes betrayed her. She had felt it. It was organic, foreign. She hated Katherine with every fiber, every cell in her body. She wanted her dead. But there was something magnetic about Katherine that she was drawn to. She loathed herself for even thinking it.

"Exactly," Katherine's tone was mocking.

She leaned her face into Elena's neck, her chest pressed against her back. One arm curled up and gripped Elena's chin, pushing her face towards the left, exposing more of the smooth skin of her neck. Katherine sunk her teeth into her, breaking her skin, savoring her taste. Her other hand drifted over lace, over Elena's breasts. Elena shut her eyes in disgust as she felt her body responding to Katherine's touch. Katherine's fingers felt Elena nipples harden and she smiled as she drank her blood. Her hands moved lower, the crinoline whispered as Katherine pulled her dress up as her other hand slid over Elena's lace panties. Her fingers pushed them aside and she found her just as she thought she would. They sunk to the floor together. Katherine climbed on top of Elena, kissing her over the lace and up towards her neck again. Elena turned her face away in a feeble attempt of resistance. This wasn't right. This was wrong. But it felt so…

Katherine yanked Elena by her chin to face her. Her eyes were alive. Her tongue, covered with blood, darted out and slid over Elena's lower lip. Elena clenched her jaw just as Katherine's fingers began to slide downward again. And as her fingers slid inside her, all of Elena's resolution came to pieces. She crushed her mouth to Katherine, tasting herself on her tongue. It was feral, brutal. Their teeth gnashed against each other, cutting the others lips. Katherine's fingers slid in and out while her thumb massaged her. She felt her legs start to tremble and she couldn't stop it.

"Don't I know what makes us feel good?"

Elena moaned, arching into her hand. Everything and nothing was flying through her mind. She felt like an animal. She tore at Katherine's blouse, exposing her breasts and slid her hand over them with fascination. Their faces were covered with blood. Katherine moved her fingers faster and whispered sordid commands into her ear. And when Katherine bit down excruciatingly hard onto her lip, Elena came in an explosive wave that left her shocked. Disgusted. Sated. Elena shut her eyes tightly, her mouth throbbing, as Katherine licked the blood clean from her face. Katherine's hands were in her hair now and she found herself kissing her. There was that pull again…

This kiss was different, the tone had suddenly changed and Elena was unsure of why. Katherine's kisses were deeper, desperate and she felt her as she shivered suddenly. As she kissed her back, her ears were suddenly on the alert. There was a tinkering sound coming from the floor below. Katherine was shaking even more now as the kiss became more intense. Elena tore her mouth away from Katherine.

"Do you hear that?"

"No," Katherine said quickly, pressing her mouth back into Elena's.

It was music. The piano. Katherine clung to Elena for a hard moment, kissing her with everything she had as her whole body shook.

Elena sat up.

"It's music. Someone is here," Elena said, turning to Katherine.

Katherine stood suddenly and walked into the corner, her forehead leaning against the wall for a quick moment before she began to pace.

"I don't hear anything," she said weakly.

Elena stood. All the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. That melody…how did she know it?

Katherine was sitting on her bed now, her knees drawn up and she rocked herself slowly and then faster. She suddenly covered her hands with her ears and shut her eyes.

"Make it stop," she whispered.

"I know that song," Elena said softly, her features contorted in confusion.

Katherine dropped her hands from her ears. Her face became a blank canvas.

"I don't hear anything. I don't hear anything," Katherine repeated quietly.

Elena looked at Katherine and moved towards the door. Katherine made no attempt to stop her. Instead she looked up slowly and stopped rocking. Her eyes stared intently into Elena's.

"Go check," she said softly.

She was giving her permission to leave. She could leave! But the music…

Something was wrong. Someone was down there. Elena felt herself shaking.

Katherine watched as Elena put her hand on the knob. She paused and pulled her hand back.

"I'm scared," she said suddenly.

"You should be," Katherine said, empty of emotion.

Elena put her hand back on the knob and turned it, opening the door. The music was louder now. She paused and turned back to look at Katherine who was still sitting on the bed. She couldn't read her expression. She almost said goodbye but then she realized how ridiculous that was. She walked into the hall and closed the door behind her. With each step, the music grew louder and the melody grew more haunting. Her feet were bare against the steps and she suddenly felt so cold. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she noticed there was a flickering glow in the living room. Candles. There were candles everywhere. And then she saw him. He was wearing a dark suit against his pale complexion. The candles cast a glow on his skin, giving it a warm tone. He did not look up. His hair was short and his mustache and beard were freshly trimmed. Elena walked into the living room, her eyes on him as he was hunched over the piano. She was drawn to him but at the same time, she felt fear coursing through her veins. She stopped by the fallen chandelier, watching. His song ended, the sound of the keys still echoing. He lifted his head mildly, his eyes a startlingly blue.

Elena felt as if she had been hit with by a train. His eyes…

"Klaus," she heard herself say.

"Close," Stefan had muttered before he had fallen to the ground.

Elena's heart lurched suddenly in her chest. Not close. That wasn't what he warned. It was Klaus. Klaus.

Before Elena could even blink, the man had her pinned to the wall and his face contorted.

"Katherine," he said sweetly, "Ive been waiting for this for 269 years."