Hi guys!
I have few announcements before I upload the story. :P
1) I'll be starting full time job now and I also start german courses for my job so I'll be pretty busy. And I want to apologize because it will take me more time to post new chapters. :( I am sorry but I promise I'll try my best.
2) In the meantime, when you wait for the next chapter of this story, you can check out the preview for my other Kalijah fanfiction that I posted. Just go to my profile page - it's called 'Will my love bring you up?' Like I said it's a preview so it's a little short and whether I continue writing it depends on the reception of that story. So if many of you guys like it I will love to write more of it for you.
3) This chapter is kind of a filler - again sorry for that - but I still hope it keeps you interested.
Ok I'm done now. So you can finally move on to reading Chapter 7.
Enjoy :)
Chapter 7.
Returns
"Katherine!" Nadia run towards Katherine afraid that the worst has happened. "Katherine!" She garbed her unconscious body that lied on the ground. Anja and Caroline followed.
"Is she...?" Caroline asked terrified. She stood next to Nadia, who was holding Katherine in her arms.
"She's alive." Nadia answered. With a sign of relieve. But her mother losing her consciousness was not a good sing.
"What do we do now?" the blonde asked again.
Nadia was about to say something, when she was interrupted by Anja.
"I think we should take her to the hospital." She directed her words to Katherine's daughter. "You can compel doctors to have her checked-up for her safety. She's human now after all."
Nadia looked at Anja like there was a second head attached to her shoulders. "Are you out of your mind?" She was outraged. "She has little time left and you want to drag her to a hospital, instead of taking her straight home when she can be turned again."
It was Caroline who eased the situation. She finally stopped panicking and started to think clearly. Her brain went into overdrive. She looked at Nadia while trying to calm her down.
"Anja is right." She started slowly. "If Katherine won't wake up, we can't take her on a plane. We don't know what it will do to her. If she regains her consciousness, we will take the first flight home. And I will call Klaus as soon as we'll get there. But she has to wake up first, so we know she can handle the rigors of air travel."
Nadia kept silent, while she was considering Caroline's arguments. Maybe she was right. Words came to Nadia's mind. Maybe she was to involve in the situation to think clearly in this moment. But she desperately wanted her mother to live.
Her eyes went from Caroline to Katherine and then back to blond vampire. She nodded. "So what do you suggest we do now?"
"Let's take her carefully do the car and lie her down in the back sit with her legs slightly elevated. I think, I've heard once you're suppose to do that when someone faints. Maybe it will help." Anja spoke while she kneeled beside Katherine. She was now face-to-face with Nadia.
"She didn't faint. She lost her consciousness. She could have even suffered a concussion. We don't know what's wrong with her, apart from the fact she's still breathing." Nadia spatted.
"That is precisely why we should listen to Anja." Caroline interposed. Trying to convince Nadia they should act quickly.
"Fine." Nadia finally said. Then she faced Anja and directed her following words towards the human. "Anja. Take the keys." She gave them away. "And go open the car. Caroline and I will gently carry Katherine and we'll put her in the backseat like you said."
Anja didn't waste any second. She took car keys from Nadia and run in the direction that their car was parked.
"Caroline would you grab her legs while I carry her upper body?" Nadia asked after Anja was gone.
"Sure." She replied while lowering herself and adjusted her position to lift Katherine.
"Ready?" Caroline nodded and the both simultaneously picked up Kath unconscious flesh.
Even though they were vampires, they took their time while transferring the doppelganger. Taking careful steps - not to drop her - they crossed meter by meter. When they finally reached the vehicle, Anja was waiting for them - door open, engine on.
Caroline and Nadia laid her down gently in the backseat, leaving just enough space for Nadia to sit next to her and keep an eye on her, if anything goes wrong. Caroline took the passenger seat this time and Anja placed herself in a driver's seat.
As soon as the last door closed, they were ready to hit the road in search of nearest hospital.
When the four of them were driving - looking for a hospital - Katherine finally regained her consciousness. She was pale and looked weak. Her eyes unfocused and blurry. But that didn't matter, because she was awake.
Katherine seemed to be disoriented at first. When she woke up, she couldn't remember what happened to her or even what was going on. She look around turning her head slowly, focusing her sight first on Nadia then on the remaining surroundings. Yet she had no idea how did she end up in the car.
"Katherine are you ok?" Nadia's voice brought her back. She had noticed her daughter and Caroline staring at her.
"I am fine, I'm fine..." She repeated not even sure, if what she was telling them was true. But she couldn't focus. She couldn't gather her thoughts. Her mind was heavy. "What is going on? Where am I?" She asked after some time has passed.
"You collapsed after the spell. You were unconscious for a while so we took you to the car..." Nadia started to explain.
"We're looking for a hospital now to check if everything's ok with you." Caroline interrupted. Her head still turned back to look at Katherine.
"I don't need to go to hospital. I'm fine!" She objected. There was no reason to get her checked up. She was feeling good now. There was no time for that.
Katherine didn't want to waste any time looking for a hospital, because she knew there were more important things to do. She knew that she was suppose to do something but she couldn't figure out what it was. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down, so it would be easier to remember what that was.
Focus Katherine. She told herself.
The last thing she recalled were witches chanting around her. She was sitting on the ground and she remembered she was really cold. Then someone said the spell worked, so she got up to hug Nadia. She was so happy and couldn't believe it actually worked out for her. And then... All she remembers is a blur. Darkness.
Think.
Why couldn't she remember? It was like there was a wall inside her head, blocking her from seeing things. She knew they were there but she...
"Aaaaaaaauu!" Suddenly she screamed. This huge pain began pounding in her head.
"Katherine!"
"Are you ok?"
"What's happening?"
She heard the voices around her but didn't bother concentrating on them and answering the questions. The strain of images run through her head, it was painful but she finally could see... something. She closed her eyes.
She remembered the darkness and the soft voice talking to her.
"You are all in danger Katerina. Something is coming for him and it will destroy you all." She heard this voice in her head. Now she was in even greater pain. She grabbed something, she didn't know what, and squeezed so the pain would somehow become bearable.
"... You have to stop it." Another flashback. Even more pain.
She screamed again and was breathing heavily.
"Banshee..." At last Katherine remembered. Francesca told her it was important.
The pain was no longer there and her breathing had stabilized. Katherine slowly opened her eyes.
While looking around, Katherine realized Anja wasn't driving anymore. She must have stopped the car on the side of the road while she was having her attack. All three ladies where now looking at her terrified. Panic filled their eyes but everyone kept silent. And it took a while for Katherine to realize they are waiting for her to speak.
"It's fine now." She tried to convince them because there were more pressing issues to discuss. "It's not important now. I just remembered something crucial that might involve us."
"What could be more important than you staying alive?" Nadia couldn't hold her anger back.
"All of us staying alive." Katherine responded. Even though she wasn't joking others were looking at her like what she said was pure gibberish. So she decided to elaborate. "While I was out of it, after the ritual, I saw something... Well that is not exactly true. I saw someone." She stopped because when she started to say is out laud, she could hear how ridiculously she sounded. Maybe what she saw was a delusion - not a real thing.
But it was too late to stop now. Her companions were waiting with anticipation for her next words.
"I saw Francesca. She appeared to me. She wanted to tell me something, insisting it was important and can affect all of us. She told me that something is coming and unless we stop it, we are all in danger."
No one said anything.
"I know it sound silly and... " she couldn't find a right word. "...vague."
"More like farfetched and absurd." Nadia commented. "Katherine you fell and it's quite probable you hit your had and imagined all this... " she turned to Caroline then. "You were right we should take her to hospital to check, if she is ok and then we fly back home straight away."
Katherine couldn't believe she was ignored. And by her daughter. She new Caroline could have said something like that, but Nadia? Shouldn't it be Nadia, who was suppose to be on her side. Believe her. Help her. Yet it was Nadia who acted like a parent. Even though Nadia was her daughter, she treated her like she was disabled, like she was a child.
"Really?" Kath was furious. "I know what I saw!"
Caroline must have seen Katherine's expression, because she was talking to her now. "We should take you there. Nadia is just worried. You didn't see how terrifying it looked while you fell. Nadia was devastated."
"Caroline, Katherine doesn't need to hear it." Nadia opposed. She was just going to order Anja to start driving to finally look for the hospital when Katherine spoke again.
"Banshee." She mumbled under her nose.
"What did you say?!" She suddenly heard Anja's voice full of panic.
"A banshee." Katherine repeated lauder.
"What's the big deal?" Nadia asked confused. She heard about banshee's before but it was a legend. Pure fiction. "It's just a legend."
"It's not just a legend!" Anja was irritated. "You supernatural creatures are so ignorant. There are other things out there. Just because they are rare, doesn't mean they don't exist. You exist, don't you? And people think you are just a legend!" She stopped shouting now but was even more serious than before. "If Katherine heard Francesca right. And if, what Francesca saw or heard was true, you are in some really deep shit. If Banshee was sent for you, there is not much you can do to stop it."
Now everyone was serious.
"But we have to do something." Katherine said. "And you know what to do?" She said asking but it wasn't entirely a question.
It was Caroline who made a final decision. "We're going back. Katherine has to become a vampire quickly, we have a little time left. We can figure out the details in the meantime." She turned to face Anja now. "And you are going with us. You will not go home now - we will be needing you."
They made their way straight to the airport.
Rebekah was almost back in Mystic Falls. There was only few miles left, until she reach the town's limits. All time, during her way back, she was trying to figure out what she's suppose to do now. Yet she still had no idea.
Stefan was suppose to be in Mystic Falls but she didn't know where to start looking. She thought about her meeting with Sarah once again.
###
"Your friend" Sarah spoke. Her eyes was now closed and she had trouble breathing. "He is in a dark, small space." She paused to catch a breath. "There's water. Water everywhere. He's drowning. Time after time he's dying."
"He needs you to get him out- " that was all. Her vision ended.
Sarah opened her eyes. She was breathing a little faster than usual but despite that she seemed fine.
"How will I find him?" Rebekah finally asked.
"You will know where to look. You need to go now. It is important."
###
How was she suppose to know where to look? She wasn't even here when Stefan was missing. She wasn't here at all. First she was in Europe with Matthew and later in NOLA with her brothers. She was in the dark about everything that was happening here.
The one who could know anything, was Matt but Rebekah didn't want to involve him again. He would hate to see her again. She was sure of that. Yet it seem like she had no one else to help her.
Will he help again? She thought.
She took her phone out and decided to call him before she changes her mind.
"Hello? Rebekah?" He picked up after third ring. "Have you found Stefan yet?"
"Not exactly. That's why I'm calling you." She started. "I need you assistance... again. Can we meet."
There was a silence for a while on the other side but he finally responded. "You can come by to the Grill, we can talk there after my shift ends." He wasn't very happy about it. She could tell.
"I'll be there" She said and then Matt hang up the phone.
"To the grill then!" Rebekah said to herself. She wanted to find Stefan but she was getting tired of making errands for others, especially her brother.
Rebekah was having her third martini when Matt finally joined her in the booth. She took one more sip and went straight to business, knowing he would be expecting that.
She told him every detail of her encounter with little Sarah. How Stefan is somewhere in Mystic Falls. How he is supposedly drowning. The whole time she was talking, he didn't say a single word. He just looked at her and nodded from time to time. After she finished Rebekah asked him about his opinion but he offered none.
Instead he took his phone and went out.
Rebekah didn't know what to think about his behavior but did not follow him. She drank the rest of her martini and waited.
There had to be reason for him to leave. And he will come back. Matt might be many things but he was never rude.
He came back few minutes later.
"What was that?" Rebekah asked a little irritated.
"What?" He asked like her question was unjustified.
"You just left and didn't say anything." She accused him in disbelieve. She knew he had every right to be mad at her but he was not like that. He was never mean to hurt someone. Did she really hurt him that much? She didn't mean it but maybe she did. Unintentionally.
"I wasn't the only one." He stated. It wasn't an accusation just an observation. She did not respond to that. She just looked at the empty glass in her hand and played with it for a while. She couldn't face him.
It was bound to happen sooner or later. He was still mad at her. Angry. Disappointed with her. Rebekah knew there was absolutely zero chances of them getting back together but she hoped they could still be friends. Apparently it was too soon.
"I talked to Damon." He was the one to break the silence between them. "He told me where we can start our search. I also told him to come right back."
Matt repeated Rebekah all Damon said to him. They talked everything over and made a step by step plan how to find Stefan. Matt suggested they ask Sheriff Forbes for help. The Blonde Original was not convinced about it but they needed all the help they could get, if Stefan was really in the place Damon described.
After they were finished. She grabbed her bag and they left The Grill to put their plan in motion.
Rebekah was watching the men, that sheriff Forbes sent, as they were trying to tow the safe Damon described to the shore.
Yesterday when she and Matt were trying to convince Caroline's mother to help she wasn't very cooperative. She said she had no resources to search the entire lake. But after few mentions from Matt, that it's Stefan and his hurting and he would definitely do this for them if the roles were reversed, she finally caved in.
The Original Sister was surprised sheriff organized the search so quickly. The men showed up at dawn and now a little more than five hours later the safe was brought to the shore. After everything was done, she compelled them to forget and sail away.
She asked Matt to stay at Salvatores' and get everything ready. They didn't know what state will Stefan be in, when they let him out.
She turned the handle around and opened the safe door.
In an instant she was thrown to the nearest tree. Attacked by a madmen. It wasn't Stefan, at least not anymore. He flipped the switch. It came to Bekah's mind. Again.
He was trying to fight her and feed on her but he wasn't strong enough to hurt her. He hasn't fed for many months. After she realized what he was trying to do, she threw him on the ground. With vampire speed she reached him and snapped his neck, making him unconscious.
She took her phone out and called Matt.
"I've got Stefan. But he's in really bad shape. Is everything ready?" Rebekah heard him confirm so she continued. "How about Damon - Is he coming?"
"He's on his way. He says he'll be here in an hour or so." He replied.
"Stefan's in unconscious now, so I'll put him in a car and be right there. Prepare the blood." She ended the conversation. Grabbing Stefan by his hands she pulled him to the vehicle.
When Stefan finally woke up Damon has already arrived. Rebekah explained him everything that has happened in details. He didn't took it well when she mentioned to Damon that his brother's humanity has been turned off.
Now they were both standing in the basement. Watching Stefan going on the rampage in the cell-room Rebekah locked him earlier. He was screaming, calling them names and threatening.
They were both worried about Stefan. But finally Rebekah dared to asked the question they all have been thinking of.
"Stefan if you were..." she tried to find a right word "trapped all this time. What happened with Silas?"
Stefan smirked at them and did not respond. Instead he continued to bang on the door. Trying to breach it, to get out of "imprisonment".
"Oh brother, be a dear and tell us what happened to Silas or we will leave you here to rot without any drop of blood." Damon threatened him, not giving in to his brother's ripper behavior.
"Oh I don't know what happened to him." He was very proud of himself. That he can torture them and make them scared even though he's locked up. "He said now that Katherine took his cure he will have to find another way to die and this time he will not be so gentle. Oh... and there was also the thing he said - that we'll all be sorry and that we will all pay."
After their plane landed Caroline and other found themselves a car and made their way straight to Mystic Falls.
They were now chasing with time because Katherine health was deteriorating rapidly. She had maybe 48 hours left. Of course Kath being the proud and vain one didn't want to admit she was feeling weak. Even near death Katherine was so stubborn.
While they were driving Caroline finally decided it was the time to call Klaus.
She felt weird calling him. Technically he said they were friends but then he left and she hasn't seen him all this time. She knew she told Katherine it will be easy to convince Klaus but now she wasn't so sure. He could say no. And what will she say "Hi Klaus I need your blood. Could you FedEx it to me?" or "Klaus something happened, could you come to Mystic Falls?" She felt uncomfortable talking to him. She felt uncomfortable talking to him when all the passengers were listening on her conversation.
She took a deep breath and dialed his number.
*One ring.*
Breathe Caroline, breathe. She told herself.
*Two rings.*
Breathe in, breathe out.
*Three rings.*
Nothing.
*Four rings.*
Still nothing.
*Five rings*
Fuck. Pick up, pick up. She begged him to answer. Leaving a message on the voicemail would be so much worse.
*Voicemail*
"Fuck!" she said. The she heard the beep. "Hi Klaus... its Caroline... " she had no idea what to say "something happened... and I need your help. Please call me back... ASAP." She hanged up.
"Well that was definitely awkward." She heard Katherine's comment.
Great. Now what? She thought ignoring Katherine's comment.
"Let's take Katherine to Salvatore's house. Damon and Elena are out. It should be empty and we'll have some peace there until we can work things out." She finally said to Nadia who was driving their car.
"You mean, when you can convince Klaus." Katherine was even more sarcastic now when she was closer to death, than she was when she was a vampire. Caroline decided not to respond to that. She thought about the way to make her plan work. To save Katherine's life.
Nadia parked the car in the Salvadore's driveway. There was other car there but it was definitely not Damon's. Where did it come from?
They came inside the house. Caroline first, Nadia who was helping Katherine followed, Anja was the last to enter.
As soon as Caroline entered the house, she realized how stupid idea this was. Not only was Damon home but he had a guest. Very blond, very Original guest. Rebekah was sitting right across Damon.
He spotted her then. "Blondie? What are you doing here?" He asked. As soon as he realized she wasn't alone he added. "What the fuck, Caroline?"
"Katherine." Rebekah noticed the company too. And she wasn't happy to see them.
"Damon there is a problem... a big one..." Caroline started but Damon immediately cut her off.
"Yeah there is." He said standing up. "My brother is ripper again and Silas has been on the loose this whole time. We thought Stefan locked him up but it was the other way around."
"I don't get it." Caroline said confused.
"Oh. You see Rebekah here found Stefan today. On the bottom of the lake. Where Silas was suppose to be locked up. But now it appears Silas locked Stefan in the safe instead and is out there seeking revenge because this one... " he pointed at Katherine "took his cure. And he's mad."
Katherine stood up straight. "If you don't remember Damon." She said and turned her 'bitch' mode on. "It was your girlfriend who fed me the cure. I didn't want it."
"How convenient for you."
"Stop it!" Caroline silenced them both. Then she turned to Damon again "You say Silas has been free all along."
"Yes Blondie, he has."
"Can we sit and talk things over because we have some news too?" Caroline hoped he would agree to that. She had no idea what to do next.
"Fine. Let's all sit." He walked over to the liquor cabinet and pored himself a drink. "Anyone wants one?"
"I do." Rebekah accepted his offer.
While Caroline and other were making themselves comfortable on the sofa Rebekah turned to Caroline. "And who are your friends? Won't you introduce them?"
Caroline was ready to answer when Nadia interrupted her. "Oh Rebekah. Don't tell me you don't remember me now?"
Everyone was shocked to hear what Nadia said but foremost Rebekah. She looked at the vampire sitting before her for a second when it finally came to her. "Nadia?" She spoke.
Nadia smiled. "Finally. When was it?" She pretended to recall their meeting. "New York. 1915?"
"What are you doing here?" Bekah asked her. But it was Caroline who spilled the beans.
"She's Katherine's daughter."
Damon chocked on his drink while Rebekah processed her words. "I slept with Katherine's daughter?" The words came out of her mouth. She couldn't believe it.
"You did what?" Caroline was shocked now too. Nadia looked very proud of herself.
"You see Bekah." Katherine finally took part in the conversation. "You're not only Mikaelson that was charmed by Petrova." She was proud of herself too. Surprising Mikaelsons was hard yet she and Nadia still managed to do it.
"Can we go back to the point of this lovely meeting now?" Damon was sick of this talk already.
"Yes. I second that." Rebekah agreed.
"Ok." Caroline responded.
She introduced Anja, told them general story of their journey and what they have learned. She neglected to mention them about Katherine's state and that she needs to be fed Klaus' blood. They didn't need to know everything. Rebekah told them her part of the story about finding Stefan. They all exchanged their observations.
Caroline finally let Katherine tell the details of the vision so they could put the pieces together.
"So you think 'this thing' is using Silas. First Silas locked Stefan up and now he we'll go after us. Killing us one by one." Damon was concerned.
"Not exactly." Anja answered. "It does not work like that. There would be no point in that. Banshee does not act by his own will and does not act on revenge." She was silent for a moment while she was trying to figure something out. "There has to be someone controlling it."
They were all trying to process the information. Let it all sink in when Anja spoke again.
"Oh my God I get it now." Anja stood up and started pacing across the room. "It's not about Stefan and Silas. I mean Silas can be involved but it's not about Stefan at all. We have been thinking about the wrong person all along. Think. Who is linked to all of you here... It's about your brother." She pointed to Rebekah. "It's so obvious now. If he is killed all of you die. The vampires he created. Francesca meant it literally. - Something is coming for him and it will destroy you all" She quoted what Katherine previously said. "It's not a general description of danger. It was pretty straight forward. How is it none of us have seen it before?"
Exactly how was it? They were all stunned.
"What are you saying?" Rebekah was still confused. All that story seemed a little unusual and unreal.
"Your brother can't be killed. So does Silas. The difference being Silas wants to die. It's balance. It makes perfect sense." Anja responded to Rebekah yet it seemed like she was speaking to herself more than to the Original Vampire.
Caroline used the situation to her advantage. It was a perfect opportunity to go to NOLA and ask Klaus for help. Now there was a leverage. The way to convince Klaus to help Katherine.
"So I guess we're going to New Orleans now." She said.
Songs for this chapter:
Hollow Talk by Choir of Young Believers
Running Up That Hill by Placebo
Thank you so much to every one of you who read, followed, favorited and reviewed.
Hope you liked this chapter.
I know this whole Banshee thing is still not clear but it will be I promise. There are some pieces that will come together finally.
Next chapter will reveal some more and there will also be some reunions in the next chapter. We will finally have some Klaroline scenes. Yes they will meet again after such a long time apart:P
I know some of you are waiting for Kalijah reunion but it will take some time. There is many things they have to figure out before it happens :)
Anna the Vampire Princess, Bella-swan11, Ellavm18 - Huge thanks for reading and reviewing my story. I'm happy you enjoyed it.
I apologize for any mistakes I wrote this chapter in a rush.
Reviews are always welcomed. Tell me if you seen any mistakes - it helps me learn :P
See you next time Sweetie Pies xox
Much Love.
***Update made on 2014-03-10:
Content of this chapter has not been changed. I only corrected grammatical mistakes that I could find (probably not all of them). Don't worry new chapter will be uploaded tomorrow or on Wednesday. So yey!