A/n: sorry it took so long to update...writers block...not a lot of action but here it goes...
Damon looked her in the eyes; her brown orbs locked with his, expressing curious disbelief.
"Are you sure," her voice hitched. Elena couldn't believe what he was saying. Their relationship had only just been solidified without the prying interest of their closest friends and family. No one was meddling, there was no worry of the sire bond causing her feelings for him and no apocalyptic threats or adrenaline rushes to potentially ruin their lives. For the first time since her parents deaths Elena Gilbert was living a normal life.
"I'm sure," he ushered her out the door. "You're a young woman with no parental supervision and you don't need me around to decide every single second of your fate. You said you wanted to visit Klaus; do something exciting for the summer? Make a road trip out of it. You have lifetimes to get to learn your countries history and explore the states. Take your time. Enjoy the Carolinas and Georgia before hitting New Orleans."
"Yeah," Caroline swung an arm over her friends shoulder; her golden curls thrown up in a ponytail as she sported a plain white tee and cut off daisy dukes. "Enjoy sight seeing with me and having some girl time. When was the last time we had any extended bonding time without boy drama?"
"You're awfully perky for someone who has plenty of boy drama of her own," the brunette reminded her.
"You know what, Elena," her friend asked, "that same exact boy drama will be here in two months when we get back. I'm not going to sit here moping for Tyler when all I have to do is trust that he will come back for me. Besides, Damon can come visit us for a weekend here and there so you're not completely bummed the whole time and we can still visit some awesome beaches while we compel ourselves some heavily laced alcoholic drinks and beach boys to do our bidding."
"You're right. I know," she smiled and kissed Damon goodbye. "I'll call you when we hit North Carolina."
"Remember," he held up a finger as he joked playfully, "always take the road to nowhere. It usually offers the most interesting experiences."
The girls laughed, letting him help with their bags. "Why is he always so damn cryptic," Caroline asked and slammed her door.
"You know Damon. He hates to ruin a good surprise," the doppelganger turned back to smile at his fading image.
Katherine sat at the dining table. For weeks she had been denied her wish to eat alone in her room. Klaus preferred her to eat alone at a table designed for many guests. It made her feel more depressed as she was sure he had designed it to do. It had been a month since her transition and she was worried.
Of course she had ideas about what he wanted from her. She wasn't stupid; outrunning him for five centuries should surely prove that. Katherine knew that since she was his only option, the promise of torture he had made so long ago would be kept along with more cruel expectations of what her role would be.
She pressed her hands to her stomach, cursing nature and Elena. The manipulative, cunning and confident woman she had been for almost five hundred years had disintegrated into ash the second she had become human. Of course, she was still manipulative and cunning but her ego had certainly taken a hit. The past four weeks had been spent looking for a way out and praying that her body would need time to reset after her transition. Her prayers had been denied.
Katherine looked at the food in front of her and was tempted to throw it and starve herself so she wouldn't have to think about what was guaranteed in her future. The idea of baring a child tormented her. Once she had dreamed of what her life would be like with her daughter before her father had snatched her and murdered those dreams. The idea of having another child terrified her, especially since there was the possibility that Klaus would drain her after the birth and her life would be over and her child would be forever bound to Klaus.
Rubbing her stomach, Katherine cursed the cramps that had accompanied her monthly cycle and wondered how long she could possibly hide it from Klaus. Thank God he was away taking care of some business in Texas. There was time for her to find away to make herself essential enough to avoid her death.