Chapter 4
"Jeremy?" Stefan called up the stairs of the Gilbert home. A moment later the boy appeared at the top of the stairs.
Not much of a boy anymore. Stefan realised. It was true, Jeremy had grown considerably since Stefan had met him. He was no longer lanky and awkward, but well built and strong. A hint of sadness passed through Stefan.
His sister will never grow again.
"Stefan? What's up?" Jeremy called down.
"You haven't seen Elena, have you?"
"Elena? No. Isn't she in the hospital?"
"She was. There was a...complication. She's completed her transition and now disappeared."
"What? How'd this happen?"
"She killed a man, Jeremy."
"Killed? No, Elena wouldn't do that. This is my sister we're talking about."
"I know it's hard, but I need to find her before she can hurt anyone else."
"I...I'm sorry Stefan. She's not here. I haven't seen her since I left the hospital last night."
Shit.
I felt angry, sad, guilty and terrified all at the same time. But above all, I was hungry. It gripped me like a vice and made me physically shake as I huddled against my mother's grave.
Blood. Why can't I stop thinking about blood?
At least the cemetery was peaceful. I couldn't deal with other people right now. They all wanted to help, but none of them understood.
I should have had more of the janitor's blood.
I gasped as the thought slithered through my head. Was I really this far gone? It was driving me crazy.
"Hello Elena." Someone said. I looked up fearfully. It was me. There I was, standing over myself with a vicious grin and eyes as cruel as snakes'.
"Katherine." I whispered.
"It's me. In the flesh. Glad to see me?"
"What do you want?"
"To check up on how my beloved descendant is doing." She smirked, and sat down next to me against the tombstone. "You don't look too good, I must say. Why so pale Elena?"
"Don't do this Katherine. Don't play your games with me."
"You're no fun, you know that Elena? Too much time with Stefan, no doubt."
"You don't know what fun is Katherine."
"On the contrary, I have a very fine tuned sense of it. You just insist on making everything miserable. I enjoy what I do. You sit in graveyards and cry about it."
"Enjoy what you do? You mean killing?"
"Exactly. Along with some other pastimes like thinking up diabolical plots and enjoying power. Now you can too. See, I fixed you. You're not helpless anymore."
"You...you turned me?"
"Not just a pretty face, are you Elena?"
"But...how? Rebekah did it. Meredith gave me the blood and Rebekah stood in the road."
"Meredith gave you my blood. I made sure of that. And Rebekah? Oh please, she's easier to manipulate that you."
"And the janitor?"
"That little stunt could have been pulled off by Stefan, and he's the least cunning person I know."
"But why? Why now?"
"Why do I do anything, Elena? For fun." She smirked and showed her teeth.
"That's a lie. Don't lie Katherine! You did this to me!"
"Ooh, feeling a bit edgy?"
"Just leave me alone. Leave. I hate you Katherine!"
"That's no way to speak to your elders, Elena. Did those Gilbert parents of yours teach you nothing?" I slapped her. Or at least tried to. My hand was a hair's breadth from her face when suddenly she was holding my wrist and twisting. I cried out in pain as she stood over me again and shoved me roughly to the floor, rubbing my face in the dirt my parents were buried beneath.
"I gave you strength, Elena. Don't think it's more than I have though." She twisted harder. "I have plans for you. So long as you were human there was a way he-" There was a sickly half crunch half pop sound, and the end of a stake suddenly sprouted from Katherine's chest.
"Wha-" She managed, letting go of me. Behind her, Damon was clutching the stake, his eyes wide.
"Elena, are you okay?"
"Y-Yes." I gasped. We looked at Katherine. She was clawing frantically at the state through her heart. Her skin was going a stony grey colour. She fell to her knees and, staring in horror at Damon.
"You!" She hissed.
"Goodbye Katherine." Damon replied. She continued to fight, but her strength was fading fast. At last, her arms sagged, and her head bowed. To my distress though, he began to smile, and looked up again.
No! She can't live!
Katherine didn't rise though. She didn't even seem to see us.
"...She...She's gone. Gone." Katherine said in no more than a whisper. Her expression had turned from panic to a kind of serene calmness.
"What? Who's gone?" Damon asked suspiciously.
"I'm all...alone. Peace. I have...peace."
"What are you talking about?" I said to her, but again she was deaf to our questions.
"Silence. At last. Sweet silence..." With that, her eyes suddenly focused on me with terrifying clarity, and her face unreadable.
"Elena..." Katherine never finished. She collapsed, dead.
"Bonnie?" Jeremy said, sitting down next to her in the Grill.
"Hmm?" She answered distractedly, before quickly swallowing her drink and ordering another.
"What are you doing here? I thought you were at the hospital."
"I was, at least until Elena killed a man."
"It's true? Stefan mentioned it. She...she actually killed him?"
"Jeremy...she's a monster." Her lip was trembling.
"Bonnie..." Jeremy sat down next to her and embraced her. She began crying silently into his shoulder.
"There was blood everywhere. All over her clothes, her face. She had this look in her eye. Those weren't Elena's eyes looking at Meredith."
"She's new, Bonnie. Stefan said she's just struggling to adjust."
"Adjust? Jer, I'm Elena's best friend, but what I saw... If I hadn't been there, two people would have died today."
"You can't give up on her. Stefan-"
"I don't care what Stefan said, Jer. He's one of them too."
"He doesn't kill people though, does he? Maybe he can teach Elena to control herself as well."
"You don't understand. You didn't see her. When you do, you'll see how right I am."
"I'll speak to her when...when Stefan finds her."
"She's too dangerous. She's out of control. I...we...have to do something."
The cave was gloomy and dank. Not the prettiest of places, Caroline thought. She didn't feel any better. Tyler was gone. After everything he'd done to free himself of Klaus, he'd been doomed to die with him.
Caroline sat down against the rocky wall and fiddled with a chain on the floor. She'd heard about Elena, and visited her last night, but no one seemed to care that Tyler was dead, and unlike her, wouldn't be coming back.
I remember you, of them care, but I do. She picked up a chain and snapped it easily. There was something therapeutic about destruction.
"Have you got it?" Someone said from another part of the cave. "Yes, load it up and bring it here right away. And make bloody well certain you don't damage it. My body's in that coffin."
"Tyler?" Caroline stood up excitedly. The voice stopped instantly. She quickly hurried towards where it had come from and saw him. Tyler was dressed in a fine suit with the top button undone. He slipped a cellphone into his pocket.
"Uh...Caroline!" He cried, breaking into a smile, and opening his arms to hug her. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I didn't mean to frighten you." Caroline was about to run to him when something made her stop.
"Did you just call me 'sweetheart?' And what was up with that your conversation on the phone?"
"It was nothing, really. Now come-"
"Oh God." Caroline gasped. "Klaus." Tyler sighed and gritted his teeth.
"I was hoping I'd at least get a kiss before you found out. Yes, it's me. Better run away now and call the rest of your gang."
"What have you done with Tyler?"
"He's...taken a back seat."
"Klaus, leave him alone." She tried to slap him, but he side-stepped easily and just laughed.
"Careful love, you don't want to ruin Tyler's pretty face."
"Give him back!"
"Soon enough Caroline, I promise. My body's on it's way back this moment. My hybrids have it."
"And then?"
"I'll get the Bennett witch to pop me back into myself and you'll have Tyler back. I just need you to do one thing for me."
"What's that?"
"Keep that pretty mouth closed around your friends. Should be easy enough with some encouragement."
"What encouragement?"
"If you ruin my little surprise, I'll rip Tyler's heart out."