Chapter 19

Stefan's eyes widened in...fear. I grinned in morbid pleasure, before turning again and sending him crashing into the wall behind the bed. He tumbled onto the white sheets and groaned pathetically.

"I haven't had a good drink in ages, Stefan. But you're still weak enough to be thrown about like a rag doll."

He didn't reply. I glanced down at one of the four wooden legs holding the bed up and kicked it. The leg snapped off easily, and the bed partially collapsed to one side. Stefan rolled onto the floor, and writhed about for a second or two. I watched the show eagerly. This was incredible.

"Aren't you even going to try fight?"

Again he ignored me. I shrugged, and bent down to pick up the broken wooden leg, now splintered at one end.

Watch closely Katherine. You'll probably want to remember this.

Elena, don't. Don't do this.

Are you also too weak to fight me? This is too easy.

"I must say, Stefan." I said, still examining my weapon of choice. "Your death has been an anti-climax considering the life you've led. More than a century, but it'll all end with a wooden bed-leg while you squirm on the floor."

He squirmed on the floor, and I sighed. "But don't worry, Stef. It won't be too boring. I mean, think about it; who would've thought I'd be the one to finally kill Stefan Salvatore. The irony is...spine tinglingly delicious, don't you agree?"

I nudged him with my foot, hoping for some reaction. He didn't oblige. "Oh come on, Stefan. At least give the audience your last words. You do want to be a memorable character, don't you? If not I could just drop you off in some dumpster."

"You're insane. Go to hell."

"Perfect!" I snapped my fingers and grinned. "Those will do nicely. Now we can finish this.

I stood over him, took a moment to reflect, flexed my neck, and raised the stake.

Like a tidal wave, Katherine flooded into Elena's consciousness, tugging her into the whirlpool. She hadn't thought Elena would do it. She'd hoped some minute part of the old Elena which had loved Stefan remained, and would stop her. She'd even hoped that perhaps Elena was just bluffing, trying to unsettle Katherine.

It had worked, but only when the ice-cold truth had slipped from Elena's surface thoughts to Katherine. She intended to do it. To drive the stake through Stefan's heart.

And so Katherine pulled. Pulled and pulled on a ferocious Elena, as her hand holding the stake above Stefan remained motionless.

You didn't think I'd do it. You thought you'd outlast my resolve.

The thought was clear within the whirlpool, and sharp as razors with cruelty.

I hoped you'd come to your senses. Obviously you have none.

And along with everyone else, you underestimated me. You're too late.

With a savage mental shove, Elena forced Katherine back down and clawed her way back to the surface. Katherine's desperation was not enough. As she felt Elena resurface, she despaired.

I smirked in triumph as I seized control again. Katherine might have surprised me once and handed herself over to Stefan, but head to head, she was still just a passenger. Tightening my grip on the stake, I looked down. Stefan was gone.

The feeling of being literally tackled from behind was an unpleasant one. My head fell back because of the whiplash, straining my neck in uncomfortably. Hardly a moment could I appreciate the sensation before the floor rushed up to meet my face. It was hard, but also cold. In fact it was quite soothing. Stefan's weight came next, crashing onto my back and forcing the air from my lungs. Any pain I felt faded, and my vision blurred, but the cold floor remained. Thank goodness for that cold floor. Nonetheless, darkness crept into the edges of my sight. It didn't feel too bad. Strange indeed, almost cinematic, but not bad. Like a jungle of vines it snaked it's further towards the centre of my vision. I watched casually, waiting to see if it would go all the way. Would I be blind? I hope not. This attempt to kill Stefan had obviously failed. I should have snapped his neck before staking him. That way he wouldn't have been able to get up with Katherine distracting me.

I couldn't see. Strange. What was that tumbling sensation? It felt familiar. Oh yes, the whirlpool. Damn Katherine, opportunistic as always. Sneaking into control while I still come to terms with this fantastically cold floor.

It had been surprisingly easy to take control when Elena was distracted. An instant after she was tackled, Katherine surged upwards again and slipped past a disoriented and confused Elena. It wouldn't be long before she regained her bearings and began to claw her way back, but at least it would be enough for Stefan to tie her up again.

"Quick! Get more rope!" Katherine hissed from underneath Stefan.

"W-What?" He stuttered, rolling off and looking down in confusion. A moment later, understanding settled across his face.

"Katherine."

"Yes. She was distracted. Hurry, Stefan! I can't hold her back for ever."

He nodded and hurried out the room to fetch more rope.

The leaves crunched underneath Damon's shoes as he walked through the forest at the edge of the Lockwood land. It was growing dark, and the hoots of owls haunted the night.

They've taken her. It's the only explanation. Why else would Stefan act so evasive while keeping an eye on me? And where would I hide a vicious and unpredictable vampire? In a werewolf holding cell of course.

Damon had no idea what he'd do when he got there. His heart and his common sense simply couldn't agree. The logical option would be to leave her. Stefan and Caroline were obviously trying to save Elena's humanity. If he was smart, he'd help. It would be better for Mystic Falls, it would be better for himself, but would it be better for Elena?

What's the matter with me? I was always the one who made the tough decisions, even if it wasn't what Elena herself wanted. But that was when she was trying to commit suicide to 'save' the rest of us.

He shook his head slightly to clear it. Thinking would only complicate it. When he found her, he'd decide. Until then, he just had to avoid getting lost in this forest.

"Mayor Lockwood?" Caroline called, walking into the mansion. The house was poorly lit. Now that Carol lived here alone, she didn't bother with half the lights in the enormous house. In fact she didn't use half the rooms either, especially the ones belonging to her dead husband and Tyler. Caroline hadn't had the heart to tell the new Mayor that her son was alive. Tyler might not be dead, but neither was Klaus, and until the Original left Tyler's body, there was nothing Caroline could do. If Carol knew, and Klaus ended up killing Tyler, it would destroy the woman. Caroline couldn't do that to her.

"Mayor Lockwood?" She called again, louder. Her voice echoed through the house. She rubbed her eyes softly. She felt tense. Recently that was all she'd felt. There was so much worrying that had to be done; on behalf of Tyler, Stefan, Jeremy, Bonnie and the whole of Mystic Falls, and because of Elena, Damon and Klaus. At times, Caroline felt frenzied, other times she felt nothing but hopelessness. It was utterly exhausting.

"Caroline?" Mayor Lockwood appeared at the top of the stairs. Her face was empty, and her eyes devoid of anything. For an instant, she reminded Caroline of Elena. She shivered.

"Sorry to bother you, Mrs Lockwood, but I need to find Damon."

"Nothing's wrong, is it? Your mother and I have been doing our best to keep the Council off the trail of those teenagers with wounded necks."

"No, it should be fine. I just wanted to...keep an eye on Damon, but he disappeared."

"Has it got something to do with Elena?" Like the Sheriff, Carol Lockwood had been sceptical about the 'Elena problem' at first, but she was starting to grasp the seriousness of it. As the Mayor, she expected to be kept well informed of all possible threats to the town's safety.

"We were worried he'd try to rescue Elena. Have you seen him?"

"No. I'm sorry."

"Oh...thanks."

"Is Damon going to be a problem?" Her stare was hard and cold.

"We'll...deal with him."

"And are you making progress with Elena?"

"I'm not sure. I'm on my way to check now."

"I see. Good night, Caroline." Without waiting for a reply, Carol Lockwood turned on her heel and walked back up the stairs before fading into the gloom.

"Are they too tight?" Stefan asked Katherine.

"No." She gritted her teeth against the burn of the vervain. "Tighter."

"Tighter? Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Stefan pulled on the rope, and Katherine felt it dig deeper into her wrists. The burning intensified, but it was necessary. Elena couldn't escape again.

"You saved my life." She heard Stefan say quietly. Katherine looked at him, but couldn't think of what to say in reply. "And I'm tying you up for it." Stefan continued. "It just doesn't seem right."

"It's the only way. I couldn't have done it if you hadn't tackled her."

He smiled. "She was the one who encouraged me to play football again."

"She was asking for it." Katherine laughed. "I'm sorry I didn't intervene sooner. I...didn't think she'd do it."

"She's tricked us all. I never thought I'd see Elena like this. It's like...she's not even the same person anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"Elena - the old Elena - was defined by her emotions. They were who she was. Her compassion, her love, those were what shaped her personality. Without them...everything good and caring within her is gone. That's why she's so dangerous."

"It's a scary thought. The best of us always fall the furthest."

"You two aren't so different."

"No?"

"You were also pretty terrifying without emotions." He grinned, and Katherine rolled her eyes.

"Oh really?"

"But when you do feel, you're..." He paused, struggling for the right word. She watched him for a moment. His eyes looked like orbs of smoke. His face was still flushed from the fight.

Katherine shut her eyes and kissed him.

Moonlight shone through the cave, bathing everything in an eerie glow. Damon took a deep breath and stepped through the iron gate.

From round the next corner, a dark figure suddenly materialised. Damon's blood froze when the man's face was illuminated in pale white light.

"Nice of you to join us, Damon." Klaus sneered.