I'm nearly afraid to upload this here… there hasn't been any update to this story so long *sigh*. I'm really so sorry! But, you see… my brain just couldn't produce anything useful. I had radiation and then surgery (although, very minor)… I kept on thinking "I just HAVE to write on" but it was no use. BUT, I'm mostly alright now, so I actually managed to get a chapter done. It's the last one too – well, there will be an epilogue still, because the ending is VERY open right now… but you'll read that yourselves^^.

As always, a biiiiig THANK YOU to Avecia, my dear beta-reader; I couldn't do this nearly so well without your help! And of course to all of you who read (and especially reviewed!) this story. You are the BEST.

Disclaimer: You know the shtick – I don't own a thing 'bout TVD. I only play with them, 'cause it's soooo much fun!

Now, on with it!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

With that thought, Alyona let Elena out of the dark recesses of her mind, so she would be able to watch her last moments on earth, and then they made their way to Wickery Bridge.

…..

They didn't even have to wait; upon their arrival, they saw a lone figure already waiting for them, his hands intertwined behind his back, head held high and posture a mix of regal and predatory. Klaus.

Elena knew that it wasn't his real name, but she never called Elijah by the name he had in his human life either... for her, those two were, and always would be, Klaus and Elijah. Original vampires; one a monster, the other not quite.

And Klaus really was a monster. Sure, he looked human (and handsome) enough. But only on the outside, and if you didn't look too closely. Because if you did there was just… something, that made her skin crawl in the worst way imaginable.

Up close, it was even worse. His eyes held so many contradicting things, and all of them spelled her imminent death. They where deep and nearly hollow; empty of all emotion but a few sparse ones. Anger, hate and fatigue at the forefront. Jealousy too – that one she saw in the moments his eyes rested on Elijah. And still, he managed to remain so cold, his lips – his whole facial expression – cold like an arctic winter, with a cruel edge to it. Yes, he was a monster alright. And somehow this wolf in a sheep's skin scared her more than any nightmarish creature ever could.

She was so glad that Alyona had the reins of her body right now, because otherwise she might have bolted. She had thought that, after all this time being scared of him, of fighting everyone for the right to decide for herself, she would be prepared to die for her friends and her family. But reality could be a real bitch sometimes. Because she was scared out of her mind, even though she knew that it would soon be over; that soon, everyone she cared about would be safe, no worries of the supernatural kind left. And then the monster opened his mouth and spoke; spoke in gentle and polite tones, his accent heavily British. So much so like Elijah that it made her laugh out loud (or well… out loud in the recesses of her own mind that she occupied right now). She had a feeling that the guy would smile courteously even while he ripped your heart out. Literally.

"My dear Elijah… I see you brought me my Doppelganger. I must confess, I half thought that you might bail on me; that I would have to chase you down. I think we agree on the fact that it is so much more… practical for me that you chose to heed my word."

If she had a body of her own, Elenas jaw would have hit the floor right about now. Because, really? Everyone here knew that Klaus was going to kill Elijah and her… and he had the nerve to speak about what was more practical for him? Good god… the dictionary probably had Klaus' picture right beside "narcissism".

"Yes well… I grew tired of this game. The world has changed, and there is no room for us in it anymore. I decided it was well past the time that we settle this dispute once and for…"

Before Elijah could finish his sentence, Klaus blurred in front of him and buried an intricately carved stake through his heart. His eyes widened for a moment, then his skin turned ashen and he slumped to the ground. In seconds his body burst in flames, and soon nothing but a burned out husk was left of him. Elena felt her breath stuck in her throat – her real throat too, as Alyona tried to stifle the sob that wanted to burst free. The woman just saw her husband die. Still she made the effort to let Elena know that this stake is what they would need. That it was made out of the wood of the tree, growing right beside the Original Witch's house.

And Elena… well. Elijah had been somewhat of a friend, but more than that… he had also been the strongest vampire she had ever met. Certainly stronger than the Salvatore brothers, who weren't even two centuries old yet… but also, stronger than Katherine or Rose, who – by human standards – had been ancient.

And Klaus… just rolled his eyes, blurred forward and killed him. Like he was a goddamn fly on the wall. Fuck.

"Well my lovely, now we can talk without further disturbances. That man grew quite tiring after the first couple of centuries. I will never understand how anyone ever could stand his presence."

Alyona just blinked at him, trying hard not to show how hard this really was on her. She had to act like Elena would; afraid for her own life, sad about the end of a friend. Not though, like a woman who just lost the love of her life. So she took a deep breath, straightened to her full height, and locked her eyes on Klaus'.

"S…so… and what now? What do you want to do with me?"

He smiled at her (it might've been meant charming, but it came out like the grin a shark would give a flash of bright, no doubt razor sharp teeth right before he clamped down on you) and held out his arm for her to take.

"You're going to be my means to an end. Of course I know you're only a Doppelganger but… you are still mine. Mine to have, mine to control, and mine to use to make things right for me again. You see, I need your lifeblood, shed over the moonstone to free me of the sun's curse. Being protected of the sun is one thing… but it is still a danger. I need to be free of its curse. Only then can I start to mold the world back to its former glory."

And then Elena understood, finally. Klaus wasn't a monster at all. He was a man – a man that had once been obsessed over a woman, a man who wanted power over everything else… a man who had lost his mind, while he had waited centuries to get what he wanted. No monster, simply an insane mind.

Xoxoxoxoxoxo

Katherine knew the exact moment Elijah's existence had ended. Suddenly the overwhelming need to stay in the tomb had vanished.

For a moment she thought about running away. To just leave Mystic Falls, the Salvatore Brothers and her promise to Elena behind. But then again… she had promised. And there might not be many good characteristics about her, but she tended to keep her promises. And Elena was blood… and had been nice to her, when she really had no reason to be.

So she didn't run away, and she didn't wait for it all to blow over so she could keep her promise. For the first time since before she turned, she ran to the trouble, instead of away from it.

She only had to do a little detour beforehand.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

"Where the fuck are they? The creepy disembodied voice said at Midnight, on Wickery Bridge. Well, we're on the Wickery Bridge, it's Midnight, and no one is here!"

"Captain Obvious, Caroline – Caroline, Captain Obvious. I see the two of you are well acquainted."

"Oh haha. You're real funny Jeremy. If I weren't so busy worrying about your sister, I might roll on the floor, laughing."

Damon just pinched the bridge of his nose and silently counted from ten down. Who knew, maybe it might stop him from murdering Vampire Barbie and Baby Gilbert.

"Oh, just shut the fuck up – both of you. We have other things to worry about than your bitching."

He looked up, the startled expression clear as day on his face. He never thought he would see the day on which he was thankful for Bonnie Bennett. Imagine that.

"Well, bravo. You stated the fact that you are quite apt at creating drama. Now, if you're done with that, how about we go and rescue that stupid little martyr."

They all blinked at the woman that had suddenly appeared only a few steps away from them. Katherine to save the day? Yeah, right.

"You want to save Elena? Sure thing, and I'm the Easter Bunny."

"Well then, hurry up and hop along. I don't think we have much time – and before you interrupt me: would you rather want question my motivations, or do you want her to live?"

Damon's features hardened instead of him actually giving a real answer, but his look gave him away anyway.

"Just what I thought. So stop being irritating and fucking follow me…. They're at Wickery Bridge by the way… the old Wickery Bridge. You should have used your brains. Now come – we'll need the Bennett witch to save the Doppelganger."

With that, she stalked past them to the edge of the woods and disappeared in the brush. Damon didn't think long; as soon as he lost sight of her, he made up his mind and decided it was better to follow her… nothing could be worse than stand around and do nothing. Even if she led them straight into a trap… still better than to not even try.

And as Damon followed the path Katherine had taken, the others went after him, too.

Xoxoxoxoxoxo

Alyona – and Elena in turn, too – had listened to Klaus' rambling for a good ten minutes now. He was going on about how he would restore the worlds' former glorious days; true warriors, real kings and all the things only known from historical movies and books. And both of them started to lose their patience.

"… and soon it will be just as I remember everything to be and you will be…"

"Enough already! I am so very tired of you and your self-importance. It was ridiculous the first time around, and it hasn't gotten any better since!"

The man blinked owlishly at her – them – seemingly not able to comprehend that anyone would find something wrong about his greatness.

"What. Did. You. Just. Say? Because it sounded as if you were opposing me, speaking up in front of your superior."

Rolling her eyes, Alyona stepped forward, invading his personal space.

"Listen closely. Listen, and tell me what you hear around us. Humor me."

He seemed conflicted, but finally decided to do just what she asked; after all, he had forever at his disposal.

"The river, and running over it the creaking of this bridge. Nocturnal animals, roaming around in search of food. The wind in the trees… care to tell me what this is good for?"

And then she laughed at him.

"Oh god, you really are so conceited that you don't even see what is right in front of your eyes. Do I act like a scared little human, fearing the thing even monsters have nightmares about? Or for that matter, do I seem human to you? The only sounds here are coming from the woods surrounding us, and from our voices. No heartbeat from either of us. You're so self-absorbed that you don't even realize that the Doppelganger has lost her use for you. She's a vampire. Dead meat, for all the spell on the stone cares. And she was the last in her line. You lost."

As she stepped back again, she could see the moment he realized clearly edged on his face; how it hardened even further, and how his eyes came alight – and then blood red – with fury.

"You! You; how…. How?"

So angry, that he couldn't even form a coherent sentence anymore. What once had been love – obsession – on his part, had turned to hate over an eternity spent alone. And that was exactly what she had been counting on. While he still tried to find an answer to all this, she calmly went to her husband's corpse and pulled the stake – slightly charred but still very much intact – out of him. And snapped it into two pieces of the same size.

"What do you want with that stake, woman. Don't you know that I can't be killed? Many have tried, but I always come back again. Come on, go ahead and try!"

Seemingly he had overcome his disbelief and was firmly back on his high horse.

"With pleasure!"

And she blurred in front of him, slamming one half of the stake where it belonged.

Klaus just gave her a patronizing grin and made no move to remove the stake.

Good.

But then, just as she was about to raise the second half to plunge it home too, there was noise at the edge of the clearing and then they weren't alone anymore.

She turned around and saw first the other Doppelganger and then Damon rushing out of the undergrowth… closely followed by the rest of Elena's dysfunctional family. Alyona heard Elena scream deep inside of her - louder even than the witch's incessant chanting - heard the anguish in her voice. She knew that the girl hadn't wanted them to see this. But she was so close to the end. She was so close to finally finding her peace… she couldn't stop now.

She sent a silent apology inside and then turned around to face Damon.

"I am sorry. She wanted to stay with you… she would, if there was a choice."

And then, before Klaus had the chance to realize that he really was about to die – for real – she ended it. The wood pierced skin, muscle and bone, and found its rest deep in her heart.

She heard Elena scream again, felt her trying to get out, to say something, anything to make it better for Damon… but there wasn't any time left. The world grew dark around them, and then, there was nothing. The first time in centuries, there was nothing she could see. And the last thing she heard was something she would never be able to describe.

It wasn't the scream of a human, nor was it the wail of an animal. It was a broken soul, a shattered heart, mourning its other half. It was Damon, as he saw Elenas body collapsing in a boneless heap, skin rapidly taking on that hideous pallor he would never forget after this.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

And that's IT! Nah, just kidding. I already told you there will be an epilogue. But I need many, maaaany reviews so I can decide whether this story will have a sad, or a happy ending. Nothing decided yet, so click on the little button below and tell me what you'd rather read (also, please tell me if you liked that chapter, hehe)!

So long,

Zora