I realize my past two chapters have been very Delena light, but the next one I promise to be Delena heavy.
I spot the she-devil herself reclining comfortably on a bench in town square. As I'm walking towards her, I reflect on what a bad idea it was having Katherine meet me in public. Immediately, I begin formulating explanations for people seeing double. Most of the people I love know the truth, but Matt and Tyler are still in the dark, not to mention acquaintances and local residents. Jenna's switched at birth theory is looking pretty good right about now. Sadly, I have more important matters to worry about than what the town gossips will say about my vampire doppelganger.
As if on cue, Katherine makes what is always her first mistake. She starts talking. "I hear your little blonde best friend is now part of our special club. Remind me again why I should trust someone to protect my interests when she can't even protect her best friend," Katherine questions flippantly? The sound of my hand making contact with her face is the only noise that I hear in the quiet town square. Katherine recovers quickly, and my slap does nothing to wipe the grin off her face.
"Well aren't we feeling moody today, and here I thought we were a team. Keep up that attitude and you might have me reconsidering my alliances," Katherine taunts cockiness oozing from every syllable.
I let out a humorless laugh. Usually I can stand her smug arrogance, but today my patience is dangerously thin. We both know she's bluffing and I call her on it. "Don't kid yourself," I advise angrily. I step right up into her face, so Katherine will know that she doesn't scare me. I've already lived through my worst nightmare. Bitchy vampire with attitude really doesn't rank. She pauses and tilts her head to the side as if trying to figure me out.
Instead of playing her game, I decide to pick her apart for a change. "Here's how I know you won't betray me," I explain nonchalantly. "You want Klaus dead, you want to stop running, and most importantly you want justice for your family," I claim. Her face softens at the mention of what she'd lost lifetimes ago, and Katherine turns her head away so that I won't see her weakness. I feel a moment of empathy for my diabolical rival. We both share a common backstory, sad orphan girls who lived to see their family butchered. The only difference is I can change my story, but she has to live with hers forever.
"We can put an end to him," I promise Katherine. She stares at me skeptically. After 500 years of hating Klaus, she finally has a chance to stop him and her trust issues are getting in the way. In order to gain her confidence, I try opening up to the last woman on the planet that I want to talk to. "I may hate you for what you did to Damon and Stefan, but I do pity you, because I know what it's like to lose everything too," I admit miserably looking Katherine dead in the eyes. She doesn't need to ask any questions to put the pieces together. I need only issue one more warning to seal Katherine's compliance. "If you ever think of betraying me, remember this, Klaus knows nothing of forgiveness or honor. He will drag out your life so painfully; you will wish he had sacrificed you," I caution. Katherine's head nods in acceptance, and I know that I have her on my side.
"So I assume you called this meeting because you need something," Katherine speculates. "What exactly is my role in this little revenge scheme," she questions once again feigning indifference.
"You are going to make contact with a vampire in Richmond named Slater who is going to contact Elijah and set up a meeting." Katherine stops dead in her tracks once I name drop Elijah. Few times have I ever seen Katherine truly terrified, and I try to savor the moment. Turning the tables on her is quite satisfying. She has no idea that Elijah was in love with her, and after her remark about Caroline, I choose to keep the information to myself. Little fear never hurt anyone.
"Elijah and I have a complicated history," Katherine admits carefully. "Since I value my life, I think I'm gonna sit this one out. Why don't you talk to Damon? I'm sure he would love to drive for hours alone in the car with you," she teases relentlessly.
I feel a wave of protectiveness and a little bit of jealousy after Damon's confession at the hospital. "Leave Damon out of this," I shout. "If you do anything to hurt him, I will destroy you," I threaten. Without realizing it, I start shoving Katherine trying to release some of my anger, but this time she is prepared for me. She uses her vampire strength to flip me over onto the ground, and my head hits hard on impact.
I feel everything spinning and a massive headache coming on. Katherine offers me a hand in getting up, but I knock it away. She ignores my resistance to her help and issues a warning of her own. "Don't make the mistake of thinking that you control me," Katherine cautions. "I am over 500 years old, and I could snap you like a twig. Damon and Stefan were mine. I made them, and if you know what's good for you, you'll dump your little boyfriend and give me what I want," Katherine snaps menacingly at me.
"Stefan was always part of the deal," I remind Katherine. "The shelf life of my relationship with Stefan is quickly approaching its expiration date. Guilt over his future mistakes will consume him, and he will dump me to protect me, as warped as that logic is," I explain.
"Ah, see now we're getting somewhere. I was wondering why you were so quick to sacrifice the man that you love to the big bad. Tell me, why be so protective of Damon and not Stefan. It's not just about some mysterious mistake," Katherine fishes for more information.
"You're right," I admit without hesitation. "The truth is Stefan is better off with you, and Damon is better off without you." My anger is building quickly, and I know it isn't all directed at Katherine. For months, I took Damon for granted, and it is a little hypocritical for me to yell at her for doing the same. Honestly I wasn't sure if I was shouting at her or my past self, but it didn't matter because I needed to say it either way. "Damon loved you and accepted you just as you were," I confess simply. I swear I can see her flinch as I confront her, but I can't be sure. "He searched for you for 145 years. At any point, you could have found him and told him the truth. He would have followed you to the ends of the Earth and loved you for the rest of eternity. Why wasn't that enough," I scream loudly? A few passing townsfolk start staring.
Katherine looks vulnerable for a moment, almost human. I felt the shame of hurting Damon once, so I recognize it easily in someone else. "It was because he accepted me," Katherine admits. "Whatever you may think of me, I loved Damon, and I always will. But the night Stefan and Damon died, when I saw their lifeless bodies lying in the middle of the road, I suddenly had such clarity. I could never choose between them while they were alive, but the shock of their deaths gave me my answer. Stefan could never accept me as a monster. He wanted me to be better. He wanted me to be more. It made me want more for myself. Damon loved me just as I was, and how could I accept that love when I couldn't even accept myself? You're right. I ruined Damon's life. I have done terrible things to more people than I care to count, but what I did to Damon was the worst. My guilt won't wash away his pain, which is why I avoid dwelling on it," Katherine confesses ashamed.
"You have to let him go," I tell her stating the obvious. "It's the only way he can be free of you."
"I know," Katherine whispers quietly to herself. She sits in uncharacteristic silence for a moment while I regain my train of thought.
I remind myself of the task at hand and what I need from Katherine. "You also have to go to Richmond," I order. "Elijah is a man of honor, and if he promises you a pardon in exchange for my location, he means it. I also want you to secure a pardon for Rose and Trevor. They shouldn't have to run forever paying for your betrayal. Slater should be able to get them a message letting them know they're safe."
"You just got the whole life story didn't you," Katherine concludes?
"I got enough, just enough to know that you convinced Mason Lockwood to come to town with you. If you want our partnership to continue, you will send him packing. He tried to kill Stefan and Damon in my time, and he is Tyler's uncle. I don't want anyone else messed up in all of this," I finish.
She doesn't even question how I know about Mason, nor does she fight me about sending him away. "I suppose I can agree to those terms as long as you hold up your end of the bargain with Stefan," Katherine decides.
"Don't worry. I have already started planting the seeds of trust in his head," I promise.
"How did you do that" Katherine questions once again skeptical?
"I told him the truth of how you helped him fight for his humanity," I state sincerely.
Katherine looks briefly impressed either at me for telling Stefan the truth or at herself for actually doing the right thing for once. She was right. Stefan does push her to be better, and as screwed up as it is, she does the same for him. "Talk to Stefan before you leave," I advise. "Fill him in as a way to earn his trust, and apologize for what you did to him and to Damon. Trust and loyalty are important to Stefan. If you seem worthy of his trust, it will go a long way. Also don't be scared to let him in, believe me you'll regret it if you don't" I warn. "The rest is up to you," I say as I stand up and walk away. I check the phone that Damon picked up for me this morning, and I see six text messages all from the same person, me. After reading between the lines of the texts, I guess that Stefan has broken up with her already, because all of her letters are capitalized. She seems pissed. I remind myself that I did all this for her own good, but I still feel a little guilty for being the cause of the breakup. Either way, it's time for us to talk one on one.
Please Read and Review