Chapter Four

Katherine opened her eyes slowly, mentally cursing her pounding headache. With shaking arms she sat up and looked around. What. The. Hell?

She was lying in the dirt in a place that looked like a complete swamp. There were dozens of witches surrounding her and mumbling something that sounded to her like prayers, as if Katherine were some holy saint.

Desperately wishing that she still had her vampire speed, she attempted to exit the circle only to be bounced back. "Fuck!" she cursed under her breath. A shield. She should have known.

"Be patient." One of the witches with curly, dark hair scolded. "We need to concentrate and you've already caused enough trouble."

"Excuse me?" she snapped. "I sure as hell don't know who any of you witches are. Why did you bring me here?"

The witches ignored her as they continued mumbling under their breath. Katherine tried to talk to them, bargain with them but they didn't seem to hear her.

Am I going to die? She couldn't help asking herself. She sank to her knees and decided to ignore the witches. Or try to anyway. She desperately wished that she had listen to Stefan and stayed with him.

Stefan turned around and began walking back to their table. He frowned when he saw that it was empty, even Katherine's purse was gone. Katherine had left, that little sneak.

Trying hard not to panic that he had just lost the pregnant, now human doppelganger Stefan exited the café. He looked around the busy streets hoping to at least catch a glimpse of Katherine, but nothing.

"Crap, Katherine." He fumbled with his phone as he opened his address book. The person on the other side quickly answered.

"Hey, Stefan."

Stefan sighed. "Hey, Matt sorry I know I'm interrupting you and Rebekah's vacation, but I was hoping you could do me a favor. Can you ask Rebekah where Klaus is staying?"

There was some bickering through the other end until Matt said. "It was hard, but I got it. Do you have a pen ready?"

"Well, I must admit that you've done a good job, Marcellus." Klaus said a bit sourly as he and Marcel walked around the house that had had once belonged to Klaus and his family. "Raising this city all by yourself especially after that nasty accident with my father."

Marcel grinned modistedly, trying not to brag. "I did what I could. Oh, trouble. An intruder in the quarter."

Klaus peeked through the balcony and saw Stefan visibly arguing with three of Marcel's nightwalkers. He had an annoyed expression on his face and Klaus guessed that someone back in Mystic Falls was in desperate need of hybrid blood.

"He's ok. Let him up."

Marcel looked bewildered. "That's not how things are done-"

Klaus ignored him. "Stefan, over here."

Stefan catch his glance and used his vampire speed to reach the balcony where Klaus and Marcel were currently talking. Klaus did his best to hide his pleasure. "Stefan, what an unusual, but nonetheless welcome surprise. Let me guess your brother or sweet little Elena got bitten by a werewolf, and you being the hero want some of my blood."

"This isn't about them," he said firmly. "This is about Katherine."

Klaus raised an eyebrow. "What about Katerina? Please, don't tell me she is still giving you trouble, that is quite pathetic."

"Will you listen?" he demanded. "This is more serious than you think, Katherine is human."

"I know that, Stefan and I suspect that Katerina isn't the least bit joyous of her new found humanity."

"Well, you're not entirely wrong." Stefan eyed Marcel suspiciously. "Is there someplace we can talk?"

Klaus shrugged, "By all means, Marcel don't mind Stefan Salvatore, he's always a grump when he's nervous." His cell phone rang and Klaus looked annoyed at the caller ID-Elijah.

"Ah, brother impeccable timing. I was just offering Stefan a drink. You might want to join us."

"Stefan?"

"You know the Salvatore that we both like."

"Actually, I think both of you should head to the cemetery," Elijah said sounding stiffer than usual. "Someone has some news for you."

"What do the witches want with my brother?" Elijah quietly asked as he and the witch, Sophie walked through the cemetery.

"Isn't obvious? We have a vampire problem thanks to Marcel the tyrant and we've been trying to fight back and let's just say that we had lost all hope until my sister, Jane Anne caught the whiff of a special girl that seemed to be involved with your brother. They spend some time together and the girl ended up pregnant."

Elijah raised an eyebrow. "That's impossible."

Sophie scoffed. "Believe me, nothing's impossible." She shouted. "Bring her out."

Two, annoyed face witches came out holding Katherine by both arms. "Hey, back off!"

"Katerina." Elijah let out a deep breath. He had said his goodbyes to Katerina. He had certainly not expected to see her in only a matter of months.

Katherine looked equally surprise to see Elijah. "Elijah, what are you doing here?"

The question fell on deaf ears and he switched his gaze from Sophie to Katerina. His ears perked up, he heard the distant thumping of a human heart coming from Katherine's midsection. He gulped. "Are you trying to tell me that the girl my brother impregnated was Katerina?"

"What the hell just came out of your mouth, Elijah?"

Elijah and Katherine turned towards Stefan and Klaus who had just come in. Stefan instantly relaxed when he saw Katherine. "Katherine, what the hell is wrong with you? I've been looking for your everywhere!"

"I didn't exactly leave on my own free will." She said glaring at the witches.

"Enough," Klaus boomed. "I want to know why you dragged me out here, Elijah."

Elijah gulped, and he had to control his anger and disbelief as he said. "Niklaus, Katerina is carrying your child."

In a flash Klaus had pinned Katherine against one of the tombstone. "You've been with someone else admit it! Now you want to blame the bastard on me, bad move sweetheart."

"Oh, please don't think that highly of yourself!" Katherine hissed. "I've been bored out of my mind all day, with the witches chanting who knows what. Believe me, I wouldn't lie especially about this."

"Klaus, she's telling the truth." Stefan said firmly. "Let her go."

"We want Marcel dead and the witches back in control and you're going to help us." Sophie warned. "If you don't-Katherine won't live to get her first ultrasound."

"Why are you dragging me along?" Katherine snapped.

Klaus cocked his head to the side and glared at Katherine. He gave a malicious smile. "Kill her and the baby. Why do I care?"

"Wait? What?" Rebekah demanded once she had heard Elijah's little "news." "If this is some kind of sick joke, it's not funny. I'm in Paris trying to relax while you jump this news on me."

"Believe me, Rebekah," Elijah said pacing. "I'm not exactly jumping with joy at having to repeat it a third time."

"I just can't believe it," she mumbled. "Katherine fucking Pierce pregnant with Nik's baby, it sounds like a messed up fairytale. What's worse is that she got the cure and is now starting a family something that should have been mine."

Elijah sighed. Rebekah was making everything about herself again. "If it makes you feel any better, I don't think Katerina is happy at all with the news. Rebekah, I need you to come home, your family needs you."

Rebekah scoffed. "I don't think so. I don't want to be two feet near that two face bastard that I'm forced to call my brother and his now pregnant, bitchy human doppelganger. No thanks, I want to finish my summer in peace. Follow my advice, Elijah and you do the same."

"Please think this through."

"I already have. Goodbye, Elijah."

"Elijah." Katherine stood behind him, looking slightly nervous for the first time and trembling from the cold. "Can we talk . . . please?"

Elijah looked at her for a few seconds, before he placed his suit jacket across her shoulders. Whatever trace of a hopeful smile that Katherine had was erased by the next words. "I'm afraid, Katerina that we have nothing to discuss."

-End of Chapter Four-

Thank you so much for your reviews!