EDITED OCT22
Brea moaned as her head lolled to one side. Her head felt as though it weighed a tonne and she felt as though she was going to be sick. A moment after she became aware of what was going on, she felt herself being picked up and she let out another moan. "Shut up," a man hissed at her. Brea tried to open her eyes but they were too heavy. She tried to move her hands but they were tied together.
"Brea?" she heard Elena whisper. Whoever was carrying her then laid her on the couch and Brea managed to open her eyes enough to see that she was half lying on top of her sister. The man then crouched down on the couch and untied the ropes binding Elena and Brea's legs. He then grabbed their arms and did the same. "What do you want?" Elena asked.
"Shh," the man said raising a finger.
"Please, I'm hurt," Elena pleaded.
"I know," the man smiled before veins popped out under his eyes and fangs appeared.
"Uhh," Elena let out in fright.
"Just a taste," the man said leaning down towards Elena as she screamed.
"Trevor!" a lady's voice snapped as he was an inch away from biting Elena's arm. "Control yourself."
"Buzzkill," he said standing up.
"What do you want?" Elena asked.
"My god. You look just like her," the woman said. She then snarled looking at Brea. "You are her." Brea narrowed her eyes, confused by the hostility.
"But I'm not," Elena said. "Please, whatever you want…"
"Be quiet!"
"But I'm not Katherine," Elena said standing up. "My name is Elena Gilbert. You don't have to do this."
"I know who you are. I said be quiet."
"What do you want?" Elena pushed. The woman had then had enough and she slapped Elena across the face. Elena went flying through the air, landing face first on the couch unconscious and Brea woke up quickly seeing that and screamed.
"I want you to be quiet," she snarled before turning to Brea. "One more sound out of you and I swear… I may not be able to touch you, but I can hurt her," Rose said pointing to Elena, and Brea, not wanting to test the lady's patience, nodded.
Half an hour later, Brea felt Elena stir next to her. As she opened her eyes, Brea held her finger to her lips, making sure she stayed quiet. "How are the girls?" she heard the man she worked out was called Trevor ask.
"You didn't touch them did you?" Rose, the woman who slapped Elena asked.
"Give me some credit," he said back. "So you called him?"
"No. I called one of his contacts. You know how this works."
"Did you or did you not get the message to Elijah?" as soon as Brea heard Trevor ask this her head snapped towards the direction they were in, that name sounding terribly familiar. Brea turned to her sister and jerked her head to the door. Elena nodded and they stood up, quietly making their way across the room.
"They say he got it," Rose answered as the twins reached the doorway.
"Wonderful," Trevor answered. "And what?"
"So, that's it, Trevor. He either got it, or he didn't. We just have to wait," Rose said as the twins started tiptoeing down the hallway.
"Look, it's not too late. We can leave them here. We don't have to go through with this."
"I'm sick of running."
"Yeah? Well, running keeps us from dying."
"Elijah is old school. If he accepts our deal, we're free. Besides, if we've kept Brenna unharmed he's likely to pardon us on the spot. As soon as he sees she's fine he'll accept," Rose said. Elena took another step forward and stood on a creaky floorboard and the twins froze. "You!" Rose snapped. "There's nothing around here for miles," she said storming up to the twins. "If either of you thinks you're getting out of this house, you're tragically wrong. Understand?"
"Are you serious? You little bitch," Trevor growled charging at Brea. "After everything you've done to us already," he hissed. "You have to pay," he yelled fangs at the ready. Trevor slammed Brea into the wall, prepared to bite her but Rose ripped him off her and threw him across the room.
"You idiot!" she yelled. "You leave so much as a mark on her and we are dead! No negotiations!" she yelled as Trevor stalked off.
"Thank you," Brea breathed in shock as Elena pulled Brea to her.
"Shut up!" Rose hissed at her.
"Who's Elijah?" Elena asked.
"He's your worst nightmare," Rose said walking off.
"We could play rock, paper, scissors?" Brea suggested.
"No, don't be stupid," Elena said rolling her eyes. "Come on. We need to get answers," she said standing up.
"Woah. No. Lena, if you couldn't tell, for whatever reason they hate my guts. I really don't want them killing me."
"You heard her. She said they can't. So let's go," Elena said, getting off the couch to find Rose. Brea sighed before following. "Why are we here?" Elena asked when they found Rose.
"You keep asking me these questions like I'm going to answer then," Rose said walking to cover the windows so the sunlight didn't come in and burn them.
"Why won't you?" Brea asked and Rose froze to turn and glare at her. "Why don't you ask the questions, Lena," Brea whispered as she moved to stand slightly behind her sister.
"Look, it's not like we can go anywhere," Elena said moving further into the room. Brea grabbed her arm and followed right behind her. "The least you can do is tell me what you want with me."
"I personally want nothing," Rose said. "I'm just a delivery service."
"Delivery to who? Elijah?" Elena asked.
Rose laughed. "2 points to the eavesdroppers."
"Who is he? Is he a vampire?" Elena pushed.
"He's one of the vampires, the originals."
"Originals?" Brea asked, it just sounded so familiar to her. "What do you mean the originals?"
"Keep her quiet, I only have so much self-control," Rose warned Elena. "Haven't the Salvatores been teaching you vampire history?" she asked Elena.
Brea and Elena exchanged a look. "So you know Stefan and Damon," Elena said.
"I know of them. A hundred years back, a friend of mine tried to set me up with Stefan. She said he was one of the good ones. I'm more of a sucker for the bad boys, though, but I digress."
"Who are the originals?" Elena asked.
Rose turned around, "Well you can ask your sister all about that. Trevor and I have been running for 500 years. We're tired. We want it over. We're using you two to negotiate ourselves out of an old mess."
"But why us?" Elena asked.
"She, well, she's the original, original groupie," Rose smirked. "And you, because you're a Petrova doppelgänger. You're the key to breaking the curse."
"Curse? The sun and the moon curse?" Elena realised.
"You do know your history."
"What do you mean I'm the key? The moonstone is what breaks the curse."
"No. The moonstone is what binds the curse. The sacrifice is what breaks it."
"Sacrifice?" Elena asked in shock.
"The blood of the doppelgänger. You're the doppelgänger. Which means in order to break the curse, you're the one that has to die," Rose answered before looking at Brea. "I see you're only interested in saving one sister from this fate." Brea looked at Rose in confusion. "What? Don't want to save this one?" she snarled before walking away.
"Tell me more," Elena said, stopping Rose from walking off.
"Captivity has made her pushy, eh?" Trevor asked from behind the twins, making Brea jump and move in front of Elena. She knew Trevor would kill her the first chance he got. "What do you want to know, doppelicious?" Trevor asked.
"Who are you running from?" Elena asked.
"The originals," he answered.
"Yeah, she said that," Elena said exasperatedly. "What does that mean?"
Trevor looked at Brea. "Keeping secrets now are we?" he asked. "It's the first family," he said kicking something on the floor. "The old world. Rose and I pissed them off," Rose then cleared her throat. "Correction. I pissed them off. Rose had my back. And for over half a millennium, they've wanted us dead."
"What did you do?" Elena asked as he threw a book at Brea's feet, making her jump in the air.
"He made the same mistake countless others did," Rose answered. "He trusted Katerina Petrova."
"Oh," Brea breathed, knowing that somehow her involvement with Katherine was the reason they hated her.
"Katherine," Elena said in shock.
"Mmm," Rose confirmed. "The one and only. The first Petrova doppelganger."
"I helped her escape her fate. And now I've, sorry, we've, been marked ever since."
"Which is why we're not going to make the same mistake again," Rose said and she and Trevor walked off.
Elena sighed and stormed off. Brea panicked and ran after. "Wait for me, wait for me," she said chasing after her. Elena walked back into the room they were originally in and fell down on the couch and Brea followed suit. "Want to play rock, paper, scissors now?"
Elena just glared at the suggestion. "What were they talking about? Why do they hate you? How do you know the originals?"
"I don't know Lena. Remember, my memories don't work."
"Right," she sighed readjusting herself. As she did, the girls heard a crinkle and looked at each other. Elena reached underneath her foot and pulled out a piece of paper that wasn't there before.
"Do you think I did that?" Brea asked. "I mean I did just say paper."
"It's from Bonnie," Elena whispered. "Stefan and Damon, they're coming," she said and Brea smiled.
"Eat the note."
"What? No way."
"They'll be suspicious if they find a note," Brea said.
"Look," Elena said shaking her head tucking it in between the couch cushion. "Hidden and no need to eat paper."
"Good idea," Brea said.
"Did you really think you made that appear?" Elena asked, but before Brea could respond, Rose walked into the room. Brea immediately edged closer to Elena, still not trusting Rose. As Rose moved around the room, Trevor ran in.
"He's here," he said panicked. Elena and Brea locked eyes in fright. "This was a mistake."
"No," Rose tried to comfort. "I told you I would get us out of this. You have to test me."
"No! He wants me dead, Rose! And it's all her and Katerina's fault," Trevor snapped pointing at Brea.
"Me?" Brea asked confused, but they ignored her. "I don't even remember," Brea muttered to Elena who gently hushed her.
"I can't do this," he said freaking out. "You give her to him, and he'll have mercy on you, but I need to get out of here."
"Hey!" Rose said grabbing his hands. "What are we?"
"We're family. Forever."
Brea looked over at Elena and saw sorrow in her eyes for their situation, she immediately nudged her with her elbow and glared. They were going to hand them over to a man who sounded like the devil. These were not people to feel sorry for. There was then a loud three knocks on the front door and everyone tensed. "You're scared," Elena said stating the obvious.
"Stay here with them," Rose said to Trevor. "Don't make a sound. And whatever you do, do not hurt touch her," Rose warned, pointing to Brea.
"Lena, I'm kind of freaking out," Brea said shakily as the girls began pacing.
"I know. I know. It's ok. They're coming," Elena said trying to comfort her sister. They heard footsteps enter the room and they both spun around. Brea gasped loudly when she saw the man. She knew this man, Elijah. She knew him well. She recognised him for a few dreams she had, she never remembered the dreams well, but she knew he was in them.
In a blink of an eye, Elijah was in front of Brea, looking her up and down. "I trust you are unharmed?" he asked concerned and Brea quickly nodded. "Very good," he said with a smile before zipping off again, this time stopping in front of Elena. Elena was shaking in fear and was on the verge of crying. Elijah dipped in head down into her neck before inhaling deeply. He slowly pulled away. "Human. It's impossible. Hello there," he greeted. Brea, knowing he wouldn't hurt her, grabbed Elena's hand and pulled her sister behind her. "Oh, Brenna," he said with a smile. "I hope we won't be playing this game again," Brea just stared, nearly crying herself. "Well, we have a long journey ahead of us. We should be going."
Elena then looked over to Rose. "Please don't let him take us," she pleaded. Rose looked down, clearly feeling guilty.
"One last piece of business, then we're done." Elijah then leant in close to Brea's ears and whispered so quietly she barely heard it. "I'd recommend closing your eyes," he then turned away to walk towards Trevor. Brea looked down at her ring and saw it wasn't glowing, she was in no danger here, but she knew Elena was.
"I've waited so long for this day, Elijah," Trevor said terrified. "I'm truly very sorry."
"Oh, no, your apologies are not necessary," Elijah said.
"Yes. Yes, it is. You trusted me with Katerina. I let myself be manipulated by them… and I failed you."
"Oh, yes, you are the guilty one," Elijah said walking circles around Trevor. "Rose aided you because she was loyal to you. That, I honour. Where was your loyalty?"
"I beg your forgiveness."
Elijah gave him a smile, but Brea could tell it was insincere. "So granted," Elijah said before swinging his arm, hitting Trevor's head clean off. Both Brea and Rose screamed. Rose in pain, Brea in fear. Elena just stood there in shock. The twins both pulled each other closer in absolute fear.
"You!" Rose hissed.
"Don't. Rose," Elijah warned. "Now that you are free. Come," Elijah said holding out his hand for the twins.
"No, what about the moonstone?" Elena spouted out in panic and Brea slapped a hand over her mouth.
"What do you know about the moonstone?" Elijah asked before looking at Brea. "I know you didn't tell her." Brea narrowed her eyes at this, the way he said it, it was as if he knew she couldn't tell Elena.
Elena removed Brea's hand from her mouth and said, "I know that you need it, and I know where it is."
"Yes?"
"We can help you get it," Elena offered.
"Tell me where it is."
Elena shook her head and said, "it doesn't work that way."
Elijah tensed his jaw in amusement. "Are you negotiating with me?" he asked before looking at Rose.
"It's the first I've heard of it," Rose snapped.
Elijah stared into Elena's eyes and then looked her up and down. "What is this vervain doing around your neck?" he asked before ripping it off.
"Uh oh," Brea said realising Elena could now be compelled and would inadvertently tell Elijah where Katherine was. She moved to stop Elijah but he simply stuck one arm out and that held Brea back.
Elijah grabbed the back of Elena's head, and she tried desperately to avoid his gaze. "Tell me where the moonstone is," Elijah ordered when he caught Elena's sight.
"In the tomb underneath the church ruins," she asked in a trance.
"What is it doing there?"
"It's with Katherine."
"Interesting," he said before they all heard glass shatter upstairs. He let go of Elena's head and she and Brea locked eyes. It was Stefan and Damon. "What is that?"
"I don't know," Rose answered.
"Who else is in this house?"
"I don't know!" Elijah sighed and then grabbed Elena's arm harshly and simply took Brea's hand. He forced them to move quickly out of the room. "Move!" he yelled. As they entered the foyer of the mansion they were in, he spun Elena around viciously as he saw a figure run past. It was the Salvatores. He threw Elena into Rose's arms and merely guided Brea to stand near Rose, who then grabbed on tightly to her arm, not caring if she left a bruise. They then heard a bang coming from the stairs. "Rose," Elijah warned.
"I don't know who it is."
"Up here," a voice Brea recognised as Stefan's called. Elijah then ran to the top of the stairs.
"Down here," Damon's voice taunted. Elijah spun back around and his hand was impaled with a wooden arrow. Whilst Elijah was distracted she felt herself being whisked away and she slammed her eyes closed. When she felt herself stop moving she opened them and saw Stefan standing over her, hand over her mouth and Elena just beside her.
"Excuse me," Brea heard Elijah call out. "To whom it may concern. You're making a great mistake if you think that you can beat me. You can't. Do you hear that? I repeat," he said and there was a snap, as he broke something. "You cannot beat me. So I want the girls on the count of 3, or heads will roll. Do we understand each other?"
Brea then pushed away from Stefan and ran into the open at the top of the stairs. "Please Elijah, please," she begged. "Please don't hurt her. Don't hurt any of them," she pleaded and she saw Elijah's gaze soften before Elena ran out.
"I'll come with you," she said and Brea put her head in her hands. "Just please don't hurt our friends. They just wanted to help us out."
"You are such an idiot!" Brea snapped. "You can't just stay out of sight?"
Brea's rant was then interrupted as Elijah ran forward making both girls gasp in shock.
"What game are you playing with me?" he asked Elena. Elena then pulled out her hand and pulled the pin off what turned out to be a vervain grenade and threw it at Elijah. Elena then grabbed Brea's waist and pulled them both to the ground so they wouldn't get hurt. Brea heard Elijah scream in pain and she pulled away from her sister, to peer around the corner. She saw Elijah look up and his face was healing fast, too fast for any normal vampire. He shook his head and started to make his way up the stairs to the girls but Stefan came out and started firing his gun at him in an attempt to keep him away from the girls. The bullets didn't even affect Elijah in the slightest. Stefan, running out of options, charged him, throwing both of them down the stairs. Elijah got straight back to his feet as Stefan lay on the ground. Elijah went to attack Stefan and Brea was just about to scream at him, when Damon stabbed Elijah through the chest with a wooden coat rack, pinning him against the door. Brea took a shaky deep breath at seeing him like that, not knowing why that made her sad to see.
Rose then popped out and saw Elijah and proceeded to run off. Damon went to go after her but Elena called out, "just let her go." Damon's face immediately lit up as he looked up the stairs at Elena and Brea narrowed her eyes.
Elena then took off running down the stairs and into Stefan's open arms. "Hey, come here. Are you hurt? Are you ok?"
Brea slowly made her way down the stairs and Damon met her at the bottom, pulling her into a tight hug. "I'm glad you're ok," he breathed.
"Me too," Brea laughed nervously, she couldn't take her eyes off Elijah's body.
Brea spent the whole car ride home asleep. She was exhausted. Elena spent the entire car ride filling Damon and Stefan in on everything that happened that day. Elena had also called Jeremy from the car to let him know they were ok, and now they were finally home. "Brea!? Elena!?" they heard Jeremy call. Elena and Brea smiled and slowly made their way upstairs, sore and tired from the past few days. Brea was still in her dress from the masquerade ball.
"Oh my god," Bonnie breathed pulling Elena into a hug and Jeremy gave Brea a bear hug.
"Are you both ok?" he asked them.
"We're ok," Brea assured pulling away.
"We're ok," Elena confirmed. "We got your message," Elena told Bonnie and Brea pulled away from her brother to smile at her friend.
"Thank you, Bonnie," Brea smiled. "It really helped," she said pulling her into a hug as Elena hugged Jeremy.
"Brea thought she made the paper appear," Elena blurted out.
"Dude!" Brea gasped as Jeremy and Bonnie sniggered. "I said paper and about 5 seconds later some paper appeared, it's not as ridiculous as it seems," Brea defended.
"Jer Bear!" Brea called out to her brother as he entered the kitchen.
"Nope," he said turning around and walking away.
"Wait! Come back! Come on Jer," Brea begged as Elena looked at her weirdly.
"What's going on with you two?" Elena asked.
"Urgh, he's being pissy because I told him this morning that Ric was cooler than him. I really hit a nerve."
Elena frowned in amusement. "Why would you say that?" she asked.
"He told me you were the prettier twin."
Elena then snorted. "True, but what did you do to make him say that?"
"Look it wasn't my fault. I opened his bedroom door as he was about to open it, so the door smacked him in the head," Brea explained and Elena laughed. "I didn't do it on purpose."
"Ok then," Elena smiled standing up. "Come on, we have to go to Stefan's before school, he said it was important."
"Rightio," Brea said standing up, "I'll take my own car, you take yours. I have to make a stop before school."
Elena frowned. "Ok," she said as the girls left.
They both arrived at the Salvatore's at the same time and walked up to the door. Brea knocked and Damon opened the door. "Hello Elena," he said staring at her sister. Brea then cleared her throat. "Hello Brenna," he smirked at her.
"Stefan here?" Elena asked. "He called, and said it was important."
"Right this way," Damon said stepping aside and allowing the girls to enter the house.
Elena walked in ahead and Brea whispered to Damon. "You're being weird."
"Hey," Stefan said greeting the twins.
"What is this about?" Elena asked Stefan nervously. Stefan then stepped aside to reveal Rose.
"Eep!" Brea squeaked hiding behind Elena.
"You," Elena said in shock and Rose waved uncomfortably.
"She has information," Damon said walking towards them, he then jerked his head to the living room and everyone made their way in. Brea stayed as far away from Rose as possible, sitting on the couch Damon was standing behind. It made her feel slightly safer.
"OK, you have to understand I only know what I've picked up over the years. Brenna here knows more, but from what Damon tells me she doesn't have any of her memories." Rose then turned back to Elena. "I don't know what's true and what's not true. That's the problem with all this vampire crap. But Klaus, I know is real."
"Who is he?" Elena asked.
"One of the originals," Damon answered. "He's a legend."
"From the first generation of vampires," Stefan elaborated and Brea looked down. This sounded familiar.
"Like Elijah?" Elena asked.
"No. Elijah was the easter bunny compared to Klaus. He was a foot soldier. Klaus is the real deal."
"Elijah? The Easter bunny?" Brea scoffed and Rose glared at her and she shrunk back in her seat. "I'll be quiet."
"Klaus is known to be the oldest," Stefan said.
"Ok, so you're saying that the oldest vampire in the history of time is coming after us?" Elena asked.
"Yes," Rose said.
"No," Damon answered at the same time. "What she's saying is, I mean if what she's saying is true…"
"Which it is," Rose interrupted.
"And you're not just saying it so we don't kill you."
"Which I'm not."
"Then we're looking at a solid maybe."
"Look, Elijah's dead, right?" Stefan said. "So no one else even knows that you exist."
"Not that you know of," Rose said.
"That's not helping," Damon mumbled.
"Look, I've never even met anyone who's laid eyes on him," Stefan said. "I mean, we're talking centuries of truth mixed with fiction. I mean we don't know what's real. For all we know, he could just be some stupid bedtime story."
"He's real," Rose pressed. "And he doesn't give up. If he wants something, he gets it. If you're not afraid of Klaus then you're an idiot. I know Brenna has spent centuries with him."
"Anna told me that I was friends with all the original vampires," Brea said in realisation.
"Be real handy if you could get your memories back then," Damon said with a small smile and Brea huffed.
Elena and Brea stood up at the same time. "Where are you going?" Stefan asked.
"School," Elena answered.
"See ya," Brea said quickly running out. She didn't want Elena to see where she was going.
Brea parked her car at the entrance to the tomb. She let out a big breath of air before she got out and went down the steps into the tomb. "Crap," Brea groaned when she got in there and saw the tomb was sealed off with the boulder. As she got closer to the boulder she heard a knock on the other side and pressed her ear to it "Katerina?" she asked but got no response. Brea knocked on the boulder twice and got the same knock back. Brea sighed and leaned against the boulder. She may not have her memories, but Katherine was her sister. And she was suffering. "I'm sorry," she whispered. Right after she heard footsteps at the entrance to the tomb and stood straight to see who it was "Elena?" she asked in shock.
"Brea? Where have you been? I called you like 10 times," Elena said shocked.
"I didn't want you to know where I was going," Brea replied nervously.
"I was headed here anyway, I wanted you to come. That's why I called," Elena rolled her eyes.
"Sorry," Brea chuckled nervously. "Oh hey Care!" she greeted.
"You too?" Caroline groaned. "Are you sure you guys want to do this?"
"Yes," both girls said before Elena continued, "we're sure. She's the only one who knows the truth about Klaus and Brea. She's the only one who can tell us how to stop him."
"But you're asking for the truth from someone who's probably never given it," Caroline protested.
"Ah, hey!" Brea protested.
"Sorry," Caroline mumbled, "still not used to that whole 1,000 years old and sister of Katherine thing," she said looking down. "Are you sure about this?" she asked again.
"Yes," Elena said as Brea nodded. "I can't just sit back and wait. We have to know, Caroline."
"Please," Brea said as she noticed Caroline hesitating. As soon as she said this Caroline nodded in submission and moved forward lifting the boulder that was covering the entrance to the tomb with ease. As soon as it was out of the way she stepped back nervously.
Elena stepped forward and called "Katherine?" who had obviously slinked back further into the tomb.
"We'll be ok from here," Elena reassured Caroline.
Brea moved forward and called out sadly "Katerina?" as soon as she did a shuffling sound rang through the tomb as she made her way to the entry.
"Brenna," Katherine smiled before glaring in Elena's direction. "Hello, Elena. Come to watch me wither away? Goodbye Caroline," Katherine snarled.
"As long as we stay on this side of the door, she can't hurt me," Elena reassured Caroline who clearly didn't want to leave them alone.
"Please," Brea asked and Caroline nodded, slowly leaving the ruins.
Elena moved forward and placed the bag she brought with her down, "Stefan know you're here?" Katherine taunted Elena.
"I brought you some things," Elena said smugly.
"You came to bribe me?" Katherine scoffed at Elena. "What is it that you want? I have no interest in talking to you."
Elena then threw a blanket across the tomb boundary. "I want you to tell me about Klaus."
Katherine locked eyes with Brea and hummed. "You two have been busy."
Elena then placed a torch on and the ground and said, "I also brought you this," holding the book she gave Brea.
"My book," Brea whined going for it and Elena allowed her to take it.
"It's your family history. We've read it. It says in here that the family line ended with both of you. Obviously, that's not true."
"You think that if you brought me some family keepsake, I'd open up?"
"I also brought you this," Elena said smugly holding up a bottle full of blood. Katherine lunged at it, only to be stopped by the boundary spell.
"That's smart," Brea said with a smile. "I didn't even think to bring anything."
"You don't look so good," Elena pointed out. "How long before your body shuts down? 10, 20 years?"
"Elena," Brea warned.
"Must be painful to desiccate and mummify. I can't even imagine."
Katherine slid down the wall, resigned to having to comply. Brea came and sat down in the exact same spot on the other side of the boundary. Elena bent down and filled a capful of blood into a cup before sliding it across the boundary to Katherine with a stick. "You have the Petrova fire," Katherine noted impressed.
"More blood?" Elena asked after Katherine downed what Elena had given her. Elena got the stick and slid the cup back over the boundary so she could refill it.
"It's a long story," Katherine said. "Klaus and us. Goes all the way back to England, in 1492. None of which you remember," Katherine said to Brea. Elena then slid another small amount of blood across for her "It was after we left Bulgaria, or I was thrown out."
"Thrown out?" Elena asked.
"Our family, your true ancestors," she said to Elena. "They disowned me. My indiscretions were not tolerated at that time. I had a baby out of wedlock. The shame," she said and Brea had a sudden flash of holding Katherine as she cried for her baby.
"It was kept a secret?" Elena asked as Katherine watched Brea.
"Mmhmm. My baby was given away. I was banished to England and Brenna wouldn't let me go alone, so she followed me there. We had to learn to adjust. So we quickly became English. It was a bit easier for Brenna than it was for me. It was there that we caught the eye of a nobleman named Klaus. I was taken with him at first. That was until Brenna told me of what he was and what he wanted from me. And then we ran like hell."
Brea closed her eyes and as she was engulfed by a memory.
England, 1492
Brenna and Katerina held each other's hands as they sprinted through the woods, trying to escape those who were following them. Katerina then tripped on a tree root, pulling Brenna down with her. Brenna sprung into action and grabbed Katerina's arm, dragging her backwards so that they were hidden by a fallen tree. She knew the ones following them wouldn't be far behind. Brenna slapped a hand over Katerina's mouth and Katerina did the same to Brenna.
"They're here," a voice Brea now recognised to be Elijah's spoke. "Katerina! I know you're near! You as well Brenna, I can smell your blood," he growled and Brenna lifted a hand to her cheek to feel it wet with blood, she had cut her face when they tripped. She quickly pressed her free hand against it, to try to contain the smell of her blood hitting the vampire's noses. "It's pointless to run. Klaus will find you wherever you are, Katerina."
"This way," Trevor spoke as he arrived and Brenna held her breath as she feared he gave away their hiding spot. "There's more blood over there." She relaxed when she heard them all walk away. Brenna peaked her head over the log to see that the coast was clear and both she and Katerina slowly pulled themselves to their feet. They pressed themselves hard up against a tree, looking around frantically in case someone was still near. When they thought it was safe they ran forward only to come face to face with Trevor. He placed a hand each on their mouths, the hand over Katerina's mouth was more affectionate. "Head east," he told the twins. "I can't lead them astray much longer."
"We can't run anymore," Katerina moaned in pain.
"Never mind," he comforted. "There's a cottage. You'll be safe there. You both will." Katerina nodded. "Go now. Go!" he said and the two sprinted off.
"So," Elena said snapping Brea out of her memory. "What did Klaus want?"
"Same thing that he'll want from you. He wants to break the curse."
"By sacrificing the Petrova doppelganger," Elena realised.
"He wanted to drain every single drop of blood from my body."
"I remember," Brea whispered and Katherine's head whipped towards her. "I remember running in the woods to escape. We were so tired."
"Maybe it's trigger words you need," Katherine theorised as Elena poured her another drink.
"I remembered bits of the Founders Ball back in 1864 when Stefan mentioned it a couple of months back."
"At least it's something. There's clearly something blocking your memory, but if certain words help bring them back then we can do it that way until we find a witch who knows what spell was used."
"What does the Petrova bloodline have to do with Klaus?" Elena asked interrupting, pushing more blood forward.
"It's really tedious, but… the curse was bound by the sacrifice of Petrova blood. Witches are crafty with their spells. The doppelgänger was created as a way to be able to undo the spell. Once the doppelgänger reappeared, the curse can be broken."
"So you ran before he killed you."
"Something like that. We went to the cottage."
It was daylight by the time the twins reached the cottage that Trevor instructed them to find. Katerina pulled up as she spotted it. "There it is," Brenna said between deep breaths. Katerina grabbed Brenna's hand and they stumbled the rest of the way to the cottage.
"Help. Please help us," Katherine frantically banged on the door until Brenna grabbed her and pulled her back before she hurt herself. The door opened and an elderly lady was on the other side. "Please. Help us," Katerina begged.
"I don't invite strangers into my home," she said about to close the door.
Brenna threw herself on the door so she couldn't close it as Katerina said, "no, Trevor, he said that you'd help us."
"Damn him. Always making promises I don't want to keep," Rose said from behind the door, as she appeared at the entrance, she froze. "Let the girls in," Rose ordered and the older lady opened the door. Katerina and Brenna both let out a sigh of relief as they stumbled inside. "Bring them water and something to eat," Rose compelled the lady and she left.
"You must be Rose," Katerina assumed. "Thank you. Trevor said to show you this," Katerina said raising the moonstone in the air. "To prove I am who I say, that you would help us to freedom."
"You stole this from Klaus?" Rose hissed.
"It was to be part of the sacrifice ritual, so I- I grabbed it and we made our escape."
"People do not escape from Klaus. Everyone who tries ends up back in his grasp, and anyone who helps them dies," Rose growled.
"We know the risk you bring on yourself by giving us aid," Katerina assured.
"I am risking nothing. At nightfall, I will bring you both back to Klaus," Rose said storming forward and grabbing the girl's arms "and beg him to show us both mercy." Rose dragged the twins forward and threw them into a room, shutting the door behind them.
"I can't go back," Katerina cried grabbing Brenna's arm.
"No, no we're not going back," Brenna agreed. Brenna stood up and walked around the room looking for something sharp. "Here," she said picking up a knife.
Katerina moved backwards nervously. "What are you doing?"
"We can't go back, Katerina. We can't. I can't lose you. You're my sister. My best friend. You can turn."
"How?"
"If you are injured, Rose will be afraid to return you to Klaus in such a state. She'll have to give you blood to heal you. Then you can really… kill yourself. You'll turn. He won't be able to use you if you're a vampire. He will still hunt you, but not as vigorously as he would if you were still human!"
"That's brilliant," Katerina said moving towards Brenna. "Can you do it?" she said gesturing to the knife. "I am afraid."
Brenna nodded and a tear slipped out of her eye as she plunged the knife into Katerina's side. Katerina groaned in shock and pain and fell into Brenna's arms, who gently laid her on the bed. "Are you ok?" Brenna asked.
Katerina nodded. "Now what?"
"We wait."
After a few hours, Rose re-entered the room. "It's nightfall. Time to go." Katerina then placed her hand on her side and groaned so that Rose would notice her wound more quickly. "When did this happen?" Rose asked afraid.
"In the woods, I tripped," Katerina lied.
"That's a lie. I would have smelled it," Rose said looking over the bed for the cause of Katerina's injury. Rose looked between the twins and saw the knife and she snatched it up.
"I'd rather die than go back to Klaus. Please just let me die," Katerina begged, putting on a show.
"If you die, then Trevor dies with you," Rose spat, biting into her wrist.
"No! No!" Katerina protested as Rose shoved her wrist at her. Brenna moved forward to make it all look believable and Rose held her back whilst she forced her blood down Katerina's throat. Rose finally pulled away and Katerina's wounds started healing and Brenna smiled.
The front door then flung open. "Where is she?" Trevor demanded. Rose raced out of the room to argue with Trevor.
"Now!" Brea whispered grabbing the rope Rose had left in the room and tying it into a noose, she then stood up on a chair and secured it to a beam on the roof.
"Do you promise this will work?" Katerina asked afraid as she got up on the chair, placing the noose around her neck.
"I promise. I love you sister. I'm so sorry," she cried as she kicked the chair and Katerina fell and hung to death.
"Brea killed you?" Elena asked in shock.
"Klaus needed a human doppelgänger. As a vampire, I was no longer any use to him."
"But it didn't work," Elena noted. "You didn't really escape. You've been running from Klaus ever since."
"Living out of a suitcase is better than dying so you could have your blood spilled over some silly little rock. What's wrong? Afraid I'm right?" Katherine taunted Elena. "You don't wanna die? There's another way out," she said as she took her fingernail and sliced her wrist slightly. "Better hurry. Your opportunity is going, going, going and gone," she said as her wrist healed. "Brenna helped me make the other choice. I transitioned. Trevor would have only helped me run. That was never going to be enough. Better they die than I."
"That's why Rose and Trevor hate me so much," Brea realised guiltily. "I'm the one who gave you the idea to turn and I'm the one who told you of the plan to sacrifice you. My actions signed their death sentences."
"Rose and Trevor spent the last 500 years running because you both used them," Elena said shocked. "Trevor just got killed."
"Never thought he would have lasted that long," Katherine said uncaringly.
"You don't even care that you ruined their lives. Look at Brea," she said gesturing to her sister. "Look at her, she's just learned why they hate her so much and look at that guilt. But you, there's nothing."
"I was looking out for myself and my sister, Elena," Katherine snapped. "I will always look out for us. If you're smart, you'll do the same." Katherine then turned into the tomb, bored by Elena.
"So how much of your little story is true?" Elena asked standing up.
"I have no reason to lie, Elena," Katherine sighed. "I have no reason to do anything but sit here and read and rot."
"That's the reason why you came back, isn't it? Because you wanted to be the one to hand me over to Klaus," Elena realised and Brea's eyes widened and her head snapped towards Katherine angrily.
"Sorry," Katherine smirked at Brea. "500 years on the run, I figured maybe he'd be willing to strike a deal."
"So you got Mason Lockwood to find you the moonstone."
"Right again," Katherine said and Brea scoffed in annoyance.
"What else is needed to break the curse?"
"Look who's getting smarter."
"It's not just me or the stone, is it? Otherwise, there would be no reason to trigger Tyler Lockwood's werewolf curse." So... that'd happened at the masquerade party while Brea was getting kidnapped.
"Witches and their spells," Katherine smirked. "So many ingredients, so many people to sacrifice."
"You need a werewolf," Elena confirmed.
"Believe it to not, they're hard to come by."
"What else?"
"A witch to do the spell. Mine bailed, but Bonnie'll do just fine."
"What else?"
"Vampire."
"Caroline."
"Are you serious?" Brea snapped. "You blow into town and just try to hand over all of my friends to be sacrificed?"
"Could've been anyone I suppose. But I like the poetry of Caroline. Sorry."
"So you were going to just hand us all over to be killed?" Elena asked shocked.
"Better you die than I," she repeated before she stepped back into the tomb, out of view.
Elena just huffed and began pacing back and forward, trying to process. "Elena! Brenna!" Stefan called from the entry.
"Oh no, Stefan alert!" Brea said panicked, they'd been busted.
"Stefan," Elena said annoyed. "What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same question."
"Caroline told you," Elena guessed.
"Dammit Caroline," Brea growled.
"No, she kept your secret, but it didn't take long for me to figure out what was so important that you'd both have to keep it from me."
"I take it back. Go, Caroline," Brea smiled before walking back to the entry to Katherine's tomb. She took the bottle of blood from Elena and rolled it in. As angry as she was, she didn't want her to desiccate painfully.
Katherine walked forward, listening to Elena and Stefan's conversation. "There's nothing you can do, Stefan. I haven't even told you the best part of the story. After I turned, Brenna and I went back to Bulgaria, to find my daughter. We went home and all the carriages were flipped, and the servants had been torn apart. When we got inside it was even worse. Klaus worked out where we came from. And he slaughtered our entire family. He pinned our father to the wall with a blade and he tore apart the necks of our mamma and sister. He killed them, our entire family, just to get back at me for running," she said. "Whatever you do to escape Klaus, he will get his vengeance on your friends, your family, on anyone that you've ever loved. Everyone but Brenna."
"No. Look at me," Stefan said spinning Elena to face him. "No. Do not listen to her, ok?"
"Always the protector. But even you must realise that she's doomed," Katherine smirked. "There's nothing you can do to stop it. Unless of course, you have this," she said holding up the moonstone.
"What?" Elena asked.
"Oh, no," Stefan laughed. "There it is. That's the ultimate lie, isn't it? You spun this whole thing so that we would have to get the stone from you, didn't you?"
"I didn't spin anything, Stefan. It's the truth," Katherine says hurt.
"No, let me guess. You want to trade that stone for your freedom. You manipulative, psychotic bitch.
"It's all true Stefan, she didn't lie," Brea confirmed.
"My freedom?" Katherine scoffed. "That's where you're wrong, Stefan. I don't want my freedom, because when Klaus shows up to kill us all, and he will. I'll be in the tomb where no vampire will enter because they can't get out. I'll be the safest psychotic bitch in town."
"Why won't he hurt me?" Brenna asked.
"Love makes us do crazy things," Katherine smirked as she disappeared further into the tomb and Brea's eyes widened. She thought her love's name was Kol? What did Katherine mean?