10

—10. Katarina

ALWAYS AND FOREVER

The next morning, everyone was sitting in the Salvatore boarding houses living room waiting for Elena to arrive.

Rose -the vampire kidnapper had showed up last night after Damon and Aurora went to sleep, leaving Stefan to have a small talk with her.

Apparently, Elena is being hunted for a ritual by a one thousand year old vampire -which Aurora knows is one hundred percent true but, of course Stefan and Damon don't believe it whatsoever.

There was a knock at the door, signalling Elena's arrival and Damon got up to open it, "Hello, Elena."

She ignored his greeting, "Is Stefan here? He called. He said it was important."

"Right this way."

"Hey." Stefan nodded.

"What is this about?" Elena questioned just as Rose entered her line of sight, "You."

Everyone moved to the living room where Aurora was already sipping on a glass of bourbon, trying to drown out her nerves. She really hoped Rose knew a lot less than she was implying she knew.

"Okay, you have to understand I only know what I've picked up over the years and I don't know what's true and what's not true. It's the problem with all this vampire crap but Klaus, I know he's real."

Aurora rolled her eyes secretly. Oh, he's real alright.

"Who is he?" Elena asked, trying not to sound as scared as she felt.

"He's one of the originals, he's a legend." Damon answered.

"From the first generation of vampires." Stefan continued Damon's statement.

"Like Elijah?"

"No. Elijah was the Easter bunny compared to Klaus. He's a foot soldier. Klaus is the real deal."

"Klaus is known to be the oldest." Stefan mentioned. Oh, how wrong they all were.

"Okay, so you're saying that the oldest vampire in the history of time is coming after me?" Elena asked, squeezing her hands together, in hopes of squeezing her nerves away.

"Yes."

"No."

"What they're saying is, I mean if what she's saying is true..." Damon said.

"Which it is." Rose cut him off.

"And you're not saying it so I don't kill you."

"Which I'm not."

"Then we're looking at a solid maybe." Damon finished.

"Look, Elijah's dead, right? So no one else even knows that you exist." Stefan tried to assure Elena.

"Not that you know of." Aurora muttered under her breath, causing her brothers to shoot her a warning look.

"That's not helping." Damon whispered back.

"Look, I've never even met anyone who's laid eyes on him," Stefan started, "I mean, we're talking centuries of truth mixed with fiction. We don't know if he's real. For all we know he could just be some sort of stupid bed time story."

"He's real 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." Rose retorted.

"Alright, we're shaking. You made your point." Damon said, as Elena started standing from her spot on the couch.

"Where are you going?" Stefan asked with a frown.

"School. I'm late."

Stefan nodded, "Let me grab my stuff, I'll go with you."

"It's okay, I know where it is." She mentioned with a bit of sass in her voice before leaving the boarding house.

Damon whispered between Rose and Aurora, "She's in denial."

"Shut up, Damon." Stefan said angrily, following the way Elena went.

Aurora entered her bedroom, feeling extremely tired. She hasn't had any blood for the few days she has been in Mystic Falls. Her throat was starting to feel scratchy and her muscles hurt from all the fighting she had been doing.

When she got further into the room, she noticed a small envelope on her bed with her name in fancy lettering.

Aurora furrowed her brows, grabbing the mysterious envelope. When she opened it, all it says was, "We need to talk."

She rolled her eyes at the vague message but she knew exactly who it was from and where he would be.

Aurora walked down a street in Richmond. She followed Damon and Rose to a coffee shop, she figured Elijah would be lurking around there somewhere.

She stood by a man, who was playing a guitar. Aurora watched through the tempered glass as Damon and Rose talked to a guy about finding Klaus.

She quietly laughed. There was no finding Klaus. He finds you, And that was what always scared her the most.

Aurora felt a new presence near, one she was very familiar with. He dropped a one hundred dollar bill in the man's case and took a bunch of coins in return.

"I didn't expect you to show." He said, coming to a stop beside her, watching the inside of the coffee shop.

She gulped inaudibly at the sound of his formal tone, "Well, you didn't exactly ask."

Elijah shrugged, playing the the coins in his hand, "I knew you wouldn't come otherwise."

The duo stayed quiet for a moment, adjusting to being in each others presence again, "I wasn't fond of the stunt you pulled yesterday." Elijah spoke up.

"No. I wasn't expecting you to be." Aurora nodded, an amused smile fighting to break out on her face.

"I didn't want my brothers to know anything." She informed, "And killing you was a way of proving that they can trust me."

"You are their sister, why wouldn't they trust you?" He questioned.

Aurora turned to look at him, "You out of all people should understand, Elijah."

Elijah nodded in understanding, also turning to face her. "You seem well."

"I'm better." She nodded, crossing her arms over her chest.

Elijah cleared his throat, "I apologize for what I am about to do." He said vaguely, moving the coins around in his hand before throwing them at the glass window of the coffee shop, causing it to break and all the vampires without daylight rings started to burn in the sunlight.

"Elijah!" Aurora yelled, her concern showing on her face.

Elijah held out a hand, "Come. We need to discuss the reason I am here." He informed, causing Aurora's stomach to drop.

She hesitantly grabbed his had, letting him speed them to Slaters apartment.

Slater has just hung up with Rose.

"Very nicely done." Elijah complimented, with his hands in his pockets.

"Thanks, I have a degree in theater. How can you compel me? A vampire can't compel another vampire." Slater asked, with a confused tone.

"I'm a special vampire." Elijah said.

"What, because you're an Original?" Slater questioned.

Elijah nodded, "Hmm, now I want you take this and drive it through your heart." He compelled, while giving him a stake and Slater takes it.

"But that would kill me forever."

"I know." He said while compelling him, "But it's necessary."

Slater drives the stake through his heart. He falls on the floor, dead. Jonas and Aurora can be seen behind Elijah.

"Was it, really?" Aurora questioned, crossing her arms over her chest.

"It had to be done. He delivered his message. Won't be long now." They look at each other.

Aurora held a confused facial expression, "Why are you trusting me with this, Elijah?"

"Because long ago you were my sister and I still consider you one. Even if you are no longer with him." Elijah answered.

WORD COUNT : 1213