CHAPTER NINE; KATERINA

❝ there are some people born into the world with the soul purpose to die and be the spark for another's story ❞

･ ｡ﾟ☆

❝ maya's apartment ❞

ALL THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT Maya watched Caroline sleeping with only the echoing belief something was coming. That man, Elijah, her and Elena being kidnapped and in the middle of what Rose a sacrifice and curse. Maya had always known she had a problem with anger, she was quick to find things annoying or frustrating. More often than she liked she saw the worse in people and outcomes -- being cursed to be that changed her view.

Before she could make believe she wouldn't be the worst person in the room, that she wouldn't harm those she loved but it seemed that was her curse. Wrath, and destruction were her crosses to bare and worse still she had always known it. Deep down inside she had seen how capable she was of inflicting harm.

For the most part MJ hadn't a reason to care about that part too much before Mystic Falls. She was left alone to survive her back against the wall -- Isobel had never even told her why either. Grayson and Miranda would have taken her too but Isobel wanted one daughter to keep. It seemed for a month that she would, until Isobel suddenly changed her mind and handed MJ over at a hospital.

Maybe she had been the first to feel the affects of her curse and she was the smartest -- Isobel left MJ and never looked back until she had needed something for her. However Maya found her way to a life, her sister, Caroline, and her friends. Caroline most of all sometimes, she couldn't tell who mattered more to her, her sister, or the only girl to ever really love her.

What would happen to her? How was Maya going to destroy her? It was all she could think about. Wondering what haunting image that would be her last sight of Caroline gave her nightmares. A subtle knocking at her apartment door had Maya cast one last glance at a stirring Caroline before crossing her stone floors.

Caroline was trying to sit up when Maya opened the door to the Salvatore's standing before her. "Morning sunshine," grinned Damon leaning against his brother. One look at her and they could see the exhaustion under her darkened eyes.

"We have to talk," added Stefan with a knowing frown.

Almost instantly she attempted to shut the door on them -- the pair of them never meant anything good. Standing up from the bed sliding on her shorts Caroline tilted her head, "What did they want?"

"Don't know, don't want to know," she replied stopping in her tracks hearing the door open behind her. Inviting Stefan in had been a mistake, he came walking in while Damon stood in the door begrudgingly. "You can't take a hint can you," Maya muttered crossing her arms.

Sticking close to the doorway Stefan told her, "She came back, Rose. We came to bring you and Elena to hear what she has to say."

No words escaped from Maya's mouth, the next words were spoken by the blonde who couldn't help but wonder, "And why is she still able to talk?" More often than not Caroline was forgiving, at least since turning. It had calmed and leveled her but the gleam in her eyes was one others girls in school had known too well. Trivial things didn't bring her to a full age now that she had a new understanding of what was worth getting angry over, and Maya was one of the main people that her worry could easily bleed into anger.

From his spot in the doorway Damon chimed, "Because were not idiots?" Forgetting about the barrier he tried walking in only to be forced to stay when his face smooshed against the invisible wall.

Caroline snickered while Maya mused, "What was that you were saying about not being an idiot?" The vampire narrowed his ice like eyes at her but was only met with the knowing and smug grin of a girl knowing she was safe from his most violent impulses.

Just when he began to snap at her Stefan stepped between them, "Will you come with us to Elena's?" Just when the thoughts of telling them no came to pass, Maya caught glimpse of the blonde beside her. With her one glance she was swallowed back up by her nightmares -- Maya had to find a way to stop them. Nodding slightly she tore her eyes from the blonde, "I'll meet you at your place within the hour."

That was enough for Stefan who attempted to simply leave, but the oldest of them couldn't resist stating, "Hurry up, or the big bad wolf might be who is knocking next." Luckily for him Damon swiftly left afterwards quelling Maya's urge to throw whatever had been closest to her at him.

As the pair had left, Caroline stood silent gnawing on her lower lip as she always did when her thoughts plagued her. "What are you thinking, pretty lady," the nickname brought the tiniest smile to the blondes solemn face. Maya's voice was soft as it only was for her girlfriend -- only she had been the one to bring that gentleness out of Maya.

The brunette was touching Caroline's arm, rubbing it delicately, much like she did when she urged Caroline to sleep. Death had made sleeping much harder than it had ever been, every time Caroline closed her eyes the pillow Katherine smothered her with came back. Every time Caroline awoke believing it still was, Maya was there to gingerly rub and soothe her to sleep. "Why did she come back? What if she brought more men this time to take you," the worry flooded out of Caroline like a damn broken. Maya was offering a half smile as she continued, "What if this was just some trick to finish what she started? What if--"

Grabbing at her girlfriends shoulders Maya jostled her enough to stop her rambling. "I came back to you the first time didn't I," Maya reminded. There was no point in saying there was no risk, Caroline wasn't a fool. She was bubbly, warm, beautiful, excitable, immortal, and far more than what people ever gave her credit for. Caroline was probably one of the few candidates for valedictorian -- the girl was the furthest thing from being a fool. Damon didn't see that, he often thought of her as too brainless to see three moves ahead but Maya knew better. Caroline always had an eye on the future, death had only sharpened her.

Though Maya knew the danger would always exist, she had always known that every time someone attempted to part them, it hadn't worked. For the short moment she had seen Isobel she tried to ruin was delicate and new for Maya, the girls made it through. The secret of the supernatural hadn't broken them, what on earth could stop them?

Her girlfriends reminder allowed Caroline to take a breath, "But--"

"But nothing. I'd sooner become a vampire before I'd leave you behind," vowed Maya.

Shaking her head the blonde insisted, "I couldn't let you become that for me."

The idea made a chuckle escape from the girl before her, "Bold of you to assume I wouldn't want to spend eternity with you." In truth vampirism and what it would do to their future was a elephant in the room of their relationship neither had spoken on. Maya saying she would become vampire was of course a secret desire of Caroline's, but knowing it meant Maya day made it out of the question of asking.

"I wouldn't make you become one," said Caroline needing to know she said such. Her words said no, but Maya could see the excitement behind her girlfriends eyes. How could she not be? The idea of them leaving Mystic Falls to spend eternity doing whatever they wanted? It was her idea of heaven on earth, but Caroline would never stop Maya from finding true heaven, if she wanted it. Maybe in another life Maya would have preferred death to vampirism, but not in this one. In this life all she wanted was eternity with Caroline however she had to take it.

Leaning in, mere inches from a kiss, Maya replied, "And I wouldn't want to be without you." Closing the distance Maya kissed Caroline softly feeling that same lifting feeling it had always given her. There had been nothing Maya had even known in life that felt so freeing as kissing Caroline, and though Caroline hadn't understood so yet, Maya would die for that feeling.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·

❝ salvatore boarding house [ living room ] ❞

The silence was nearly deafening as Maya and her sister sat in the couch while three vampires stood before them -- Rose, their kidnapper pacing rather than telling the twins what she'd told the brothers. "So I am supposed to wait until we turn to dust or are you going to say something of value," muttered the brunette tiredly fiddling with the gold locket around her neck.

Still pacing ( which was starting to make MJ dizzy ) Rose began to tell them, "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."

"Who is he," questioned Elena sitting up while her sister watched the brothers. Their reactions would tell them how scared they needed to be. They may have annoyed her, Damon more than anything, but the Salvatore's would sooner die than allow the twins to do so. Hate it as he might Damon couldn't help but see the sister his mother had always wanted within her. She was tough, tough enough to have fought their father even in a time girls rarely did, she would have fought the devil himself for abusing them. Perhaps it was knowing she would always defend him, even when he didn't deserve it that gained her this respect from Damon. Stefan, he was different. Sometimes Maya wondered if in another life she was more to him than just his girlfriends sister, more than a friend. None of them had answers, all the knew was that the four of them? They were her family. Maya cared and loved her extended relatives but the Salvatore's and Elena? They were above it all to her.

Damon who was leaning on the desk looked to them explaining, "He's one of the originals, he's a legend."

Adding on to his brother statement Stefan spoke up with clarification, "From the first generation of vampires."

"Like Elijah," Elena spoke up. The reminded of the man was enough to get Maya pulling at her flowy blouse sleeves. That man was different than anything else they had faced, and maybe Maya had been the only one to accept that. It took nearly everything the Salvatore's had to kill him, and they had to hide almost like a human hunter would to do it.

Rose shook her head at the near attempt to downplay the difference between the two men coming after the twins, "No. Elijah was the least of any compared to Klaus. He's a foot soldier. Klaus is a real deal." Whomever Klaus was Maya could tell by the look shared with her sister, they didn't want to risk finding out the true difference. Elijah had scared them enough.

"Klaus is known to be the oldest," declared Stefan.

A soft, yet bitter scoff escaped from the younger twins mouth. Looking at the three vampires before her Maya rubbed her mouth, "Okay, so you're saying that the oldest vampire in the history of time is coming after us?" Her hand rested on top her mouth her thumb propping her head up as it hid her mouth. It was almost always what she did as an attempt to muffle herself when she knew she had nothing, or very little nice to say.

Rose answered with clear honesty, "Yes," as Stefan, ever the diplomat attempted to mitigate still while speaking at the same time, "No."

"Yeah that's not confusing," sighed Maya having the sense the Salvatore's themselves hadn't agreed how to feel about the threat incoming. Which only furthered Maya's desire for the truth of it, and she could see the same look in Elena's eyes. That was the gift of a twin, better than a best friend Elena read into Maya's mind deeper than any human ever could. The twins without ever speaking a word had spoken a hundred with simple glances.

Seeing how Elena's eyes fell upon the silent vampire, Damon forced himself to speak up admitting, "What they're saying is, I mean if what she's saying is true..."

"Which it is," defended the only woman vampire in the room. In truth, what reason had she to lie? If she wanted the girls she was old enough to take them from the Salvatore's without much of fight now, yet she hadn't. Maya had found it increasingly harder to deny her.

"And you're saying it so I don't kill you," Damon retorted straightening up to stand upright.

With her hands firmly on her hips, the vampire still believed herself to be telling the truth as she mused almost as if a song, "Which I'm not."

Ignoring her certainty Damon gave the twins his version of it, "Then we're looking at a solid maybe." Maya's hands slapped her leg while her hand rested flat against her face -- had this been her best bet in survival after all?

Always the hopeful diplomat Stefan took his seat beside his girlfriend taking her hand in his he assured them, "Look, Elijah's dead, right? So no one else even know that either of you exist."

Countering Rose pointed out to them, "Not that you know off."

"That's not helping," Damon told the female vampire.

"But it's true," added Maya earning a surprised glance from Rose. The abandoned Gilbert had seemed to take caution from the vampires words, no matter if it was false. Everything in Maya was screaming that what came from Rose was truth, from the moment they met Rose had spoken only truth.

Stefan, ever the hopeful attempted still, "Look, I've never even met anyone who's laid eyes on him. 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 stories."

The repeated the denials getting to her made a groan escape the eldest vampire. Why had they bothered to speak if they weren't going to hear her? Her voice came out with a low but sharpened tone, "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."

"Aright, we're shaking. You made your point," silenced the eldest Salvatore seeing how she made each of the girls shift in their seats. With one last moment shared between them the girls knew their next move, and they stood from the couch to make it.

Seeing how they were each now standing and grabbing their bags, Stefan put his hand out asking them, "Where are you two going?"

With the upmost dryness in her voice Maya replied, "To school. We're late, and I'm tired of this conversation."

Making his way out to follow Stefan tried, "Let me grab my stuff, I'll go with you."

"It's okay, we know where it is," Elena replied coldly as she grasped her sister hand pulling her away. Their next step had to be taken alone and her moment of pause was enough to stop Stefan from following behind them. Part of them felt guilty for lying but in the end the lie was for him and the brothers had always done the same when needed. Granted taking life advice from the brother probably wasn't the best, but it was all they knew.

As the twins left shutting the door behind them Damon leaned over whispering to the female vampire almost comically, "They're in denial."

Stefan looked back at his brother squinting his eyes at him, "Shut up, Damon." The older brother was left defenseless and feigning hurt as his younger brother left him and Rose to it.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·

❝mystic falls woods ❞

The moment they left the Salvatore's the girls avoided school calling Caroline. While Stefan could've been a hinderance to their plans, Caroline would aid them. "Tell everyone I wasn't feeling well and I went home instead of school and Elena left to take care of me." The idea seemed simple enough and just enough to stop the boys from immediately going to find them.

"I can't believe I'm agreeing to this. I'm a terrible liar," Caroline said not sure about the plan as they walked.

Ignoring it Elena simply added to her sister's request, "And keep Stefan busy. I don't want him to know what we are up to."

The addition left the blonde feeling sick, "I'm even worse at duplicity and you know this!"

With raised brow and pointed stare Maya's tone dismissed, "You remember how Katherine threatened you and you spent the day tricking us -- or when you tricked the most duplicitous vampire out there?" Silence fell upon Caroline unable to argue the logic her girlfriend peddled, rubbing her face softly she assured, "You'll do just fine, pretty lady."

"Yeah, because she threatened me," Caroline's own reminded earned pointed looks from both girls. Instantly hearing the error of her slip, the blonde countered, "Not that I'm saying that you should use that as a tactic, it's... Stefan's gonna see right through me. And I was revengeful when I did that."

"Don't look away from him then. That's what you do when you're lying," Maya pointed out having seen the tell a few times when Caroline attempted to spare her girlfriends feeling when it came to her cooking. She was trying to hone a skill and Caroline, ever too nice, couldn't hurt her for it.

The blonde's cheeks reddened, "Do I always do that?"

Maya hummed, "More or less." Placing her hand upon her girlfriends cheek she pleaded, "Do your best and we'll make the best out of as much time you can buy us. Deal?"

The blonde nodded and their walk continued in silence, at least for a few moment before curiosity got the best of her, "Why don't you want Stefan to know?"

"Because he would never be okay with us doing this," the reply was simple but spoke volumes. Elena was hiding this from Stefan while Caroline was actively helping her girlfriend -- men liked being protectors while girls understood there was a mixture. Sometimes you protected yourself and others, other times you were the one protected -- Maya and Caroline knew that better than most.

The staircase leading deep into the earth came closer into the view and the three found themselves in the heart of the tomb before the large stone door. The circled star guarding the door acting as the rune that sealed the tomb beside the comet. "Are you sure you want to do this," inquired Caroline looking to the youngest more than anything.

"Yes, We're sure," answered Elena as her sister rubbed the hand she was still holding. Elena wasn't even sure when the pair intertwined their fingers, "She's the only one who knows the truth about Klaus. The only one who can tell us how to stop him."

Caroline trying to reason with the pair still attempted, "But you're asking for the truth from someone who's probably never giving it. Are you sure about this?"

"And I spent my entire childhood surrounded by lying adults and children -- trust us. We can handle her," assured the brunette. The look in her girlfriends eyes told her there wasn't any other option for them but through, through the creepy door to the she-devil she hated. Nevertheless, she trusted her girlfriend and used her much enhanced strength to move the door from the frame it blocked.

Maya kissed Caroline's cheek grateful before she dropped the bag she'd been carrying loudly shouting into the tomb, "Psst, psst, pst! Oh kitty Kat!" The mocking had made both of her companions look at Maya, "What? Like she deserves my respect."

As the words left her lips they heard shuffling feet against the floor broke her concentration, it wasn't long until a weak, sickly looking Katherine appear. The Pierce's eyes were lacking life, she appeared as dead as she had been for over 500 years, "Hello Maya, Elena. You come to watch me wither away?"

"You know me kitty Kat-- I love misery," mocked the younger Gilbert as Katherine's eyes shot at the only other vampire in the room.

Despite how weak she was, Katherine straightened her back ( with much difficulty due to the dress she was still wearing from the masquerade, ) and told the vampire, "Goodbye, Caroline."

Maya locked eyes with the older vampire as her sister told their friend, "As long as we stay on this side on the door, she can't hurt us. Please."

Still reluctant, Caroline couldn't move and Maya knew it without ever turning. Her girlfriend needed reassurance, which Maya had. Kneeling down reaching into her bag Maya revealed she had brought her crossbow. She revealed it by shooting it at Katherine's feet narrowly missing the vampire's feet, "What the hell!?" Ignoring the vampire, Maya turned around to her girlfriend, "Plus, I bought protection." Seeing the relief her bow had given Caroline ( having been saved by it once already ) allowed the brunette to said, "I got us, I promise." The blonde nodded kissing her girlfriends cheek in return

"Stefan know you're here," she questioned the twins hearing the blonde leaving.

Maya made sure to keep her finger on her trigger as her sister began to explain, "We brought you some things." Neither one of them answering her question about Stefan, there was no need to feed her obsession with him.

Katherine hummed knowing something had shifted within the girls -- this was a new, hardened side of the pair. They resembled animals backed into a corner, almost half a bad as the animal lurking in the tomb that became Katherine, "You came to bribe me? What is it that you want?"

"You dead," muttered Maya still keeping her weapon trained on the vampire. It was less for their protection and more for Maya's own need for vengeance. That wasn't a thought she wanted to share but the look in her eyes was one Katherine had known from Samara far too well.

The reflection standing before her made her grin, "You're just like her." The her in the sentence was clear, Scarlet Pierce, aka Samara Petrova, was just like Maya Jane.

The statement only made Maya grip her weapon tighter as she demanded, "You're going to tell us about Klaus."

Impressed that they had figured any of this out so soon Katherine tilted her head humming, "You've been busy."

"We also brought you this," Elena said taking out the Petrov family book freezing the vampire doppelganger in her tracks, "It's your family history. It says in here that the family line ended with you two -- the sisters who ran away to die. Obviously that's not true."

The vampire seemed to clench her fist and gnaw on the inside of her mouth -- her history wasn't a source of comfort for Katherine at all. The Salvatore's hadn't even known what truly happened to Samara, she was with Katherine in the tomb, one lived and the other hadn't -- no one but Katherine knew what the fate of Samara Petrova had been. It had been her duty as a sister to keep that a secret at best she could, until the end of time.

Self-satisfied as she had always been, the vampire remarked, "You think that if you brought me some family keepsake then I'd open up?"

"No," Maya answered her voice flat as she lowered her weapon, "But Elena did think this would." Reaching into the bag she pulled out a bottle of blood showing it to Katherine who rushed at the barrier fully on instinct only to be pushed back, "Looks like she was right." Even in her blood frenzy Katherine noticed how the girls took up the same traits they had -- Elena the planner and Maya the action taker. "It's sad to say but you look awful Kat," Maya began to taunt her grin spreading across her face as she wondered, "How long before your body shuts down? 10, 20 years? It must be painful to desiccate and mummify. I can't even imagine."

Giving in Katherine slid down on the floor sitting down and submitting to the will of the twins before. Maya handed the bottle off for her sister to prepare while she kept her weapon trained, Elena poured a bit of blood into a small plastic cup using a stick to slide it over to her. As she lifted the cup and looked at the two before them Katherine cold have sworn she was starring at herself and Samara -- if only they had made it into this modern era of living.

Picking up the cup she declared, "You both have the Petrova fire."

"More blood," Elena offered up gingerly as Katherine put the nearly crushed plastic cup down for her to refill. She knew she should have nursed the blood, held survive longer but no matter what, Katherine was doomed.

As the plastic was slid back over the invisible barrier between them all, Katherine began to explain, "It's a long story, Klaus and us -- it was all the way back to England, 1492, we were thrown out, we didn't runaway because we wanted to they threw me out on the street and Samara couldn't leave me to do it alone."

Elena was sliding the cup back over as she questioned, "Thrown out?"

"Lie one too many times to them too," a measured condescendence escaped Maya's lips as she placed her bow carefully within reach beside her.

The vampires mouth almost broke into a smirk she fought replying, "Ah, you'd know all about being thrown away by your family too Maya." Her comment was a win and Maya's clenched jaw was the proof of it. Carrying on seemingly ignoring her win, Katherine dryly carried on her eyes almost locked on the stone before her, "My family, your true ancestors, they disowned me. My indiscretions were not tolerated at that time. I had a baby at a wedlock. A shame."

"It was kept secret," Maya spoke her voice asking for confirmation.

Katherine nodded her mind already having taken her back to the night the girls story truly began, "My baby was given away. I was banished to England along with my sister who dared stand up to our father." Shifting against the dirt ground her hands tossing the tiniest rocks she could fiddle with. For dramatics, Katherine's voice shifted higher pitch and a believable British accent slipped out, "And we had to learn to adjust so we quickly became English. It was there that we caught the eye of a noble man name Klaus -- rather Samara caught his eyes."

The memory seemed to force Katherine to drop the accent as she looked to Maya, "She was so in love -- she had never felt that way about any one before. No one had ever allowed her to be as free as he did, men weren't keen on giving wives the ability to argue them but it never bothered him when she did." Shaking her head she added, "I think she would have stayed with him even with what he wanted from her, had it not meant what it would for me."

Two young women, desperate and pushing their legs to run with every ounce of strength their human legs could muster. At this point Samara was certain they had made it at least a mile, but their dresses were weighing them down. Katerina, who had never had the affinity for running Samara had, was most made the victim of her gown. For the third time this hour, Katerina's dress caught on the branch peaking out sending the girl face forward tumbling. Careful not to shout, they could still hear them and Samara knew it as she rushed to her sister.

She was pulling her up to her feet, "We can not stop, not now, not ever," Samara told her.

Just as she thought they could move, a voice spoke snapping the girls into the most frozen statue like positions they could. Still as stone they heard his commanding but cooled voice despite how he sung, "Katerina...Samara!"

Katerina's mouth opened to gasp only to find her sisters clasped over muffling her as she forced their back against a tree. Silence was their only way out and they come hell or high water were getting out of these damned woods. The woods had always been Samara's sense of safety, but not tonight, perhaps never again would she find comfort amongst her trees.

"I know you're near, I can smell your blood," he warned them as a taunt, but each taunt filled the girls with desire and will more than anything. With each step taken, with each wound gained Katerina's heart hardened. Seeing how small blood trickled from Katerina's head, Samara grabbed what appeared to be a leaf wiping it away. It might not have done much but one scent being left behind while the other kept moving seemed better than not. "It's pointless to run, Klaus will find you wherever you are, he will never stop looking, Samara you know he will forgive your transgression if you are to return what you stole." 

'What you stole,' those words echoed in Samara's mind. What she stole? She hadn't stolen anything -- Samara refused to allow him his victory built upon her sisters back. Though she knew Klaus would never see it that way, he was a man of means and vengeance. He would chase them to the ends of the earth, but one look at the wide and broken eyes of her sister flooded her with certainty. 

Neither girl spoke still, but they could hear another speak up, "This way -- there is more blood tis way." This was their chance, Samara took her sisters hand in her preparing to run once again but this time when they spun around the tree to freedom they met another. The girls hadn't even seen whom it was before their hands were clasped over their mouths. He dragged them a few feet -- Samara had just began to accept death when they were spun around and faced with Trevor. 

His finger lingered over his own mouth signaling them to stay quiet. Their breaths were barely evening while he whispered barely louder than the wind, "Head east. I can not distract them much longer." The sun was rising and with it the search party would need to return to the castle, at least all but Elijah. He would return with the lot to speak with his brother but how much longer could they run? They left at dusk and neither of them knew how much longer till the sun would give them some relief.

"We can not run anymore, Trevor," this was the first time her tiredness peaked through for Samara. Her words came out crackled and low hoping death or freedom would come sooner rather than later.

Trevor hadn't allowed them the moment of doubt, "You have your dagger?"  Reaching into her silk lilac ruffled sleeve, Samara slipped the dagger out from its harness fashioned for her arm. Klaus had given it to her, a human girl needed protection, he told her, she hadn't known she would need it against him. "The blade is poisoned, even Elijah would fall temporarily from the vervain it was forged with. Never mind what you can't do -- remember what you must do to survive. Survival is all you have now, and you'll be safe there. Go! Go now!" The vampire pushed the girls forward watching as the sisters ran hand and hand deeper into the woods.

"So, what did Klaus want," Maya asked as she sat on the ground hearing the beginning of their story come to a pause.

Katherine starred at her blankly, how could they know so much and so little at the same time? She huffed pushing her matted hair back as best she could, "The same thing that he wants from you two. He wants to break one curse while the other protects him and makes him stronger."

"By sacrificing the Petrova doppelgänger," Elena figured remembering the words told to her by the slightly older vampire they'd seen that morning.

The vampire nodded in agreement telling the pair, "He wanted to drain every single drop of blood of my body and use Samara as it own personal lap dog." Seeing the looks on the twins faces Katherine elaborated, "Klaus preferred the thought corrupting someone good, and that was what he got. He made us so paranoid we ..." 

The next words refused to come for Katherine, instead she shifted the conversation, "He got what he wanted from her."

Her vagueness forced the twins to share a look both wondering the same thing -- what happened to Samara? The brothers had thought she was in the tomb with Katherine, but neither twin had been there. Katherine came back, but for the first time ever, without a sister. What had happened in 145 years that Katherine was now alone? "What happened to her? I thought you both got away," Maya disputed.

"We did," Katherine answered simply her voice still raspy, taking another sip she caved in and said enough for the twins, "But in the end piece by piece paranoia took her humanity just like it did mine. She didn't fear him killing her, she feared what he would do to me once he had me.  Samara did the unthinkable -- she gave up. After what we did to Stefan and Damon she couldn't take it anymore -- she couldn't sleep seeing their eyes when they died, or someone else's we had left in our wake. She left me. 1866, she wrote a letter and said she was going to kill him. Like a fool she thought that would be enough for our freedom. I guess she forgot about Elijah."

"What did Klaus do to her," Elena asked her eyes falling to her sister.

This question seemed to force Katherine to look away. Had Maya not known the vampire to be heartless, she would say she was crying. When she looked back at them the human knew how incorrect she was. Katherine had tears brimming her eyes she was doing everything to keep back, "I don't know. She said if it worked, she'd send word so to stay where I was. I stayed in Pennsylvania for a year before I realized she failed and he had to have killed her."

"So Samara's just...missing. She could still be alive," Maya reasoned without having any confirmation.

Katherine shook her head, "I don't think so -- if she was Klaus wouldn't be looking for you. I think she tried to kill the devil or make a deal with one and it killed her." Taking one look between the twins she knew they were destined for the same. Klaus was coming, there was nothing they could do about it. Elena would die and Maya would destroy herself trying to destroy him. "And it'll kill you too," cautioned the vampire.

Maya's jaw unclenched while Elena slid another cup over asking, "What does the Petrova blood line have to do with Klaus?"

Picking it up bringing it to her mouth she answered, "It's really tedious but," slowly but surely she started to look healthier, "The curse was bind by the sacrifice of Elena's Petrova blood. Witches are crafty with their spells. The her doppelgänger was created as a way to be able to undo the spell. Once the doppelgängers reappeared, one to help the curse can be broken, the other the cursed meant to protect you."

"What do you mean one for my protection," Elena asked her back leaning against the sone wall doorway getting more comfortable.

Hearing her explanation Maya realized, "Sisters." Both girls eyes fell onto the younger Gilbert, "Who protects a girl more than her own sister? Life wanted you to break the curse but you needed to survive life."

Katherine chuckled, "And they never even meant to do it." Her statement earned nothing but puzzled faces, tiredly she explained, "Whoever created the spell when they linked it to one doppelgänger not knowing twins have almost the exact same DNA. Use ones blood for a spell while not using the other doesn't mean the other won't feel it. Trying circumvent nature had a bad ripple effect -- an effect only one doppelganger will ever know. That's why Samara's line is cursed while the another, mine, breaks the curse. Two sisters cursed existence for all of human history to die and be driven insane. It's our fate girls."

"So you ran, before he could do anything. You tried to circumvent nature too then," Maya declared lowering the knees she had brought closer to her chest.

"Something like that," Katherine mumbled her mind falling back into those woods she had never left it seemed.

They had fled east, just as they had been told without ever stopping once. The sun had begun to rise yet the girls couldn't stop running. Katerina's cheek still bled while Maya clutched her blade hard enough she was certain the grooves were pressed into her palms. Their only pause came when they finally laid sight upon the cabin covered in leaves and light finally appeared. They gave one more final push down the hill the pair immediately began to bang on the door. "Help, please help us," they yelled looking behind them making sure no one was there

When the door did open, an elderly woman who looked as if age was coming to take her that very night stood behind the door. Samara wondered if they needed to push through, the thought crossing her face and dagger still in hand left the woman wanting to shut the door immediately. The older of the two, ever the soft spoken trickster spoke in the accent that had become most familiar to her, "Please, please let us in. My sister and I have run all through out the night and this is the first home we have seen."

Still the woman tried to close the door telling them, "I don't invite strangers into my home."

As she attempted to shut it a hard arm forced it to stay open, and though Samara did not outwardly use her dagger as a threat, instead she held it in her hand firmly enough to say she would use it. "We are tired, near dead, and Trevor -- Trevor said you would help. Was he the liar or are you?"

There was a rustling behind the door from what the sisters could not tell until a woman, much younger, with brown almost blonde curls appeared. She kept herself shrouded in the darkness as she grumbled, "Damn him!" The younger woman took one look at the faces before her and knew instantly she was as marked for death as they were now. Nevertheless, she could not leave them to ruin, Trevor was right about that. "Let them in," she ordered the old woman who did just as she had been told.

The second they were allowed, the pair nearly fell over themselves to get inside the cottage. As soon as they were, Katerina clutched her head telling her, "You must be Rose -- thank you. Trevor said to show you this." From her pouch she pulled the opal stone from it and added, "To prove we are who we say."

"He said you would take us to freedom," said Samara her breaths evening out as best it could.

The widen eyes of the woman before them started to say differently. This woman hadn't been their safety net as they had hoped. One look at the stone and the woman knew, "You stole this from Klaus?"

Katerina shook her head, "I did," proclaimed Samara. "He told me what it meant and I could not in good conscious allow him to have the means to get him way, again. He can't preform the sacrifice without this stone." It was the woman's turn for her breath to quicken, her eyes scanned the room formulating a plan with each second.  Taking her sisters hand she pulled her towards the door, "If you can't help us we will just keep going. We can't afford to stop for nothing if it doesn't aid our escape. I know the risk this brings you."

The pair hadn't even been able to grab the doorknob before Rose had blurred across the room blocking their freedom. From one cage into the next, Samara realized. "There is no risk to us," Rose seethed knowing she would be found innocent as long as she brought them back. From the moment she turned Rose heard stories of the old ones and the sisters they searched all of time for, she wasn't going to be standing in the way of those men. "People do not escape from Klaus. Everyone who tries ends up back in his grasp and anyone who helps them dies. At nightfall I am bringing you back to Klaus and begging him to show us mercy."

Try as they might, the sisters were grabbed and thrown into a room alone to await the night, and with it, death. Not even a second into being behind the door did Samara's eyes fall to the dagger she still held close. 

"Rose never ended up taking you back to Klaus, did she," Elena confirmed having more of an idea of how the story ended

Katherine with a tilt of her head answered her, "No, but not because she had a change of heart. No, she didn't do anything cause we were caged, and caged animals will do anything to live."

Months prior the sister would not have been lying in a strangers bed allowing blood to leave them. No, months ago the girls were riding in horses in their fathers woods, buying bread in their village, taking care of their little sister. All of that was a lifetime ago, one that neither of them could imagine going back to. Instead, the laid together, with Samara holding Katerina and with each passing second doubting their plan would ever work. If it didn't, it didn't matter what Klaus would do, they wouldn't be alive to suffer it.

The pair was forced to sit up when the door opened and Rose entered announcing, "It's nightfall -- it's time to go." Samara could feel her head spinning as she stood for but a moment before stumbling. Her stumbles while Katerina barely left the bed alerted Rose. Tearing the blanket from the girl she saw blood pooling from her, her eyes fell to Samara seeing how she shielded her waist told her everything. "When did this happen?"  

Katerina was quick to lie, "In the woods, we tripped." 

It was a poor lie and Rose knew it. The woman turned her attention towards Samara snatching her pouch from her waste to search for the blade used only to feel it pressed against her neck. "I will not let him break us," Samara warned only to have the blade snatched. As swift as it was snatched Rose was forced to drop the poisoned blade the moment it burned her.

"If you die Trevor dies with you," Rose hissed unable to meet their eyes. It was then that Samara truly felt grateful that there was no way Rose would let them go, not when Trevor's life needed them. She did exactly as thought and forced her blood down the throats of both girls healing them. 

Just as she was tearing her wrist from Katerina's mouth, Trevor stood in the doorway only to be snatched by Rose. The moment the door shut the girls knew their time was measured and so the sprung into action. Katerina with standing the chair and using the rope left behind by Rose to tie a knot around her neck. Both girls needed to die at the same moment to ensure the other wouldn't be stopped, Katerina especially couldn't be stopped. 

"Az te obicham," Samara spoke her last words in the first language she and her sister had ever known. 

Standing on her chair, rope attached to the plank of wood exposed that held the whole room up.  "Az te obicham," repeated Katerina throwing herself from the chair just as her sister raised the dagger he'd given her and plunged it directly into her heart.

"You killed yourselves," Elena gasped as her sister stood from the floor. Their plan wasn't one Maya could blame them for taking, she probably would have done the same.

Katherine gave a slight nod admitting, "Klaus needed a human doppelganger. As a vampire, we I was no longer any use to him. Samara did it for two reasons, he wanted her to live and grow up. Samara killed herself with his dagger out of spite -- her eternally making sure his plans would fail. Sometimes I couldn't tell if she hated or loved him more."

"Samara loved him," Maya said catching how the doppelganger slipped with her last words telling more than she wanted to.

There was a shrug from the vampire as she replied, "He spent four hundred years looking for her and it was more than power that had him looking -- of course she fell in love with him. Samara didn't say much about him though, I think part of her loved him still, after everything, she kept his most dangerous secrets even from me, but she never let him win."

"But he did win," announced Maya snapping the vampire's head up at her. "She's gone, probably dead. You're alone and you've spent the last 500 years on the run. Paranoia crippled you, in what way didn't he win?"

With a sigh of regret the vampire said, "We under estimated his peered for vengeance but living out of a suitcase is better than dying so you can have your blood spilled over some silly little rock. We won because despite all he did, he still doesn't have what he wants."

Elena clutched herself closer as she sat on the floor while Maya's hands ran through her long dark curls. The pair was losing their confidence and Katherine was waiting for it. "What's wrong? Afraid, right? You don't want to die? There's another way out."

Both girls focused on the girl while Katherine used her nail cutting her wrist making it bleed, "Better hurry. Your opportunity is going, going, going and gone," she taunted as her wrist healed, "We made the other choice."

Rose and Trevor were starting to believe the twins wouldn't awake until the sun rose when they sprang awake mere seconds after one another. Samara felt the wound meant to be on her heart feeling nothing, "It worked. Katerina!"

Samara forced herself up by pushing off the bed seeing her sister already standing, neck unbroken, "I'm alright."

As the sisters gripped each other, Trevor's voice spoke up breaking the moment up, "What did you do, Katerina? I would have helped you live, both of you."

There was an instant correction that came from Katerina, "You would help us run. That was never going to be enough to escape him."

His weak and broken voice was able to say, "It was enough for me."

Samara spoke up, her voice cutting through an already fragile man, "And what would you have done when old age came?" He could not think of an answer. "Death was all you lot had to offer, we just didn't see it sooner."

Their coldness brought out a side of Rose only those a threat to her and Trevor ever saw. "Do you not see Trevor," she asked him crossing the room. "They used you to help them escape and me to turn them. Klaus will see our role in this."

"Then come with us, run," a hopeful Samara offered. They were older and used to living only at night, perhaps they could help them adjust. 

Trevor scoffed as the older woman came into the room picking up the chair dropped, "You've given us no choice."

"And for that we are sorry," apologized Katerina. 

"As am I...for this," returned Rose rushing  across the room with a stake meant for Samara. Her breath caught in her chest only for Katerina grabbed the wrist of the old woman pulling her in front of the stake.

The second she'd saw what she'd done, Rose dropped the weapon and backed away. "Please understand, we don't want to die," said Samara sharing a knowing glance to her sister. 

Without much choice left, Samara dug her fangs into the neck of the older woman taking just enough blood before shoving her into Katerina's grasp. "You just signed our death sentence," warned Rose as Katerina finished having her first taste of blood.

"Better you die than us," Katerina told her in return throwing the woman's body at the pair allowing her and her sister to use their speed to flee.

"Rose and Trevor spent the last 500 years running because you used them. Trevor just got killed," Maya nearly shouted her horror at the vampire.

Frowning a bit looking away slightly Katherine said with little more than a hum, "I never thought he would last for that long."

Elena disgusted by her said, "You don't even care that you ruined their lives!"

"I was looking out for myself, Elena. I will always look out for myself. If you're smart, you'll do the same," Katherine glanced at Maya saying, "I know you will. It was Samara's idea to do what we did after all. I can't wait to see what you do when he has you in a cage." Katherine turned into the tomb looking at the book the girls had given her.

As the older twin paced, Maya resisted the urge to do the same as she demanded, "So how much of your little story is true?"

"I have no reason to lie, Maya," Katherine dragged flipping through the books pages not looking to her, "I have no reason to do anything but sit here and read and rot. Plus, the truth is much worse wouldn't you agree?"

Maya groaned trying her hardest to not tear at her own hair. "Okay, assuming it's even partially true, that's the reason why you came back isn't it? Because you wanted to be the one to hand us over to Klaus," Elena interrogated the vampire. 

Her declaration snapped Maya out of her self induced trance. Shutting the book she began to stand admitting, "500 years in the run, I figured maybe he'd be willing to strike a deal."

Putting the pieces together she followed up with, "So you got Mason Lockwood to find you the moonstone."

"Right again."

Knowing there had to be more Maya spoke up this time wondering, "Then what else do you needed to break the curse?"

The Pierce girl hummed mocking them, "Look who is getting smarter."

Huffing Maya reached down for her crossbow taking aim against the vampire. She could see Katherine's muscles tensing, "Now look who is getting impatient --it's not just Elena or the stone, is it? Otherwise that you'd be no reason to trigger Tyler werewolf curse."

"Witches and their spells: so many ingredients, so many people to sacrifice," she replied still not saying more than she wanted.

Listing everything back as it was said, Elena returned to the vampire, "So you need a werewolf."

Somewhat still in shock about how long it had take to find one Katherine declared, "Believe it or not, they're hard to come by."

"What else," Elena pressed stepping closer while her sister kept the bow trained.

"A witch to do the spell. Mine bailed but Bonnie will do just fine."

Stepping closer Maya pressed for more details, "What else?"

Answering without issue Katherine said, "A vampire. It could have been anyone I suppose but I like the poetry of Caroline."

Something went dark in Maya, knowing what Katherine had planned for her. Without thought she fired her bow into the girls hip. Katherine exclaimed as Maya shouted at her, "So you were going to hand us all over to be killed!"

Grunting the vampire managed to tear the arrow from her hip. Slowly but surely it was healing, Katherine forced herself to stand up, "Better you die than I," she said before hobbling down into the tunnel.

The second she was gone Maya was lowering her bow looking to her sister, "That bitch signed our death sentences too."

"L-let's just go," insisted Elena kneeling down to pack their bag. 

With her practical avoidance Maya forced herself to see her by kneeling down, "Then what? We bring Klaus to your house? Or mine? Where the people we love live? W-what are we doing, Elena?" With everything inside her she hoped her sister had the answer, but her sister was just as scared and confused as she.

Not meaning to, the Gilbert shouted, "I don't know! I don't know!" Elena had been asked one too many times to figure things out and she had enough of it. 

Maya was trying to open her mouth to speak but noting would come out. Nothing besides the shouting voice of Stefan echoing, "Maya! Elena!"

Just as the pair stood from the ground Stefan came running down the steps of the tomb. "Stefan, what are you doing here," wondered Elena her body nearly recoiling from the surprise.

"I could ask you both the same question," he returned looking between the pair.

Maya starred at him bewildered and squinted eyes, she couldn't help but question, "Caroline told you?"

The younger vampire shook his head, "No, she kept your secret." His attention fell to Elena adding, "But it didn't take long for me to figure out what was the important that you'd have to keep it from me."

Raising her brows at him MJ pointed out, "Like you wouldn't have tried to stop us? We barely got past Caroline to do this."

His voice was strained, "Listen to me, whatever she said to you is a lie. Do not listen to her. She's a liar."

Shaking her fist at him Maya began to shout while her sister was too stunned to be arguing, "What if she isn't!? You didn't hear what she said! I know liars, and she's thrilled knowing the truth is so much worse than any lie she could make up."

"You don't have to worry, I'm not gonna let anything happen to you," he said looking at his girlfriend before adding glancing at Maya, "Either of you."

"That's the problem, you won't but you'll die trying. How's that any better," Elena pointed out.

Dragging her wounded side down the dirt path, the little bit of light inside shined upon Katherine, "There's nothing you can do, Stefan. I haven't even told you the best part of the story." All three of them stayed silent waiting for Katherine to finish, "We had no where else to go, so we went home like anyone would."

The weakened vampires mouth twisted as she managed, "When we got there we found out why people always were so scared of him. We thought Bulgaria was big enough, turns out it wasn't. He killed them, our entire family just to get back at us for running. Whatever you do to escape Klaus, he will get his vengeance on your friends, your family and anyone that you've ever loved."

Maya took a deep shaky breath at the information as Stefan took hold of his girlfriend ensuring her, "No, look at me. No, do not listen to her, okay?"

"Always the protector but you must realize that they're doomed," Katherine explained to him. "There's nothing you can do to stop it unless of course you have this," Katherine said holding up the moonstone.

"What," both twins said overlapping each other.

Stefan shook his head laughing at the vampire before him saying, "Oh no, there it is. It'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?"

Maya's whole body was running cold and she could see Stefan grasping at straws to try and make things better. "I didn't spin anything, Stefan. It's the truth, it's hard to swallow isn't it," her voice had been filled with mockery.

Still grasping Stefan pushed at her nearing the barrier closer than ever before, "No, let me guess. You want to trade that stone for your freedom, you manipulative, psychotic bitch."

"My freedom," Katherine laughed at the thought sending chills down his back, "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."

Katherine glanced at Maya saying as she turned her back disappearing into the tomb, "Goodbye Maya, remember what I said."

Once she was gone Stefan looked back to the twins who looked unhinged by the knowledge they were going to die, become a killer, or lose their entire family. Not being able to stay any longer Maya turned her back running out of the tomb, "Maya," Stefan called out.

"Leave me alone," she replied not even remembering her bow as she ran from the tomb. Her worst fears from the morning were coming true -- loving Caroline would be the death of her. The past it was, and always would be Maya's burden.

maya's outfit next chapter