┏━━━ ————————━━━┓

𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 - 𝐂𝐡. 17
"who knew planning a murder
could be so fun?"

┗━━━————————━━━┛

— SKYLER WOKE IN HER FAVORITE WAY. Wrapped in her soulmate's arms, his hands dancing along her body as he lay there, already awake but too content in their position to wake her with him.

The early morning sunlight came in through the windows, leaving a golden glow on their skin as Skyler reluctantly blinked her eyes open with a content smile.

"Morning, my gem." He spoke softly, kissing the top of her head.

In return, she turned just enough to lean up and press their lips together, whispering on his lips her response, "Good morning."

"I miss this." He mumbled into her lips.

Skyler pulled away and laid her head back down on his chest so she could hear his undead heartbeat, she nodded, "I do too."

"What happened yesterday?" He asked gently, "I know about the bloody sheriffs but there's something else, isn't there?"

She sighed against him before pulling away and sitting up against her pillows, he kept an arm around her, holding her close in a silent reminder that he was here — whether it was meant to remind himself or her, neither could say. She pursed her lips stubbornly before admitting it anyway, "I suppose the Katherine thing is bugging me... more than I thought it would."

"Being in the town is bringing up the past, I knew that, I didn't think I'd have the past not just slammed in my face, but hellbent on destroying me and my brothers."

"Somethings different this time." Kol reminded patiently, kindly. Always kind to her, always full of love, even as he held overwhelming rage for those who hurt her in the past, "You're not alone," he kissed her once, "you have me." A second kiss, and then, "You're a Mikaelson." A final kiss, more passionate than the last. She deepened the kiss, their tongues fighting for dominance as the soulmates held each other tight as though the other may disappear if they let go.

Kol's hands trailed down her side just as her phone buzzed. She groaned loudly as she pulled away, grabbing the phone before letting out another, more emotionally pained groan. "It's Elijah. He recommends we "love birds" stop canoodling and I get back before my brothers suspect anything."

Kol growled lowly, contemplating just how terrible it would be to convince Klaus to dagger Elijah again. Maybe some sleep could drag the stick out of his ass. Before he could get lost in these thoughts, Skyler called out to him, pressing their lips together once more.

"I should go." She offered when she pulled away a moment later, "Do me a favor? Don't murder your brothers while I'm gone."

"Only for you, gem." He agreed, holding her close for a long moment before letting her go. They shared one more kiss before she slipped out of the house with a promise of soon.

ೃ⁀➷

SOON enough, Skyler found herself tip-toeing into the Salvatore house, which of course, as she lived with two vampires, didn't work.

As soon as she stepped foot on the porch, they were aware of her presence and she only got three feet in before they were in front of her, Damon with an amused smirk and Stefan with a disappointed frown.

"Where have you been?" Stefan questioned sternly.

Before she could attempt to respond, Damon spoke up, "She was gone the whole night, again. Where do you think she was? Clearly, she's found some fun in this dreary town."

Stefan glared at him, looking at his twin he looked her over before sighing, a mixture of relief and exasperation. Her injuries were completely gone, she had healed, probably even gotten blood since her skin was far less pale than before, and she wore a clean set of clothes. "We were worried." He told her.

She rolled her eyes, "I'm not a kid, Stefan, I can handle myself." She narrowed her eyes at him, daring him to argue. When he didn't and she was satisfied, she approached the bar, and spoke, "Anyway. What have I missed?" Grabbing a glass, she poured whatever she could find into it which happened to be Damon's favorite alcohol. She needs to get her own, though she always had fun stealing his, but Damon's also sucked. A very important debate left her oblivious as Stefan and Damon glanced at each other, she had missed a lot.

"Well, our hairy problems gone." Damon informed her, with a mumbled, "Thank god."

"And?" She questioned knowingly, "There's always something else in Mystic Falls."

Again, the brothers glanced at each other however this time Skyler was not oblivious to look. Finally, Stefan began hesitantly, "Come on, I'll tell you about it."

ೃ⁀➷

STEFAN was interrupted in his storytelling when they heard Caroline speaking downstairs. Walking downstairs hurriedly, they rounded the corner as Caroline took a sip of blood, "What happened?" Stefan asked.

Caroline sighed and looked at them, "Go ahead. Tell them." Damon looked at his siblings and added, "You're gonna love this." Skyler frowned at the words, approaching slowly beside Stefan.

"I saw Katherine today."

"Where?" Skyler growled, her eyes narrowed in an instant rage, "I'll kill the bitch."

"At the grill." Caroline answered eyeing Skyler nervously, "I just stopped by to gawk and... quasi-stalk Matt." She admitted in embarrassment before explaining what happened, she continued, "She told me to deliver a message."

"What was the message?" Stefan asked cautiously.

"Maybe something along the lines of... die? Or go fuck yourselves? Or Stefan," she grabbed her twin dramatically, imitating Katherine's annoying voice humorously, "my love, break up with your girlfriend, I'm waiting."

"All things she's said before." Skyler assured with a grin as Stefan glared at her.

Caroline looked at them uncertainly before deciding to ignore the entire scene as she continued, "She wants the moonstone or she'll rip the town apart until it rains blood. In her words..."

With a nod of encouragement, Damon urged, "Tell them the rest of it."

The blonde baby vampire glanced around as if Katherine would jump out from the shadows, after a moment she spoke, "She wants it tonight. At the Masquerade ball."

The room went silent and after a moment of thought, Stefan spoke, "She wants to do it in public. Killing Mason threw her off guard."

"She's nervous." Skyler pointed out, a wicked smirk crawling onto her features, "This'll be fun."

They all agreed, that she was sure of. Unfortunately, they were all too serious to say such, even Damon. "She's running scared. What she did to Jenna was desperate." He commented, "She's out of tricks."

"We can't underestimate her." Stefan told them uneasily, the last time they had underestimated her, it ended with their deaths, "We have to play this smarter than her."

Skyler snorted, crossing her arms, "That'll be easy then."

"Can't we just give her the moonstone so she'll leave?" Caroline questioned anxiously.

"No." She denied immediately, that wouldn't fit the plan nor would it be as satisfying as seeing Katherine bleed, "We can't give her what she wants."

"Agreed," Damon nodded, "Katherine's not getting dick."

Glancing at both her brothers, she pointedly mumbled, "Hopefully literally too."

Damon glanced at her but resolved to say nothing in response, instead, he continued with his previous train of thought, "I've had it. I'm gonna go to the masquerade ball and I'm going to kill her."

"Not without me you're not." She said incredulously, "I've been waiting decades for this."

He nodded, agreeing with ease, "Tonight."

"You're not gonna kill her." Stefan glanced at his twin sternly, eyes narrowed, "Neither of you are."

"Don't give me that goody-goody crap." Damon glared in frustration, pointing at him.

"Like hell you're stopping me." Skyler practically growled eyes narrowed as she glared at her twin.

Stefan pushed his hand away, "You're not going to kill her." He said sternly, leaving no room for questioning.

He arched a brow, daring his brother, "Oh really?"

Stefan nodded calmly, "Because I am."

ೃ⁀➷

"HEY - you brought the grimoire. Thank you." Stefan greeted as Bonnie Bennet walked into the Salvatore house. The witch glanced over at the table where Alaric had his weapons set out while Damon, Alaric, and Skyler were looking over them studiously.

"What's going on?" She asked as Skyler picked up a bow and arrow, studying it before aiming.

"Think I can sneak this under my dress?" She asked, eyes narrowed as the bow was pointed right at her eldest brother, an arrow lodged in position, ready to fire.

"Sure, right next to the coffin for our guest of honor." Damon agreed, only slightly off balance from the bow being pointed at him. She hummed thoughtfully.

Alaric chuckled, picking up a sharp dagger instead, "Maybe go with something smaller." He suggested.

Skyler pouted, setting down the bow and arrow, she grabbed the dagger from him. Weighing it in her hands, she tossed it around, aiming it at her brother once again before she shrugged.

It would do the job.

ೃ⁀➷

"I can explain." Stefan rushed to tell Bonnie as Jeremy walked back over to where Alaric, Skyler, and Damon stood by the assortment of weapons. Skyler was still picking out her weapon carefully, taking extra time as she pointed every single one at her brother. Who knew planning a murder could be so fun?

"Please." Bonnie responded in exasperation.

"We're gonna kill Katherine." Stefan said finding that yeah what Jeremy said summed it up pretty well. Skyler grinned, resisting the urge to pump her fists in the air upon finally hearing the words after so long of wishing for her death.

Meanwhile, Alaric began to explain something to the boys and Skyler, though she wasn't paying any attention, instead debating which she could hide under her dress and give Katherine a painful death. "And for you..." Alaric said, approaching her.

Skyler didn't need any instruction and didn't have the patience to pretend to listen as she huffed, "I know plenty about killing vampires, Alaric, don't worry your pretty little hunter head." She told him with a smirk, "All I need to know is which I can best hide under a dress and I don't think you can answer that question." Alaric gave a slightly surprised shake of his head and she nodded, "Thought so."

Skyler studied the dagger she had picked up one last time and supposed if all else failed with the dress plan, she could always go with a classic and rip Katherine's heart out.

It was a thousand-year-old practice after all.

ೃ⁀➷

SKYLER tried on various dresses and weapons, debating each strategically. What would be easier to kill in? Which would she look hottest in? Only the most important questions.

Finally, she resolved to grab her phone before heading out to her balcony where she called Kol. "Hey handsome, wanna take me to a ball?" She asked flirtatiously when he picked up.

On the other end, he chuckled lightly, she could imagine him sitting in the corner seat of their newest bedroom, the call a secret for only the pair, "Unfortunately love, Elijah would kill the both of us."

He was right of course however, she refused to give up. "It's a masquerade, wear a mask and nobody will know it's you." Skyler bargained, heading back to her room she started going through a couple of pairs of masks, holding them to her face to try and figure out which worked best.

"Besides you."

"Exactly." She smirked, "It'll be perfect. If you're lucky you may even get a dance at the end of the night."

"You do drive a hard bargain there, gem," he admitted sounding almost reluctant, "but I have one more very important question."

Looking in the mirror at her reflection, she raised a brow he couldn't see and held a dress to her body as she spoke in a lower tone, "Oh yeah? What's that?"

"What will you be wearing?"

ೃ⁀➷

"YOU sure you guys don't want me there tonight?" Alaric questioned for the tenth time as the Kill Katherine group all sat around the living room by the fire.

"No, I need you to stay with Elena." Stefan repeated once more, "I don't want her to know about this."

Reluctantly, the hunter agreed with a nod, "Okay. I'll make sure she doesn't leave my sight."

Stefan nodded his thanks before looking around, "All right. If anybody wants to back out, I'll understand."

Damon agreed, not hesitating to speak up, "Yeah, cold feet speak now. I don't want this going wrong because someone chickens out."

"If anyone screws up my chance at killing this ancient cockroach bitch they'll be dead before the clock strikes twelve." Skyler growled her one warning as she looked around the room.

Before her near threat could scare them all off, Damon spoke, "Caroline?"

"I won't." Caroline assured, "She killed me, fairs fair. And as long as there are no werewolves running around."

"Oh, I took care of Mason." Damon smirked.

"Yeah, without me may I add." Skyler glared in disbelief and exaggerated rage, "The dude was a creep. I should've at least had the honor of knocking him out."

"As long as Tyler doesn't kill anyone— he won't turn." Jeremy added.

Thankful for this fact, Skyler nodded, "Meaning no wolfy problems for a while."

She had never met a kind wolf, nor had she met one who didn't wind up dead one way or another by her family's hands. Maybe that's why she hadn't seen a wolf in so long.

"Bonnie? Are you with us?" Stefan asked nodding at the witch.

Bonnie seemed unsure as she looked around the room, but, in the end, she hesitantly nodded, "But no one gets hurt." She told them sternly, leaving no room for argument.

"Well besides Katherine." Skyler responded to which Stefan nodded in agreement.

"Tonight, Katherine gets a stake through the heart."

ೃ⁀➷

SKYLER held her head high as she walked into the masquerade ball in a navy blue dress that went just above her knees with a tail that flowed down to her ankles, blue high heels that clicked on the floor to announce her presence with a blue beaded bracelet to match, and earrings that curled around her ear shaped like wings paired with her silver and blue mask all in the same shade. To pull it all together, she wore a light black coat with elegant wings similar to those of a crow's on the back.

Even if nobody turned their head to look, she knew she looked elegant and graceful, far more so than her siblings had seen her be since their early deaths 100 years ago. She walked as though she was floating, she didn't dare look to see if anyone was watching her; she knew they were. She had a small smile on her face, just enough to not be seen as cold but small enough to not be too excited.

She looked like a queen.

"My queen," Kol growled lowly in her ear as he slid up next to her, a hand drifting to her back immediately.

"My king," she smiled over at him.

He wore an all-black suit paired with black shoes and a shoulder jacket placed just so on his shoulders to look like wings, he wore a ring on his finger that was shaped like wings curled around his finger, a crows beak at the top just below his nail, finishing off the look was his black crow mask made to look like feathers with a crows beak.

Their outfits weren't an exact match, but they matched enough that when they stood together nobody would doubt if they were together or not. Nobody would doubt they were made for each other either as she stared into his eyes, the first real smile on her face of the whole night.

"You came." She said softly for only them to hear, a secret passed between lovers — vulnerable and sweet.

"You invited me," He reminded her just as softly, a smirk gracing his features in the next second as he whispered lowly, "And you also told me what's under that dress of yours," he eyed her up and down no doubt imagining her naked, "You gave me no choice really."

Skyler hummed amused by her husband's antics as she laughed, "Oh is that all?"

He smirked and offered his arm, "Come with me?"

"Always." She said, taking his arm. He led her to a lonely hall where not even the vampires that lurked in the dark could hear them.

"So tell me every little detail," Kol whispered to her in a lonely hall while the others danced outside, "How do you plan to kill Katherine?"

"And ruin all the fun?" She asked with a grin.

"No," he disagreed, "You'll just be telling me if it's good enough for me to let you go or not."

Skyler eyed him up and down wondering what he had planned if she stayed, the urge to stay right here was a strong one to resist, finally shaking her head, no, she couldn't miss this, "It's Katherine. I'm gonna be there to see that bitch take her last breath." She growled a flash of anger in her eyes as she thought of her.

Kol nodded in understanding, pressing a few kisses to her neck as he leaned in, "Five more minutes then."

Skyler looked out the window, surely she had a few more minutes.

She nodded, "Just five. No messing around."

He grinned at her, pressing a kiss to her lips, "As you wish my queen."

ೃ⁀➷

"YOU'RE late," Damon said as Skyler entered the room they had set up, her lipstick a bit smeared.

"Better late than never." She shrugged, much more relaxed than they had last seen her but still with an air of danger.

"Get to your spots before she shows up." Stefan told them as Caroline came up the stairs. Without another word, Damon and Skyler vanished from view entirely, seemingly leaving an empty room.

"Where is she?" Katherine questioned after entering the room.

Caroline's cries turned into laughter confusing Katherine who turned to look back at the blonde, "I did it, heh. I really didn't think I'd be able to fool you. But I did it." The blonde smirked smugly as Katherine ran at her only to be stopped by an invisible force.

"What the—?"

Katherine sighed as Caroline put her hands on her hips proudly, "Stefan?"

She turned around just as Stefan came out of hiding, "Hello Katherine."

"Goodbye, Katherine." Caroline told her, waving goodbye before leaving as Stefan pulled out a stake twirling it around like a threat.

"You don't really think that you can kill me with that, now do you?" Katherine questioned as she approached him, a clear attempt to get under his skin.

She needed to find some new tricks, Skyler thought. Her twin seemed thoughtful as he looked between the stake in his hand and her, "No," he admitted as Damon came out holding a crossbow pointed right at her. "But he can."

Damon shot her in the back and on cue Skyler came out, grabbing her dagger from beneath her dress and throwing it at her immediately after, the dagger was meant to hit her heart but when she moved due to the arrow it caused it to go to her shoulder instead, which honestly disappointed her. She growled lowly, glaring at the vampire as Stefan ran at her with a stake, hitting her in the arm when she dodged just barely.

Her twin grabbed the stake again, going to take another go when Katherine flung him back, Skyler approached with a growl but before she could do anything, Damon came up behind Katherine and grabbed the arrow from her back. Katherine spun around flinging him into the wall before he could do anything more.

Skyler took out a second dagger, going to stab the woman when Katherine snapped her hand around Skyler's, forcing the vervain-coated dagger from her before flinging her back into the nearby wall and throwing it at her, Skyler gasped as it hit her shoulder.

She reached up, grabbing the dagger from her shoulder with a pained groan, her eyes never leaving Katherine as she glared. Stefan and Damon stood at the same time, the eldest of the brothers threw the arrow to Stefan who immediately shot it at Katherine who, unfortunately, dodged it, the arrow flew into the nearby wall instead. Damon took up a protective stance just in front of Skyler as she winced, the arrow in the wall would be hard to explain.

The arrow flew back to Stefan's hand thanks to a bit of Bonnie's magic and he threw it again, this time Katherine caught it, throwing it back at Stefan who barely dodged the arrow, it going into the wall beside his heart instead.

The fight went on for a while longer though fast-paced as it was until Stefan had managed to get Katherine down and Damon was holding a dagger to her heart while Skyler had a dagger aimed for her face just in case the little bitch managed to escape.

"Stop!" Jeremy exclaimed coming to the entrance, "Everything you're doing to her is hurting Elena." A moment later and he would've been too late, Katherine and Elena would both be dead, and Skyler couldn't say she would've minded the loss so long as Katherine was gone.

"So?!" She snapped incredulously even as her brothers froze, she groaned knowing her fun was over. There was no way her brothers would let her hurt their precious Elena. Still, she didn't lower her dagger. She was tempted to take out an eye, surely Elena could live without an eye.

"Put it down." Stefan told her sternly, she sighed lowering it but holding it tightly, ready to charge at a moment's notice despite the burn on her palm from the vervain that coated it.

"You think you three are the only one with a witch on your side?" Katherine questioned as she stood smugly, "Wrong. And something tells me that my witch is better than your witch." She grabbed the wooden arrow from Damon's hand spinning it around as she walked away from them unharmed while the boys stared at Jeremy. Skyler kept her gaze on Katherine, her eyes narrowed in a cold dangerous glare.

"Jeremy, go check on Elena. Make sure she's okay." Stefan told the boy sternly, "Go!" He shouted when the teen didn't move.

"Let's all make sure poor Elena is okay." Katherine rolled her eyes.

"What? Jealous?" Skyler questioned with a knowing look.

Katherine scoffed, "As if." She held the stake to her open palm as she spoke, "Just a little bit more pressure." Stefan stared at her, his eyes wide. On instinct, he reached out and smacked the stake out of her hands. He wouldn't let her hurt Elena.

He wouldn't let her destroy her as she did to them.

"This is really going to hurt." Katherine commented, picking up the stake and going to stab herself in the stomach with it.

"Wait!" Damon exclaimed, stopping her, one look at the boys told her she had won.

She smirked as she sat down. "Okay, so how about that moonstone?"

"How about that nice little coffin for one?" Skyler retorted, hand clenching around her dagger.

"Ah ah Ah." Katherine wagged a finger at her, "Can't kill me without killing her."

Skyler scoffed, "Who said I care about what happens to Elena?"

ೃ⁀➷

"THE three of us together again with our little old third wheel," Katherine grinned bitterly at Skyler, "Just like old times. The brother who loved me too much, the one who didn't love me enough, and the sister who wanted me dead."

"And the evil slut vampire who only loved herself."

Skyler grinned at her brothers' words. "You can say that again."

"What happened to you, Damon?" Katherine questioned, "You used to be so sweet and polite."

"Oh, that Damon died a long time ago."

Crossing her arms, Skyler added, "Like the day you had us killed."

"Good. He was a bore." Katherine responded ignoring Skyler's additional comment.

Wow, it really was like old times now.

"Oh, why don't you two stop antagonizing each other." Stefan told them.

"Where's the moonstone?" Katherine questioned, seemingly dropping the act.

"What do you want with it?" Stefan responded readily. He wasn't falling for anymore of her tricks.

Katherine scoffed, "Does Elena enjoy having both of you worship at her altar?"

"That was really desperate, Katerina, even for you." Skyler snarked, noting how she froze at her real name, "What? Missing the old times?"

Stefan glanced at Skyler confused but didn't say anything, if it got under Katherine's skin he wouldn't question it, "Don't you think that we can see right through you?"

Katherine's gaze snapped to him, and she responded, "So it doesn't bother you that Damon is in love with your girlfriend?"

Before either of her brothers could respond, Skyler spoke, "Does it bother you that you're not constantly the center of their world anymore?"

"Still weak I see? Always fighting to make them proud, they'll never be proud of you." Katherine hissed.

"Stop it." Stefan said calmly, warning clear in his voice.

"Or what? You'll hurt me?" Katherine shook her head as she stood, "Come on Stefan. Everything that I feel, Elena feels. So go ahead. Or better yet," she looked over at Damon, "kiss me, Damon." Damon gulped as Katherine approached, "She'll feel that too."

"You know this whole Mason thing has me a bit confused," Stefan said, changing the topic before Damon could get distracted by her Katherine ways, "why a werewolf? The moonstone can break a curse that would help them destroy all vampires. So, what's in that for you?"

Damon picked up on this change and added, "Sorry about your pet wolf."

"You should've kept him on a tighter leash." Skyler commented.

"I'll have to remember that for next time." Katherine responded turning to the Salvatores, "He's not the only wolf in town."

ೃ⁀➷

"DAMN it. Where's that witch?" Damon questioned, impatient as ever. Skyler didn't blame him of course, they were stuck in a room with the bitchiest vampire she knew. And she knew the Mikaelsons.

"We could play charades!" Katherine exclaimed happily.

"Or darts, you can be the target." Skyler suggested with a glare.

"You bargained the moonstone." Stefan said suddenly, pointing at Katherine.

Damon turned around to look at his brother, "What are you mumbling about over there?"

"When you struck a deal with George Lockwood, to help you fake your death, you told me that you gave George something that he needed." Stefan said following Katherine as she circled the room, "It was the moonstone, wasn't it?"

"Good for you Stefan, 2+2..." Katherine replied, turning to look at him, "And it would have worked except that people found out I wasn't in the tomb. Thanks to you." She continued, turning her focus to Damon, "By the way, have I mentioned how inconvenient your obsession with me has been?"

He scoffed, "You and me both, honey."

"Why do you need it back?" Stefan asked.

"What are you running from?" Skyler piped up with a smirk. She knew damn well who the bitch was running from and she quite liked getting under her skin.

Katherine turned, "I love you in a suit. So dashing."

"Oooh, we're getting hotter." Skyler's smirk grew upon the knowledge that they were getting under Katherine's skin, "Interesting."

"And what were you doing with it in the first place?" Stefan questioned, not letting Katherine play her tricks to change the subject.

"You're wasting your breath, Stefan." Damon told him, rolling his eyes.

"Unless it wasn't yours, to begin with." Stefan commented, ignoring Damon, "In 1864, you faked your death."

"Which brings us back to my question," Skyler spoke, stepping closer to the doppelbitch, "Who were you running from, Katerina?" She smirked as the name made Katherine's eyes grow wide with barely concealed fear.

"In 1987, you were in Chicago, at a concert of all places, with that wench Lexi." Katherine responded to Stefan turning the tables back to him and completely ignoring Skyler, "Come on, Stefan, don't look so surprised. Of course, I checked in on you over the years." She smirked, "You were standing in the front row dancing all night," Katherine recalled, "You were watching Bon Jovi and I was watching you."

"I'm curious, did you ever check in on anyone else?" Skyler asked, wondering if Katherine knew her dirty little secret.

"I only ever cared for one of the Salvatore twins, you should know that Skyler, it's a common occurrence in your life isn't it?" Katherine questioned in response, not knowing just how many powerful people Skyler had met that had never so much as glanced in her twin's direction.

No, she smirked thoughtfully, if she did, she would've done what was best for her and ran for the hills. Stefan looked down at Katherine, determined to find out the truth, "Who were you running from?" Katherine mouthed something to Stefan, still not responding to the actual question at hand which Skyler found quite curious though she was much more interested in Katherine's death than her lies considering she already had the truth.

ೃ⁀➷

"WHERE is she?" Kol growled, looking around the dance room for his wife. He had felt the brief pain she had been through, felt the immense anger and impatience she was going through now and he even knew of her plan against Katherine.

The one thing he didn't know was where she was.

"Dance with me?" A young teen asked batting her eyelashes at the mysterious male nobody recognized. Though she supposed that was the fun of the masquerade.

Kol inhaled deeply to quell his temper. He couldn't waste his time on a meal right now and this teen didn't even deserve that much attention from him, "I'm married, darling." He told her unbothered before walking away from the disappointed teen to find his wife.

He couldn't interfere in anything - not yet at least, but that didn't mean he couldn't keep an eye on her and get away from this dreadful masquerade.

ೃ⁀➷

KATHERINE sighed in disappointment as Damon poured another drink, "We're missing the party." She complained and then noticed the drink being poured, "I'll have one of those."

"Right away Miss Katherine." Damon mocked even as he poured another.

Taking the glass, she took a sip and nodded, "Thank you."

In a second, Damon was behind her, slamming her into the wall causing her to drop the glass onto the floor, breaking it. He was angry and holding a stake to her heart but Stefan was quicker than his brother, grabbing his wrist to stop him from killing not just Katherine but Elena too. "No! Damon, don't."

"Yes Damon, please." Katherine responded with a smirk. The bitch knew the boys couldn't do anything.

But Skyler could. She stepped up, waiting for the moment she could take the shot.

"The second the spell is lifted, I'm gonna drive this stake right through your heart." Damon promised her in anger.

"God you're hot." Came Katherine's response as she kept an unbothered facade.

Skyler appeared beside Damon in a second, vervain dagger in hand, "And I'll drive this right through your mouth, maybe then you'll finally shut up." She growled, glaring at the girl.

"When did you get so hot?" Katherine asked, both ignoring Skyler as the elder vampire grabbed Damon's tie.

He pushed Stefan back before letting Katherine go as her witch came up. "Katherine..." she called, holding a crystal, "The spell in this room has been broken. You're free to leave."

With a sigh of relief, Katherine walked away, "Thank god."

The witch's eyes narrowed, "When I hand this over, my debt to you is over." The witch told her.

"Done."

"I owe you nothing," she continued.

"I said "done," give it." Katherine told the witch sternly.

"I wouldn't do that." Damon called.

The witch handed the moonstone over, Skyler tilted her head as she watched, waiting for an entrance however Katherine began to choke the second the moonstone touched her hand. "You should have told me another witch was involved." Katherine grasped at her throat as she gasped for air, "She's a Bennet witch, Katherine. But I'm sure you knew that."

"Wait, Elena—"

"Elena's fine." The witch told Stefan nonchalantly, "The spell is broken, she'll heal quickly. Bonnie's with her." Katherine fell to the floor, not daring to let go of the moonstone even if it meant pain. She gasped on the floor as the moonstone fell out of her hand. She was dying. It was a sight to see.

"I apologize for my involvement." The witch told the Salvatores, taking one last look at Katherine before turning heel and leaving.

Skyler watched Katherine writhe on the floor for another moment before a shadow in the dark caught her attention and she glided out of the room without a word to her brothers whose full attention was on Katherine. She met Kol in an empty room on the other end of the house where they would be left alone by humans and supernatural alike.

He took her into his embrace and held her close, like she may just disappear if he let go. "Next time you try to kill her, you do it with me by your side." He told her lowly, leaving no room for argument.

"Next time, I won't let my brothers stop me." She said instead her eyes narrowed in defiance, he seemed like he wanted to protest until her lips landed on his and he melted, "Dance with me." She whispered when she pulled away.

Kol nodded, never one to deny his wife. He released her from his tight embrace and took her hand, a dance beginning without music. Their bodies clung to each other at every opportunity as they danced around the room. Their gaze never left as they stared into each other's eyes, distracted by the way they both drowned in each other's gaze and touch. Despite them being distracted, their dance was intricate and done perfectly even with no one to see it. They landed the last step and he pulled her into his arms, swooping her down as their lips connected, their bodies and souls drawn together.

A dance for only them.

ೃ⁀➷

5,700 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬

original readers will notice there's not much difference in the chapters now we're getting more into the episodes, which makes it easier for me to get updates out but the chapters are so long that it does still take awhile so thank you all for your patience!

Until next time, Malakhai <33