Burning Lights |kalijah|
|| Elijah finds Katherine at Mystic Falls high school where Elena left her after shoving the cure down her throat. Part I _____________________________________________________________
A dream, it must have been a dream... Katherine Pierce was forcing her eyes to remain shut, all the while feeling panic take control over her body. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her breathing shallow. Her entire body ached after the beating she had endured. The cure..Involuntary tears found their way underneath her long lashes and streamed down her cheeks. She knew the predicament she was currently in yet tried her best to ignore it, to shove it aside. Opening her eyes would mean accepting reality, and that was about the last thing Katherine wanted to do. She wanted to, needed to, deny it for as long as she possibly could. No, no, no.. this wasn’t how her story was supposed to end. Not like this, not at the hands of Little Miss Perfect Elena Gilbert. Her panic made way for anger which she felt was about to consume her whole. If blood could boil, hers was definitely on the verge of it. As the rage within her roared and exploded, Katherine opened her eyes.
“Katerina..”
A wave of hot and cold went through her body like a lightning bolt. Katherine sat up on the bed she had been placed on and turned her head in the direction of the hushed voice. Her dark brown eyes locked with his almost identical ones. The sight of him crushed every strength her rage for Elena had mustered up, her entire being now overwhelmed by her current state. Katherine opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but the only thing to come out was a sob followed by more unwelcome tears that seemed to burn on her skin. In less than a heartbeat she found herself embraced by his arms, her face pressed into his chest. His strong arms held her close as she surrendered herself to her pain, to her new fate, to her humanity. He rocked her gently, never saying a word, only pulling her closer to him as he felt her body tremble with every sob and cry that escaped her lips. He held her as he witnessed this side of her which so reminded him of the vulnerable girl he had met centuries ago. His Katerina.
After what felt like forever, Katherine finally felt herself calm down some. She leaned back slightly, her teary face gazing up at the immaculate Mikaelson. Her eyes were red and glassy, yet they had a soft glow to them. Elijah looked down at her and couldn’t help himself but admire the fragile human he was holding in his arms. “How are you here?” she asked him softly yet the confusion in her tone evident. “I didn’t enjoy how we left things, I wished to make sure you would be alright,” Elijah said quietly as he reached out to move a loose curl out of her face. “Rest assured, Katerina, I’m currently were relieved I came back seeing the predicament you currently are in.” And there it was. If there was one thing Katherine couldn’t stand, it was pity. She rose to her feet leaving the embrace of the man she knew she would always love, and made her way across the room to the window. “Yes, well, I neither want nor need your pity, Elijah,” she said trying to sound nonchalant. “Pity-?” “You made it extremely clear where you stood with us, there’s no changing it just because I’m human,” she said as she turned around, her eyes locking with his. There was nothing more Katherine wanted than for Elijah to sweep in and rescue her, but she was still Katherine Pierce and she would be damned if she let Elijah know this. Not after how he had left her to pursue his idiotic dream of redeeming Klaus when everyone knew that Klaus Mikaelson was a lost cause if there ever was one. No, Elijah would have to work for it now. “I can assure you, it’s not pity I feel for you,” Elijah answered simply adjusting his tie as he did. “Oh no? Then what?” Katherine crossed her arms over her chest slightly intrigued. She was so sure he’d feel pity for her current state of affairs. Maybe even guilt. “No,” Elijah shook his head slightly, “I must admit, I was concerned, however I cannot help but feel utter awe,” he finished softly, his eyes never leaving hers. “Awe?” Katherine raised her eyebrows not having expected to hear that. “Albeit you don’t see it, you have been given a chance to start over, to start fresh. One might say your slate has been wiped clean,” Elijah got up and made his way over to where his former lover was standing and looking rather dumbfounded. “When Rebekah wanted to take the cure I dismissed it as another one of her whims, but when I look at you now,” his voice trailed off as his hand reached for her cheek, his thumb stroking it gently, “I see the sweet girl I had met five lifetimes ago,” he whispered. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Elijah, please tell me you’re not being serious.” “Do I give you the impression of not being serious?” he tilted his head as a tiny smile was stealing across his lips. Katherine took his hand off her cheek and brushed past him only to turn around on her heel, her face a mix of disbelief and disgust, “Don’t be daft, Elijah!”, she exclaimed, “The cure may have removed my immortality and the perks that came along with it but it did not clean any slates and it definitely did not make any improvements,” she spat in irritation. How could he think that? “You’re too upset to see this now but-” Elijah started before Katherine interrupted him mid-sentence. “Oh, I promise you I’m plenty upset! I’m mortal now, do you understand what that actually means? I can get hurt, I can get sick and I can die in a way that is permanent,” she started to feel the same panic she had felt earlier upon her waking, “I have enemies everywhere, and when word gets out that I’m human, they will all come for me. Where is your so called ‘awe’ in that?”
