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♕ Burning Lights ♕

❝ And my heart won't beat again ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤIf I can't feel him in my veins ❞

Chapter 23 of the Burning Lights series Pairing: Katherine Pierce x Elijah Mikaelson Warnings: PG16+, some angst Word count: 9323 POV: Katherine Sidenote: Finally!!! It's been a long time coming but I've finally done it. It's the longest update I've written so far and truth be told, no matter the feedback this gets, I will be forever proud. As always though, don't hesitate to let me know your thoughts, I always appreciate it. Oh and P.S. I threw in a treat for you guys, especially for cologne nonnie. Enjoy! Love, Maeve xx _________________________________________________

The soothing breeze on their penthouse balcony felt nice on her warm skin. The night that surrounded her was quiet and serene. She could scarcely notice the occasional car driving by on the street countless stories below her. She was embraced by a state of calm she had rarely felt before during her many lifetimes. A memory appeared before her, bringing her back to a time where the world itself was more quiet still. A memory that almost seemed like a dream, or a glimpse of a past life.

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“It’s so peaceful here,” she said with a soft smile on her delicate features. “I’ve noticed you coming here a lot lately,” Elijah’s voice was tender, warm. Katerina turned her head to glance at the handsome lord sat beside her and saw that he was watching her. “I suppose I like to come here to escape the castle,” she confided in him with a smile that turned somewhat sad. “The castle or my brother?” “I know I shouldn’t feel this way, yet I cannot help it,” she continued quietly, a part of her frightened that wrong ears should catch her words. “Are you having second thoughts?” his voice seemed sincere, caring. As if he was genuinely interested in what she was feeling. “I’m not sure,” she replied with a sigh.

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She wasn’t having second thoughts this time. This time, Katherine Pierce found herself being sure of her choice. Truth be told, now that she looked back at it, she knew she had lied to him then. She had been sure then as well. She had been sure that she no longer was interested in the lord Niklaus. She had been sure that someone else had captured her heart. His older brother, the lord Elijah. The same older brother who was now in their bed fast asleep. Katherine turned around and leaned against the railing, her eyes travelling to the sleeping frame on the master bed. She felt her lips turn upwards in a tiny smile at the sight of him. The brunette watched the sleeping frame move some, his arm stretching over to her side of the bed. His hand patted the empty spot next to him and his eyes opened. Once their eyes locked, Katherine’s smile grew some.

A soft groan escaped Elijah’s lips before he spoke. “ The bed misses you,” he said his voice sounding sleepy. “ Is it the bed that misses me or you?” Katherine teased him lightly as she pushed her body off the railing and made her way slowly back inside their bedroom. “You caught me there, love,” he mused softly, a somewhat sheepish grin spreading across his handsome features. “ I like it when you miss me,” she purred as she moved onto their bed. Moving on all fours, she moved closer to him, her face hovering only inches from his. “ I figured as much,” he said with a smirk, his hands going to her sides and continuing to travel south until finding their resting place on her hips. With a satisfied grin, Katherine leaned down and planted a kiss on the corner of his mouth, letting her lips linger there before moving down to his jaw. She felt his grip on her hips tighten as she trailed kisses along his jawline, each kiss appearing hungrier than the one before. A soft groan came from Elijah as her lips reached his neck, kissing and nibbling on his soft skin as they continued their descent on him. She felt his hands leave her hips and slip underneath his shirt that she was currently wearing. With feline-like grace, Katherine positioned herself properly on top of the man she loved, leaning down on her forearms, allowing her fingers to find their way into his hair, where they softly tugged at it. As Elijah’s hands roamed all over her naked body underneath her shirt, her lips left his neck and found his in a deep and hungry kiss. Despite the two of them having been at it almost constantly ever since they had gotten back from Diana’s, their hunger for each other had not diminished, if anything, it had gotten stronger still. In that moment of their mouths colliding in mutual desire, Elijah’s hands had left her body and he used them to push himself up into a sitting position. His arms went around her and pulled her even closer as their tongues engaged in a sensual dance only they knew. Their lips devoured each other for another moment until his mouth travelled down her jaw and to her neck, prompting a soft moan to emit from Katherine’s lips. His mouth on her neck made her skin feel as if it were on fire, a fierce fire that only he could start and only he could extinguish but only after he had let it rage on and consume her whole.

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“Do you think it’s painful?” she asked sounding unsure. “Truth be told, I haven’t given it much thought,” Elijah shrugged. “ I can’t imagine it being very pleasant for the person,” Katerina expressed with a hint of curiosity behind her words. Elijah didn’t respond, and there was a moment of silence between them. “ Have you ever...,” she paused choosing her words carefully, “ done it with someone you cared for?” “ I can’t say that I have,” he told her quietly and appeared to be deep in thought. “ Would you?” she asked after a moment. “ Drink from someone I cared for?” he looked at her and Katerina felt she needed to avert her gaze. “ If that were the case, I imagine it would be for a different purpose,” he told her softly, prompting her to look at him with a confused expression. “ Different how?” she asked. “ Normally, we would feed to satisfy our hunger. Alas, if I were to drink from someone I cared for,” he trailed off, his gaze not leaving hers, “ it wouldn’t be to satisfy my hunger. I would go as far as to say it would be something intimate, sensual even.” “ That said, I would never presume to take without being told it was alright,” he added after a while.

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“ I want you to do it,” Katherine sounded out of breath, his lips on her neck making her breath heavy with desire. “ Do what, love?” Elijah asked her huskily between kisses, his fingers working on unbuttoning her shirt. “ I want you to have me like that,” she whispered in a low voice, leaning her head slightly back to extend her neck even more. He continued to kiss her some more before he suddenly stopped and moved his head to look at her. “ Are you certain?” he asked her once she opened her eyes and found his. “ Yes.” “ I don’t want to hurt you,” he said softly and leaned his forehead against hers. “ Something’s telling me it won’t really hurt,” Katherine reassured him. He didn’t reply but she felt him nod, and Katherine found herself anticipating it the same way she always anticipated feeling him inside her. When his lips found their way back to her neck, she closed her eyes with a low groan coming from her slightly parted lips. His hands slid her shirt down her shoulders, exposing the skin beneath. Thinking that she would feel a sharp sensation any moment now, she was surprised to feel him move them around some, his arm around her waist, lifting her up slightly. Katherine cried out in pleasure so intense it was almost agonising as he guided her back down again on his lap, the two of them becoming one just as his fangs had pierced the skin on her neck. His arms were around her, holding her firmly in place, his hand was in her hair, grasping it intensely. She felt she wouldn’t have been able to move even if she had wanted to. She allowed him to take all of her, to take everything she had, and she found it felt like heaven and hell combined. All she could feel was immense pleasure, their connection to one another magnified by a tenfold. It was only too easy for her to surrender to it, to get lost in it, it was a delirium of a different kind.

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“ I believe I have never felt this happy at the sight of my blood healing someone,” Elijah mused softly as he watched his bitemark on her neck slowly heal over and disappear completely. “ I guess Diana knew what she was doing after all, despite all your doubts,” Katherine pointed out with a raised eyebrow. “ It was a trying situation to say the least, can you really blame me for wanting to be sure?” “ It doesn’t really matter now, I’m here and I’m fine,” Katherine offered him a smile before giving his lips a gentle peck. “ And soon to be a vampire,” Elijah reminded her with a soft smile, his hand going to brush away a loose curl from her features. “ Exactly,” Katherine murmured as she took her accustomed place with her head on his chest and his arm around her, constantly trying to pull her even closer. “ Speaking of which, I didn’t hurt you, did I?” she heard him ask her carefully, a hint of worry in his voice. “ Did it sound like you did?” Katherine smirked to herself. “ I honestly couldn’t tell, it sounded very intense either way.” “ Because it was, the most intense experience I’ve ever had,” she murmured as she closed her eyes. “ Thank you,” Elijah whispered and planted a gentle kiss on the top of her head. Katherine didn’t reply, only a soft smile played on her features. She felt sleep was beckoning her and made no attempt to escape. As she felt herself being embraced by the sweet tranquility of sleep, the last thing her conscious mind registered was Elijah telling her he loved her.

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Katherine was studying Elijah’s face, debating whether to share her experience with him or ask him to drop it. She knew that deep down, she ached to share her experience with him, that she should tell him what happened after she crossed over, so to speak. She also knew that she wasn’t fooling herself with the idea that since she had been the one that had to actually die, that it had been any easier to be in his shoes. She knew well enough that what Elijah had gone through was just as horrible. “ I remember being terrified,” she started after a while. “ I remember you trying to distract me with all the things we would do and places we would go, and as comforting as it was to listen to your voice, I could still feel the dread deep down inside,” she sighed heavily at the mere memory of her experience only a couple of days ago. “ Were you in pain at any point during the ritual?” Elijah asked quietly, his eyes studying her face. “ No, there was no pain,” Katherine said after a while. She wasn’t lying, it hadn’t been painful. No physical pain at least. “ I’m sensing a but coming,” his voice was quiet, almost a whisper. Katherine sat down the glass of wine she had been nursing for the better part of the evening and got up from the couch. The brunette made her way to the tall windows, noticing that dusk was settling over the town square. “ I don’t even know how to explain it if I’m being honest,” Katherine started as her eyes followed the smoky dusk, “ It wasn’t so much pain as it was fear and dread.” “ I had never felt such dread in my life,” she whispered quietly, her eyes catching on Elijah’s reflection in the window. He was watching her from the couch, his expression somewhat somber. “ It felt like all hope was lost, like this truly was the end. No more possibilities, no more chances, no more opportunities of righting any wrongs. The only promise that existed in that moment was the promise of nothing, of emptiness, of this cold and dark place where loneliness was going to be your ultimate undoing.” She hadn’t realized until now that tears were slowly building up in her eyes. Katherine quickly blinked them away and cleared her throat. She was determined to leave that particular experience behind her, no matter the cost. But sadly, she hadn’t prepared for the mere memory of it to be so vivid. She could almost feel it in her body, all that fear and dread that she had felt that night on Diana’s kitchen table. “ What happened then?” Elijah’s voice seemed to be miles away, a distant sound at the end of a dark tunnel. “ And then I died,” she turned around and forced a smile which in turn prompted Elijah to offer her a frown. “ What I’m saying is that, as death approached, what had appeared to be unending dread, slowly started giving way to peace,” Katherine explained as she slowly made her way back to where Elijah was sitting. “ Slowly, inch by inch, the dread and the fear made way for this warm and peaceful feeling. I could feel my body slowly starting to relax, all that fear becoming a distant memory,” she finished softly, her smile now a genuine reassuring one. “ It was like slipping into a hot bath after a long day, you know?” she shrugged and sat down on the couch, swinging her legs across Elijah’s lap, “I felt like somehow, everything would work out. The peace soothed me, I felt like I was being wrapped up in this soft blanket which would always protect me from everything. It was utter serenity,” she trailed off and shrugged again, “ I wish I had known then that it wouldn’t last.” “ Did something happen after you....,” he trailed off, clearly struggling to utter the word out loud. “ Died?” Katherine helped out with an understanding smile. Elijah nodded, a glimpse of regret on his features.

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“ I know you think the worst is done, child, but I’m sorry to disappoint, it’s yet to come,” Diana told her softly, taking her hand in hers. “ I’m dead, aren’t I?” Katherine asked although she already knew the answer. Diana nodded. “ What do you mean, the worst is to come?” she asked, a hint of fear taking residence upon her features. “ You must find your way home,” Diana explained, giving her hand a firm squeeze. “ Home?” Katherine asked feeling a bit puzzled. “ Back to your body, baby,” the witch informed her. “ Don’t go wandering around for too long, the longer you stay, the harder it will be to get you back,” Diana continued, her blue eyes locking with Katherine’s brown ones. “ All I have to do is find my body and I’ll come back?” Katherine asked with a raised eyebrow before glancing around at their surroundings. “ Easier said than done. If you’re unlucky, some of the spirits will try to convince you to stay,” the old woman warned her. “ But, if I’m dead, are you?” Katherine suddenly asked feeling somewhat alarmed. “ No, dearie. But I wasn’t about to let you go off without instructions,” Diana smiled warmly at her, and Katherine felt herself more at ease. “ But,” Katherine started but was interrupted by the old witch. “ Don’t you worry about anything else, focus on finding your way back,” was Diana’s last words to her before the woman was gone and Katherine was left alone.

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“Diana was there?” Elijah asked in mild disbelief. Katherine nodded. “ I know Diana told me afterwards about where I was and what kind of place it was, but I still can’t wrap my mind around it,” she explained before taking a sip of her wine. “ It was neither dark nor light, it was something in between. The place was neither cold nor warm,” she started slowly, her memories taking her back to when she was in the spirit world, as Diana had put it. “ I took her warning to heart and started to move, looking around frantically to see if I would find something, anything familiar,” she trailed off. “ Do you know where you were?” Elijah’s voice was quiet, careful, as if not to startle her. “ I was in 1492 Bulgaria,” she answered with a sad smile. Her eyes found Elijah’s and saw that he understood more or less of what she was about to tell him.

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“ No way, please, no,” Katherine whispered to herself once she realized where she was. Or rather when she was. She stopped in her tracks, her eyes landing on something on the ground not too far from her. She didn’t have to get closer to know what it was. Either this was a sick joke or the universe, or the spirits or whatever were trying to punish her all over again. Katherine took a breath and forced herself to move. She had to get back, and if that meant reliving her worst memory all over again, then so be it. As Katherine proceeded to enter the village of where she once had lived, a sound from behind her made her jump around. She looked to the woods behind her but couldn’t see anything. Yet something made that sound again, like someone was stepping on dry branches and leaves, getting closer and closer. Katherine stood her ground and waited. A figure of a woman was slowly emerging from the woods and stepping out onto the road. Closer and closer the woman was making her way towards Katherine. The brunette paled once the woman was close enough for Katherine to recognize her. “ Katerina, my sweet child,” the woman spoke softly in Bulgarian, addressing Katherine by her given name. A name the woman herself had given her. “ Mama?” Katherine gasped in disbelief. She had prepared for having to find her mother brutally murdered by none other than Klaus himself, and yet here she was, standing in front of her. There was no blood on her, nothing to indicate that she had fallen victim to a psychotic hybrid. The woman extended her arms, inviting Katherine into an embrace, the smile on her gentle features radiant and loving. Katherine could see tears of joy in her mother’s eyes. The brunette rushed forward and let out a relieved sob as she felt her mother’s arms embrace her and hold her close. She smelled like she always had, of lavender and honey. A smell Katherine thought would be lost forever.

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“ In that moment, I didn’t care about where I was, all that seemed to be forgotten. All I could think about was feeling my mother’s touch,” Katherine said quietly, watching Elijah pour some more wine into her glass. “ Was she real?” he asked. “ She felt as real as you do. But it took me a while to remember that she couldn’t be,” she said in a voice that was flooded with disappointment. “ She told me about this gruesome man who had come to our village one night. A demon with dark eyes and a soul darker still,” Katherine could remember how terrified her mother had looked while telling her of Klaus’ visit. “ She told me of the servants and the servant girls he had mercilessly butchered with his sword, some he had torn apart with his bare hands,” Katherine couldn’t help but shudder at the memory of her mother’s words. “ She spoke of Niklaus,” she heard Elijah say. “ She said she and my father had escaped to the woods, and that we should head back to their hidden hut, that it wasn’t safe in the village,” Katherine continued. “ I had started to follow her when I remembered what Diana had warned me about.” “ That some spirits might try to convince you to stay,” Elijah murmured softly, placing his hand on her knee where he proceeded to stroke it comfortingly. Katherine nodded. ㅤ

“ Katerina, you must come, it isn’t safe here,” her mother’s voice sounded desperate, the fear in her eyes all too real. “ I can’t,” Katherine said in an agonizing voice, wanting more than anything to see her family well and unharmed. “ Your father will want to see you, he will be besides himself with joy,” her mother pleaded. “ I want to, I do, but I have to get back,” Katherine tried to make her mother understand that she couldn’t stay. She had to go. “ I am begging you, child,” her mother gripped Katherine’s hands and pulled her into another embrace, holding her tight against her chest. Katherine wrapped her arms around her mother’s frame, breathing her in while she had the chance, savoring the scent of lavender and honey, wishing she’d never forget it. “ Come, my child,” her mother whispered in her ear and Katherine found herself nodding. “ You have to come home with me,” her mother urged her. Home.

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“I knew then what was happening,” Katherine sighed and sat down her empty glass on the coffee table. “ She wanted you to stay,” Elijah whispered. “ When she said ‘home’, it finally struck me. I had to leave her if I ever wanted to get back to you and the land of the living.” “ Did she let you leave?” Elijah asked her carefully. “ She continued to plead with me after I tried saying good-bye to her,” Katherine started slowly, the memory of it feeling all too real now. “ Eventually, I just turned and started back the way we had come, all the while listening to her pleas. It was like my heart broke all over again,” she whispered. There was a moment of silence between them, neither one of them said anything. Eventually, she carried on with her story. “ The worst came when her pleas, which seemed to follow me no matter how far I got, turned into these haunting whispers.” “ What did the whispers say?” Elijah asked. “ They blamed me for what had happened. They kept echoing in the thick air, I couldn’t escape them, I couldn’t block them out. And the closer I got to the village, the worse they grew,” Katherine closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she continued. “ It was as if they were trying to keep me from entering the village. Their words grew harsher and harsher, the voices started sounding more and more in pain, soon they resembled wails or moans of pure agony,” she trailed off, being unable to continue. It was hard to talk about it, but it was harder still not to. She knew she would eventually have to tell someone of her experience in the spirit world, and she knew it would have to be Elijah. She wanted to tell him, more than anything now, but she couldn’t do it without being brought back to that place, back to those voices, back to her mother begging her to stay. Finally, being able to see her and feel her, and talk to her, only to have to turn her back on her. What she had had to do in the spirit realm, were one of the hardest things she had ever had to do, a mighty high price to pay in order to stay alive. And she had paid in full. And now she knew, if she didn’t tell him about it, it would haunt her forever. “ You don’t have to continue if you don’t want to,” Elijah tried to reassure her but there was no stopping her now. “ So I decided to run, to run towards the village. I realized that the village was the answer since they were trying so hard to keep me from it,” she continued, ignoring Elijah. “ As I was about to enter our keep, the wails appeared to be inside my head, it was a deafening roar. I couldn’t hear anything other than the wailing, I couldn’t think, I couldn’t focus,” she exhaled and leaned back against the couch. “ The moment I opened the door and stepped inside, it got quiet. The only thing left was silence so deep and profound, that for a moment there I wondered if I had lost my hearing for good,” she chuckled halfheartedly. “ I was still expecting to see blood everywhere but there wasn’t any. Everything appeared to be normal.” “ I had seen the slaughtered servants and maids outside our keep, but there was nothing inside. It felt wrong somehow,” Katherine’s voice trailed off.

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“What happened once you were inside the keep?” Elijah asked her as he returned from the kitchen area with two cups of coffee. “ I almost failed, is what happened,” Katherine said thoughtfully as she took her cup from Elijah and wrapped her palms around it. “ What do you mean?” he asked her as he took his seat next to her. “ I had gone upstairs to my chambers where I saw a crib. I could hear a baby cooing,” her voice had dropped to a whisper. She didn’t have to look at Elijah to know that his expression was pained. “ Katherine,” she heard Elijah sigh softly and raised her hand to stop him right there. She knew if she were to even look at him, let alone hear his comforting words or feel his touch, she would lose it.

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“ Hi, my little one,” she whispered softly with a smile as tears pooled in her eyes. She reached out and picked up the infant girl with the utmost care. Katherine bent her head down and inhaled the sweet scent of her daughter, her lips gently brushing over the baby’s fuzz of dark hair. “ I’m here, your mother is here,” Katherine murmured with a strained voice. She felt so overwhelmed, so overcome by joy and longing she didn’t even know she had. A quiet chuckle escaped her lips as she felt a tiny hand grasp a lock of her hair and tug at it gently. “ I’m never leaving you again,” Katherine whispered as she held her daughter against her chest. She had forgotten her purpose of returning to the living, she had forgotten about Elijah, she had forgotten about her dying on Diana’s kitchen table. Furthermore, she seemed to have forgotten everything that had happened in her life, her 500 years on the run, Mystic Falls, Elena Gilbert, all of it was gone. The only thing that mattered, the only thing Katherine found herself capable of thinking about was right here in her arms. Her daughter.

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Katherine clenched her jaw, fighting the tears that had already started to fall down her cheeks. Elijah didn’t say anything, allowing her this moment of trying to pull herself together. And for that Katherine loved him. Slowly, she found herself starting to calm down, her breath was no longer hitching in her throat, and she was able to take a deep and steadying breath. “ I had no intention of leaving that place, I wanted nothing more than to stay there and be with her,” she continued after a while, her voice low and quiet. “ She had fallen asleep in my arms, and I moved us to my bed. Laying there with her so close next to me, I felt like I would never be able to stop admiring her,” Katherine breathed out, her memories beginning to overwhelm her yet again. “ It felt like I was in a trance or something, she was completely mesmerising,” a sad smile had appeared on her lips. “ How did you manage to leave?” Elijah’s whisper prompted her to clear her throat and take a sip of her coffee. “ I didn’t know what it was at first,” she began slowly, “ I only realized it after I had come back from the spirit world, and you embraced me,” she trailed off and glanced up at him with loving eyes. “ What?” Elijah looked a tad puzzled. “ It was you,” she said softly and raised her hand to his cheek, letting her thumb brush over his features. “ Me?” he raised his eyebrows. “ You were calling me home without even knowing it, without even being there with me to guide me back,” she offered him a soft smile as she dropped her hand from his cheek. “ Well, you weren’t really there but at the same time you were.” “ As I was laying there on the bed with my infant daughter who I thought was lost to me forever, a different kind of scent caught my attention. It seemed so familiar, yet I couldn’t place it,” she explained sounding thoughtful. “ The more I focused on the scent, the more it came back to me, what it was I had to do, that I couldn’t stay there,” she said quietly.

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“ I haven’t forgotten you, I never will,” Katherine murmured as she placed her daughter back into her crib, “ And I will love you forever. You are loved, my sweet daughter,” her voice broke as her fingers stroked her daughter’s face for the last time. The infant girl stirred and opened her eyes, a soft cry escaping her tiny lips. Katherine clenched her jaw and turned around, with her back facing the crib she heard the baby begin to cry. As she used every ounce of her strength to take a step towards the door, she felt her eyes well up like never before. With tears streaming down her cheeks and her daughter’s growing cries, she slowly left her chambers following the scent that had caught her attention earlier. The scent had taken her out of the keep and to the woods that grew in the back. It didn’t take her long to recognize the path she was following. Katherine along with her parents had taken it multiple times whenever they had gone to visit their ancestors. With every step she took, the scent grew stronger, more powerful, reminding her of her true home where she belonged. The brunette paused and looked around her. She found herself in the middle of the Petrova burial site. As she moved past the ancient looking headstones, recognizing some of the names displayed there, she stopped before one which appeared to be lighter in color. There was something there, in the air around it, it appeared to stand out from all the other headstones. She carefully moved closer and felt the scent grow in power, it was so strong she could almost taste it, feel it on her skin. Upon inspecting the headstone closer, her eyes widened some as she realized it was her own headstone. Her birth name was displayed on it, along with her date of birth and date of passing which read 2013. She took a deep breath, something was telling her that this was her way back. Even the air felt alive with electric currents surging through it. Everything had gotten so still, there wasn’t a single sound or smell, save for the familiar scent which had guided her here. Katherine reached out carefully and felt her palm touch the cold stone of her final resting place.

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“ The next thing I knew I was in Diana’s kitchen, and I heard you talking with her outside,” Katherine smiled to herself at the memory. “ The moment you saw me standing there in the doorway, you rushed to me and pulled me into your arms, and I felt that scent again,” her smile was growing some, her eyes fixed on Elijah’s. “ As ridiculous as it might sound, it was you, or your cologne to be exact, that I had noticed in the spirit world,” she chuckled as she watched Elijah become puzzled. “ I’ve always loved the scent of it, it’s always reminded me of home for some reason. Mainly because I would only be able to smell it when we were close, in an embrace for example,” she admitted truthfully. Katherine watched Elijah shake his head, a hint of a smile playing on his handsome face. “ I supposed a confession is due,” he spoke softly as he took the cup from her hands and placed it on the coffee table. “ What do you mean?” Katherine asked with a raised eyebrow. “ I’ve noticed you taking a liking to it, so I’ve been wearing it for you,” he admitted. Katherine watched the man she loved for a moment before a cheeky grin took hold of her features. “ So what are we saying, that Gucci brought me back from the dead?” “ Armani, actually,” Elijah chuckled and pulled her into his arms, her face going to rest against his chest, and she breathed him in as had become her custom. The scent of home, the scent of him. The scent he wore for her. “ Thank you for bringing me home,” Katherine whispered into his chest and closed her eyes. “ No, love, I could never take credit for that. You did all of that yourself, I merely reminded you of it,” he spoke softly as his hand went to stroke her hair. “ As far as having a home goes, you are mine,” he whispered and kissed the top of her head. Katherine sighed feeling content. “ I cannot express it in words of how sorry I am that you had to endure all that you did in the spirit world,” he murmured, his voice dropping to a more somber note. Katherine sighed and moved to look him in the eyes. “ I appreciate it, I do. And now that I’ve told you, I never want to speak of it again,” her voice was serious. “ I understand,” Elijah said softly as he took her hand in his and brought it up to his lips, kissing the top of it lightly.

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She rarely had trouble sleeping nowadays, Elijah’s arms wrapped around her had always provided her with a sense of safety, a sense of belonging. But that night, she had slept more soundly than ever. Upon her waking, she decided it was due to the fact that she had told Elijah about her recent experiences of dying and her brief visit in the spirit world. Diana had been right, dying had been nothing compared to what she had to go through in the spirit realm. She hadn’t realized how burdened she had been with the experience until she had shared it with Elijah. She could swear later on, that it had made her feel lighter, like talking about a nightmare made it slowly leave your memory. She was still pained at the thought of her mother and daughter, but she finally felt like it would no longer cripple her. The mark they had made would never fully heal, but it wouldn’t keep her from moving on with her life. Which is what they were doing the next morning. Elijah had tempted her with a nice and relaxing bath, insisting that she should be treated like royalty for all the days to come. Katherine was naturally pleased and decided she could easily get used to being pampered like this. “ Have you thought about of how you want to go about it?” Elijah asked her as his hands proceeded to massage her shoulders. “ About my turning, you mean?” “ Yes, any specific place you want to do it, specific time, that sort of thing,” he mused softly. “ I haven’t really thought about it, other than wanting you to be the one to turn me,” Katherine breathed out, leaning her head back against his chest. “ I would never allow anyone else take that honor from me,” his voice took a turn and appeared to be lower, almost serious. “ It’s an honor now, is it?” Katherine couldn’t help but feel amused at this sudden change in him. “ It is an honor, you permitting me to call you mine, but an honor greater still to be the one whose blood grants you immortal life,” Elijah murmured in her ear, sending pleasant shivers down her spine. “ Sounds like you’ve been blessed,” Katherine teased him lightly. “ You have no idea,” he whispered as his teeth nibbled on her earlobe gently. “ I want to do it tonight, I guess there’s no point in waiting,” she spoke slowly, her mind being distracted by Elijah trailing kisses down her neck towards her shoulder. “ If that’s what you wish,” he mumbled against her skin between kisses. “ Elijah,” she breathed out, his touch feeling intoxicating. “ Yes, my love,” he purred softly as his lips nibbled on her shoulder, his arms pulling her closer to his chest. “ You’re distracting me,” Katherine attempted to complain. “ Do you want me to stop?” he asked her before his lips found her sensitive spot on her neck and sucked on it gently. “ Is this what you had in mind when you suggested we take a bath together?” Katherine breathed out heavily, her eyes closed, savoring the feel of his lips on her skin. “ Perhaps.” “ You know, we will have an eternity of this,” Katherine reminded him quietly, all the while enjoying herself. “ Is it wrong to fear that not even an eternity with you would be long enough?” he murmured as his lips left her shoulder and he leaned his head to rest against hers. “ Well, it’s good for starters,” Katherine chuckled softly. “ In which case I say we continue this later and go see about granting my darling with the immortality she deserves,” he purred in her ear, prompting a smile to grace her features.

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“ Now that we’re alone, I thought I’d give this to you,” Diana spoke quietly, her hands taking Katherine’s. Katherine glanced down and saw that the old witch had placed a tiny vial in her hands. “ What’s that?” Katherine asked as she inspected the vial closer. “ You and I both know, baby, that your knight in shining armor will struggle with the actual deed,” Diana spoke plainly prompting Katherine to raise an eyebrow. “ What do you mean?” “ Elijah wanting to turn you is all fine and sweet, but can you honestly tell me the man won’t face difficulties when it comes down to actually having to kill you?” it was Diana’s turn now to raise her eyebrow at Katherine. The brunette paused. The old woman’s words made sense to her. She knew Elijah well enough to know that when push came to shove, he would kill her, but she also knew that it would be extremely hard on him, even given the fact that she would come back as a vampire. Katherine knew that the thought of him having to hurt her or lay his hands on her like that, would be torture for his soul. “ And let me guess, this vial contains the answer to that particular problem?” Katherine asked as she carefully shoved the vial into her pocket. “ It’s the same brew I used to stop your heart yesterday,” the witch nodded.

ㅤ

Katherine could feel the fluttering within her, she was growing more excited by the second. They were finally going to do it. She would no longer remain a frail human being. She was going to become a vampire tonight, immune to disease and age, forever young and desirable. It almost felt like she was about to receive the life she had always dreamed of. Her fresh start, her new beginning. Her happiness. “ Are you ready, my love?” Elijah’s soft voice interrupted her thoughts and Katherine blinked to find him studying her face. “ Yes, but before we do, there’s something I need to tell you,” she paused, not knowing how to tell him that Diana doubted his ability to do the deed from start to finish. That Diana’s doubts had made sense to her and that on some level, she found herself sharing the witch’s doubts. “ Tell me what?” Elijah raised an eyebrow, his eyes searching her face for any clues. “ Diana said something to me,” she started, still struggling to find the right words. “ What did she say? Don’t tell me there’s going to be another problem,” he looked concerned now, almost afraid. “ No, nothing like that,” Katherine shook her head and offered him a lame and weak smile. “ Then what?” “ She gave me this,” Katherine opened her hand which had been clutching the small vial and showed it to Elijah. His eyes went to the vial before finding hers again, looking even more puzzled now. “ What is it?” he asked quietly. “ It’s the same substance that stopped my heart the night we did the ritual,” Katherine said quietly as she fought the need to lower her eyes. “ Why did she give it to you?” the quiet tone of his voice told her he had an idea of why the old witch might have given it to her. “ She feared that your love for me would prevent you from being able to, you know, kill me,” as the words left her lips, she could no longer hold his gaze and dropped hers to her shoes. “ And you share her fear?” she heard him move closer to her. Katherine felt herself swallow hard and forced herself to look up at the man she had indirectly accused of being too weak to see the deed through. “ Would you be able to do it?” she whispered as her eyes were the ones to search his face for clues now. Elijah sighed and brought his hands to cup her face. “ What kind of man would I be if I didn’t do my very best to see this through from start to finish?” he asked her softly, his expression gentle. No matter how hard Katherine tried to look, she found no signs of his feelings, or worse, his pride having been hurt. “ So you’ll do it then? ” she whispered. “ I won’t like it but yes, darling, I will do it for you,” he murmured as he leaned his forehead against hers. “ And now it’s my turn to tell you something,” he whispered before he leaned back, and their eyes found each other’s again. “ Tell me what?” Katherine asked quietly as her fingers deftly shoved Diana’s deathly vial into the back pocket of her jeans. “ Why don’t I show you, if you’ll permit me?” Elijah asked her, his hand going to cup the side of her face. Katherine nodded and closed her eyes, all the while relaxing her mind and opening it to him.

ㅤ

“ I don’t suppose you need me to tell you how lucky you are,” Diana spoke as she took a seat at the kitchen table. “ You are absolutely right, I don’t need you to know that I am,” Elijah sounded somewhat tense. “ If you mess this up again, sonny, you will lose her forever,” the old witch was watching Elijah with her piercing blue eyes. Silence followed as Elijah averted his eyes. “ Call me a sucker for happy endings but I thought I would give this to you, so you can pass it along to your girl when the time comes,” Diana’s tone had changed some, appearing to be lighter now, less threatening. Elijah’s eyes found the older witch again and saw that she was holding something in her hand. “ What is it?” he asked as his eyes went to the vial in her hands. “ A gift,” the witch shrugged and extended her hand towards Elijah. He took the vial from her outstretched hand and examined it closer. “ You may recall me asking for a minor blood donation from you earlier, it was for this,” Diana explained as she watched the Original vampire turn the vial with his fingers. “ I don’t understand, what is this for?” Elijah asked. “ To spare you from having to listen to a lot of witchy terms and processes, I’ll tell you this. You know your girl well enough to know she can be vain and somewhat easily seduced by power,” Diana started, “ So I’ve made something that will prevent her from longing for the good ‘ol days,” the witch shrugged. Elijah appeared to still not quite understand what it was that he was holding in his hand, so the witch offered an easier explanation. “ You give her this to drink after she’s had your blood and before she dies, and she will come back with the same strength she had prior to ingesting the cure for vampirism.” “ So, this will age her,” Elijah still sounded somewhat puzzled and unbelieving. “ Only in vampire years. It will provide her with her old vampire caliber and abilities,” Diana explained. “ But how,” Elijah started but was cut off by the old woman. “ Don’t ask how, you wouldn’t understand anyway. Just trust me that it will work, and it will definitely make her happy.”

ㅤ

Katherine opened her eyes and saw that Elijah was holding the vial. Katherine knew that Elijah would never have shared this with her, if he had so much as suspected this to be untrue. She knew that since Diana had been true to her word in bringing her back from the dead, that she would also be true to her word that this potion or whatever it was, would restore her old vampire abilities. Elijah must have felt the same way since he had chosen to share this with her. The fluttering that she had felt in her stomach earlier, was now becoming more intense. Not only will she become a vampire tonight, but she’ll literally go back to how she was before Elena Gilbert bested her with the cure. Diana had been right, Katherine couldn’t be any happier if she had tried. “ Shall we then?” Elijah’s lips were curled up in a smirk as he offered her his hand. Katherine took his offered hand and nodded. It was time.

He led her over to the couch and sat down, pulling her down with him and onto his lap. Katherine couldn’t help herself but feel almost giddy. It was finally happening. After all the agonizing months of her having been forced to be human, forced to feel fear and dread, and hopelessness. After having been nearly killed by Damon and Co., and then again by time catching up to her, it was finally going to happen. All of that will soon be in the past. None of it will matter anymore. She was finally going to be free. Katherine was nearly being suffocated by anticipation as she watched Elijah roll up the sleeve of his shirt to expose the wrist that would offer her the red substance within, the very key to her immortal life. Elijah didn’t ask her whether she was sure or whether she was ready or not, instead Katherine watched as his eyes darkened and his features became laced with the dark veiny pattern. She caught a glimpse of his fangs before he buried them into his own wrist. As he pulled back, his face had gone back to normal, and he used his tongue to lick off the blood from the corners of his mouth. Her heart was pounding in her chest, her breathing was heavy. It dawned on her then that this act of him turning her into a vampire felt so intimate and sensual, that it reminded her of their lovemaking. As her brown eyes watched the blood swell from the bitemark on his wrist, she felt herself biting her lower lip in anticipation. And when Elijah moved his wrist closer to her, she knew she was only seconds away from tasting the sweetness of his blood, from tasting the very essence of him. Katherine glanced up at him and saw that his lips were slightly parted, and his eyes were dark, and knew instantly that whatever it was that she was feeling, he was feeling it too. Her hand took his as she leaned over and closer to his bleeding wrist, when it was only inches away from her lips, she felt herself hold her breath. During the moment before her lips felt and tasted the red substance, it was like time itself had stopped. Everything was still, as if completely frozen. It lasted until Katherine parted her lips and brought his wrist to her mouth. Her eyes closed the moment she tasted his blood.

Even though Katherine had had his blood before and was more than familiar with how it tasted, she could swear it was somehow different this time. The moment her eyes had closed, it was like something was exploding inside her. His blood tasted sweeter than before, she could almost taste the very essence of him, the very thing that was Elijah. It wasn’t just the blood she was tasting, it was him. All of him. The sweetness of it brought on a form of a different kind of delirium and ecstasy, one she wasn’t capable of fighting. Instead, she found herself giving into it, reveling in it and letting it consume her. Nothing else existed for her but the sweetness of this moment, the future promise it held. That was until she heard him. “ This is how our forever starts,” his voice sounded husky and somewhat out of breath. She felt him pull her closer to his chest with his arm that was wrapped around her frame. “ My blood is yours, my heart is yours and my soul is yours,” he breathed out hot against the top of her head. His words only amplifying the bloodied bliss that she was currently bathing in. “ I love you, my Katerina, my Katherine, my saving grace,” he purred close to her ear. His breath was heavy and hot on her skin. Katherine opened her eyes and swallowed the last of his blood, before an equally heavy breath escaped her parted lips. Katherine had never been one to allow her emotions to spin out of control and take over, but something about what they were doing and the effects it was having on her, made her chose differently this time. She let go of his wrist and moved to cup his face in her hands, her blood covered lips crashing against his. Elijah’s own lips parted and welcomed hers with the same intensity that she was currently feeling. She kissed him deeper than she ever had before, the echo of their kiss going all the way to the deepest pits of her stomach where each kiss culminated into a wave of pure heat and desire. Their lips devoured each other until she had to come up for air, and it was only then that her bliss gave way to her rational mind, and she remembered what it was they were supposed to do. The both of them were panting, trying to catch their breaths while pressing their foreheads together. “ I love you too,” Katherine breathed out and offered his lips a gentle kiss before pulling away entirely. Elijah moved and planted one last kiss on her forehead. Their desires would have to wait for now. As fitting as it might have felt to give in and add even more pleasure to this act, she knew they would have plenty of time for that later.

ㅤ

Katherine took his offered handkerchief and wiped the remnants of his blood from her mouth. Elijah did the same to his now healed wrist. One would think that they would have plenty to talk about, especially given what had happened just moments ago, yet there was silence between them. Katherine knew why both of them had grown so quiet. She had ingested his blood, so the next step now was to ingest the contents of the vial Diana had given as a gift. And then.... “ Elijah?” Katherine spoke his name softly, quietly. The Original’s eyes met hers and she could see that he was trying to hide the dread he must have been feeling. “ Of course, it’s time for Diana’s potion,” he sounded like he had forgotten about something important and was just now realizing it. He fished the vial from the pocket of his slacks and walked over to Katherine. “ You don’t have to do this, you know,” Katherine reminded him reassuringly, her hand reaching out to stroke his features. “ We both know that I do, I owe it to you,” his voice was soft, but she could hear the discomfort beneath. “ Owe it to me?” Katherine raised her eyebrows in question. “ After all that you have been through and endured, this is the least I can do for you,” Elijah explained as his hands took hers and gave her the small vial containing Diana’s magically crafted serum. Katherine appreciated that he was trying, that he wasn’t going to take the easy way out even though they had one thanks to Diana. She admired his courage and the fact that she could count on him to do the deed when the time came. She didn’t have to ask how he planned on doing it, she knew that whichever way he chose to do it, would be pain free. Knowing there was no point in trying to delay the inevitable, Katherine removed the tiny cork from the vial and without having any second thoughts, threw her head back and downed the contents within. The brunette was expecting for it to taste as bitter as the previous potion Diana had given her, but to her surprise, it tasted sweet. Her pleasant surprise and relief only lasted for a short moment before she realized what was about to come next. The anticipation she had felt earlier tonight had been sweet and full of promise, so she had to admit that whatever she was feeling now, was far from it. She wasn’t afraid of temporarily dying because she knew she would come back as a vampire. It was more the not knowing. She wasn’t going to ask him when and how, it wouldn’t do any good if he told her. When she finally allowed her eyes to meet with his, she saw that he was smiling softly, reassuringly. She took a breath and closed the small distance between them. It was her way of saying that she was ready for the grand finale. He took the empty vial from her hand and placed it back into his pocket. And just when Katherine thought he was going to go for the kill, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into an embrace. She wrapped her arms around him as she breathed him in, the very scent that had saved her life a couple of days ago. She felt herself tense a little when she felt him pulling away, but he only moved to be able to kiss her. His kiss was caring and sweet, as was his touch when his fingers lightly stroked her delicate features. “ I will see you soon, my darling,” Elijah spoke softly and offered her a gentle smile. “ Will you miss me?” Katherine asked with a smirk, trying her best to hide her unease. “ I always miss you,” Elijah whispered as he leaned in and gave her lips a gentle peck before pulling her back into his embrace. The last thing Katherine could remember before everything went dark, was closing her eyes and smiling to herself. _________________________________________________

#burning lights

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