The Long Con

21. Heartbreak and History

"I'll be back before you know it," Caroline promised Klaus and Rebekah before getting on a plane to New Orleans. She had told them she was handling a family matter but instead was meeting up with Elena and Bonnie to finally talk to Katherine. 

Rebekah was thrilled to have the apartment to herself for a few days. She had called Stefan almost immediately. Despite their agreement to remain friends until she figured things out with Marcel, she had missed spending time with him. 

"I thought we weren't doing this anymore." He remarked as she invited him inside. 

"We aren't doing anything. We are just two friends hanging out." 

"Is that why you waited for Caroline to be out of town?" He asked knowingly. "Does this mean you have talked to Marcel?" 

"He is coming up from New York tomorrow so we can figure things out." 

"Maybe I should go home." Stefan sighed, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. 

"Stefan-"

"Rebekah, I don't want to keep confusing you. I want you to be sure about what you want."

"I promise it is you that you want. There's nothing that can change my mind-"

"I have to tell you something." 

Katherine sat in front of Elena, Caroline and Bonnie for the first time in months. She crossed her arms and glared at them, wondering why on earth they were risking being seen in public together. Caroline and Bonnie looked at Elena, waiting for her to start the conversation. Katherine noticed the tension and rolled her eyes.

"What the hell is going on?" She spat staring daggers at her sister. 

"Katherine I- We can't do this anymore." Elena started.

"Excuse me?" 

"I love Elijah and I can't betray him. I want to be with him for real and I can't do that with your plan hanging over my head." 

"You can keep your money," Caroline added.

"We're all done," Bonnie emphasized. 

"So that's it? You're in love? God, you're all so pathetic." Katherine rolled her eyes.

"You know what? No. I'm done with this. Maybe if you knew what it was like to be in love you wouldn't need to screw people over to be happy!" Elena yelled, standing up and getting ready to leave.

"Are you really going to say that to me?" Katherine's words froze Elena in her tracks. 

Katherine had a habit of hanging out in college bars long before she had graduated high school. She never paid for her own drinks so no one questioned her anyway. On one particular evening, she was approached by Damon Salvatore. He immediately fell under her spell and she allowed him to treat her like a queen. Soon enough he asked to bring her home to meet his family. Katherine was hesitant as they clearly had different views of their relationship. 

She knocked on the door of the Salvatore house, unsure of what would be waiting on the other side. When it swung open, she was not expecting to be faced with the Greek god in front of her. 

"You must be Miss Pierce." He offered his hand and flashed her a charming smile. 

"Please, call me Katherine." She shook his hand, the contact sending sparks through her. "And you are?" 

"Stefan Salvatore, Damon's brother." He introduced. He invited her inside and her shoulder brushed against his chest. His hand rested on the small of her back as he escorted her into the living room. "Damon, Katherine is here!" He called out as the pair sat down. "I'm sure he'll be right down." 

After that night, anytime Katherine was at the Salvatores', she found herself seeking out Stefan. She fell for him hard but he refused to make a move on his brother's girl. Katherine flirted with him for months until finally, she broke up with Damon. Two weeks later, Stefan asked her out and the two fell in love. They promised themselves to each other and had the perfect relationship. Until Damon found out and lashed out. Stefan broke up with her to protect his brother, completely shattering her heart.

A broken-hearted Katherine left the Salvatores behind to pursue a new life when she met Silas who bore a striking resemblance to her former lover. She approached him with a fake name and used him to fill the void in her life. She married him and divorced him, earning half his money and showing her that maybe there was more to life than love.

"Katherine? As in my brother's ex? Elena's sister?" 

"I loved her, long before she became the vindictive woman who betrayed your brother. Despite everything that had happened between us, years ago she helped me get my brother out of prison so when she called me a few months ago, I couldn't say no." Rebekah's heart was racing as he told her his story. "She asked me to keep you out of her way." The blonde pulled away from Stefan completely.

"Why are you telling me this?" She choked out as tears threatened to fall from her cheeks. 

"Because whatever happens with Marcel tomorrow, you deserve to know the full truth." 

"And that is what? That you have been manipulating me this whole time?" 

"That I'm in love with you and I haven't felt this way since Katherine. I want to be with you." Rebekah shook her head. 

"What if I tell Klaus and he tears you apart? Then what will you do?" 

"You're not going to do that." 

"And why the hell not?" She snapped at him, wondering how he had the audacity to say that to her after what he had just told her. 

"Because I'm not the only one doing Katherine's bidding. And if you tell him about me, you have to tell him about Caroline." Rebekah felt like she was going to throw up. 

"Caroline? No. no no no no no no." Rebekah shook her head. Stefan was right. This was the happiest she had seen her brother in a long time and she wasn't prepared to take that away from him. However, she also couldn't sit back and watch Caroline shatter her brother's heart. 

"If you tell him the truth now, he may never recover." Rebekah knew he was right. If anyone knew her brother as well as she did, it was Stefan. The thought made her sick to her stomach. The perfect life she had been building in Chicago was crumbling to pieces.

"Why are you telling me all of this?" Her voice cracked as the words came out.

"Like I said, I'm in love with you and I'm tired of lying. I want us to have a future together which means you have to know everything." 

"I want you to leave." She spat, unable to make eye contact. 

"Bex, please-"

"Now."