The spells that Klaus had me perform drained my body of energy more than I thought. When I awoke in my bed, I find that it is noon the next day. I had slept for about twenty hours, more than I've done in decades. No one had bothered to wake me up, so I know nothing is going on, or at least nothing that concerns me. I change out of my pajamas and into a red, long-sleeved lace dress. I pull on my favorite black booties and walk out of my room. The air is surprisingly warm which leads me to suspect that someone has a fire going in the house. I walk down the stairs and stop in the kitchen to grab a glass of blood. As I pour the blood into the glass, I can hear someone playing the piano in the library. Following the sound, I take my glass and walk towards it. When I enter the library, I find Elijah sitting behind the piano playing something of the baroque period. He stops when he sees me.
"Good morning," he says, "or should I say good afternoon?"
I smile, "sorry, I didn't realize that I was that tired."
"It's the power," Elijah says, "but you're getting better. We all see it."
I nod, "where is everyone?"
"Niklaus has sent Kol and Gwen to Denver," Elijah answers.
"Why," I ask.
"As it turns out, Damon and Elena set out on a trip to bring Jeremy back and figure out who they're descended from," Elijah answers, "Klaus wants to stop them."
"Because if they find out it wasn't Klaus then they'll kill him," I say, "why didn't you go?"
"I wanted to remain here," Elijah says, "to make sure you were alright."
"I'm fine," I say smiling.
"Are you going to answer the underlying question or do I have to ask," he asks me and I furrow my eyebrows.
"What are you talking about," I ask.
"Kol is still in love with you if it wasn't obvious," Elijah states what I already knew, "he misses you."
"It's been 100 years Elijah," I say, "I've moved on. So where is the handsome Niklaus?"
Elijah sighs, dropping the subject on Kol, "Rebekah and him are waiting for you at the Salvatore house."
"What are they doing there," I almost hiss.
"It seems that Alaric has lost the last stake," Elijah says, getting up from the piano. He walks over next to me and we both sit on the couch.
"What do you mean 'lost'," I ask.
"Mr. Saltzman wears a ring that was crafted by a witch. It allows him to cheat death. Apparently, each time Alaric died, it changed him," Elijah says, "it made him develop an alternate personality. One that hated not only vampires, but vampire sympathizers."
"So what are you telling me," I ask.
"I'm telling you that Alaric's alternate personality has hidden the last stake," Elijah says, "he doesn't know where it would be and I'm certain the Salvatores would've handed it over by now if they knew where it was."
I sigh, "So Klaus and Rebekah are helping Stefan get the stake back somehow?"
He nods, "they want to push Alaric to his limits so that his other side will come out."
"And how are they going to do that," I ask.
"Push him close to death," Elijah says. I tense and I know he notices. "They're not going to kill him," Elijah assures, "they're just going to push him enough so that he'll tell them where the stake is."
"Why do they want me there," I ask, taking a sip of the blood.
"Klaus and Rebekah are having a hard time with Stefan," Elijah admits, "They think you'll be able to deal with him better than they have."
"Why," I ask, "because he was my best friend?"
"Because you're the only hope," Elijah says. I stare at him before I sigh.
"Fine, I'll go," I say, finishing my glass of blood. I take the glass with me as I stand up from the couch. I walk towards the door, but stop when I recall something Elijah had said. I turn back to him, "What did you mean when you said that you wanted to make sure I was alright? I can take care of myself, you know that."
Elijah sighs before he gets up and walks over to me, "I care for you, Cordelia."
"As do I to you," I say back, smiling.
He sighs again, his expression serious, "You don't understand. Though Niklaus and I have yet to admit it to each other, we both care for you, outside the feeling of family."
"Elijah I," I'm speechless. Damon's words ring in my head, you love Elijah and Klaus more than you could ever love me.
Elijah nods, "I know, you still love Damon; you still hope that he'll change his mind and come back. That's the reason why Niklaus and I have yet to talk about it."
I sigh, "I'm a mess right now, Elijah. I don't know what I want. I just need some time."
Elijah nods and gives me a small smile, "I know and I don't mean to rush you. Take your time. Now go on, Niklaus and Rebekah are waiting." I give Elijah a small smile before I head out the room. I stick the glass on the counter of the kitchen and grab my leather jacket off the stair post. I put the jacket on as I walk through the front door. The cool air hits me as I walk off the driveway and onto the road. The way to the Salvatores is embedded in my head so I don't even have to look where I'm going. The sun is out and there are no clouds in the sky. Cars zip pass me on the road causing a breeze every time. I'm walking up the road to the Salvatores when I see a woman standing in the street in front of me. When I look closer, I see that it's Elena.
"Nice to see you again Cecily," Elena says when I get closer.
The gears click in my head when I really see her, "Katherine, it's been a long time."
She nods, "that it has."
"What are you doing here," I ask her.
She sighs, "I heard that the Salvatores are trying to figure out who they're descended from."
I nod, "they know they were Turned by you, but they don't know who Turned you."
She nods, "I was Turned by a vampire named Rose."
"And who Turned Rose," I ask.
"A vampire named Mary," Katherine answers.
"And who Turned Mary," I ask.
"No idea," Katherine answers.
"You're very helpful," I say to her.
She smiles, "so I've been told. That's only half the reason of why I came back though."
"There's another reason," I ask.
She nods, "I didn't Turn you."
I laugh, "What game are you playing Katherine? I remember every moment when you attacked me. You shoved your wrist on my mouth with your blood dripping into it."
She shakes her head, "You don't remember correctly. I did shove my wrist onto your mouth, but it wasn't my blood that Turned you."
"Then whose was it," I ask.
"Elijah's," Katherine answers.
I gasp, "That's impossible."
"Not impossible," she says, "1492, I met Klaus and Elijah Mikaelson for the first time. Elijah and I had something, not exactly true love, but enough for him to give me a vial of his blood should I wish to become a vampire. I kept it preserved until the day I Turned you. I smeared it on my wrist and let it drop into your mouth. My blood didn't Turn you, Elijah's did."
"Why," I ask, "why use his blood on me?"
"Revenge," Katherine answers, "Elijah and Klaus have hunted me for 500 years. At the time, using his blood to Turn you seemed like a good idea."
I scuff, "so that was the reason you Turned me? To get revenge on Elijah?"
"Not the only reason," Katherine says, "I needed someone who I knew would be useful in the future. I had been watching you for a long time."
"So you were stalking me," I ask.
"I guess in today's terminology that's what you would call it," Katherine says, "I heard you and Damon had a fall-out."
I tense, "how did you hear about that?"
"You mean how did I hear that you're a vampire-werewolf-witch hybrid," Katherine asks, "people talk about you more than you think."
"People being who," I ask.
"The vampires in every state, the werewolves in every state and the witches in every state," Katherine answers, "they're not happy with you. Soon there will be so many people coming after you that even the Mikaelsons won't be able to protect you."
"Anything else you want to say while you're here," I ask, annoyed.
"Yes, did you get the present I sent you," she asks.
"You mean Mikael," I ask, "yeah, he's dead."
"What," Katherine asks, her face dropping.
"Klaus killed him with a white oak stake," I say, "does that surprise you?"
She smiles, "I knew Klaus had it in him to kill his mean, old scary daddy."
"You should go," I say to her, "Klaus is still hell-bent on killing you. He just so happens to be in the house you're only a couple hundred feet from."
Katherine's face holds no expression, "you're welcome for the information." Then she's gone. I sigh and continue walking towards the Salvatores. I think about what Katherine said on my way there. Elijah's blood was used to Turn me, not Katherine's, which would mean that if Katherine is descended from Klaus, then the Salvatores will kill the Originals including Elijah. Killing Elijah means I would die. No, Stefan wouldn't let that happen, would he? I don't know anymore. I've told them that I'm their enemy and they know I'm not on their side. Their actions against me would be unpredictable. Unpredictability is what'll get me killed. I reach the front door of the Salvatores and let myself in. It seems like forever since I've been here and it shows when I jump at the burst of heat when I walk through the door. The Salvatores have the fire going no doubt. I shut the door and follow the crackling sound of the fire. I walk in the living room to find Klaus, Rebekah, and Stefan bickering.
"You didn't have to snap his neck," Stefan says.
"How else are we going to get his evil side to come out," Klaus asks, "besides time grows thin."
"Cordelia should've been here by now," Rebekah says.
"It seems like I'm on time then," I say to them. The three of them turn to me. Klaus and Rebekah smile, but I can see Stefan sigh.
"Cordelia," Klaus says smiling, "I assume Elijah has filled you in on what's happening."
I nod, "While Damon and Elena are on the hunt to find out who they're descended from, Alaric's vampire-hating alternate personality has hidden the last of the white oak stakes. That about sum it up?"
"Pretty much," Rebekah says, "how do you feel?"
"I'm good," I assure her, "let's get this over with. Where's Alaric?"
"In the cell," Stefan says, talking for the first time, "Klaus snapped his neck twenty minutes ago, hoping his other side will wake up."
"Tell me what the chances of that actually happening is," I say to them.
"One in a million," Rebekah answers, "you really shouldn't be here. You need to rest; you've been through a lot."
"Nice to know," I say, ignoring Rebekah's comment, "Alaric's other side won't come out unless we provoke it. His other side hid the stake because he knew no one else would find it without him."
"Which is why you get to do the honors," Klaus says.
"What honors," I ask.
"The honors of provoking Mr. Saltzman's evil side," Klaus answers, "you're the only one here who could."
I sigh, "I'll start when he wakes." I watch as the two Originals sit down on the couch and talk about Kol and Gwen and what's been going on in Denver. Stefan leaves the room and I follow him. He walks up to his room where I shut the door. He looks to me with confusion.
"What are you doing," he asks me.
"I wanted to talk to you," I say to him.
"No, I don't mean right now," Stefan says, "I mean why are you on their side? Why are you doing this? Is it to make Damon hate you because it won't work? He'll always care about you even when you don't think so."
"You weren't there when he told me why he chose Elena over me," I shout, "he said that I love Elijah and Klaus more than I could ever love him."
"And you wonder why," Stefan says, "you always choose family over him. He's hurt and he's lashing out at you because it's the only thing he knows how to do."
"That's why he went with Elena to Denver and not you right," I ask him, "no, he went with Elena because he saw this as an opportunity to win Elena over from you. You're blind Stefan and you're going to lose Elena if you continue to be."
He sighs and stays silent for a moment before he asks, "What did you want to talk to me about?"
I sigh, "I saw Katherine on my way here."
"Katherine Pierce, here," Stefan asks, "what the hell did she want?"
"Basically she told me nothing I didn't already know," I answer, "except the fact that she didn't Turn me." This gets Stefan's attention.
"What the hell do you mean she didn't Turn you," Stefan asks.
"She said that when she shoved her wrist on my mouth in 1687, it wasn't her blood that I ingested," I say.
"Then whose was it," Stefan asks.
"Elijah's," I answer.
Stefan's face drops, "Elijah Mikaelson, the Original?"
I nod, "she said that in 1492, Elijah and she had something and eventually Elijah gave her a vial of his own blood if she should ever want to become a vampire. Katherine smeared that blood on her wrist before she attacked me and voilà, here I am."
"Why use his blood instead of her own," Stefan asks.
"Revenge," I answer, "she hated that Elijah did nothing to stop Klaus from hunting her for 500 years. She thought this would be perfect payback."
"Does Elijah even know," Stefan asks me.
I shake my head, "No and I doubt Klaus knows."
"Why are you telling me this," Stefan asks, "yesterday you told Damon and I that we're enemies now."
"Because I know what your plan is," I say, "once you find the last white oak stake and know for a fact that Klaus isn't who you're descended from, you're going to kill him. If you are descended from Klaus, then you'll kill one of the other Originals, most likely Rebekah or Elijah. I'm here to beg you, please don't kill any of them."
"And why should I listen to you," Stefan asks me.
"Because if you don't then I'll kill you before you make a plan to kill an Original," I snap, "this is me giving you a choice. Two things can come as a result of this. You can either take the deal and live or you don't take the deal and I kill you. It's your choice."
Stefan smiles, "I don't have much of a choice do I?"
I return his smile, "Not if you want to live."
He nods, "I'll take the deal, but you know that Damon won't be as easy to convince."
"I'll compel him if I have to," I say, "I'm done with the constant threat to my family. I just want to live in peace."
"That's something you'll never have," Stefan says.
"And why is that," I ask.
"Because you're a Mikaelson," Stefan answers, "wherever that family goes, bloodshed soon follows."
I produce a small laugh and meet Stefan's eyes, "I am sorry for everything that's happened because of them."
Stefan smiles, "what's life without a few bumps in the road?"
I laugh, "You've been over some pretty big bumps."
"We all have, especially you," Stefan says, sitting down on his bed, "out of all of us, you've certainly had the worst of it."
"I'm not complaining," I say, "I mean yes, my life sucks, but look at what I am. I'm the most powerful person on this earth. I'm stronger than Klaus; I'm stronger than Mikael was. That has to count for something right?"
"Life always counts as something," Stefan says, "by the way Tyler's back in town."
"Really," I ask, "did he break the sire bond?"
Stefan nods, "we're the only ones who know though. Tyler doesn't want Klaus to know he's back." I nod and hear something in the cellar; I know Stefan heard it as well.
"Alaric's awake," I say.
Stefan nods, "time to play find the stake."