Forever Protect You

        It was a nebulous night in New Orleans, as Elijah stood with the front door open, Katerina, now human, standing before him.

        “Hello, Elijah,” she greeted.

        “Katerina,” he greeted. “What has happened?”

        “I was angry that you left and took it out on Elena. She shoved the cure down my throat. Now I’m dying of old age. I thought you should hear it from me. I also hoped you wouldn’t mind me staying here until I either die or find a way to live,” she summarized. “Please. I can’t protect myself now, whether I’m dying or not.”

        He was silent, as he thought of what to do. This was her fault for going after Elena, as well as Elena’s for getting between them and shoving the cure down her throat. He couldn’t break his promise he made centuries ago to her though, even if she broke hers to him to never lie to him. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her.

        “Of course. I will always protect you,” he replied.

        He stepped aside, and she walked in. He then closed the door behind her and turned to look at her.

        “You may share my room or pick a guest bedroom. I’ll bring you something to eat shortly.”

        She gave a smile. “Thanks. I’ll share your room. It’ll make me feel safer with you around.”

        He watched her go upstairs, and then went to the kitchen to get her something to eat.

        She walked into his room and closed the door behind herself. She then layed down on his bed. Between the hitch hike here and dying of old age, she was tired and now felt warm. She closed her eyes, dozing off. Maybe sleep would give her the strength to carry on, because right now, she just wanted to sleep and maybe, or maybe not wake up. Dying was taking a toll on her.





        When Elijah had finished getting her something to eat, he went to his room and stood outside the closed door.

        “Katerina?” he called.

        He waited for an answer, but when he didn’t get one, he walked in with the bowl of soup, closing the door behind himself, and walked over to his bed. He set the soup down on the end table and sat on her bedside. He then looked down at her. He knew she was dying and tired. He could see the wrinkles and a few strands of hair were on the verge of turning gray. He also could see that something else was wrong, because she was sweaty and warm. How could a strong, independent, fearless, intelligent, 500-year-old vampiress be beaten and outsmarted by her baby vampire doppelganger so easily? He never thought he’d ever see her human again, and so like her old self. He could see it. His Katerina was just below the surface. Maybe if he could save her life, he could bring his old Katerina back. Maybe.

        He rested a gentle hand on her forehead. When he did, she was so warm that it was almost like a werewolf bite to a vampire.

        “Katerina? Katerina,” he called gently.

        She groaned softly, but didn’t awaken.

        When he figured she wasn’t waking up anytime soon, he left the room to see the only witch that he trusted. He needed a witch to save her as quickly as possible. She was dying of old age and he figured that her body was fighting it, which was what was making her sick. Therefore, he needed a witch, as well as someone who could medically take care of her. That’s where Davina and Rebekah came in. He was sure that Rebekah wouldn’t kill her, as long as he cared for her.

        As he left the house, he called Rebekah.

        “Elijah,” she greeted.

        “I need you to do me a favor,” he greeted back.

        “What kind of favor?” she questioned.

        “I need you to care for Katerina for me, while I go speak to Davina. Elena shoved the cure down her throat. Now, she’s dying of old age. She’s not in the best condition right now, so I don’t wish for her to be alone.”

        “Fine. I’ll take care of her as you wish,” she replied, even though she didn’t like it. She despised Katherine, even more now than before, after getting the cure shoved down her throat, but she was doing this for Elijah. For some reason, she was somehow his happiness. Klaus had taken enough of hers that she didn’t want that to happen to him. Elijah deserved to be happy.

        “Thank you, dear sister.”

        They hung up, and he drove towards the New Orleans cemetery, while she headed for home.

        A few minutes later, Rebekah walked inside and went upstairs.





        Once she entered her elder brother’s room where she assumed she would be, she closed the door and saw that Katherine was indeed dying. She had some gray hair and wrinkles and looked very sick. Anyone who didn’t know her, wouldn’t believe that she was once a 500-year-old vampire, always one step ahead of the enemy, and hard to get a hold of to kill or try to kill.

        She sighed and sat down on her bedside. She then looked down at her and felt her forehead. That’s when she knew that he was right. She was very sick. She took her hand away and went to the bathroom to get a wet washcloth.

        A few moments later, she came back with it and sat back down on her bedside, before starting to damp the washcloth on her forehead.





        Meanwhile, Davina was inside a mausoleum where the witches usually did magic, and pretty much lived at. She stood behind a table about to look through an old spell book, when she saw Elijah walk in.

        She looked up when he walked in.

        “Elijah,” she greeted. “What can I do for you?” He was the only Original she trusted and respected.

        “I need you to do a favor for me,” he replied.

        “And what kind of favor would that be?” she asked him, wary.

        “Someone I dearly care for is dying of old age, because her doppelganger shoved the cure for vampirism down her throat. I need you to reverse the rapid aging if it’s possible,” he answered her.

        “I’ll see what I can do, but I can’t promise you anything. I’m sure you already know that, though,” she replied, knowing what it was like to watch friends die, though in her experience, it was because of a war Klaus had started. She wanted to help Elijah, but she didn’t know how to if she couldn’t reverse the aging.

        “Thank you, Davina. All I ask is that you do all you can to save her.”

        “And I will,” she promised him.

        She watched him leave, and then went to work to finding a solution.





        Elijah stood at the threshold of his room, as Rebekah continued to cool her down with a wet washcloth.

        Rebekah looked at her eldest brother.

        “What did she say?” she asked him.

        Elijah took a step inside his room.

        “She’ll look for a way to reverse the aging, but she can’t promise anything.”

        Hearing the answer, she felt sorry for him.

        “I’m sorry. I know how much you love her,” she sympathized. She’d had to watch those she loved die in many ways before throughout the centuries, so she knew what her moral brother was feeling.

        “Thank you. And thank you for caring for Katerina.”

        “You’re welcome,” she replied.

        “I assume there’s no change,” he stated.

        “No. You’re right. If you want my opinion, Elijah, she needs to go to a hospital.”

        “I may do that. Thank you, dear sister. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

        She got to her feet.

        “Let me know if you need anything else,” she replied, before leaving.

        Elijah watched her leave, before going to sit beside his Katerina. He looked down at her when he did, and rested a gentle hand on top of hers.

        “I will save you, Katerina, if it’s the last thing I do. I won’t let anything happen to you, if I can help it. I promise you. You are still my Katerina. Always and forever.”





        A week later, Elijah got a call from Davina, saying that she found something. She could reverse the aging, but needed him to bring her and something that belonged to her. And so he did.

        In the end, the aging was reversed, and she and Elijah got back together.