The Hollow's Downfall

        It was a dismal night, as Elijah stood outside on the porch in the bayou, watching for any danger, knowing the Hollow was still out there somewhere. Hayley was inside in bed. When Elijah entered the room, he’d chosen to stay in in the cabin, he sensed a presence and scanned the room. When he did, he saw someone in the dressing mirror.

        “Katerina?” he questioned, shocked, not expecting to see her. Nor did he know that she was dead until now. His heart sunk, realizing she was a ghost and dead, and he knew that if he was seeing her, she was asking him for his help, the only way she could as a ghost.

        After she’d gotten his attention, she disappeared from his sight, having made it clear that she needed help and she wasn’t happy that he’d moved on. She stayed in the room though, watching him.

        “I’m sorry, Katerina,” was all he could find to say.

        Her heart sunk, hating seeing his look after finding out that she was dead.

        “Elijah,” was all she could say. She didn’t know if he could feel it or not, but she rested a hand on his arm. There wasn’t much they could say whether she was alive or not.

        He looked at his arm, feeling like she’d touched him. Then the feeling was gone.

        Katherine left and soon appeared at the place that the others were staying at. When she ventured around the house, she realized that Klaus had indeed had a child with Hayley, just as she’d heard before she’d died.

        Katherine stood in the living room, watching Klaus and Hope share their artistic abilities with one another. As she did, she couldn’t help but smile. Even if he had ruined her life for 500 years, he deserved happiness, just like she deserved it. Seeing them together, she realized that the child had changed Klaus, just as being reunited with Nadia had done for her, before she’d had to watch Nadia die.

        When she approached, she was silent until she finally sat down across the table from Hope, so now she was sitting with Klaus to her right. She wasn’t afraid of him. She’d forgiven him on her deathbed. Besides, there wasn’t much he could do to hurt her while she was a ghost.

        Hope stopped what she was doing. Being half witch, she could see her, but she didn’t know who she was or what she was. When she looked at Katherine, which Klaus couldn’t see, he had enough experience to know that his daughter saw a ghost.

        “Who are you?” Hope questioned her.

        “I’m an old friend of the family. You may not understand this, but your Uncle Elijah and I were together off and on for quite a long time. Your dad and I don’t get along very well, though. My name is Katherine. I need some help in coming back to life, which I need to convince your Aunt Freya to do for me, but it’s going to take some convincing from your Uncle Elijah. I already came to Elijah, so he’s on his way here. I’m just here waiting for Elijah to come over,” Katherine explained, as simply as she could to the little girl. She didn’t know how much the girl knew about her family, so she kept the vampire stuff out of the equation.

        “Who’s here, Sweetheart?” Klaus asked calmly, though he was suspicious. Why would a ghost be showing him or herself to his daughter?

        “Someone named Katherine,” Hope replied.

        “Well, well, Katerina. I wouldn’t put it passed you to haunt me. What are you doing here?” Klaus said, though he knew he wouldn’t be able to hear her.

        Katherine used a crayon and blank paper to write her response to him.

        Hello, Klaus. I’m not here to haunt you. Quite the opposite. I’ve shown myself to Elijah, so now he knows I’m dead. He’s coming over so he can get your dear sister to bring me back to life. I don’t hold a grudge against you. Even if I did, I wouldn’t do anything to harm you. You have a daughter to look after. I once had one too, but unlike me, you’ll be able to raise her without being afraid of what your father will do. Nadia was illegitimate so my father tore her from my arms and banished me. We were reunited before I died, but I was too afraid of your answer or what you would do at the time, to ask you to cure Nadia when I found out that Tyler bit her. That, and she just wanted me to be happy, so I want to try and do what she wished me to do.

        After reading it, he looked at the empty chair he figured she was probably still sitting in.

        “I’m sorry, Katerina. If I would have known, I would have saved her,” he told her.





        Elijah entered the house and called for Freya, as he entered the living room. No matter what, he was going to bring Katerina back to life. It had to be done. He wouldn’t just let her spend an eternity in whatever limbo she was in, since he knew it wasn’t the Other Side, because the Other Side was gone. It had to be something else for her to be able to reach out after who knew how long. He didn’t know how long she’d been dead. He cared for Hayley, yes, but Katerina would always be the one for him. He knew now that he’d been wrong to just abandon her. Somewhere between the time he’d left and now, she’d gotten herself killed. He couldn’t stand the thought or sight of her dead. She had to come back. She just had to.

        Freya entered the living room where most of her family was, as well as a ghost she didn’t know, were in.

        “What is it?”

        “I need you to bring Katerina back to life,” Elijah told her.

        Katherine got up and walked over to Elijah and Freya who stood by each other.

        “He means me. My name is Katherine, but Elijah and Klaus call me by my human name. I know you don’t know much about your family’s past, but Elijah and I have always had a thing. It’s just always been difficult since Elijah always chooses Klaus over me. I guess things have changed, since he’s choosing to bring me back to life, rather than do other things.”

        Freya sighed. She’d heard of Katherine, but hadn’t known that she and Elijah had history together, or that Klaus had anything to do with Katherine.

        “Okay, fine.” She looked at Elijah. “I’ll bring her back.”

        “Thank you, sister,” Elijah replied.





        An hour later, Katherine was alive and fed and clothed and human. She was sitting on the couch, drinking a shot glass of bourbon. She’d already informed Elijah on what he’d missed, but though Elijah was mad that Klaus hadn’t told him that she’d been dying, he decided to settle his feud with Klaus until they didn’t have anything to worry about.

        “Now that I’m alive, I’m kind of in your debt. Plus, I know about what’s been happening in New Orleans. I’m going to help take down The Hollow. I’ve never encountered it, but I’ve heard of it and I’ve known people that have encountered it. I also know its direct source of power and now that it’s awake, it needs someone with power to connect with. Last time you both saw me, I didn’t have any kind of magic, but when my long-lost daughter, Nadia, protected me from Silas and I found out who she really was, she told me that I’m descended from Travelers. I have magic,” she informed them.

        “Why would you want to take down The Hollow?” Klaus questioned, suspicious.

        “Because the Hollow can destroy everything and everyone if it wants to. It would probably take a few days and then New Orleans would cease to have anyone alive in it, once The Hollow has a full foothold into this world. It demands sacrifice. I’m going to put a stop to it permanently.”

        “You don’t have to do it alone,” Elijah reminded her. He’d already seen her dead once. He didn’t want to lose her again.

        She looked at him.

        “Well, I have to. I know it has already gone after Klaus and Marcel. I won’t let it go after you or anyone else. I’ll survive. Besides, if I need some extra power, Freya can help me. Besides, after all of this is over with, I should probably leave. There’s no room for me here when you’ve clearly moved on to Hayley. I’m happy for you if you’re happy, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

        She finished the shot glass of bourbon and got to her feet.





        That night, she stood in the middle of the house with Freya, both doing a spell.

        Soon enough, it was destroyed for good.

           



        Later that night, Katherine sat in a chair on the porch, looking into the distance.

        Elijah walked out of the house and went to sit next to her.

        “You’re right, Katerina. You don’t exactly belong here, but neither do I. Klaus doesn’t need me anymore. He’s got Hope. You’re also right that I do care for Hayley, but you know as well as I that you’ve always been the one, no matter who I love in the present century.”

        She looked at him. “If I’m the one, then why leave me for Klaus so many times? You could’ve stayed all those years ago. After getting to know Nadia though, I partly understand. Family is everything. We just don’t get the luxury of choosing who our family is. So, does this mean you and I are going away together?”

        “Well, it’s only fair we leave. Hayley can’t exactly come with me when she has Hope and Klaus. Besides, we’re long overdue for a few trips or more of our own. What do you say we go on our own adventure or two,” he said, that last one almost quoting what she’d pleaded with him to do all those years ago, before he’d walked away for the final time.





        After saying goodbye to everyone, they left. So, in the end, they got back together and finally got a life of their own.