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There he lay...silas ancient unstoppable Silas laid across the floor of the Salvatore boarding house, dessicated once again his body was stone and gray and stick looking like Shane since Silas never did show his true face .
Bonnie stood nearby, barely upright the spell had nearly killed her it had taken everything she had and then some, and for a moment it had almost gone wrong almost blown apart in her hands.
It hadn’t helped that Katherine Pierce had walked in minutes earlier, completely unaware she was stepping into a trap already set one wrong move one mistimed distraction and Silas would have torn through them all before Bonnie ever finished the incantation.
But he hadn’t and silas had believed them the real threat the mfg and the original hybrid standing in front of him were the threat he hadn’t seen the witch behind the curtain bleeding and burning herself out to end him again.
By the time he realized the truth, it was already too late now he lay silent at their feet klaus Mikaelson watched the body with open satisfaction he had insisted on being there had wanted to see it with his own eyes. After having the cure taken from him on the island Silas had followed them back to mystic falls and had encountered Klaus in the woods when he made him believe he had shoved a piece of White oak making him believe he was dying now klaus had needed proof that the immortal who had toyed with them all was finally powerless.
The room is still buzzing with the aftermath of magic the air thick heavy strong as klaus straightened his jacket as if nothing of consequence has happened glancing around the living room with open disdain.
He smiled faintly, as if victory belonged to him the room was crowded too many grudges pressed into one space the Mystic Falls gang lingered near the Opening area space shaken but alive as katherine stood among them arms crossed, sharp eyes already taking stock of exits and partially looking at him .
Well” he says lightly, “that was almost impressive a witch, a distraction, and just enough desperation to make it interesting.” His gaze flicks over the group. “You do love your little plans.”
And Klaus ever so arrogant convinced the danger had passed stood far too close that was when Katherine asked the only question that mattered.
“Bonnie,” she said quietly, without looking away from Klaus. “so that it it's over ?”
Bonnie nodded after a brief second. “Yes....why .”
Katherine moved "good"
That’s all Katherine needs she’s gone in a blur faster than anyone expects and Klaus is pushed to the wall as he laughs dismissing whatever attempt she thinks she's making
“Don’t be stupid, love—” but the laughter dies in his throat as a
Wooden stake gets pushed into his chest in a blink .
Not just any wood as he feels a second later white oak as he looks in shock he think how did she find it when as she tells him that he needs to find another hiding spot .
Katherine slams him into the wall hard enough to crack plaster, the stake positioned precisely a breath away from his heart as she sees he is a quarter second from pushing her and trying to kill her himself.
“Careful” she says softly. “You move a inch and u die you throw me my hand will slip and push into your heart on instinct and you die I am the one out of both of us who can remove this without killing you.” she leans in, eyes cold and bright. “And we both know I won’t.”
The room freezes.
Klaus’s jaw tightens. “You really must be stupid.”
“Funny" Katherine replies. “I was thinking the same about you consedering you out this in your home of all places I mean inside your you wall I guess you slipped up Klaus.”
He smirks masking the calculation in his eyes. “You’ve always had a talent for betrayal ever since 1492 Katerina.”
That’s when she twists the stake not enough to kill him, just enough to make him gasp. “I didn’t betray you” she snaps. “You betrayed me.” as his eyes darken.
“You and Elijah knew exactly what i was invited to live with you for when we first me in 1492 you knew were planning to sacrifice me and when I refused to lie down and die for you, you called it betrayal.” Her voice cracks, anger bleeding into grief.
“You slaughtered my family my parents my sister even the servants people who had nothing to do with your curse you ruined my entire life and then hunted me for five hundred years because I chose to live.”
She’s yelling now tears in her eyes. “You delusional arrogant psychopath.”
Klaus scoffs. “Oh, here we go with the dramatics.” He laughs cruel and familiar. “You should be thanking me without me you’d have died a useless little whore that was knocked up out of wedlock and eventually been forgotten and insignificant instead you survived heck you.”
Katherine swallows, shaking thinking a few minutes ago she thought she was so smart for planning on getting rid of him as soon as possible and now .
“Do you know what that survival cost me?” she asks quietly. “Do you know what it’s like to wake up every day for five hundred years wondering if today is the day someone finally finds you?”
Her voice trembles.
“To never sleep too deeply to never stay too long to never love without planning the exit you may have been running from your father but at least you had your siblings even with how ungrateful you acted when they should've just left you you still has one thing that could kill you and only one person has the one weapon and most of the time you were building empires and doing stoll living your life in other ways than I ever had the chance too.”
She presses the stake closer.
“You didn’t just hunt me Klaus you taught me how to be afraid of peace.” for a moment just one something flickers across his face something old something dark.
“You were mine—” but he stops himself.
“You were useful" he corrects coldly. “And you wasted it you could've been known as the person giving me my chance to break my curse and you ruined it and became a useless little vampire running for centuries.” that’s when Katherine knows this is the answer she laughs once hollow.
“You know what?” she whispers. “I’m the idiot.”
He looks at her interestingly like she doesn't have a literal weapon that can kill him in his chest.
“After everything you did to me… after everything I lost… after what it took just to stand here and finally kill you—” Her voice breaks. “I still need to know.”
She looks him dead in the eye.
“Why me?”
Klaus sneers. “You know exactly why your betrayal cost me my curs me It took another five hundred years to fix what you stole from me you traitor.”
She twists the stake again, harder this time.
“Don’t give me that crap klaus” Her voice rings through the room. “Everyone standing behind me has tried to kill you They brought Mikael back from the dead the man you were terrified you for a thousand years, they They resurrected Esther your own mother the woman who created you and then decided you were a mistake she needed to erase, Stefan stole your family’s coffins your brothers, your sister and instead of draning him if vervain and compelling him to tell you where they were, you negotiated You asked him what you had to do to get them back when you have killed for less, They killed Finn,” Katherine continues viciously. “And don’t pretend you didn’t care you can hate your siblings all you want Finn more than the rest but we both know you take vengeance for any threat against your family a few weeks ago elena and Jeremy killed Kol they stabbed him with one of the only weapons in existence that could end your family permanently not to save anyone not out of necessity but so Jeremy could grow a tattoo,You nearly died permanently alaric staked your original body and it would've been the end of you forever and the only reason you’re standing here right now is because Bonnie put your soul into Tyler’s body temporarily, and let's not forget when you had first started making successful hybrids Stefan and Damon had killed some of your hybrids like nothing your hybrids your precious soldiers the ones you claimed were going to be your new family and if course you still did nothing.
Her breathing is ragged now.
“You forgive there rebellion since that is how you see anybody who goes after you espically big it's justified” she continues.
“You did nothing about them murdering two of your siblings
You even did nothing when they wanted to kill you other than a meaningless threat.”
Her eyes flick briefly to the others in the room.
“But you never forgave me for turning myself into a vampire and doing what any sane person would do run from you.”
“And what did you do nothing absolutely nothing You threatened them yes you killed a person or two that two of out of the rest of these people care about yes but that is nothing compared to what you would've done if I pulled all of that .
“But me...all I ever did was run and you slaughtered my family for it you hunted me for centuries you hated me more than anyone in this room they did everything to try to kill you but you still hated me more didn't you.”
Her voice drops to a whisper.
“So tell me Klaus what did I do that was so different huh why tell me why ” for a moment, he says nothing then he laughs the sound echoes wrong and hollow.
Katherine stares at him stunned. “What?” she shouts. “What is so funny?” klaus looks at her like she’s the fool. “You want an answer?” he says. “There it is you lived I've tried to kill you I've sent people after you I've chased you myself on and off for centuries and you still chose to survive.” He tilts his head. “I can almost respect that.”
His eyes rake over her. ''Look at you half my age and you managed to pin me to a wall and not have time head ripped of by me by now but remember it was because of me you survived five hundred years because of me and look at you...you don’t need anyone and that—” he smiles “is because of me.”
Katherine goes still something in her face closes she nods once.
“Yeah,” she whispers. “Look at me.”
She drives the stake all the way into his heart in a blitz.
Klaus’s scream cuts through the house as flames engulf him as he looked at Katherine as tears were forming in her eyes as the fire touching the wall consuming everything he is no one moved no one spoke they just watched as he burned and When it was over there’s nothing left but ash as katherine steps back as she waits for relief for triumph for something that feels like victory instead there’s only quietness.
As she looked at the body that has turned to ash she had spent five hundred years hating Klaus Mikaelson, but she had also spent five hundred years orbiting him every act of survival had been shaped by the knowledge that one day he would find her. She didn’t regret ending him not even as the fear crept in what frightened her was the silence mo footsteps behind her thinking it's him no minions of his in the dark coming soon again no reason left to run and for the first time since 1492 Katherine Pierce didn’t know how to exist in a world where survival no longer came with a 1000 year old pyschopath.