The Widows Secret

The Funeral

Everyone stood quietly around the lake. Nat's name was carved into a tree nearby. 

'Natasha Salvatore '

    '1864 - 2021 ' 

Yelena traced her fingers over the letters, resting her head on the tree and whistling their greeting whistle. She wished that she'd hear Nat respond in the distance, and she'd be able to turn around and see her again. That this was all a bad dream. 

She heard the familiar whistle. She knew it couldn't be Nat, so she turned slowly and saw Katherine holding a red rose. 

"Hey sis." Katherine said. 

"Hey." Yelena said. 

"Katerina?" Elijah asked, "What are you doing here?" 

"Nat was my friend in 1864, and when she found out I was never in the tomb she was still my friend. I owe it to her to be here for her.. funeral." Katherine said, her voice cracking. 

Damon stood quietly looking out at the lake, the saddest expression on his face. Stefan stood slightly behind him, sharing a similar expression. 

Katherine placed her single rose by the tree and kneeled by it, "Hey, you should've told me you were going to play the hero before you went off and did it. You're making me look bad." 

Yelena laughed sadly as Katherine stood and wiped a tear from her cheek. She joined everyone else standing by the lake. 

Caroline rested her head on Klaus's shoulder and he wrapped an arm around her. Elena had latched on to Damon and was hugging him tight. Rebekah went over to Stefan and put her hand on his shoulder, he looked over at her and smiled sadly as she hugged him. 

A lovely wreath of flowers with a drawing of Nat from 1864 was placed in the water. Everyone watched as it floated away into the middle of the lake and the flowers began to disintegrate and the petals spread across the water. The sun began to set and the string lights they had strung on the trees around them lit up a soft glow. 

Then it began to rain, how convenient. It rained slowly at first, but began to pick up as the last of the flowers began to disintegrate and float up into the sky. Then the gentle thunder came, it sounded so far away as the distant lightning lit up the sky. 

Everyone made their way back to their cars, silently driving home through the gentle storm. 

--

5 years later

"Hey! Come here Nat." Yelena said, the small girl running to her. 

"Sorry mummy." Nat said. 

"It's okay. We have to go home okay? Say bye bye to Peter." Yelena said, giving the boy a wave and thanking him for babysitting. 

"Bye bye Petey!" Nat said, waving.