Forgotten Dreams - Klaus Mikaelson

seven

Kara stood outside the tomb, a soft expression crossing her face as she looked at Katherine. Despite the bitterness woven into their past, there was a hint of regret in Kara's eyes, a flicker of an old camaraderie that neither of them had ever fully acknowledged.

"Katherine," she began, her voice gentler than before, "I never wanted it to come to this. We might not have been friends, but we knew each other once." She sighed, glancing away for a moment. "I know you'd never allow yourself to ask for help, but... maybe things could have been different if you had."

Katherine met her gaze, a subtle tension relaxing in her features. "Maybe," she replied, her voice quiet but firm. "But that's not who I am, Kara. I never had the luxury of asking for help. I had to survive."

Kara nodded, understanding the truth in her words. "I get it. Believe me, I do." She took a small step closer, her voice barely above a whisper. "Just... if you ever get out of here, remember that you don't have to face everything alone. It doesn't always have to be this way."

For a brief moment, a shadow of something close to gratitude flickered in Katherine's eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it came. "I'll keep that in mind," she replied, her tone tinged with the slightest hint of vulnerability.

"You opened up to me once," she reminded her. "Told me what it was like to always be on the run, constantly looking over your shoulder. We might have been different, but I understood that part of you."

Katherine's mask of bravado faltered, just for a heartbeat. She met Kara's gaze with a flash of the girl she had once been—a survivor, hardened but undeniably human.

"And yet here we are," Katherine replied, a bitter smile twisting her lips. "Trapped in this place because I've tried so hard to keep surviving."

Kara nodded, the flicker of understanding still in her eyes. "You don't always have to fight alone, Katherine," she said. "Not everyone is out to see you fall."

Katherine looked away, the walls she'd built around herself visibly wavering. Kara let out a faint sigh, the weight of unspoken words lingering in the air between them. "Just... remember that, if you ever get out of here. Survival doesn't always mean standing alone."

With that, she turned to leave, leaving Katherine with a rare and lingering moment of silence, a quiet reminder of what might have been.

- 

Kara, sitting quietly in the back seat, let out a small sigh. "You two are worse than children sometimes, you know that?" she remarked dryly, folding her arms as she watched the landscape rush by.

She had been called to be told that Elena had gone missing and was at a strange location hours out of Mystic Falls. She was lucky enough to be in the back seat on this adventure. The Salvatores were beginning to drive her mad.

Damon shot a quick glance at her through the rearview mirror. "Not exactly your typical rescue mission, is it, Kara?"

Kara raised an eyebrow, her gaze steady. "Let's just say I've been on enough of these missions to know how pointless all this back-and-forth is." She leaned forward slightly. "Elena's life is on the line. Maybe save the dramatics for later?"

Damon let out a small huff but didn't push back, while Stefan nodded, his expression serious. "She's right. This isn't the time."

As silence fell over the car, Damon couldn't resist one last jab, "You know, Kara, I didn't think you'd care enough to tag along. Didn't think playing hero was your style."

Kara tilted her head, an unreadable look in her eyes. "Maybe it's not about playing hero, Damon. Sometimes, it's just about doing what's right." She returned her gaze to the passing scenery. "Besides, if it means shutting both of you up, I'll gladly help."