We Are History

Chapter five

1996

Natalie's POV

"I'm just saying, if I can't handle biting myself, what in your pretty blonde little head has to break to make you think I will be able to handle watching a woman push a bloody, screaming little creature out of her... you know!" I cry. If our witch is right, our baby Petrova doppelgänger is due to be born today. Isabelle Pierce, some slutty cheerleader from Mystic Falls high, is due to push a horrific, squirming little human being out of her body in a few hours, and I can hear her sweating and panting in pain from the contractions of child birth in a few rooms over. She is very distant relative of Katherine Pierce, and a witch clued us in that this baby will be Katherine's doppelgänger. Apparently doppelgängers pop up every 500 years or so, which means we are about due to have a dull looking brunette 17 year-old come skipping joyfully into our lives. Yay.

"Natalie, for someone who has done some of the most violent, disturbing things I've ever seen, I wouldn't think you would be so squeamish about helping deliver a baby." Ashlee says, pulling on her plastic gloves with an enthusiastic snap.

"It shouldn't be so surprising that I don't want to watch her push a kid OUT of her body. One of the perks of being a vampire; we don't have to have kids. So why should we sit around and watch other people have them?" I complain. The whole thing just bothers me.

"Because," Ashlee says, tucking her blonde curls up into a cap to protect them from birth-goo. "This little girl is the key to Niklaus breaking his sure bond. We need to get to her as soon as possible, and protect her. Helping give birth to her is the fastest way to get our hands on her, and get her out of there."

"Why don't we just kill her now? We could end the Pierce bloodline and not have to worry about any other baby doppelgängers popping up and causing trouble." I suggest, well aware Ashlee would never agree to it.

Ashlee shakes her head in disapproval, her large Sapphire eyes rolling. She passes me a pair of plastic gloves, saying; "Even you aren't capable of such cruelness. Killing a defenceless, innocent baby is beyond inhumane. It's... not even an option. Best to hide her here, away from Klaus, and let him think she hasn't even been born yet."

"Leave it to you to be more humane than me, when you're the one who turned your humanity off. And she's not that innocent, she is a Pierce doppelgänger." I mutter unhappily, putting on my gloves.

"Gilbert, actually. Her father is a John Gilbert junior, related to the original Jonathan Gilbert." Ashlee says calmly, as though this is remotely interesting. I notice she completely ignores the no-humanity comment. It's a touchy subject.

"Why couldn't Rebekah do this instead of me?" I complain, changing into nurses scrubs.

"Rebekah is busy setting up the old Salvatore Mansion for us. Something tells me she's better at interior decorating than you- you'd make it all dark and creepy." Ashlee winks at me, grinning.

"Where this baby is going to come out of is dark and creepy." I say, shuddering.

Ashlee's POV

I feel bad making Natalie do this, though even through all her complaining I know she chose to come. She wants to be here to help me, but I also think she is trying to prove my theory wrong.

My theory is that she has such a problem with childbirth, because her mother died giving birth to her. That's enough to leave a scar with anyone, even Natalie.

About a decade ago I turned my emotions back on. Natalie had complained to no end about how she was supposed to be the cold hearted bitch with no feelings, not me. Even though it was insanely painful to deal feel the loss of Damon, my one and only true love, it's still best for me to keep my humanity. My compassion is who I am, without it I'm a ghost. The only way I've gotten through the years without Damon is knowing that he is safer without me. My entire family is dangerous. The originals are dangerous. Damon can't be caught in the middle of all that. Better we be separated then watch him die at the hands of my vindictive half brother.