𝟏• 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐂 | 𝐓𝐕𝐃 ✓

TWENTY-FIVE [UNEDITED]

Elena's eyes blinked open and close slowly, as she parted her chapped and dry lips. She was desiccating, but she wasn't complaining like most people would.

"She's the calmest desiccating vampire I've ever seen." Damon said, upstairs. "I remember when you starved me down there for three day. I would've wept at your feet for an orange peel."

"Look," Stefan said. "She's not gonna beg for blood. Begging means desperation, emotion. She's still in the no-humanity zone."

"How hungry does she have to be until we can torture some feelings back into her?"

"A lot hungrier than she is now, apparently." Stefan answered.

"So, what are we supposed to do in the meantime?" Damon asked him.

"I don't know about you... but I'm going to call Aurelia again." He said, taking out his phone.

"Again?" Damon asked, annoyed. "It's the eighth time you've called her, and it's before noon." He observed. "To top it all off, you're not even her boyfriend."

"You're right." Stefan said. "But I'm her friend."

"Oh, and how you want it to stay that way." Damon muttered sarcastically, as Stefan looked at him. "Oh, please. You think I don't know about you? You're worse at hiding your feelings than I am at being a bunny-killer."

"Funny." The Younger Salvatore retorted. "What're you gonna do, then? Piss me off?"

"Well, I could provide him with some excitement." The brothers looked at the entrance to the library.

"Katherine." Stefan said, frowning as the Elena look-alike walked to the steps to the table behind him.

"So, when's the Welcome Home party?" She asked, pouring herself a drink.

"Wow, look who went and got bold." Damon commented. "Last time I checked; Klaus was plotting your eternal demise."

"Well, it doesn't matter anymore, because Klaus is gone." She said, a smirk on her face.

"What do you mean, 'he's gone'?" Stefan asked. Katherine didn't answer. "Fine, if you're not gonna tell us that, do you know where Aurelia is? Because she was with him last time I checked."

"Oh, kindling an old flame, are you?" Katherine teased. "You do know that I'm much better that her. Looks, personality...body..." Stefan raised an eyebrow.

"Answer the question, Katherine." He said.

"She's with Klaus." The doppelganger said. "And I hope she doesn't come back, either."

"Where are they?" Damon asked.

"His creation, her birthplace."

"New Orleans." Stefan muttered. "Why are they there?"

"Let's just say that werewolf girl, Hayley, turned out to be just the thing that we need Klaus to get out of our lives- for good." Katherine said. "Oh, and you boys don't bother going there to fetch Aurelia."

"And why the hell not?" Inquired the Older Salvatore.

"Because she's not gonna listen." The brunette answered. "New Orleans is, in a way, her vampire weakness. From what I've heard, she hasn't been there in over a century- which just so happened to be her do-gooder phase."

"And...?" Stefan asked.

"A plus B equals...?" The brothers didn't answer. Katherine rolled her eyes. "I'm just saying that New Orleans brings out her real side. It may take time, but it will. I can bet that the both of you will be shocked to hear the stories."