It was a beautiful day in Oregon, as Katherine Pierce drove out of town, heading for Mystic Falls to make sure those she cared about were okay. She couldn’t call because of nothing electric working or technology working anymore, so she had to drive. As she drove in the four door pickup truck she’d stolen, with windows down and the backseat full of all sorts of guns and ammo, she kept a handgun in her lap, fully loaded. She wasn’t taken any chances. She also had a first-aid kit under the passenger’s seat and a full three containers of gasoline in the back of the truck.
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A few weeks later, she pulled up in the driveway of the Salvatore boarding house. It looked untouched, but she knew all too well that looks could deceive.
She got out of the truck, closing the door as quietly as possible, the gun in her new holster she’d found a week ago.
She walked up to the door and knocked before walking in, closing the door behind herself.
“Damon?” she called.
She entered the living room, where she saw him by his drinking table, drinking from a bottle of Bourbon.
“In what universe do you have the right to be alive?” he said in the tone he always reserved for only her.
“Maybe because I’m still a survivor,” she said, knowing his real question was how she was still alive. “Look. I didn’t have to risk my life coming here, but I did. I came back to make sure you’re okay and alive.”
He finally looked at her. “Why would you even care? You didn’t care before, so why now? It’s different now. Everyone I’ve ever loved and cared for is dead.”
“I’ve always cared. It was just easier for me if you thought that I didn’t. I know it’s bad now, but we have to stick together.”
“Thanks, but I’d rather take my chances here.”
She sighed. “Fine. Just be careful and good luck.”
He watched as she left.
After leaving, she drove around and found that those she had known or hadn’t known were dead. There was still one person left to check on though. She hadn’t seen her, so she assumed that she was home, staying as safe as she could.
She parked in front of the house and stood on the porch and knocked.
“Caroline?” she called through the door.
“Get out of here. Just go,” she heard from by the door on the other side.
“I know you’re alone now. I’m sorry for your loss. I know I’m not the best company in the world, but you don’t have to be alone. Damon already said no, which is understandable. I just want to help who I can. It’s best if we stick together. I have all the weapons and ammo we could need in the truck and a few other things we’ll need. If you pack now, we can get out of here before dark.”
Caroline didn’t like Katherine very much, but she’d seen enough zombie movies to know that Katherine was right.
She sighed. “Fine. I’ll come.”
A few minutes later, Katherine was driving out of town, Caroline in the passenger’s seat.
“Where are we going anyway?” Caroline questioned.
“New Orleans to the compound. Sure, it might be dangerous at first, but the compound is built strong enough to keep those zombies out. Plus, I need to know if they’re all alive.”
“Makes sense,” Caroline replied, agreeing with her for once.
“Before we get there though, don’t be mad at Klaus, but I have to tell you something,” Kat informed the blonde.
“What?” she asked, assuming that she wasn’t gonna like this.
As Kat drove, she told the blonde about the one night stand Klaus and Hayley had and about the baby named Hope they had had together.
“That’s all I know,” she finished.
“When’s the last time you heard anything from New Orleans?” she asked the former vampiress.
“A year. I haven’t heard anything since the cure was shoved down my throat. I haven’t even spoken to Elijah since he left right before I tried to kill my doppelganger in anger. I know I should be apologizing to Elena instead of you, but I’m sorry about that by the way.”
“I’m sure he’s okay,” she assured the brunette.
Kat was silent.
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Several weeks later, when they were half way to New Orleans, they saw a blonde and a guy with one hand, on the side of the road looking like they were having truck problems and were clearly arguing with each other.
Kat stopped the truck in front of them and rolled down the automatic passenger window, looking at them.
“Need some help?” she questioned.
They looked at them.
“We’ve got this, Sweet Cheeks,” the guy replied to her.
“Clearly. Look. You’re in the middle of nowhere with nothing but highway. It’s dangerous. If you want, we could give you two a lift somewhere, or you can join us. We’re going to New Orleans to see if some friends are okay. Our friends have a strong compound,” Kat explained.
“We should go with them,” the blonde told him.
“Fine,” he replied.
“Great,” Kat said, and set the bag of weapons on the floorboard so there was space for them in the back.
Once they were in, Kat continued the drive.
“I’m Katherine, by the way, and this is Caroline. Who are you two?”
“I’m Andrea and this is Merle. We’ve been looking for the group I got separated from. His brother, Daryl, is with them.”
“Well, nice to meet you. What did you do before the zombies happened?”
“I was in college and sometimes spent the summer with my sister Amy and my father. He taught us how to fish. I lost her a year ago though. She turned into one of them and I had to shoot her,” Andrea explained.
“I’m sorry for your loss. Luckily my family is long dead, so they don’t have to get killed by zombies. It’s a new world now, so it’s best that we don’t keep secrets. My parents were slaughtered by the Original werewolf-vampire hybrid Klaus in 1492 as vengeance for me running and turning. I turned myself into a vampire and I’ve been a survivor ever since, but now I’m human again, because the cure for vampirism was shoved down my throat. Caroline has only been a vampire for a few years. You can choose to believe me or not, but it’s true.”
“I believe you. I’ve always been open-minded,” Andrea replied.
“Thanks. What did you do before?” she said to Andrea, before asking Merle the question.
“I’ll put it this way, Sweet Cheeks. I’m ex-military, but I also was in and out of jail a lot.”
“Well, not everyone is perfect. I can be pretty bad myself. I’ve killed many for 500 years, but being human has changed me. I don’t go around killing people anymore. Caroline hates killing though,” Kat replied.
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A week later, they made it to New Orleans.
Kat parked in front of the compound, and they followed Kat to the front door, who then opened the door and walked in. Andre and Merle also walked in. Kat stood by the door and looked at Caroline.
“See if you can come in.”
She tried, but was barred.
“Let me call them so you can be invited in,” she told her, before calling loud enough for them to hear, “Anyone here?"
A blonde stranger holding a three year old girl appeared at the top of the stairs. “Come in.”
Caroline walked in and Kat closed the door.
“Who are you?” Kat asked, once the girl was downstairs, standing in front of her.
“Elijah mentioned you might have a little bit of an attitude. I’m Freya. You might’ve heard of me. I was thought to be dead, but was actually taken as prisoner by our Aunt Dahlia.”
“Well, I’m glad that you found your family. This little one must be Hope,” Katherine said with a smile.
“Yes. And she’s all yours if anything happens to the last of us.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I’ve been trying to stay away from Hope all I can but sooner or later, it’s going to happen, which means that I must go, though Elijah has chosen to stay. Klaus is just fine and Rebekah is daggered. Her box is across the river if you want to wake her up. Kol is safe with his new love life Davina Claire,” Freya explained.
“Where is he?” she asked, her worst nightmare happening.
“He’s in bed."
“It was nice to meet you,” Kat replied.
“You too. Here.” She gave Kat Hope, whom Kat took, before Freya left.
Kat looked at Caroline. “I know you have no experience, but take Hope. I need to see Elijah. My last memory of him can’t be the breakup. Please. I don’t want him to die alone.”
Caroline took Hope, not knowing what the hell she was supposed to do.
Kat looked at Andre and Merle. “There’s plenty of Bourbon here and probably some human food too. Help yourselves.”
Kat went upstairs, while Merle helped himself to a bottle of Bourbon.
When Kat entered his room, she saw Klaus seated on his bedside, obviously staying with him until the very end.
She walked up to them and stood behind Klaus with a hand on his shoulder. She didn’t think he’d attack her or anything, so she wasn’t afraid.
“Katerina,” Klaus greeted, not looking at her. “I’m sorry. There’s nothing I can do.” He knew how much she and Elijah loved each other.
“I know. It’s not your fault. Caroline’s downstairs with a couple human friends we made. I should be the one to do it when the time comes.”
“Thank you, luv.”
She took her hand away and he vanished from sight. She then sat on his bedside, her hand on his right one and her other one gently on the left side of his face.
“Katerina,” he greeted. “You’re here.”
She smiled. “Of course I’m here. I love you, no matter what. You know what has to be done though.”
“I love you too, Katerina. I know. Don’t think that this is your fault. Think of it like this. You’ll be taking my pain away. Do me a favor, though. Look after what’s left of my family; Especially, Hope. She just lost her mother. I wish for you to take over as her mother.”
“I will. I promise you,” she replied.
He closed his eyes, ready for the inevitable.
They shared one last kiss, before she took the White Oak stake from on top of the end table, and staked him, killing him.
Afterward, she slid to the floor, her back against the bed, her arms around her legs and head down, and cried. She didn’t want anyone to see her cry and never had. She’d never liked to show any weakness in front of anyone.
As Klaus mingled downstairs, getting to know Andrea and Merle, he and Caroline heard her crying her heart out. Care had never witnessed any weakness from Katherine, nor had she ever took her for the type of girl to break down after a loss. That was more of her style. She always hated someone to be hurting one way or another though, no matter who it was. She always felt like no one, no matter who it was, should have to deal with anything alone.
“I should make sure she’s okay. Take her,” Caroline told Klaus, always being a good Samaritan.
He took Hope. “Of course, luv,” Klaus replied.
Care blurred upstairs and walked into Elijah’s former room, closing the door behind herself. She then sat on the floor next to the grieving human, an arm around her in comfort.
“I’m sorry, Katherine,” was all she could say.
Katherine let her try and comfort her, though nobody had ever done that before. She was glad that unlike others, she wasn’t trying to tell her that everyone would be okay, because in this world, nothing was okay. She was also glad for the comfort and wasn’t surprised, knowing how much Care hated people being in pain.
After what felt like a while, she finally was able to get control over herself and stop crying, which she did. She then lifted her head and wiped her eyes.
“How about you go to bed. It’s been a while since either of us have slept,” Caroline suggested.
“Good idea. Elijah would want us to stay rested and wanted me to take care of his family, so that’s what I’ll do. He wouldn’t want anyone to give up, either.”
A few minutes later, Elijah’s body was taken care of and Kat was asleep in Elijah’s bed. The others were asleep too, Merle and Andrea in separate guest rooms and Hope in her room, while Klaus and Caroline were asleep in Klaus’ bed after making love. They were finally together.
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A month later, after everything that had happened, Merle and Andrea hooked up and Kat slowly healed from the loss of Elijah. Hope was a part of that healing and for once in their lives, she and Klaus had bonded and became friends.
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Years later, when all the walkers died out from hunger and being killed by survivors, things began to get back to how they were before the walkers. So those who were survivors, lived as happily as they could. Kat even reunited with her vampiress daughter, Nadia, and Damon was one of those survivors as well as Andrea, Merle, Kat, Hope, Caroline, Klaus, Davina, Kol, and Rebekah.
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