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thememoriesofaqueen · 10 months ago

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Love Will Remember 5

[Chapter updated in January 2024] A/N: It's been a while since I last updated but I promise you, I haven't abandoned this story. I figured the start of 2024 deserves a fresh little something for all the Kalijah fans. We're still here, even all those years later. <3 I also want to thank you for your continuous support and feedback. It means a lot to me <3

English is not my first language

→ I do not own anything of the TVD - Universe and I’m not affiliated or associated with the writers etc. This is only a headcanon/fanfiction.

Pairings: Kalijah (Katherine & Elijah), Klatherine (allies)

Rated: M

Read on: AO3 and / or FFnet

Word Count: 4k // Masterlist (x)

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She had been thinking about the last night – or rather about the conversation with Elijah – for a long time. He could not remember her and yet her conversation had a quality that she had not felt for a long time.

Of course, it had only been superficial topics. After all, to him, they were strangers and he believed she was just a tourist. And yet he had been earnestly interested in her answers all the time. He was genuinely interested in talking to her, without hoping they would perhaps end up in bed. And one has to believe her when she says this thought isn't uncommon when it comes to men. Men in bars usually don't just gift a drink and start talking if they weren't hoping for something that usually contains a very specific 'something'.

Somehow she felt foolish that she liked this stupid conversation so much. She should not feel flattered that he had noticed her (and not another person in this bar). That he had bought her a drink, something she had never seen him do before. He played for his audience but rarely interacted with them the way he had done with her.

That didn’t mean Elijah was still somehow attracted to you, Katherine. Why should he, he doesn't even remember you!

And yet Katherine was confident enough to believe that her beauty was naturally striking. Why wouldn't it lure a man towards her? Even if they were speaking of Elijah who didn't just follow his basic instincts. But perhaps he does by now. She has no idea, after all, what kind of man he is without his memories.

As much as she resisted, she thoroughly liked that she had been noticed by Elijah. At the same time, however, the pain of their separation flared up again.

So many years had passed and yet the encounter with him triggered something in her. It made her remember what he had meant to her. How he had made her feel.

Memories that should belong in a box, hidden in some kind of cellar.

But she really shouldn’t be sentimental. This was a mission, after all. Speaking of…

There was no way around meeting Elijah again. Even if it was probably better to leave this conversation to be just this one single direct interaction with him, she would most likely not achieve success if she only played the mysterious stranger. Sure, perhaps that would increase Elijah's interest but one cannot be certain. And a pure possibility alone was not enough.

Not when she had Klaus breathing down her neck. Not when there's the possibility that he's watching her. The thought alone made her feel uneasy and caused her to immediately go through her apartment to check if there was anything unusual in there.

She turned each pillow over and even rummaged through her closet just to make sure he wasn’t hiding somewhere. Which, of course, is totally stupid, but her paranoia forced her to.

Under other circumstances, her curiosity about this changed Elijah would not be great enough to accept the danger of Klaus. Under other circumstances, she would run; no matter what Klaus promised her, you could not trust him.

But she knew, was actually pretty sure, that he had a close eye on her. He could even be trusted to monitor her and have some kind of tracker attached to her. After all, he had enough witches under his control who would certainly grant him this little favor. There's no way he would entrust her with something as important as returning his brother to their family without making sure she was supervised the entire time.

It made her want to barf.

Katherine quickly closed all the curtains of her otherwise sunny apartment (call it a useless sense of security) before she sat down and tried to think.

If Klaus wanted to see progress, she needed to be more quick and efficient. Otherwise, she risks getting a visit again which was something Katherine wanted to prevent.

Okay … let's think.

It was really not new to her to pick up and flirt with a man who could be useful to her, and it was usually no problem. But this man of all people was… difficult. They had history and although she didn't want to admit it he still … meant something to her.

Part of the reason why he decided to end their relationship was because he feared she was deceiving him. Which was complete bullshit because she didn't have any secret agenda. He knew what she had wanted, namely his position to work out a deal for her. She never made a secret of it when she decided to contact him.

He did her injustice by accusing her of wanting to take advantage of him and somehow, it had given her some kind of satisfaction to know that despite his beliefs and fears, he was wrong. That she hadn't done anything unrighteousness. That she wasn't as corrupted and ruined as everyone wants to think. That she was worth saving.

But if she does play him now, he would be right. He could obviously not remember but Katherine is sure that at one point, he will. And if that point is reached, he will remember everything. Including how she played him. He would be convinced that he made the right choice, that she couldn't be trusted.

And she couldn't have that.

So think, Katherine. What is something you could do to make progress but which won't let you look like a mendacious person once he remembers? What would make him want to interact with her but wouldn't be too much? What wouldn't be looking manipulative?

It was actually pretty sure that most of the actions had to come from him, because then you could not accuse her of anything.

Even if she could, of course, create an incentive, because there was something that she could certainly take in her hand. Something that would be appropriate and not quite so noticeable that it would seem suspicious.

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The next evening she went back to the bar. She didn’t dress up more than usual, and didn’t wear any extraordinary clothes – she is, after all, not going to a party or trying to seduce anyone. Which meant that her casual clothes had to do. She was just herself, which should be enough. And if she's honest, she still looks better than most visitors in this bar or even in this town.

She ordered two beers at the bar, and despite not being a beer drinker, it was a necessary evil that she had to accept. After all, one had to create a few similarities and she had seen him drinking that brand of beer. Perhaps the desired conversation would be more easy then.

Speaking of conversation: Katherine had tried her best to prepare herself. To settle into her role as a tourist who has never met him before this trip to Manosque. She had thought about practicing her performance in front of a mirror to make sure everything was going according to her plan. She was a 'bit' perfectionist and she didn’t want to have multiple efforts. It had to work perfectly the first time. However, she quickly figured out that this might not be the right approach. It would give her a false sense of security, at least until something unexpectedly happens. Then, chances would be high that it would throw her off track for a few seconds which could be enough for Elijah to note that something was going on.

She had therefore only roughly considered something and decided to improvise the rest which hopefully won't turn out as a mistake.

Until now, however, everything seemed to be going as it had been observed the previous evenings. While Elijah played, she kept herself in the background, trying to not raise his attention just now. Even after she had gotten the beers she had ordered, she waited for Elijah to take a break before she made her way to him. He was sorting through some papers when she showed up next to him, focused on staying calm and not forgetting her role – which was admittedly difficult because he looked forbiddenly dashing in the white Henley he wore.

"Hello."

He looked up in surprise, apparently not having noted her approaching and the hint of a smile played along his lips as he seemed to recognize her.

"Oh, hello." He put the pieces of paper back on the holder of the piano before he stood up from his piano stool to speak to her at the same eye level.

"I brought you something", she handed him the beer in her left hand which he took with one raised eyebrow, probably wondering what the reason for this was. "I wanted to return the favor for yesterday's drink and I hope you accept?" a genuine question because she still found it difficult to assess this new Elijah.

"Why thank you, but you really didn't have to return the favor. I liked doing it, I certainly didn't expect anything in return." He assured her and sounded sincere. It made her wonder what exactly made him want to buy her a drink and even initiate a conversation. She's sure she's not the only frequent visitor/listener in this bar.

"Well, I like to return the favor," she offered him a smile which certainly wasn't a forced smile. Even this conversation somehow felt … natural. "Cheers?" she lifted her bottle and thankfully, Elijah returned the gesture. Both took a sip from their respective bottle whereby Katherine tried to ignore the specific taste of beer which wasn't really to her taste.

That would already be done.

So that no embarrassing silence arose, Katherine resumed the conversation relatively quickly.

"You had to get back to work so fast yesterday," her hand caressed the piano to show what she meant, "That I didn't have any opportunity to even ask for the name of the very generous man who bought me a drink. I hoped to find out today so I could say properly thanks again."

This should be a good start and would also tell her what he called himself. Maybe he had given himself a different name than Elijah. Perhaps he now went by 'Theo' or 'Daniel' or something entirely different.

"You're right. I apologize for not introducing myself, but somehow I didn’t notice." Because interacting with her felt so familiar? Because he somehow knew that they already knew each other? Katherine assumed that she was not going to find out.

He moved his beer to his left hand before he extended his right hand to her. "My name is Elijah."

So it is Elijah after all. Somehow it was nice to see that he kept his name and didn't completely invent himself new.

Her eyes fell on his outstretched hand, which he had given her to greet her.

So far, she had studiously avoided touching him in any way; although touching was the key to creating familiarity, a short touch here, a short touch there. Decent, of course, but people tended to have more trust in a person when you touched them briefly on the shoulder, hand, or upper arm.

It is probably quite obvious why she had avoided this so far. She didn’t want this kind of familiarity, a healthy distance has never hurt and it is better for her.

Nonetheless, it would be viewed as impolite if she just ignored the hand that he had extended to her which is why she took it. His handshake was as she knew him; not lax, but he radiated the authority known from him. Which in this case was probably something he didn’t express consciously.

"Nice to meet you, Elijah." She bit down on her tongue to not add any additional comment such as 'a nice name' and then made sure to let go of his hand as quickly as possible without seeming suspicious.

"And with whom do I have the pleasure?" He, again, sounded genuinely inquisitive about it which suggested that he really didn’t seem to have a clue who she was.

Of course, she knew that this question would come, and it was the logical consequence after being asked his name. Katherine had also thought about it. What name should she give him? The French version of her name? Catherine Pierre? Her original name, the one he always liked to use? Katerina? The name she usually uses? Katherine?

She wanted to lie to him as little as possible, even if the French version of her name was not a lie, after all, there were people who called her that. However, she always kept in mind that one day he would remember everything. To name him another name was therefore not really an option because he would see it as a blatant lie and another reason why she wasn't trustworthy.

So only Katherine and Katerina remained.

Katerina was of course very obvious, it was the name he always chose for her. He met her as Katerina and somehow, that name stuck with him, no matter that she chose to go by a different name by now.

However, there were two good reasons why she would not introduce herself as Katerina.

On the one hand, she had concerns that this name might trigger something in him, maybe he would start to remember completely. He must have recognized something about her, otherwise, she could not explain why he had bought her of all guests a drink. Katherine, however, wasn't sure if it would be good for her if he started to remember. That should be a task his family has to handle, not her as it could come with risks. She had no idea how long Elijah was already in this memory-less state, she had no idea what he had done since then. She couldn't assess how he would react upon starting to remember who he truly was, what he was capable of, and what he might have done since he chose to get his memories erased; perhaps the true reason why he had picked such a drastic decision in the first place would bubble up again and one never knows what the true trigger for that choice had been and what that caused him to feel.

She didn't want to get in the danger zone.

On the other hand, she also didn't want to introduce herself as Katerina as some kind of self-protection. Hearing him say her name like this – although he probably won't remember to roll the 'R' as he used to do – could bring back even more memories and she wasn't sure if she could endure this.

It was surprisingly difficult enough to interact with him because all the interactions or conversations went through her mind hours later. He was a person who was hard to forget because he did hold a meaning to her even though he believed it to be different…

This is why she chose to introduce herself as the person she was, the person she identified herself as: Katherine.

"My name's Katherine." No last name because he also didn't introduce himself with his last name (if he could even remember it).

Not having to mention a surname was also convenient for her as it came with fewer risks. 'Katherine Pierce' might trigger something in him as well, a 'Katherine Pierce' also might be recognized by others because she had no idea what Elijah did when he wasn't in the pub playing the piano. Perhaps he had friends he talked to? If he tells them that he had met a 'Katherine' it wouldn't be as striking as if he tells them he met a 'Katherine Pierce'. Although Katherine didn’t think she was some kind of well-known celebrity, she was cautious about her identity.

"Katherine-" he repeated the name, his gaze still curious on her although she believed he tried to classify the name on his tongue. "-it's a beautiful name."

That comment made her involuntarily smile although she quickly tried to hide that response. Instead, she politely thanked him the way every person would react when receiving a compliment on their name.

"Okay, Elijah." It was strange saying that name out loud again, even more so to say it in front of that man himself. "Now that I know your name, I can again thank you again for the drink. It really surprised me. Positively."

Oh, if only he knew how much she was surprised by this deed.

"It really wasn't a circumstance. Aside from that, it should probably be me to thank you for returning the favor even though I truly had not intended for you to repay me in any kind." A statement that seemed to be important to him because he again let her know that he indeed didn't have any ulterior motives behind buying her that drink.

"Don't worry, I wanted to." Now, how to keep this conversation going? The actual agenda was over. You bought me a drink, I bought you a drink, we’re even now. Topic finished and everyone back to their respective spot.

Only with the difference that their conversation could not stay there. It needed to develop, to move further.

Sure, now would usually be the time to start flirting, which was typically a breeze. A few ambiguous sentences, a glance here, a 'random' touch there. Only with the difference that she did not want this.

It would be a lot easier if he wasn’t Elijah.

"I was wondering…" She chose her words wisely, wanting to push their conversation in the right direction. There was something else she wanted to say but decided against it before the words left her mouth. "how long you're already playing here? I suppose a solo man show is quite rare." Her words were accompanied by a slight smile that might elicit him some secrets.

It caused Elijah to chuckle shortly before he eyed the beer and then returned his gaze back to her, his index finger swiftly scratching over his cheek.

"It's probably no fascinating story. I wanted to visit this town and I came in here to buy a drink. While I was waiting for my drink, I discovered this piano in the corner. It was a bit dusty and covered but somehow I had this desire to play it. It wasn’t exactly polite, but I went over and folded up the key cover, sat down, and started playing. Please don’t think I’m crazy, but there was this connection somehow as if it was meant to be. And the owner of his pub, Baptiste, was impressed by my playing and asked me if I could imagine playing here regularly."

"And so you did," Katherine concluded, still fascinated by the turn of events. She cannot picture normal Elijah wanting to play a shabby piano in a pub and then even agreeing to play regularly in there. He would probably take such an offer as an insult, even if he wouldn't voice it out loud.

"I'm sure you have many fans," Katherine added as she kept her gaze on Elijah. She didn't know why she chose to say this. It was actually rather stupid. Concentrate, Katherine!

The corners of Elijah's lips lifted slightly and he almost looked slightly sheepishly.

"I think people like the music. Although I'm of course well aware people don't come here to hear me play."

Is he really sure about that? Because Katherine knew there was one person in this room that specifically only came here to hear him.

"Well, I can only speak from my perspective. I was surprised to discover life-piano music when I first came to visit. But it was a nice surprise."

The words left her lips fluidly, not giving a hint away that she truly was astounded by the entire arrangement.

She seemed to have flattered him somehow because he did smile again. Not in the polite, casual way; it was a smile that reached his eyes. An honest joy. An expression that she had rarely seen except for the moments they shared a moment.

Somehow she found it adorable.

Damn it.

Was that really necessary?

To mask this confused reaction, she took a sip of her beer and wondered why she a) reacted to him in that way and b) why she acted so awkwardly. She struggled, not being able to lead their conversation anywhere fruitful without having to flirt or without having some kind of non-neutral reaction.

Was it really possible to mess this up so badly?

Sure, she could ask him if he wanted to show her how to play piano but this was neither the right location nor was it the right approach. It would just remind her of certain things plus she was also sure it was no good idea to risk being (almost) alone with him. Although alone time would probably be the key to success, Katherine simply didn’t want to be alone with him.

Surely Klaus would understand.

…

Who does she fool? Of course, he wouldn't.

"Uhm, I don't want to take more of your time…", she started while thinking of a good way to end this conversation before it got awkward but also keeping a door open.

The next question he would certainly misunderstand at the beginning, but nevertheless, a part of her was quite interested to see how he reacted to it.

"I was planning on going out for dinner tonight…" As expected, Elijah seemed to be slightly puzzled about the start of this sentence as his words caused Elijah to tilt his head, apparently seeming like he considered something. It was interesting in a way that he didn't seem to be interested in the potential thought of spending time with her outside this pub. Which she definitely found strange. But perhaps that's only her interpretation because she didn't really want him to consider this some type of date. Before he could voice his objections, however, Katherine quickly raised her hand.

"Oh, no, not what you think. Don't worry." She quickly added that she definitely wasn't asking him out. At least not yet and hopefully never.

"I thought that you might know a good place? I would appreciate a tip."

Elijah was indeed able to make a recommendation, which she took as an occasion to finally say goodbye on the grounds that she was starting to feel hungry and thanks to him, now has the ideal restaurant.

It was hopefully an elegant safe before she found herself in an embarrassing situation although she did ponder if he would have actually declined her invitation if she truly had asked him out. What was the reason for it?

Did he subliminally have a grudge against her? Even if she could not comprehend that, because he has been quite friendly and open-minded towards her so far. Surely he wouldn't initiate a conversation by buying her a drink if he somehow didn't like her.

Or maybe it was something completely different: Maybe more was hiding behind the supposedly unsuspecting facade.

It definitely gave her something to think about as she put the still-half-full bottle of beer on the bar and then proceeded to leave the club.

In the background, the music began to play and as she walked outside, she noticed that he had not answered the one question about how long he had been there. Intentionally or accidentally?

Don't give it too much thought, Katherine. Don't let him drive you crazy.

Even before she had entirely left the club, she had already taken out the phone from her bag to go look for the address of the restaurant although she did not plan on visiting it this evening as she was looking for a different type of meal. Something more nutritious for a vampire. And hopefully also a way of distracting her mind.

While searching for the address on the internet (and its opening hours), Katherine subconsciously noticed a woman who was entering the pub. Katherine didn't really pay attention to that person, despite her instincts telling her that there was something different about this woman in comparison to the usual visitors of this place.

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A/N: Please consider leaving (positive) feedback as it keeps my muse for writing alive. ♥ Remember to stay kind.

#love will remember #lwr5 #tvd ff #tvd #katherine pierce #elijah mikaelson #kalijah

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thememoriesofaqueen · 1 year ago

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Love Will Remember 4

[Chapter updated in June 2023] A/N: Hello & welcome back. Today is Katherine Pierce's 550th birthday, so I thought let's celebrate this special day by gifting you all the next chapter of 'Love Will Remember'. And as always I want to thank you for your continuous support and feedback. It means a lot to me ♥

English is not my first language

→ I do not own anything of the TVD - Universe and I’m not affiliated or associated with the writers etc. This is only a headcanon/fanfiction.

Pairings: Kalijah (Katherine & Elijah), Klatherine (allies)

Rated: M

Read on: AO3 and / or FFnet

Word Count: 3.6k // Masterlist (x)

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▬ New York City // Paris ▬

"You did what? You can't be serious, Nik! Have you lost your damn mind?"

Klaus rolled his eyes and was tempted to remove the phone from his ear to avoid getting tinnitus. "It will work, sister. Don't tell me you don't have a little faith in our new friend."

"Friend is hardly the right word, brother, and you know it. You entrusted that manipulative, lying, scheming, unworthy wench with this sensitive topic!"

"Poppycock! Don’t assume I don’t know what I’m doing!" Klaus raised his voice before he reminded himself to stay calm. Of course he still has doubts about the success of his mission but Katerina was desperate. If her life means something to her, she will make sure to make their deal work.

"And have you, omnificent brother, considered that she will use Elijah's weak spot to manipulate him against us? You are delusional to believe that this strumpet can mean anything to him IF she even gets a reaction out of him."

"Stop this nonsense, Rebekah! Of course I am aware of the risk but that's why I won't let her be unsupervised. And if there's anyone outside our family who might have a chance to get through his current lost condition, it's her. Don't believe I haven't noticed how our oh-so-noble brother lusted for her."

"Now you exaggerate, Nik. Elijah didn't lust after her, that hardly is what it was. He probably pitied her. And who can blame him? Elijah always was the one who makes himself strong for the weakest. Even if it happens to be for such a slut as Katherine Pierce. Or Katerina Petrova, doesn't make any difference if I'm honest."

"I hardly matter, does it, sister? As long as she fulfills her mission, we don't need to get to the bottom of our brother's questionable taste. And if Katerina proves to be useless to us, I simply kill her. It's a win-win for both situations." The corner of his lips curled upwards, vividly imagining the downfall of Katherine Pierce.

"And what if she is successful? Do you simply pardon her?"

The grin on Klaus's lips fade and his expression grew stern.

"I'll see. It probably depends on our dear brother's view. Can't have him turning his back on us again if I kill his lover. Although it wouldn't be the first time." A shrug followed his words, although Klaus is aware this might be going to be a problem in the future. He can't picture Elijah having a serious interest in the doppelgänger but one never knows. Especially because he does remember the time in Mystic Falls, shortly after Elijah handed over the last white oak stake to him, where he asked him to pardon Katerina.

What were his words? 'As your family, as your only living brother, I would ask that you provide me with this opportunity to feel, to care. To love.' If Elijah truly meant what he was saying back then, if his supposed feelings for this horrible doppelgänger weren't a mere charade, then his plan should work out. One could believe him that he would welcome it if it were anyone else but Katerina Petrova. But unfortunately, Elijah had developed a pretty intense connection with her and still seemed to believe he could find the naive human girl somewhere inside her.

A fool, that's all he could say regarding this matter.

And a dangerous fool, Klaus thought to himself. If he doesn't have Katerina under absolute control, there is the risk that she'll make the situation worse. Elijah had already betrayed them once when it came to this horrible person.

"Don't worry, Rebekah. I'll have it under control and as soon as we have Elijah back, we will deal with the Hollow. I'm positive we will see each other soon. Until then, take care of you, little sister."

With that, Klaus ended the phone call and returned his attention to the small, French army that he has created.

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Manosque, France

Katherine had been racking her brains over the last few days about how to proceed.

She couldn’t just talk to Elijah and say, 'Hey, your family is waiting for you, they really suck, but they also really miss you so it's still a win for you.'

She also could not try to break his neck and deliver him to Klaus. That was unfortunately not the goal of the task, even if that would have been probably the easiest variant as Elijah was apparently not in an alarm position at the moment.

What else was left? Flirting with him and turning his head? That felt wrong on so many levels.

They had been together once and had separated, or rather, he had separated. She refused to come anywhere close to flirting with him because although she is a great actress, deep down she cannot forget that he rejected her. Trying to force herself to flirt with him would make her feel cheap. Why did she still have to deal with it after all these years? She could have something so much better right now. Well, she could, but then Klaus would tear off her head. She still wonders how he managed to find her. She thought they were finally even...

So what was left? And above all, what would preserve her dignity?

Until further notice, she had limited herself to reluctantly going back to the pub. Reluctantly, because she didn’t want to be near him. Meanwhile, she had no doubt that he could not remember her (otherwise he would have reacted to her, right?), but it still caused her discomfort.

An Original that was potentially out of control was nothing she wanted to be close to. After all, one could not know what such memory loss could do. Although there were no signs of aggressive behavior, Elijah seemed exceptionally peaceful and at peace with herself every day she listened to him play.

Maybe her discomfort was just because she didn’t like looking at him. Not because he wasn’t a handsome man - because he is - but simply because it reminded her of what she had lost. Many years ago...

Apart from that, she had to admit that this new style of clothing, which had nothing to do with his usual formal appearance, looked forbiddenly sharp. The suits were incredibly sexy but these Henleys he apparently started liking to wear? It was a hot look on him. If they didn’t already know each other (or rather knew each other), he would definitely be the type of man she would appeal to.

Even now, when she currently sat in the pub again to watch Elijah play, she felt this feeling arise. It made her remember things she wanted to forget. Not because they were bad things, but because they were good memories; sometimes quite passionate memories.

What was that?

Is she starting to feel attracted to him and dwell in passionate and hot memories just because he looked different and she watched him play?

Please no, she can't have that.

Those were thoughts she felt ashamed of because she didn’t want to feel that way about him. In fact, she hated it. She didn’t want to adore a man, let alone someone who didn’t want her!

Katherine downed her drink and shook her head before she grabbed her purse and left the Pub in the middle of a song he was just playing.

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It had been a few days before Katherine dared to go back to the pub. As if she were afraid of what awaited her there (which she certainly was not - at least not in that way).

The last few days she had spent on the Côte d'Azur, away and out of Manosque, switching off her head, enjoying life. Without thinking about Klaus, who probably had her followed. Without thinking about Elijah, her ex, who (fortunately) couldn’t remember her and who she was supposed to bring back to his family. They have been beautiful days. But somehow ..., maybe it was her paranoia, but at some point, she had started to get concerned. As if Klaus were stalking at every corner and waiting to put her to an end.

His appearance in Paris had completely ruined her inner peace. She would even go so far as to say that the fear of him was back. He had surprised her completely unexpectedly and she knew that he was not joking when it came to his brother. If she wasn’t successful then..., then she will have to run again, hide, and assume false identities. A terrible thought.

So before focusing on this disaster, she preferred to focus on the piano.

Admittedly, this activity here was a waste of his talent, his playing was a piece of background music. People listened to him and clapped when he finished his play, but basically, no one really appreciated it. At least not in a way that would have been appropriate.

Elijah had never shown his instrumental talent openly, or rather rarely. She didn’t know the exact reasons for this, but she could imagine that the Elijah she knew would never give his talent to something so inferior.

As in the days before, there were different glasses, empty and some with leftovers on the piano, people chatting while he was playing, toasting each other, laughing loudly, and leaving the building whenever they liked.

Normal behavior in a pub where nothing was out of the ordinary.

At least if you ignored Elijah’s presence - he was the one who didn't fit in there. And yet nothing disturbed him. He seemed like he didn't mind it. Again, the behavior of the people was normal for a pub but the way that Elijah seemed entirely unbothered by the lack of respect?

He, who expected and demanded respect from others, accepted this behavior.

Katherine was sure that - if this had been the normal Elijah - speeches would have been already held and heads would have rolled. Another proof that this man was a different person.

But she thought too much about it again. And thinking too much about the same things wasn't recommended.

Katherine, who was sitting at the bar as usual, emptied her glass and decided to devote herself to her book again. A book whose content she didn’t care about but which was a good cover.

She needed a reason to sit in a pub every night Elijah played there (which was actually not every day). Admittedly, reading was a strange reason to visit a pub, but at least it stopped people from addressing her. The French people are incredibly flirty and of course, tried their luck with any beautiful woman they believed are available. Of course, it was not surprising, but she had actually received several requests for more drinks, to trips, or other flirting attempts. She really preferred that boring book over those fruitless attempts of desperate men.

So that’s what Katherine did. She sat at the bar, ordered a drink from time to time, and also let her gaze wander to Elijah every now and then. Just to make sure that he was still there and that they hadn't switched the player.

She felt quite stupid about it, but she hoped to learn something about him by getting acquainted with this new Elijah. Who knows, maybe she recognized certain patterns?

Every now and then, although she thought it was impossible, she actually lost herself in the book she had procured. Not because it was interesting, but because she preferred to focus on something that had nothing to do with Elijah.

"Mademoiselle, voici un verre pour elle," First, Katherine did not feel addressed, but when the bartender pushed a glass of whiskey over the counter, she raised her head in amazement. She didn’t order anything? And she wouldn’t take a drink from a stranger, either. Precaution, if one so will. It’s nice that a stranger buys her a drink, but she really didn’t need that, especially if she hadn't supervised it.

Katherine closed her book and packed it back in her bag which was just big enough to fit it.

"Non, il doit y avoir un malentendu - no, that must be a misunderstanding. Please tell the person that it is nice, but he should not give his bought drink to me," Katherine retorted and was about to push the glass away from her when an all too familiar voice sounded behind her.

"Forgive me, I didn't intend to insult you."

Katherine turned and looked at Elijah’s face. How had she not noticed that he had stopped playing?

"Don't worry, I definitely didn’t take it as an insult," was all she could respond because she was ... puzzled. How did she end up in this situation where he buys her a drink? He doesn't even know her.

"Then I am reassured. It should actually be just a courtesy because I saw that your glass is empty and I know you're here often."

Did he? Katherine was surprised that he seemed to recognize her from her previous visits.

"That's really nice. Perhaps I should reconsider my initial aversion. Do you like to take a seat? Perhaps we can share a drink." Maybe she should really seize this opportunity, even if it was indeed unexpected. She didn’t expect him to talk to her.

Elijah accepted her invitation, sat down on the empty bar chair next to her, and ordered a beer. A beer, not even a glass of whiskey, what an unusual choice for him.

"You seem to have had the right instinct, how did you know I liked whiskey?" she asked innocuously and politely, although it was hard to just have a casual conversation with him. He wasn't just anyone, after all.

"I deciphered it from the empty whiskey glass in front of you", he retorted and a tiny smile is playing along his lips. "You’re a tourist, right?"

"What gave me away?", she asked, seriously interested although she thought she knew the answer. She was also thankful that she was capable of coming up with a quick counter-question and not starting to stumble. That would have been embarrassing.

"You speak English and most French don’t speak English within their own country. Admittedly, many aren’t really skilled at it when they do."

"Hmm, can I assume you’re a tourist too? After all, your English is pretty good." A stupid question, after all, she knew that he was not French, but she wanted to keep the conversation going. She had to find out more about him, about this new version of Elijah.

"I wouldn’t call myself a tourist, I’ve lived here for some time."

"Interesting, where do you originally come from, may I ask?"

This question seemed to make him hesitate; she recognized it by the hint of a frown, which was really only slightly indicated.

Does that mean he didn’t know where he had lived before? As far as she knew, he had been living in New Orleans the entire time before this ... loss of memory happened. He couldn't have just woken up in France one day, could he? Why didn’t Klaus give her more information?

"I have lived in the United States before, but I have always felt a connection with France. Life here is simply more beautiful."

"I agree, it really is beautiful here." She could well imagine that the real Elijah would also like it here.

Before she could continue her conversation, Elijah got his beer, which he toasted to her.

"To a continued wonderful stay."

"To a continued wonderful stay," she repeated before she took a sip of her whiskey. Elijah did the same but with his beer which she noticed that he enjoyed. He wasn't grossed out by it - which obviously can be expected because if new Elijah didn't like beer, he wouldn't order it. But still, it was a fascinating discovery.

Katherine also knew that this was probably a unique opportunity that opened up for her here. How and where else would she have such a casual conversation with him? Especially because in this case, it hadn't been her who initiated it and therefore, it's impossible that he could grow suspicious of her.

"Did you ever thought of returning to your homeland?", Katherine finally questioned to keep the conversation going.

Elijah thought about it for a rather quick moment. "No, I don't think of moving away from here. At least not for the moment. I feel at home here, why trade this for something else?"

His question made Katherine wonder if he knows he has family in the United States. If he even misses them in case he knows of them.

"I think I can understand that pretty well. I rarely feel at home somewhere, so if I feel comfortable somewhere, I'm going to enjoy and appreciate it as long as it lasts." Katherine doesn't like to give such insights into her thoughts because it is the truth. Katherine rarely feels at home somewhere, no matter how generous and luxurious the accommodation or how beautiful the landscape is. She is used to not staying for too long; the price of being always on the run. Eventually, even if there's no such reason, she starts to feel uncomfortable. If she stays too long in one place, the risk of someone starting to notice her gets too high. One won't remember a random person but one certainly will remember a frequent guest. Isn't that why she's having this conversation with Elijah in the first place? Because he started to notice her frequent visits?

It surprised her that she was so ... genuine with him but she assumed that despite everything, he’s still somehow ... him. Perhaps it is what she wanted to believe. In fact, she doesn’t know what she wanted to believe or not. She’s confused and still overtaxed by this surprising conversation.

Katherine noticed that Elijah watched her with interest. As if he was analyzing something. Is he going to recognize her?

"So I assume you're returning soon to where you initially come from?" he choose to ask which caused her to shake her head with a smile.

"No, I'm on vacation. As I said, the south of France is a beautiful place. The chic beaches, picturesque places, unspoiled landscapes, idyllic mountain villages, and the impressive rocky coasts are definitely worth a visit." It's a shame that she cannot enjoy the beautiful landscape like a normal tourist. "I still have a lot planned and I think I can’t leave until I’ve done everything."

How true. After all, she had a mission that was unfortunately not as beautiful and easy as marveling at picturesque places and beautiful beaches.

Klaus had ruined France for her. On the other hand..., if she were successful, she might actually be able to start a new chapter. She would be free, her main enemy would no longer be her problem. Anything else would be manageable then.

"That sounds like a very versatile program," said Elijah, bringing his beer to his lips.

Katherine nodded, "It is. It remains to be seen whether I will succeed."

"I keep my fingers crossed for you," he replied before he emptied the last sip of his beer and then conjured an apologetic smile on his lips.

"I have to say goodbye now, the duty calls," he glanced at the abandoned piano with a wink. "It was nice to talk to you and of course, I wish you a continued nice evening."

"Then of course I don’t want to stop you. Thanks again for the drink," she raised the glass a little bit and offered him a genuine smile. Elijah returned the smile, a slight hint of his dimples visible before he returned to the piano.

Now that there was some space between them, Katherine reviewed the conversation. Talking to Elijah was surprisingly easy as if there had never been a past connection between them. And, although she shouldn't interpret too much into it, she still wondered how he noticed her. Sure, the pub wasn't that big but there certainly were other guests who visit frequently as well. Did she feel flattered? Perhaps. But only a little bit. Right? Damn, Katherine!

Although she had sworn to herself that someone like Elijah, someone from the past, someone whose chapter has been closed years ago, had no influence over her anymore, he still seemed to hold some kind of power over her. The thing is ... it felt nice talking to him. So familiar. Like nothing bad ever happened between them. And in all honesty ... she missed these talks she used to have with him.

She knew it was wrong and against her principles. Gosh, she could slap herself for even feeling that way. She couldn’t even blame it on the alcohol or Elijah's new, very unexpected but still very fitting dress style. Only she is at fault and perhaps a cold shower is needed to get some sense back into her.

It really is for the best if she leaves now.

She took her purse and left the pub even before Elijah started to play again. If there’s one thing she’s really good at, it’s running away.

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A/N: Kalijah's first interaction after their breakup. Who would have thought that memory-less Elijah is going to buy her a drink?

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#love will remember #lwr 4 #tvd ff #tvd #katherine pierce

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