Chapter Thirty-Nine: In Crisp Uniform, Marching in Lockstep

A/N: Ah, to have almost 40 chapters. Wow. So so sorry for the delay. Enjoy this update, y'all, I'm currently working on the next!

Perspective: Elena

-x-x-x-

"But these weren't the kind of monsters that had tentacles and rotting skin, the kind a seven-year-old might be able to wrap his mind around—they were monsters with human faces, in crisp uniforms, marching in lockstep, so banal you don't recognize them for what they are until it's too late."

-Ransom Riggs

You'd expected Katherine to say something.

"Mother," you barely hear her.

She moves forward, but nothing more.

Amelia's gaze lingers on Katherine's face, her expression unchanging. Katherine's demeanour shifts like she's backing down.

You don't remember Amelia being so cold. Hazed as your memory was, she'd held you with care. Held you like she didn't want to lose you—like she didn't want to lose Katherine ever again.

But now? That stare?

You can only imagine what Katherine must be thinking.

"Katherine."

"Why?"

Amelia doesn't answer right away.

"Why would you leave me?"

"Get out of here, Katherine," she dodges, voice silky smooth and yet dark.

Katherine shakes her head.

"Mikael doesn't seem to be in a good mood today."

"Tell me you didn't kill Viktor," Katherine interrupts.

She can't honestly believe that, but if you were in her situation, you'd hope.

"Get out of here, Katherine," Amelia repeats, firmly, "You shouldn't even be here."

"Here?" Your sister stands, but for some reason you feel the need to hang onto her, "Here where? At the Mikaelsons or out of prison?!"

"Both," Amelia doesn't so much as flinch at the accusatory words.

This isn't how you'd pictured this. To say that you had been excited for Katherine to reunite with her mother was an understatement.

Given the fifty percent chance, the universe owed at least one of you a better life, and for a bit there, you'd believed it had been Katherine.

A long moment passes before Amelia continues her walk, passing the two of you and blatantly ignoring Mikael's warning about getting off his property.

"You're just leaving me here?!"

You startle at Katherine's shout. You've never heard her like this before. Desperate.

Amelia stops, taking the time to let in and out a breath.

"Do what you want, Katherine," her voice. It's cold. "You always do."

That stabs you in the heart and it's not even directed at you.

"Katherine," you breathe, reaching out in comfort. She doesn't blink, helplessly watching her mother walk away.

"Katherine," you repeat, watching Mikael's guards as they wait. "We should—"

You stop, unsure what the next course of action here is. Do you leave? Do you go after Amelia? Despite how dismissive she is? Even after Mikael's demands on your departure?

There's another moment that passes quick. It isn't long by any means but the way Katherine turns to you feels like a whip lash.

"We should go," she says. As if her entire world hadn't just fallen apart in front of her eyes.

"Kat," you grab her hand, but she just tugs you along instead.

"Let's go."

There's a finality in her voice that shocks you. But when you look back to where Amelia should be, the woman only continues her walk up the metal stairs, not once glancing back to her daughter.

-x-x-x-

You knew for a fact that they had left.

It was dark. You'll always remember the way the shadows moved against the hallway walls, and you were scared.

But not as much as Jeremy was when he awoke later that morning.

At six years old, you'd peaked through the crack of your door in the middle of the night to see your parents calmly pulling suitcases down the stairs. You hadn't made a sound, you'd gotten in trouble earlier in the evening and Greyson had told you not to talk to him. But when you heard the front door shut and lock, you finally get out, following their steps.

You didn't know where they were heading, but you flung the door open as the Gilbert car pulled out of the driveway.

"Mom!" You remember shouting. Or did you make that up?

Regardless, you swear that Miranda had met your eyes from the driver's seat.

Without a word, the car with your parents in it peeled down the road.

You hadn't cried.

You remember that much.

But that was all five-year-old Jeremy could do once he woke up that morning.

You decide to comfort your crying brother by staying in the same bed that night and the next. You honestly have no recollection of what the two of you did during those days. You don't even remember how long before Jenna eventually showed up. Later, when you were much older, did she confess to you that she had been caught completely off guard. That back then, her sister was nowhere to be found and she had had no way of contacting her. She hadn't even told anyone that they were leaving.

Jeremy had cried. You don't remember his face ever being dry of tears during that time.

"I miss mom and dad," he would say.

And you agreed. You missed your parents.

You had no idea where they went and for what and for how long.

But eventually, they did come back.

But they would never stay for too long.

It's not hard to say that that hurt.

When they were home, more times than not, you would end up in a fight. You never understood if this had been the norm, or if their frequent absence is what led to your strained relationship.

Regardless of the answer, it didn't take that long for you to figure out that it was always better when they were gone.

-x-x-x-

Katherine doesn't say a word.

After walking out of the compound, she'd taken you to the nearest back alley in the city. Without even saying anything, you knew you'd been tasked to find a car and kickstart it.

"I kinda need you to let go," you tell her gently, relaxing your own hand before hers unclenches from yours.

Almost an hour later as you drive, face still stinging from Mikael's hand, do you glance again at Katherine who has yet to say anything.

You've been here before, but not like this.

Where her coy should be, you're shocked that this expression you can read from her.

That quiet distress, the internal doubt, and her lethargic nature. You've been there way too many times not to notice it on (essentially) your own face.

But knowing the problem doesn't necessarily provide you the cure to it. If you knew how to do that, you'd bottle up that knowledge for the next time you needed it.

"Where are we going?" you ask typically.

When she doesn't respond, you call her, "Katherine."

"What?"

"Where are we going?" you repeat, softer.

Katherine's eyes narrow like she wincing at the thought, "I don't know."

Amelia's actual reappearance has her on a tailspin. Katherine has never directly talked to you about her mother. The extent she ever told you is that she had died and that Tobias was a liar, trying to trip her up about her mother's death. You can't explain it but despite barely knowing the woman, you'd known she would help the two of you.

Turns out, you'd been dead wrong. Both of you.

When you ask her the same question later on, your twin has the same answer.

For once, Katherine looks more lost than you. And for once, it's up to you to decide where you're headed.

You already know where you should go. The furthest you can get Katherine away from Amelia and still have a safe place to put your head down.

As much as you hate it, you're heading home.

-x-x-x-

"We're here."

Katherine blinks a little, only sighing as she glances at you.

You can tell she recognizes the place.

"Richmond Station?"

You nod, "We need a few things."

Mikael didn't exactly let you leave with anything more than the clothes off your back. You'd never met the man till he'd heatedly burst into your room with his henchmen, but after letting you stay in his home all that time, you wonder what suddenly triggered the psycho man's wrath. Amelia? Or maybe it was actually more to do with you attacking his own prisoner in his own home.

Regardless of the reason, the two of you need more than a stolen car and a few loose change in your pockets to get by.

"Stay here," you instruct Katherine. "Both of us can't go in there."

She only nods again as you get out of the car.

In what felt like an entire lifetime ago, Katherine had dropped off her duffle bag in one of the station lockers here as the two of you were running from Tobias. Back then, you'd been cautious, but even then your face had yet to be plastered on national news stations for all to see.

You take another glance at Katherine as you step over the sidewalk curb, pulling your cap to hide your face from the cameras.

The station isn't crowded, and you easily find the locker and get what you need, completely surprising yourself when you come out of the station without a single issue.

Despite the cops patrolling the public area—probably in response to Jackson's shootout from the parade—they don't even glance your way.

You're not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but your heart only drops when you don't spot your counterpart in the passenger side seat. You freeze, knowing you have to hold in your panic. You can't be causing a scene here but where in the world would Katherine get up and go to?

Did she follow you?

"Are we going?"

You almost jump at her voice.

"How did you—"

One corner of her lips pull up mischievously, but she doesn't laugh like you expect her to. Instead, she gets back into the vehicle and waits for you to do the same.

You get into the driver's seat, setting the duffle in the back.

'Now what, Elena?'

-x-x-x-

You repeat yourself.

"We're here."

You're apprehensive, and it doesn't help that Katherine has barely said a word on the five hours to get to this place.

This feels like dejavu, but Katherine has never been here before.

At least, you don't think she has.

"Where's here?"

"Jenna's house."

A slow nod is her only response, and you explain your plan.

"There's nowhere else to go. Technically, you're the only one wanted by the police, so they shouldn't be here. And I know Jenna will at least let us stay the night."

Katherine doesn't respond, and you check your phone.

You make sure you won't be met with any surprises before deciding to ditch the stolen car down the street and walk up to the front door of Jenna's house.

Her car isn't in the driveway, so she shouldn't be home but you know after the initial shock, she won't have a problem with your visit. Hopefully.

Katherine trails behind you silently. Her demeanour shows a focus you probably wouldn't have at this point if you were in her shoes, but you know already how distracted she is. How lethargic she's been this whole time.

You've already calculated that going home is your best step but you want to ask her if this is a good plan just to hear her speak. A distraction she'd call you out on in any other given day.

The door opens to Jenna, wide-eyed as she looks between the two of you and quickly ushers you in. You hadn't even knocked yet.

Your aunt quickly eyes the empty street before shutting the door, engulfing you in a hug.

"What are you doing here?"

"We didn't have anywhere else. I'm sorry."

Jenna shakes her head, "Don't be. I'm glad you're okay."

Her grip confirms her earnestness, and over your shoulder she greets your twin. "And I'm glad you're alive, Katherine."

Katherine's response is a tight smile.

"Is it okay to stay here? We won't be long, I swear—"

"You can stay for as long as I can hide you. Are you running from someone?"

"Besides the cops?" Katherine deadpans, walking the room and looking around.

"Besides them," Jenna nods, surprisingly unperturbed at the notion. Less frantic since the last time you showed up unannounced. "Where's that man you left with?"

Kol. "We got separated."

Jenna raises her brows, gauging the information. She glances at Katherine who isn't paying attention anymore, but Jenna doesn't ask about the elephant in the room. About how in the world did Katherine even survive Tobias? And that freezer?

"The two of you should stay in the basement rooms. The back door will be helpful in case of an emergency."

You nod, feeling relief that you made the right choice and that Jenna didn't outright turn you away (you shouldn't have expected her to).

You pull Katherine with you as you head down to the basement.

-x-x-x-

It's an hour later when you surface from the basement after hearing Jenna busy herself in the kitchen. She probably thinks she should feed the two of you and you're grateful because you feel starved.

"You don't have to do that," you say, following the smell and seeing what Jenna has cooked up. It's getting late, and you assume your aunt has work in the morning.

"You're hungry, aren't you?"

"I am," you agree easily.

"I've got work early in the morning and I can't leave you in the kitchen… in any kitchen for that matter."

You shake your head, but you can't help your grin.

"How is she?"

"She's asleep," you say, refraining from explaining.

"She's okay?"

You nod, but Jenna's concern doesn't dissipate. The last time she'd seen you, you'd been rushing out of her house in hopes of rescuing Katherine from a freezer.

"I'm sorry I didn't believe you."

You meet her eyes for a moment. "I don't blame you," you say genuinely. "She should be dead. I'm just lucky she isn't."

Jenna pulls you into another comforting hug, rubbing your back. "I'm really really glad she's alive. And that you're okay. I mean it when I said it, Elena, ask me anything. I'll do what I can."

You nod again, believing.

When Jenna pulls away to check on the stove, she turns to you.

"What?" you ask.

"Are you in immediate danger? What's going on?"

What a loaded question.

"Is it bad?"

You kinda of want to laugh to be honest. "That's an understatement."

"Those people that were here—?"

"The Mikaelsons? No, don't worry about them. Not right now anyway…"

"Then what is it."

You only hesitate for a moment but it's only fair that Jenna knows what she's getting herself into.

"Tobias Pierce, he…" you shudder at the thought of the man, his hot breath by your ear as he hissed threats and kept you drugged up. Ever since the whole ordeal, you've been having these recurring nightmares. Hell, to be honest, it'd probably be much easier to count how many peaceful nights you've had since Jeremy's death than vice versa. Though this recent one just so happens to like shaking you to your core long after you've already woken.

You tell Jenna about the terrible man. The same one who'd locked Katherine in a freezer had also deliberately terrorized you. And though you'd escaped, and Katherine had found you (not the other way around), you still shake at the thought of him.

You find yourself crying without a sob, but Jenna comforts you all the same.

"Is he looking for you two?"

"No," you shake your head, unsure. "I don't know."

"That's good. If you don't know, at least he isn't blatantly rampaging to find you." Jenna rubs your shoulders, and you can see how anxious this makes her. The thought of someone chasing you to inflict more harm than they've already caused.

"Yeah…"

"But," your aunt studies your face, "Something else is bothering you."

"To be honest, I… Just before we came here I actually felt like I was going crazy."

She raises her brows.

"I almost killed someone," you say, only wondering after the words leave your mouth if you should even be confessing this sort of thing. Isn't harbouring fugitives running from not only the police and a criminal organization enough? Aren't you asking Jenna for too much?

"What happened?" Your aunt doesn't look the least bit repulsed. The only thing on her face is concern.

"You're not…shocked? Or mad?" Katherine wasn't.

"Why would I be mad?" Jenna reaches out, comforting. "That's not like you at all. I'm more concerned about you. What happened?"

You'd have expected her disappointment not her understanding, and you have to shake your head. You really don't give her enough credit.

"The man who killed Jeremy…"

"Katherine's cousin? You met him?"

You nod, not needing to elaborate.

"He's alive?"

"Katherine tells me he's ready to confess."

"Ready?"

You didn't exactly get the details before Amelia showed up. "She didn't really tell me what she'd told him but I'm going to assume he'd been threatened. I can't see that bastard doing it otherwise."

"You'll be exonerated."

"Yeah."

The grin that breaks out on her face falters, "You're not excited?"

"I… I am, it's just. It's Katherine." You admit, "I'm worried about her… and that's… besides making sure she's alive, I've never really had to worry about her."

Jenna nods, though you don't explain further.

"And now you don't know what to do."

"Yeah…" you admit. Jenna's sympathetic eyes make you look away. "Do you know Amelia Pierce?"

Like Ilia and Isobel, maybe Jenna also knows Amelia. Maybe she can shed some light on her demeanour—though, meeting her almost twenty years ago compared to now wouldn't give her a good indicator of what happened at the Mikaelson compound.

"No, I'm sorry. But… Miranda must've. She was there when both of you were born."

You sigh. As if you can even talk to the woman. As if you even want to.

You sit on the island stool, sorting through your thoughts with the one standout being Katherine. Almost killing Jackson had horrifically made you realize you hadn't been crying because you almost killed someone. In fact, your tears then had been about Katherine's words, about how more useful Jackson was alive than dead. All that shock and guilt went out the window the second you had to pick Katherine up and lead the way.

Not wanting to be the only one making choices aside, you really need your sister to be okay. But it's not like you can just tell her to get over it. To shrug off Amelia's abandonment and indifference.

Those things cut deep because fuck, not even you're over your parents' own treatment to you and you've endured that for most of your life.

What are you going to do?

What are you supposed to do?

As Jenna places the lid on the pot once more, she turns to you, "Does Katherine know how to cook?"

You raise your brows, confused, but Jenna only waits for your response.

"I assume so," you say, acknowledging the change in subject, "She always teases me about not being able to."

Jenna laughs, "Doesn't mean she can."

You laugh with her, feeling suddenly another intense emotion. You miss this. All this time with Katherine, and her family and her friends that are chaotic and outright psychotic, and yet you can admit your jealousy—of the people who have her back despite the others who stick a knife in it. For you, any sense of acknowledgement would've done you some good growing up. You almost feel the instinct to pull away right now but you're reminded that with all the shit your parents have given you, Jenna has always been there. For you and Jeremy.

She quirks her brow as she stirs the pot.

You were wrong. In a time of crisis, suddenly you find that you do have a "just got out of jail, hide me please" person on your side.

Jenna grins at you, instructing that you bring silverware downstairs for you and Katherine.

-x-x-x-

"You've been quiet."

"Have I?"

"I don't know, it's just… unusual…" you shake your head, "Not that you don't have a good reason to. I mean, not that you do have a reason to…"

You're thoughts scramble over themselves but Katherine doesn't make fun of you like she usually would.

She only sighs.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"What for my thoughts?"

"Pen… uh. You don't know that saying?" Something she doesn't know? "Nevermind."

Katherine frowns, "What is it?"

You put your fork down, scratching your head a little.

Katherine rolls her eyes, tongue jutting between curled lips in frustration, "Just say what you want to say, Elena."

"Amelia…" you're aware you're in no place to say this. "She didn't mean what she said."

She stops as well, narrowing her eyes.

"She didn't mean, it?" she scoffs. "Of course she did."

"Katherine, when I met her—"

"How would you know? How would you fucking know?!" Katherine slams the table as she stands and you jump.

It's true. You don't actually know the woman.

"Katherine."

"Don't Katherine me."

"Don't tell me you were expecting this from her. From your mother."

Katherine stares at you. You can see the indignation in her eyes, accusing you of having the audacity to even say that. Shaking her head, she turns to walk off.

The action nags at you, because for some reason you feel the need to defend Amelia despite what you witnessed at the courtyard.

You grab her arm before she can go anywhere. "Katherine."

Was it because Amelia had been so concerned when she was with you? Or maybe it was the way Katherine was so easily giving up, accepting the way Amelia had dismissed her at face value?

"You never talked about her. If she'd always been so terrible, you would've mentioned it."

"Maybe because I know better now."

"No."

"Let go." She pulls but you refuse.

"Something must've happened."

"Well, who the fuck cares, Elena? She abandoned me!"

"You do care."

Katherine's glare isn't directed at you but she doesn't dispute that. With a deep sigh, she closes her eyes.

"Let go, Elena," she says, suddenly somber, "please."

That's the last thing you want to do, but you comply. You want to tell her that you're here for her. That for all the reasons you know your parents will abandon you without thought, somehow you don't believe Amelia to be the same. That whatever Katherine is feeling right now, you understand completely.

Meeting your gaze for a moment, Katherine walks off up the stairs.

-x-x-x-

Oddly enough, the days go by quickly.

Jenna is in the kitchen before you even wake, you talk to her while she prepares for her day, and you sit down with Katherine in the basement to eat. You still can't shake that internal prison clock.

The day after you'd arrived, after that argument about Amelia, Katherine had continued to become more solemn. Not outright sad, but just… quiet. The two of you talk, there isn't a tense atmosphere between you, but her banter, and the way she always teases you is absent.

And the day after that, as you sit with her on the couch, eyes barely on the news on the screen, do you realize for certain that you miss her lighthearted jeers and that sharp grin it comes with. You weren't lying. To say you understood what she's feeling better than anyone would be an understatement. Katherine brushes off your attempts at deeper conversation but you hug her at night while you sleep, reassuring her she isn't alone, and she lets you.

One day, you lay down beside her as she stares at the ceiling, deep in thought. You don't say anything and she makes a point to address it.

"No questions this time?"

You don't sigh aloud, "No."

Not that you're tired of asking but even you would be tired of receiving the questions. Any questions, for that matter. It's just… you can't help it. You just want to help.

It isn't until a different day, when you wake up later than usual for some reason, that you hear laughter as you rise from the basement and head for the kitchen.

"Hey," you greet, wondering what they could be doing if not cooking. They're huddled in the middle of the room, backs to you as they leer over something on the island. Did they mess up something?

"Elena," Katherine greets and for a moment you almost convince yourself that you'd imagined her smirk. But it's there, quirked brow and all. "Guess what I found?"

'What she found?'

She shows you a picture of your younger self, giggling with Jenna like they'd just told you a joke.

"You're so cute."

You're the joke apparently, but you'll take it.

You shake your head, bemused, "We looked the same."

"Exactly," she chuckles, "but I never wore anything like this."

You snatch the photo from her hand like she hasn't already seen it.

"And this."

You snatch that one too before Katherine pulls out another photo. "Alright! I can't believe you have all this here, Jenna."

Your aunt only shrugs. You're surprised how easily the two of them click. And though they're laughing at your expense, you're glad there's something other than tension in the air.

-x-x-x-

"Here."

You place the laptop onto Katherine's lap, interrupting her reading. She places her book down.

"We need it, right?"

She nods, looking at you for a moment. "I almost forgot you said it was here."

To be honest, you'd almost forgotten that you'd had plans to retrieve this from here. You don't know where you're going next but you do pat yourself in the back for remembering to gather it before you go.

You smile. "Tell me what you need and I'll do what I can."

She nods again, slow, and she knows you mean more than just the names you're trying to clear.

-x-x-x-

It's another couple days of laying low when you find yourself looking out a side window on the second floor of Jenna's home. You note the car you'd borrowed from Trevor, still sitting on the same road where you'd left it.

'Huh…'

Mystic Falls only has quiet neighbourhoods. There's no way that thing hasn't been towed yet. Neighborhood Watch would've called it in by now. It only takes a moment to call the sheriff on a stalled vehicle, and for those same uniforms to issue tickets, and get in touch with the owner of the car.

"What is it?" Katherine whispers, following your gaze. She narrows her eyes at the car in question.

"I borrowed that from the cabin."

"And it's still here…"

It's suspicious, but it isn't the Pierces or the Mikaelsons who show up at the door ready to turn the spinning hourglass that is your life one more time.

It's later in the day, as you stand in the kitchen preparing a meal when you hear it.

"Elena!" A shriek of surprise and then a high voice in a warning tone.

You freeze, almost dropping a plate as you recognize a voice you've both dreaded and longed to hear all at once.

Instinctively, you want to run away, because in the foyer of Jenna's house is Miranda Gilbert, stood there in shock as she faces Katherine.