[TVD] Half Truths

[tmbreck]

Title: Half Truths
Author: tmbreck / eclectic_tongue / eclectic / Lilbreck
Beta: velvetwhip
Rating: Teen
Character: Katherine, Elena
Warning: Intentionally wild exaggerations on Katherine's part.
Summary: Katherine wants to have a talk with Elena.
A/N: Request from thestateofklarolinedreaming for Katherine and Elena face off. My mischaracterization is completely on me as my ever-vigilant beta does not watch this show. Keep in mind that this is from Katherine's POV, and she doesn't always stick to the truth.
Distribution: My sites, my journals/blogs, AO3
Disclaimer: I own nothing, I'm just playing with the characters.

“Hello, Elena.”

Katherine watched with amusement as Elena dropped the drunk tourist she had been feeding off of and whirled around. Not interested in prolonging this and without another word said, Katherine had snapped her pathetic duplicate's neck and watched her body fall to the filthy ground.

“Goodnight, Elena.”

Katherine hadn't originally planned to snag Elena off the street, but it had been too tempting. Thanks to a well-placed spy, she knew all about Elena becoming a vampire and being sire-bonded to Damon. She had also overheard a conversation between the elder Salvatore and her duplicate that let her know that he had commanded her to flip her emotion switch.

When Elena was left on her own so Damon could go off on some ridiculous errand, Katherine took the golden opportunity. It was time to prove to the little girl who was the real woman in charge.

A little compulsion with the taxi driver and the motel clerk and she was just a young woman finding her drunken and passed-out twin a place to crash. A few hours wait and finally Elena started to stir.

“I'll be honest: you were more fun when you were human. Now you just lay there like a lifeless puppet. Of course, that could be because you're away from your puppet master.”

Quicker than the human eye would have been able to see, Elena was up off the motel bed, telegraphing her intention to wrap her hand around Katherine's neck. However, Katherine was older, quicker, and had seen the move coming before Elena had even thought of it. Before little miss inexperience knew what was happening, she was face-first against the wall with her arm twisted up behind her back.

“You know, there's a common misconception about turning off the emotion switch. You don't actually turn your emotions off. You just repress most of them. The big ones, though, they get out. Anger. Jealousy.”

With a mocking chuckle, Katherine threw Elena back to the bed and resumed her seat.

“I bet I even know which of your friends you attacked first. It wouldn't have been Bonnie since she's too busy off trying to turn you and her dear mother human again. No, I'm pretty sure it was sweet little Caroline. You probably saw your supposedly devoted ex boyfriend, Stefan, spending endless amounts of quality time with that blonde-headed cutie.”

With a growl, Elena tried to attack again, only to be kicked back. Within seconds she was on her back, a sting in her neck, and Katherine straddling her with an evil smirk on her lips and an empty syringe in her hand.

“A little vervain. I hope you don't mind. It's not enough to knock you out, just enough to keep you compliant.”

Getting up off Elena, Katherine made her way over to the small table where she had set a bottle of bourbon and a clean glass. Neither from the hotel, and neither paid for by her of course. Setting down the syringe, she poured herself a drink and moved back to the chair.

“Poor Stefan. The girl he loves has become the mindless puppet of his broken and twisted brother. By now, knowing that there's only one cure and that it's going to be needed to stop Silas, he's probably already given up hope for you. Who would our fair-haired lover turn to in his time of heartache?”

When Elena began to struggle, Katherine only laughed.

“There's that emotion! I bet it drives you mad with jealous to see them together, doesn't it? He probably gets an adoring look in his eye, and she stares up at him like he's her personal hero.”

Taking a sip of her bourbon, she stared at the girl who could have been her mirror image. She could see the struggle to hide her anger, the determination to prove her wrong.

“Of course, we all know that Stefan isn't the only older man who happens to be sniffing around our dear little baby vamp. No, Klaus has gone and fallen for her, letting himself be distracted by her and trying to romance her into running away with him, from what I hear.

“Tell me, how much does it burn knowing that you have no power over him, that you can't even use your blood to bargain with, but she could crook her little finger and he'd probably bend over backwards for her?”

Katherine was looking close enough that she caught the flare of resentment in Elena's eyes. Finally, her captive worked up the power to speak.

“Is there a point to all of this, or are you just bored?”

Smiling and biting her lip, she hummed a little before answering.

“A little from column A, a little from column B. Mostly, though, it was just curiosity. I was concerned for a bit that you might be a threat to my hold over our boys. But now that I've seen you, I know it's just not so.”

Another sip from her glass and she continued.

“Stefan won't want you as long as you're Damon's little puppet, and Damon won't let you go as long as there's a chance that Stefan will be there to swoop you back up again. Of course, that doesn't mean he's going to keep you, just keep you away from his brother.”

Katherine took another sip as she decided what words to say to get under Elena's skin, which ones would linger with her the longest.

“I was never really jealous of you, Elena. You were just a passing thing that the boys would outlive. And when you became a vampire, you were just a toy for Damon to break and Stefan to mourn over. However, I have to wonder if you're jealous of Caroline.”

Slowly rising from the chair, Katherine made her way over and sat beside her captive audience.

“She's going to have Stefan trailing after her, practically begging her to keep him sane. Of course, once Damon catches wind that it's not going to be ending any time soon, he'll probably be chasing after her too, trying to pretend that he has a shot at being her new BFF. And the whole time she's got Klaus panting after her. You know, if she gets around Elijah, he'll probably proclaim her a bastion of humanity, compassion and morality.”

Chuckling a bit, she reached forward to stroke Elena's hair.

“She'll be the Mary-iest Sue to ever grace the vampire world. Just think: the girl who used to live in your shadow now outshines you. She was always going to be the better vampire, Elena. She was born for it, born to control it. And you...? Well, you could never control anything, could you?”

Sighing as she straightened up, she decided to give her one consolation.

“At least you'll always have me, Elena. We doppelgangers have to stick together, after all.”

With that, she had all she had come for. Draining the alcohol from her glass, she carried it with her to the door, snagging the bottle of bourbon as she went. Before she walked through, though, she gave Elena a last parting shot.

“Tell Caroline that she was the best kill I ever made, and the best baby girl a momma vamp could hope for.”

Across town, a frantic Damon was ready to scream as he read his newest text.

Your toy is unbroken. Fed her some truth and lies, though I'll never tell which is which. It's up to you to find where she's at now. Love always, Katherine.