Shattered Hearts: A Journey Beyond Loss

61|Be Still My Beating Heart.

Titus sat hunched, each scream from his mother upstairs slicing through him like a blade. The house was a cavern of silence, punctuated only by the haunting sounds of Bonnie's labor pains. He pressed his hands over his ears, trying to block out the distressing noise, his head bowed under the weight of worry for Cade, his mother, and the safety of his family. It was a heavy burden for a 17-year-old to bear.

The tranquillity was suddenly ripped apart by a thunderous voice from outside. "Salvatore!"

Jolted by fear and a sense of duty, Titus surged to his feet, moving swiftly towards the front door. He peered through the small glass panels, spotting shadowy figures threateningly assembled in the yard. As his hand reached for the door handle, Katherine's voice halted him. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked, a mixture of sharpness and concern lacing her words.

"I need to go out there," Titus said resolutely, trying to bypass her to reach the handle once more. Katherine, however, stood her ground, blocking his path.

"Get out of my way," he demanded, a low, dangerous tone in his voice betraying his supernatural lineage.

"Get out of my way, Petrova!" His voice escalated, eyes ablaze with preternatural fire.

Katherine momentarily stepped back, but she quickly recovered, her gaze steely. "Do you even have a plan?" she pressed, her eyes searching for any hint of strategy behind his impulsive urge.

Before Titus could retort, Hope's softer voice chimed in from behind. "Listen to her, Ty," she said softly, her tone a stark contrast to her previous demeanor.

He turned to face Hope, who had quietly entered the room but was interrupted again by the bellowing voice from outside. "Salvatore! We know you're in there! All we want is your son!" The voice, angry and demanding, echoed through the night.

Seeing Titus's resolve unwavering, Katherine knew a hasty confrontation wouldn't end well. "Alright, here's the plan," she said, locking eyes with him. "I'll go outside, confront these guys, and see what they want."

Titus opened his mouth to protest, but Katherine cut him off with a determined shake of her head. Turning, she strode to the front door, opened it and stepped into the dark, uncertain night. As the door closed behind her, Titus and Hope were left in the tense, waiting silence, the fate of their encounter now in Katherine's hands.

"She did hear they were after me, right?" Titus asked Hope, a hint of worry threading his voice. Hope shrugged nonchalantly. "I doubt she's overly concerned. Katherine's a bit... intense. From what I've seen, she always plays by her own rules," she replied, her tone laced with a mix of admiration and apprehension.

Titus, unable to stay still, paced the front lobby. He peered through the glass again, trying to catch a glimpse of what was happening outside. Katherine's voice, sharp and taunting, cut through the night. "Haven't you heard? Halloween's over, but I can still give you a treat. How about I rip out your hearts and let you watch me devour them?"

Titus couldn't help but crack a small smile. Despite the gravity of the situation, Katherine's fearless bravado was somewhat reassuring.

"Just let her handle it, Ty," Hope advised from behind him. Turning to face her, Titus's expression was resolute. "I need to protect my family. It's not just about letting others fight for me," he asserted with a firmness beyond his years.

Hope shook her head, her voice tinged with frustration. "But you're just a kid in all of this! It's your dad's role to protect you, not the other way around," she argued.

Titus scoffed at her words. "Says Hope Mikaelson," he retorted, aware of her own fierce protective streak. Hope knew he was right but stood her ground. "Ever since you got here, you've been fighting non-stop to protect your family. You're only 17, Stefan!" Her voice rose to a scream, her words edged with the harsh experiences of her past, the timeline that had hardened her heart. She didn't want to see him hurt or this version of her family suffer. 'Stefan?' Titus thought, she had never called him that before, she must really be angry.