A/N: What's this? It would seem it is an update. A very bad one at that, so.

Dedication: This goes to anyone who's actually still following this story. I won't be surprised if everyone just gave up.

Shout_Outs: Thank you one and all for the reviews and for keeping with this story when I was on my unexpected and damn long hiatus. To all those who keot asking for a new chapter, I hope that this one is good enough. I'm sorry again for the LONG wait. Hopefully I can bring more chapters quicker from now on… I hope *cross–fingers*

Disclaimer: No!

MINE!: Loretta's Fall

Tyler's eyes were closed, but he wasn't really sleeping. He was breathing slowly, trying not to move his body too much because of the pain—he had a number of broken ribs that hurt a whole lot more when he breathed too hard. His skin was a mixture of bronze, black, blue and sickly shades of green and yellow, his ribs screaming for him not to move.

He had more than just bruises now though; he had cuts, long, deep cuts that took too long to heel because of the fact that they were laced with Wolfsbane. His wrist were raw from him trying to fight the binds, his mouth dry, throat burning like hot fire.

Tyler could hear Loretta cackling like the insane Witch she was. He let out a pathetic whimper as a knife cut into his skin, moments later a scream ripped from Tyler's throat as Wolfsbane was rubbed into the fresh cut. The pain rolled through his entire body and Tyler's body quivered and twitched as though he'd been hit with a volt of electricity.

Loretta didn't speak, she just tortured. She was angry and looking for revenge. She'd been tricked, she knew Katharina had been a part of it too—the despicable bitch—and she was going to kill that bitch the moment she saw her again. For now though, for now she would hurt Tyler Lockwood and make sure even when he went to the Other Side, that he'd remember her, remember her name and face.

A sound came from the door, disturbing the woman from cutting Tyler once again. The woman paused, looking around. She narrowed her eyes when she felt a presence—someone Supernatural. Loretta stopped, stepping away from Tyler. She grabbed a stake that sat at a table a few feet away from her—it was laced with both Wolfsbane and Vervain, she was ready for any attack.

The woman wondered who could've possibly gotten past all her defensive. She'd have a few Vampires guarding the place, making sure that nobody came close to the cellar, but they must've failed in keeping the place protected. There was only one way this unexpected visitor could have gotten this close to the cellar—wasn't good for the Vampires on guard, they were probably dead. Loretta didn't care about them either way.

A creaking noise sounded as the door was forced open. Loretta's grip on the stake tightened and she threw a glance at Tyler, who was hanging limply by his arms. Loretta moved behind the semi–conscious teen, waiting for the invader.

"Loretta…" someone called in a low taunting tone.

Loretta felt her heart stop at the voice. "No!" she gasped, shaking her head as fear gripped her. "No!"

"Loretta…" the voice called again, same mocking tone.

"No, you're dead. They killed you, you're dead!" Loretta's heart pounded harshly against her chest as she looked around the room with wide eyes, trying to find a way to escape but she knew there'd be none—that's why she'd picked this place in the first place, there was no way out except the one door.

"Rhetti," the voice called again, mocking Loretta. The visitor knew the woman inside was afraid, could smell her fear clearly. "Come now, darling, don't make me wait out here in the cold. Let us in."

Loretta swallowed thickly, looking around the room again. There was no other way out. She knew her visitor wouldn't leave, that she was as good as dead now. The visitor would not be letting her go so easily—she'd been dodging enemy for years, and now she was cornered. Conniving with Katherine! This is what it got her.

"You know your spell won't hold very long. I do have a Witch of my own, darling."

"What do you want?" Loretta demanded, moving around the room, punching desperately at walls, trying to find an exit even though she knew there was none.

"You know what I want, darling woman. I heard you've been speaking with Katherine. Where is she?"

"I don't know! She–she— —" Loretta let out an angry scream when she couldn't find any loose bricks or any sort of place she could escape. She kicked at a wall a few times but soon gave up, instead slumping against it. The woman pushed her hair back from her face before wiping it with the back of her hand. She could feel the tears rolling down her cheeks as she realised that there was no way out—she was going to die.

"She what?"

"She left!"

"Where did she go?"

"I don't know. Back to Mystic Falls with Jeremy Gilbert." The door was yanked open. Loretta let out a whimper as she leaned back against the wall, looking up at the ceiling.

Gone was all that power Loretta had had. She was only so powerful. But with this enemy, standing before her with that charming yet cold smile, Loretta knew she didn't stand a chance. She could so easily take on people like Katherine, Tyler, Jeremy, but this person, this one person who frightened her so—

"Please," the woman begged. She stayed on the floor, stake still held tight in her hand though she knew it would be no good now.

"Where is Katherine, Loretta?" The man was in her face before Loretta could do anything. he yanked her up by her arm—her stake dropping onto the floor with a loud clatter—and then wrapped a hand around her neck, pushing her against the wall. "Where is Katherine?" the man demanded again.

"She left for Mystic Falls! I told you this already." The man narrowed his eyes, studying the Witch. His hand tightened around her neck as he felt the pins–and–needles–like prickle at the back of his head. He knew what the Witch was trying to do, but he was stronger than her, so much stronger.

"Please!" Loretta begged with her eyes wide.

"I see you've been busy." The man threw a glance at Tyler's limp body. "A Werewolf too… He looks exactly like one Maximus Lockwood… so much so that one might say he was his doppelgänger."

"Please," Loretta begged again. She didn't care to listen about the doppelgänger thing. She hadn't care about the doppelgänger thing even when she'd had Katherine in her clutches—she'd never cared. The doppelgänger game was a dangerous one, one that Loretta had tried once to play. Now, years later, Loretta was going to pay for it because she'd been foolish and hadn't thought past her need to hurt Jeremy Gilbert and then Tyler Lockwood.

"I told you I would find you, Witch, and I promised you I'd kill you the moment I saw you again. Do you remember? When you helped Katherine escape." The hand tightened around Loretta's throat and she choked. She tried to kick out, but failed—he knew what he was doing. "I ask myself now, why get my hands dirty when you can do it for me?"

"N–o," Loretta choked, trying to shake her head but unable to because of the hand around her neck. "No."

"Yes…"

Loretta shut her eyes tightly, breathing hard through her nose as she tried to think of a way to escape.

"Open your eyes, dear Witch."

Loretta refused, keep her eyes tightly shut. She was not going to die today, she was not. She had plans, she was going to kill Tyler, kill his Mate then kill Katherine. She would not be stopped, she couldn't be stopped.

"Open them!" the man demanded, anger lacing his voice.

Loretta whimpered, opening her eyes and looking into the blue eyes.

The man smiled up at her.

Loretta's body shook with fear. She was going to die, she was sure of it. She'd angered an insane man who would stop at nothing from getting what he wanted. They were the same in that regard and Loretta may have been a sadistic bitch, but she was nowhere near this man's level. She regretted ever helping Katherine—the double–crossing bitch! Loretta should've known that Katherine would turn on her, she should've known! Now she was going to die and damned Tyler Lockwood and his stupid Human Mate would live.

"No Loretta, I'm going to put you down. You will pick up that knife and you will stab yourself in the heart. Do you understand?"

"I understand," Loretta mimicked thoughtlessly. Her will had been taken from her and she had no option, she was going to die.

"Good girl." The man let her go and Loretta did as she was told.

As soon as she was put down, the woman bent down and picked up the stake. Her hand shook as she moved it towards her chest. She was fighting with everything she had to stop this, but she knew she couldn't, even she couldn't disobey.

"Go on then, I don't have all day."

With a choked sound Loretta held the pointed end of the stake against her chest, right over her heart. She looked at the man desperately but he wasn't looking at her anymore, he was looking at Tyler with a dark fascination. He had a dark smile upon his face, and Loretta knew he was making plans for the teenager.

The man turned his attention to the Witch. "Do it, Rhetti, I don't have time for your dawdling."

"Please," Loretta begged but the man only smiled, shaking his head. He'd wanted her dead for years, Loretta didn't have a chance. He was a sadistic man and Loretta had been stupid to think that he was really dead. She'd been stupid not to keep her defensives up.

She was a Witch, she should've done more. But she'd been so wrapped up in finding her Mate and then in revenge that she'd forgotten that she had other enemies, ones much stronger than Katherine Pierce—ones who even the great Katherine Pierce feared.

Loretta should've known better.

The man looked into her eyes once more. "Do… it." He stepped back and with a shuddery breath, Loretta pushed the stake into her chest. The woman gasped as she felt the wooden stick pierce into her, right into her heart. Her hands dropped to her sides and she slithered to the floor. "Good girl," the man said, patting the woman's head.

The man turned away from Loretta and walked over to Tyler Lockwood. He walked around the teen, examining him closely. The Wolf was still out of it from the torture, the man didn't mind, made for easy transporting. The man undid the bindings, able to hold onto Tyler using his strength. He threw the teen over his shoulder, throwing one last glance at Loretta, who was slowly bleeding out, before leaving the room.

The woman looked after the man, tears still running down her face. Her pulse was weakening, it was barely there. Loretta could barely keep her eyes open, she was too weak to even move even if she did want to; there was no chance. Loretta was going to die.

All her hard work, all her time and energy spent trying to find her Mate was for naught. And now she'd never find him, she wouldn't be able to get her revenge on Katherine for betraying her, and most of all she wouldn't be able to say goodbye to her sister. She was going to die here, alone, on a smelly cellar. And nobody would save her, absolutely no one.

Loretta felt it, she felt the moment her pulse stopped, the moment her heart gave out. She let out one last shallow exhale and everything stopped. Everything whirled around her and when Loretta next opened her eyes she knew, she knew she was on the Other Side…

…TBC…

I don't know what shit this is, but let's roll with it. We'll say this is a trial chapter. I'm not sure if I actually want to keep it or not. I have like another chapter that was supposed to be this chapter but if you guys (if anyone is still reading—hello? Is anybody there?) like it then I'll keep it and I'll just make the chapter that should've gone here chapter 27. That's all!

Anywhoo…

(",)