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Chapter Twelve - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
With a swift knock on the door, you stumbled into Rebekah’s mansion – hands full of coffee, her breakfast and some bottles of wine.
“Hellooo?” you sing song out, looking around for the blonde Mikaelson. She appears at the top of the grand, curved staircase, a pleasant grin on her face as she makes her way down, trash bag in hand.
“Oh, Charlotte, you didn’t have to do all that,” she says, approaching you and taking some of the load from your hands, guiding you toward the coffee table in the sitting room.
“Stop, it was no big deal,” you shrug, placing down the to-go box and bottle of wine.
“Wine huh? This early in the day?” she teases with a smirk not unlike her brother’s.
“I figure we should treat ourselves after we clean up this wreck,” you grin.
“I like the way you think,” she concurs. “I truly don’t understand how teenagers make such a mess.”
“Agreed,” you roll your eyes, ripping off a trash bag from where the roll is placed on the counter.
Cleaning up only took about an hour, which the two of you filled with music and chit chat to pass the time. Rebekah compelled herself a maid to do the remainder of the disinfecting type cleaning, paying her a handsome fee so that you guys could move on from the dreadful task.
“So, I need your help,” Rebekah states as she comes back into the room with a garment rack on wheels full of dresses. “I have nothing to wear for this pageant!” she exclaims.
A chuckle escapes your lips as you stand up, doing a once over of the dresses hung on the rack.
“I am sure that’s not true,” you respond sarcastically, seeing at least twenty or more dresses on the rack alone. “And I suspect you have more than just this,” you tease. Rebekah grins as she disappears back into her closet, coming out with not one but two more garment racks.
“Oh my God!” you laugh. “I own maybe ten dresses, tops.”
“Yes well, I am centuries older, love,” she smiles. “And this isn’t all of it either, just what I have at this house. I have loads more,” she shrugs like it’s not as big a deal as you think it is.
“We’re going to need a fashion show,” you laugh, reaching out to touch the lace on a dress.
“Already on it!” she claps her hands and five girls walk into the room, already wearing dresses.
“Rebekah!” you laugh aloud, attempting to scold her for compelling the girls for her personal use but also finding it pretty funny.
“What? I paid them to be here, just compelled them to be quiet and obedient!”
Another laugh escapes your lips and you shake your head.
“If Elena could see this…” you start, chuckling at all the things she’d have to say about ‘free will’ and ‘taking advantage.’
“Ugh, she's such a drag!” Rebekah rolls her eyes.
“Alright, let’s see,” you step closer and stand in front of the five girls. “No, no, definitely not, maybe, and… maybe,” you point at each dressed girl, leaving the two remaining that were wearing a red cocktail dress and a black lace mid-length dress.
“I like you more by the minute,” Rebekah grins, dismissing the girls to change and sort their dresses.
The next three hours pass by in a flash, both of you having a great time sipping wine, trying on dresses and enjoying your private fashion show. Rebekah convinced you that you ‘simply must’ borrow one of her dresses for the pageant, after you mentioned how you had nothing to wear and no interest in Miss Mystic Falls – however, you were obligated to go.
“Dark colors look so good on you,” Rebekah compliments as you try on your third black dress.
“Matches my attitude,” you joke.
“Rebekah?!” a male voice calls out from the front room
“Is that–” you start, your confident aura suddenly dropping, and Rebekah rolls her eyes.
“What do you want, Nik?” she hollers as she stomps toward the large open doorway. Klaus appears before she even gets there. Suddenly self-conscious in the black dress, you move to turn down the music on your phone, slightly out of his view.
“What? Can’t I simply come over to visit my baby sister?” he asks as he saunters into the room, his gaze immediately finding you.
“No, not usually,” Rebekah sneers.
“Charlotte,” Klaus greets, doing a once-over of you. “I see my sister has you thoroughly occupied,” he teases sarcastically.
“We are prepping for the Miss Mystic Pageant this weekend, for your information,” Rebekah growls, snatching a dress he had picked up from his hands.
“Ah, and you’re going to this…pageant?” he asks you.
“Uh, yeah, I don’t have a choice. Founding family obligation," you explain unenthusiastically.
"Ah yes, Charlotte Fell,” he responds, emphasizing your surname, his knowledge of it catching you off guard.
“Why are you here, Nik?” Rebekah huffs.
“Well, it would appear that Elena has solved our problem with the hunter… I came to share the delightful news,” he glares at his sister.
“So then we won’t be able to find the cure, after all…” Rebekah sighs.
“Precisely,” Klaus grins happily.
The five girls come back into the room in their new dresses at this moment, interrupting whatever Rebekah was about to say. Klaus makes himself comfortable in a chair, stretching his arm out and looking you up and down once again.
“Do you mind? We’re busy,” Rebekah growls.
“Not at all. By all means… continue,” Klaus smirks, pouring himself a glass of wine from his seat.
Rebekah huffs loudly and turns to you.
“Honestly, he is such an arse,” she groans, turning her attention to the girls. “You can go now, forget everything, take the money,” she compels them, and they go back into the walk in closet to change.
You look at the pile of dresses set aside for yourself that had caught your eye.
“I still think the red is the best,” Rebekah says softly, referring to a red one in your pile that you tried on earlier.
“It’s way too revealing,” you remind her.
“So? It’s sexy.”
“Let’s see it, then,” Klaus speaks up from his seat, catching your attention.
“No way,” you respond.
“Oh come on, I won’t judge,” he grins.
“Unfortunately, I have to agree with my bastard brother here and insist. It’s my favorite.”
With a sigh, you pick up the red dress and go to change into it. Your nerves build up quickly as you slide it on your body in the large closet, afraid of what Klaus may think or say when he sees it on you. It is a halter top, form fitting cocktail dress that left very little to the imagination. Yes, it’s sexy – but it makes you feel very… seen.
Stepping out hesitantly, Klaus’s face drops when he sees you. His lips are parted and he places down his wine glass that he was just about to drink from. You see his eyes trail slowly down your frame, taking you in.
“See? Sexy,” Rebekah confirms.
“It’s too much,” you state, crossing your arms, feeling insecure.
“My sister is right,” Klaus starts, still taking you in, before his eyes finally return to meet yours. “But as are you. It isn’t your style. You should feel comfortable, you’re clearly not,” Klaus points out.
“But she looks so good! Plus it’ll catch the attention of every guy there,” she smirks at you, as if that is what you want. Klaus’s face falls and he glares at his sister for a short moment before looking back at you.
“Even more reason to pick another,” he shrugs, trying to be nonchalant.
Suddenly, he stands, approaching you, and picking up a black lace dress. He turns to you, close enough that his body heat is radiating onto you, and outstretches his hand, offering the dress to you. “Try this one,” he says softly.
You hesitantly take the dress from his hand, your fingers brushing his as you do, and scamper back into the closet to change, eager to try on a dress that he picked himself. Why? You didn’t know the answer to that question yourself, just that you really liked the idea of wearing something that Klaus liked.
You stepped out hesitantly once again, but not feeling as exposed as before. It is a black halter top dress that is shorter in the front, long in the back with layers that flow out elegantly. The dress hugs your curves and bust without exposing them, and the dark color helps to conceal you a little more. There is lace trimming around the neckline and a lacey cut-out on each side of your waist.
“Well?” you ask when neither of them speak, but are both staring at you.
“That’s the one,” Rebekah speaks up, clasping her hands together once in approval.
Klaus takes you in then nods once, swallowing thickly and taking a step back to grab his wine.
“You look stunning,” he concurs, and you feel your cheeks heat up immediately.
“Thank you…” you blush, looking in the mirror. “I like it, this feels more me.”
“Ah, now we have to finish deciding on mine!” Rebekah places your wine glass back into your hands and grabs your bicep, pulling you over to her pile. “We’ve narrowed it down to three – the green, blue and gold.”
She holds the green one up and looks in the mirror, and you take the moment to lean against the table beside Klaus. The other chair in the dressing room connected to Rebekah’s closet was stuffed full of dresses, and Klaus stole the only other seat. You leaned your bottom against the fine wood, taking a sip of your wine before placing the glass down behind you, leaning your palms against the edge. You try to ignore how close Klaus is, and how you are standing over him, his eyes burning into your body.
“I like the green, but I just wore a green gown to our wretched Mother’s ball… So I’m thinking blue or gold.”
Klaus rolls his eyes and grins up at you, acting bored.
“I like the blue but it feels more like an evening dress,” you give your opinion, and Rebekah swaps the green dress to hold the blue one up in the mirror.
“You’re right, it does,” she inspects herself, then glances at the pile of dresses. “So, who is taking you?” Rebekah suddenly asks without turning around. You furrow your brow and shrug.
“I was planning to go alone, I don’t even want to go in the first place,” you respond, ignoring Klaus’s burning gaze beside you.
“Surely guys have asked,” she says it more like a statement than a question, and grabs the gold dress.
“Well… Yeah,” you start, and now Klaus’s gaze feels like he is burning right through you. “But I said no,” you shrug.
“So you’d rather go alone?” Rebekah finally turns and shoots you a confused look.
“Than go with someone I don’t like or don’t want to lead on… Yeah.”
“Huh,” she shrugs, turning back to the mirror and looking at the gold dress. “You should go with Matt, at least.
You scoff aloud and head back into the closet to change into your regular clothes.
“He’s my best friend, not a date,” you call out.
“That’s why he’d be perfect – no confusing feelings, no strings.”
You ponder it in your head for a short moment, and realize that she does have a point. If you were to go with anyone, it would be best to go with him… But you secretly wished you could go with Klaus… Not that you expected him to ask, or to even attend in the first place.
“You make a good point, but he’s not going, and I really don’t mind going alone,”
“I’ll take you,” Klaus suddenly speaks up right as you walk back out. Both yours and Rebekah’s heads snap to him, but he looks unphased and confident, even shrugging casually.
“What?” you ask, as if you heard him wrong.
“I will gladly escort you to this little pageant, if you would like,” he grins.
“You? Go to a pageant? For no apparent reason?” Rebekah asks, crossing her arms.
“Not for no reason – to escort Charlotte here,” Klaus side-eyes her, but keeping his focus on you. Your heart is thumping in your chest and you momentarily don’t know what to say.
“Mm… You must really fancy her,” Rebekah grumbles, and Klaus shoots a glare in her direction.
“Well?” he asks once his gaze is redirected back to you.
“Oh, well… Uh… I would like that…” you start. “But you don’t have to feel obligated–”
“Great, it’s settled then,” he grins at you, somewhat arrogantly.
“So you’re just stealing her from me then?” Rebekah glares.
“You were just offering her up to the quarterback,” Klaus points out with a less than pleased expression, standing from his chair. He grins as he passes by, and you can smell his cologne as he walks by, his aura as he walks leaving you breathless as he heads to the doorway. “I have some business to finish up… I will meet you there, then, love,” he smirks before heading for the stairs, leaving you speechless and once again alone with Rebekah.
“He is infuriating,” she grumbles under her breath. “Are you okay? Have you forgotten how to breathe?” she asks, seemingly concerned and sarcastic. You clear your throat and nod, trying to regain composure and ignore the thoughts racing through your head of being Klaus’s date.
“Guess you don’t have to worry about finding a dress Nik will like… seeing as he picked that one,” she motions to the dress you were still holding in your hand, which you look down at and blush once more. “Wow, you really do fancy him… Just look at you,” she teases. “Have you met my brother? I know he can be charismatic, but he can also be a huge arse.”
You giggle and shrug, unsure what to say in response.
“Ugh, makes me sick,” she groans, but you see that she’s not being fully serious.
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“Last stop of the tour…” Klaus said as he pushed a door open and motioned Katie inside. “Our living quarters.” He shut the door behind her. “I know it’s a bit bare at the moment, but we can redecorate it however you like.”
“In case you couldn’t tell by my somewhat plain house in Mystic Falls, I’m not much on decorating. All I need to make a living space functional is a bed, wireless speakers, a desk, and you.” she ticked the things off on her fingers then grabbed his shirt and pecked him on the lips.
“I don’t want it to just be functional, I want you to feel at home here.” he told her as he grabbed her shoulders and turned her around to look at the three rooms laid out in an L shape, all connected by square framed archways with two windows at the top and painted with white paint that was chipped and cracked. “Take a look around.” The first room contained nothing but a white, wood framed fireplace. The second room contained a simple brown leather couch and a plain oval dark wood coffee table that sat adjacent to another fireplace that matched the one in the first room. The couch and table faced an exterior wall with an arched, windowed door with shutters that led out to a private balcony. A tall window sat on each side of the door.
The third room shared the exterior wall and had three windows. A dark wood bed was in the room with a brand new mattress still wrapped in plastic on it. Its high backed head board sat against the middle of the back wall. On the wall across from the windows was a door that led to a large walk in closet. To the right of the head board was another door that led to a luxurious master bathroom complete with a deep claw foot tub and glassed in shower with three different showerheads.
“These were my quarters.” He told her from where he stood behind her with his arms wrapped around her waist and his chin on her shoulder. “I want to make them ours, but I will not know how to achieve that unless you tell me. Even if it’s a simple suggestion like antique white furnishings and a canopy bed centered on a white plush rug.”
“I really just threw out the first thing that came to my head.” she said with a laugh. “You’re the one that waved your magic wand and turned it into something out of a freaking Victorian fairy tale.” She smiled and tilted her head to the side as he kissed her neck.
“So throw out some more ideas and I’ll wave my wand again.” He told her then stopped kissing her neck and she turned around to look at him.
She blew air through her lips as she looked around the room. “Okay.”
“And before you start putting things for our little princess in this space I already have conjoining rooms elsewhere in the compound set aside to turn into a nursery for her and bedroom for us after she is born.” He informed her, making her give him a smile that said she was surprised, but delighted to hear that.
She laughed and shook her head getting back to the space at hand. “So…will one of these rooms be filled with your art supplies?”
“No, I have another place picked out for my art studio.” He answered. "If you want we can find a place to turn into a studio for you."
"But I don't paint. Not good enough to have my own studio anyway." She said with a confused frown.
"A recording studio." He clarified.
“Oh.” She said with a smile, flattered that he was thinking about her hobbies as well. “I’ll think about it.” she told him then turned her attention back to the space around them.
“Like I said before, I want a desk. I can write anywhere, but I’ve always done it better at a desk for some reason.” She told him then looked out at the balcony. “Out there, maybe some comfy patio chairs or something. I like to read outside when I’m bored even if it’s freezing out. Speaking of reading, can we have my books that are in my room in Mystic Falls sent here?" Thinking about her belongings that got left behind for the first time in months her mind went into overdrive with questions. "And the painting you bought me on our first date? Is it possible to make a white bedroom suite look masculine? Oh my god shut me up before I have all my belongings back in Virginia moved here."
He laughed at her excitement. "You know...This is your new home. You can have whatever you want moved here. As far as white furniture being masculine, yes with the right colors and styles it can be. So if you want your furniture from your bedroom in my mansion moved here we can. But I was hoping to keep that as it is for a vacation home.”
“A vacation home?” she asked with intrigue.
“Yes, I know you said you hate that town, but it is not only where you grew up in this life and where your friends are, but it’s where I was born and raised.” He told her as he placed his hands on her hips. “I know you miss your friends even if you haven’t said so.”
“I do, I just hope that they don’t hate me for falling off the face of the earth.” She told him sadly then brushed all thoughts of her abandoned friends from her mind with a blink and a shake of her head. “We can leave my bedroom there as it is.” she told him, getting back on topic. “And I want to have my things from my house and my landscape painting sent here. The stuff in the basement of my house…all that family history crap, can stay there.”
“Now we’re getting somewhere.” He told her with a smile as he walked into the bedroom and put her duffle on the bed.
“Isn’t Mystic Falls also where you fell in love with Tatia?” she asked as she walked over and leaned on the archway into the bedroom simply because they had never talked about his past loves.
He sighed and gave her a frown. “I’ve been wondering when you were going to bring her up. You know, since you have a special hatred of doppelgangers.” She walked over to him and set her hands on his chest as he grabbed her hips and pulled her close. “Tatia aside my interest in the Petrova doppelgangers has only ever been self serving.”
“So you’re immune to their allure?” Katie asked with disdain in her voice and a roll of her eyes.
“Yes.” He assured her.
“How many doppelgangers have there been anyway?” she couldn’t stop herself from asking.
“As far as I know, three; Tatia, Katherine and Elena.” He answered.
“And you were only ever intimate with Tatia?” Katie asked.
Klaus laughed and opened his mouth to say something, but closed it and looked down at the floor for a second. He still had a smirk on his face when he looked back up at her. “If you are asking if I, like my brother, have had sex with Katherine, the answer is no. I courted her to keep her close until I could find the moonstone, nothing more.”
“And that’s the truth? You’re not just telling me that because you know I hate her?” she asked.
“It’s the truth.” He told her as he looked into her eyes and she could tell he wasn’t lying to her.
“Good.” She told him then moved around him and started taking things out of her duffle bag. “I was starting to think she had slept with the entire male vampire population.”
When he turned around he could tell by the distant look on her face that something else was bothering her. “What is it, sweetheart?” he asked. Instead of answering with words she looked at him and let the blood flow to her eyes then pulled her lips back, showing him her lack of fangs. He cupped her chin in his hand looking at her normal teeth with a frown. “That’s…strange.”
“I don’t need fangs if I no longer need to drink blood.” She told him with a look down at the floor as she pushed the blood back. “It tastes like sour metal now.”
“When did you notice this?” he asked, looking worried as he always did when they noticed another change in her vampire state.
“Yesterday morning.” She answered. “I would have told you, but things were already tense between us and I didn’t want to add to it.”
“At this rate you’ll be human by the end of the month.” He pointed out and she nodded. He closed his eyes with a sigh and pulled her into him, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
A knock on the door made them pull apart and walk over to it. Klaus pulled it open revealing Bradley. “I’m guessing you’re not here to call on me.” Klaus stepped aside and motioned Bradley in and over to Katie who was standing a little ways behind Klaus.
“Hi.” Katie greeted him with an awkward smile.
“I was wondering if you would like to go out for lunch.” Bradley told her with a look between her and Klaus.
“I would like that, but…I don’t know if leaving the compound is a good idea.” She drawled then looked behind her at Klaus.
“I believe you have made your point to the witches very clear.” Klaus said. “Werewolves don’t set foot in the quarter and I don’t believe your father, or any of the other vampires in this city to be a threat to you or our child.”
“Plus I know all of the witches that frequent the French quarter.” Her father chipped in.
“Are you telling me that it’s finally safe for me to see the city?” Katie asked with an excited smile at Klaus.
“Yes.” He told her with a small smile and his hands tucked behind his back. “As long as you are with a trusted vampire and you stay away from the caldron I’m comfortable with it if you are.”
“Who do you consider trusted?” Katie asked skeptically.
“Before I answer that question…” Klaus clapped his hand down on Bradley’s shoulder and looked at him with a condescending smile, “Let’s have a quick chat, shall we?” He steered him through the still open door of their quarters.
“The roles here seem oddly reversed, but okay.” Katie said more to herself than Klaus as she shut the door behind them.
Katie was unpacking her duffle bag and hanging her clothes in the closet when she heard the door open and headed that way to see that Klaus and Bradley were back. “And the verdict is…?” she asked hopefully.
“Let’s call this a trial run.” Klaus told her. “Straight to the restaurant and straight back. If all goes well we’ll discuss further outings. Sound fair?” he asked, not wanting to make her think he was trying to control her.
“Sounds perfect.” She said with a smile as she bounced on her toes then looked at her father. “Meet you in the courtyard in twenty?” she asked and he gave her a nod and a smile then shut the door as he left her with Klaus. She turned and looked at Klaus with suspicious eyes.
“What?” he asked innocently.
“You’re trusting him? You don’t trust people that haven’t earned it, most of the time not even then. What’s with the nice guy act?”
“Act? Little Phoenix, you wound me.” he told her dramatically as he placed his hand over his heart. She smirked and gave him a look that told him to answer the question. “He is your father and yes he is loyal to Marcel, but I do not underestimate the bond of blood. I will always worry about you when you are out of my sight, but I will not let my misgivings keep you from giving your family a chance to heal.” He told her seriously. “Besides, I saw how miserable you were cooped up in that plantation house. It is not my goal or my right to cage a Phoenix.” He told her as he cupped her cheek in his hand. “Though, I urge you to never let your guard down.”
“I won’t.” She told him practically bouncing with happiness as she bit her lips closed, keeping the words I love you from slipping off of her lips. Now wasn’t the time to tell him, nor was randomly blurting it out, the right way to tell him. No, as long as she’d waited, it needed to be done romantically. Problem was…she sucked at romance. Instead of telling him she stood on her toes and caught his lips with hers. The kiss quickly turned heated and with a whoosh he picked her up wrapping one of her legs around him with his hand on her thigh. Even though he wanted to press her against the wall and take her right there, her ever growing belly wouldn’t allow it. So he whooshed her over to the unmade bed instead.
TVDTVDTVD
“Klaus seems a little overprotective and controlling if you ask me.” Bradley said from where he sat across the table from Katie, cutting the chicken fried steak on his plate.
“You see an overprotective boyfriend trying to control his girlfriend, I see an appropriately protective father just trying to keep me and his child safe.” Katie argued. “People have been threatening my life and my baby’s since I sat foot in this city.”
“I can’t help but feel partially responsible. You wouldn’t even be in this city had I not reached out to you.” her father admitted.
“Yes, but had you not reached out to me I’d probably still be in Mystic Falls hating you and claiming that I had no blood family.” She said as she pointed at him with her fork then stabbed a piece of lettuce. “I was starting to despise that town anyway, with it’s stupid town council and the same judgmental faces I’d seen every day for the past nineteen years. If that bitch Carol Lockwood called me trash one more time I would have broken her uppity little neck.”
“Oh, yeah, she was a bitch wasn’t she?” He agreed and things fell quiet between them for a while as they ate and Katie got a little lost in thoughts of the past.
“So I have a question, maybe you can answer it. Carol always called me a piece of trash and Grandpa always called me a slut even though I wasn’t. I never understood it. Can you shed some light on that?” Katie asked, then took a bite of her salad.
“I hate to speak ill of your mother, but her reputation may have tainted yours. Before she and I married she was a bit…wild. A lot of people didn’t even think you were my daughter.” He explained.
“Really?” she asked unbelievingly then motioned between the two of them with her hand. “The resemblance is kind of uncanny. I even picked at my cuticles like you did.”
“You remember that?” Bradley asked through a bite of his food.
“I forgot about it until Elijah poked around in my head and dug up old memories.” She explained with a shrug then took the last bite of her salad.
Things fell quiet between again as she sipped on her tea and Bradley finished his steak and potatoes. He covered the bill then asked, “Ready to head back?”
“Actually I have a small request.” She said as she held her fingers up in a pinching motion. “Do you know a good jewelry store nearby?”
“You didn’t okay this with Klaus did you?” her father deadpanned.
“First, I don’t take orders from him and he knows it. Second, I can’t surprise him if he knows where I’m at 24/7.” She replied ticking the things off on her fingers with a devious tone.
“You want to buy Klaus jewelry?” her father asked, looking at her through narrowed eyes.
“A ring, yes.” She answered.
“You’re not going to propose to him are you?” Bradley asked knowing Kate had always been a bit of a free spirit like her mother.
Katie busted out laughing. “God no.”
“As long as you don’t let him rip my spine out through my throat for doing this then sure. There’s a jeweler around the corner that I’ve used for years now.”
TVDTVDTVD
“Good evening.” The man standing behind the counter at the back of the store with glass cases here and there greeted her then noticed Bradley walk in behind her. “Oh, hey man, how’s it going?” he asked as he walked over to them.
“Good.” Bradley answered as he and the jeweler slapped their hands together in an over the top handshake. “Chad, this is my daughter, Scarlett.”
“Actually I prefer to go by Katie these days.” she spoke up as she held her hand out to Chad. “Hi.” She told him with a smile.
“Hi.” He echoed back, returning her smile. “What can I do for ya?”
“I’m hoping to find a ring for my guy.” Katie answered, taking in the man. He was Caucasian, looked to be in his late thirties and wore a simple outfit of jeans and a black dress shirt. The thing that gave away his profession in Katie’s opinion were the three gaudy rings on his hand and the diamond crusted eagle pendant that hung around his neck on a thick platinum chain.
“Alright. Do you have anything specific in mind? A certain metal type, certain gemstone?” he asked.
“Yeah, uh, I was thinking something simple. No gemstones. Maybe made of black tungsten.” Katie threw out as a kicking off point.
“I think I have a few options for you.” He motioned her over to a case of rings and after looking through them she found one she thought Klaus would love.
“You’re guy?” her father asked as they walked down the sidewalk on their way back to the compound.
“He’s over a thousand years old, calling him my boyfriend feels kind of immature and silly.” She defended herself.
TVDTVDTVD
She managed to hide the ring in its box in their living quarters before Klaus found her. “How’d it go?” Klaus asked as he placed his hands on her hips and pulled her into him.
“Smooth sailing.” Katie answered as she placed her hands on his shoulders then slid them up to hold the sides of his neck.
“Good.” He pecked her on the lips. “Are you feeling up to a dinner tonight here in the courtyard with Marcel and his closest comrades?”
“Sure.” She answered then turned from him and walked over to the couch in the middle room and sat down. “What’s it for?”
“Just a general get to know each other dinner.” He shrugged as he stood in the archway facing her.
“The last time someone said we were having a general get to know each other dinner a dagger ended up in Elijah’s back.” she pointed out. “If anything other than friendly conversation and eating is going to happen tonight please give me a head’s up.”
“I plan on giving a speech to our new friends and to further rally them and convince them we have absolutely no plans on creating a hybrid army, I plan on asking Marcel’s right hand man, Diego, to lead a wolf hunt.” He told her with his hands tucked behind his back.
“I’m sorry, what?” she asked with a narrow eyed shake of her head as she stood up.
“How can I sire hybrids if there are no werewolves left in the bayou to turn?” he asked as if it were obvious.
“I strongly disagree with that.” she stated as she walked over to him.
“Why?” he asked curiously as he set his hands on her waist. “They tried to kill our child.”
“Several reasons.” She started and he guessed by the one finger she held up and the determined look on her face that she was about to go off on a rant. “Tyler tried to kill me. As far as I know he’s not part of their pack. The New Orleans werewolves didn’t touch me and are therefore innocent.” She held up a second finger, “By needlessly killing those wolves you’ll be asking for backlash and a fight we don’t need right now.” then a third finger, “And the main reason, our child will have the werewolf gene.” She told him as she dropped her hand and placed it on her stomach. “If, God forbid, something happens to you and she triggers her gene, I won’t know how to help her. If you kill all the local werewolves who will we have to go to? We need them to be our allies or at the very least on neutral ground with us.”
Klaus sighed and gave her a smirk. “Okay.”
“Okay what?” she asked with a tilt of her head.
“Okay, I will take your advice and not ask Diego to lead a wolf hunt.” He answered.
“Not even so much as a rousting.” She clarified as she grabbed his chin in her hand stubbornly.
“The werewolves are not to be touched or harassed.” He confirmed as he took her hand off his face and kissed her palm. “Perhaps I should buy you a tiara.” He told her as he dropped her hand and pulled her as close as her tummy would allow.
“Why?” she drawled momentarily forgetting that Klaus was the new king of New Orleans.
“Because you are already stepping into the role of queen quite nicely.” He told her as he whooshed them over to sit on the couch with her sitting sideways in his lap.
“Eh give me a week, I’m sure I’ll screw it up somehow.” She told him only half meaning it.
He rolled his eyes at her. “Stop it.”
“So how formal is this dinner going to be?” she asked, changing the subject. “I didn’t exactly bring a lot of clothes.”
“What you’re wearing is fine.” He answered as he took in her grey racer back tank top that was pulled a little tight across her stomach and dark wash distressed jeans. “You might want to wear a jacket though. It'll be a bit chilly in the courtyard at night.”
Katie slipped her hand over his that rested on her thigh and leaned her head on his shoulder. After a while of sitting in silence, both lost in their thoughts Klaus asked, “Sing for me?”
She smiled wondering what it was with the Mikaelson men liking her singing voice. The only difference between the two men was Elijah knew she was a bit shy when it came to her hidden talent and waited patiently for her to decide to sing for him. Klaus, on the other hand, had no problem asking her to and she loved it and his tendency to push her outside her comfort zone. “What would you like to hear?” she asked as she picked her head up and looked at him.
“Write me something.” He replied with a challenging tone.
“You’re kidding.” she looked at him with raised brows.
“Nope.” He told her with a shake of his head.
“You know I can’t just write something on demand right? I have to be inspired.” She pointed out. “You’re an artist, do you not need inspiration to pick up a brush and put paint to canvas?”
“So you need a muse?” he asked with a cocky look and she nodded. “You’re mine most of the time. Can’t I be yours?”
“I don’t know, let’s see.” she replied then caught his lips with hers and he laughed into the kiss. She slipped from his lap, breaking the kiss when she stood up, then went to her still half packed bag and grabbed her journal and pen. He watched as she sat down on the other end of the couch, pulled her knees up, propped the book up on them then put pen to paper. As she got lost in her writing, Klaus grabbed a sketch pad and pencil from his bag he’d dropped at the foot of the bed and started drawing her. He finished before her and she glanced up to see him looking at her, lost in her delicate features that concentrated on the book. After a few minutes she looked up at him through her lashes and smirked. “You’re staring.”
“I’m admiring.” He countered and she just smiled.
“Well, you can stop because I’m finished.” She told him as she put the cap back on her pen and tossed it to the coffee table.
“Then let’s hear it.” he prompted with a come at me motion with his hand.
“You’re lucky I like you so much.” She told him with a playful glare and he gave her a look that told her ‘I know’. Still not secure in her writing skills she turned her eyes to her journal and kept them there not daring to look up as she started singing. “Like every flower’s got a field and the cloud’s have got the rain. Like the night has got the stars and a fires got a flame. Like a moon has got the tide and the rivers got the sea. I’ve got you and you’ve got me.” A small smile pulled at his lips as he listened to her sing the chorus. “Like a singer’s got a song and a song has got a rhyme. Like I know you’ve got a smile when I can’t get to mine. Like every soul has got a heart and a heart has got a beat. I’ve got you and you’ve got me. Oh, some things are guaranteed. Oh, some things will always be. Like I’ve got you and you’ve got me.” she finished and snapped her journal shut.
When she looked up at him she saw him looking at her, admiring what he knew was his and no one could take from him. “I swear you are a siren.”
“Oh yeah?” she asked with a smile as she set her journal on the coffee table and crawled across the couch to him. “Are you under my spell?”
“Very much so.” He told her as he moved her around to straddle his lap. He noticed an odd look on her face and asked, “What’s that face about?”
“I’m trying to think if there is a male, wolf, devilishly handsome variant of a siren.” She answered.
He laughed at her odd thought process. “I don’t sing.”
“No, you growl.” She pointed out as she slid her hands down his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. “And I swear it does things to me.” he gave her a questioning side eye and smirk. “May I?” she asked as she held her hand in the air beside his head. He nodded and let her into his mind when she placed her fingertips to his temple. The two times he growled when fighting Marcel’s men flashed through his head, telling him what she was talking about. When she took her hand off his head he gave her a suggestive smirk. “There’s a reason I call you big bad wolf even though you’re a hybrid. You’re animalistic and I love it.”
Love was clear in his eyes as he cupped her cheek in his hand and caught her lips with his in a tender but passionate kiss.
TVDTVDTVD
The courtyard was lit by chandeliers that Katie had failed to notice before and a dining table had been moved in for the occasion. Klaus sat at one end of the table and Katie at the other. Marcel sat to Klaus’s left and Bradley sat at Katie’s right and the rest of Marcel’s inner circle took up the other seats at the table. When Klaus tapped his champagne glass, everyone looked at him and listened as he gave a toast to immortality. With a motion of his fingers waitresses and waiters came out and slit their wrists then held them over the bows that sat in front of each vampire. When the staff left, Klaus lifted his champagne glass again and looked at Katie. She had asked to hear exactly what he was going to say in his toast, not wanting any surprises whatsoever. This part she suggested exchanging a certain exclusive word for a more inclusive one reminding him that he was the king but he wasn’t the only one living in the kingdom of New Orleans. She was interested to see if he would take her advice. “To our city, to my home again.” He gave her a smirk that she returned seeing that he took her advice. “May the blood never cease to flow…”
“And the party never end.” Marcel finished as he raised his glass.
Katie didn’t miss the shared look between Marcel and his right hand man Diego before the latter lifted his glass and said, “To New Orleans.” Everyone else followed suit echoing Diego’s words. Katie simply lifted her glass of sparkling white grape juice and sat it back down.
“I understand that some of you may have questions regarding the recent change in leadership. I invited you here tonight to assure you that you are not defeated. No, my intentions moving forward are to celebrate what we have. What Marcel, in fact, took…” Klaus said as he placed his hand on Marcel’s shoulder, “and built into this, a true community of vampires.”
“What about her?” Diego asked with a point at the other end of the table to Katie. “Isn’t she human or whatever?”
Klaus looked at Katie with a smirk, knowing she’d have something to say about his tone. “My name is Katie.” She spoke up trying to remain confident under Diego’s scrutinizing gaze. “Any questions you have about me, or for me, you can ask me. And yes, in approximately one months time I will be completely human.”
As Katie spoke Klaus walked around the table and stood behind her. “Yes before Diego interrupted me I was going to say there is one further matter I would like to address. As many of you know, Katie is carrying my child, but she is also my partner.” That part of his speech was ad libbed, but she liked the fact that he called her his partner. It had a nice ring to it and was more mature than calling her his girlfriend, not that she didn’t like him calling her his girlfriend when it was just the two of them.
When he slipped his hand over her shoulder she reached up and grabbed it. “Consequently I trust you will all show her the appropriate respect. However, I understand that some of you are concerned by this vicious rumor that I intend to use the blood of our child to create hybrids.” Katie kept her hand on his and looked at her father then the rest of Marcel’s men. “I assure you I do not.” Klaus walked back around to his spot at the head of the table and lifted his glass. “So eat, drink and let the merriment begin.” Klaus finished then took a drink from his glass and everyone followed suit.
Soon more staff came and replaced the bowls of blood with actual food. Thankfully the conversation picked up around the table and Bradley introduced Katie to the people sitting close to them.
“So I didn’t see a ring on his finger.” Bradley spoke up making Katie’s eyes go big and she looked at Klaus to see him deep in conversation with Marcel.
“Will you shush before you ruin it?” Katie asked quietly, making her father laugh. “I haven’t found the right time to give it to him yet. I don’t have the chance to be the romantic one very often and I don’t want to screw it up.”
“You’re mother wasn’t romantic either.” He told her with a smirk.
“Really?” she asked not remembering much about her mother other than her teaching her how to play piano.
“She always tried way too hard and got all nervous and let her mouth run away with her.” he told her and Katie realized then that she had also gotten a nervous habit from her mother. “My advice, don’t think too hard about it. Go with the flow.”
“Follow my heart and go with the flow. Could my parent’s advice be any more cliché?” Katie asked no one in particular with a shake of her head making her father laugh.
TVDTVDTVD
When the dinner was over Katie and Klaus retired to their quarters. When they walked in Katie noticed that dark blue panel curtains had been hung over the windows and the bed had been made with pale grey sheets, an admiral blue comforter and was turned down, all ready for them to slide between the clean sheets. Her bag that had been left on the bed was gone and she noticed the things that had been in it were placed in appropriate spots in the room. “Are you ready to call it a night?” Klaus asked as he walked up behind her, brushed her loose auburn waves to the side and kissed her neck making her sigh.
“Not quite yet.” She answered as she turned in his arms and he gave her a curious look. “Stay right here.” she told him then walked around him and when she heard him take a few steps, turned and pointed at him. “Na, uh, uh.” He laughed and held his hands up in surrender before he tucked them behind his back.
She got the ring, took it from the box and stuck it in her back pocket then located her speaker dock on the fireplace mantle in the middle room. She pulled up a slow song from the twenties on her cell phone then put it on the dock, pressed play and walked over to the arch way and held her hand out to him. He took it and walked with her into the room, giving her a twirl before he pulled her close and started dancing with her. After a few seconds he recognized the song. “This is the song we danced to at the twenties dance.” He pointed out as he pulled back to look into her eyes.
“Ella Fitzgerald’s The Man I Love.” She confirmed. “It took me a while to remember the lyrics considering I wasn’t swept away by the song, but rather the man I was dancing with.” She told him, making him give her a small smile. “But I eventually did and I looked it up and downloaded it for a special moment like this.”
“And why is this moment so special?” he asked considering they were just dancing.
She moved her hand from his shoulder to cup his cheek in her hand and slip her thumb over his cheekbone. “Because it’s the moment I tell you I’m in love with you.” His blue eyes went wide before a big smile took over his face and she moved her hands to hold the sides of his neck. “I love you, Big Bad Wolf.” A yelp followed by a laugh left her lips when he picked her up by her hips and spun her around, an almost growling victory laugh left his still smiling lips as he did. He kissed her as he sat her back down and cupped her cheek in his hand. When the kiss broke she stuck her hand in her pocket. “And I hope you won’t get mad, but I may have talked Bradley into making an extra stop earlier today. It was literally right around the corner from the restaurant. I promise we were safe and please don’t take it out on Bradley he-” she was cut off when Klaus put his hand over her mouth.
“I’m not mad.” He assured her then took his hand off of her mouth. “I assumed if there was somewhere you really wanted to go you wouldn’t let me stop you and I trusted you would stay away from witches. So where did you go?”
“A jewelry store.” She answered. “I’ve never bought anything for a man before, much less jewelry. So I’ll understand if you don’t like it or don’t want to wear it.” She held up the black tungsten band with a wood inlay around the center of it. “It’s tungsten, so it can handle wear and tear and the wood is Hawaiian Koa, a symbol of strength.”
When he looked up from the ring she was still holding between her thumb and index finger she saw that his eyes had watered and when he blinked a tear slipped down his cheek. Hoping it was a tear of happiness, she wiped it away. He took the ring from her and kissed her. Through the kiss he told her that he loved it and he loved her. When the slow kiss broke he asked, “Is there a certain finger you would like me to wear it on?”
“Whatever finger it fits and you’re comfortable with.” She told him with a shake of her head. He lifted his left hand and slid it onto his ring finger, it fit perfectly and she smiled. “I was going to snoop around our bedroom at the plantation in the hopes of finding your daylight ring to make sure I got the right size, but we had to leave before I got the chance.”
He grabbed her right hand in his left and pulled her close, dancing to the song again since it was on repeat. He gave her a twirl making her smile. “How long have you been planning this?”
“Since my chat with Cami.” She answered.
“I have Camille to thank for this?” he asked with raised brows.
“The ring, no, the confession, yes. You seem surprised.” She observed.
“Given your past jealousy I was afraid any interactions you might have with her would have the opposite effect of this.” He told her honestly.
“Apart from my initial jealousy and the fact that she is not only beautiful, but drop dead gorgeous, I have no reason to be threatened by her.” She replied and Klaus smiled a little. “In every other relationship I’ve been in it has felt like there was another woman ready to take what was mine the first chance they had. Be it Elena or Katherine…I even feared Ronan would turn to my sister when she lived with us. But for once it feels like my feet are firmly planted in the ground beside the man I love. I no longer have any insecurities when it comes to us.” She moved her hand that had been resting on his chest to hold the side of his neck. “I just hope you feel the same way.” She slipped her thumb over the soft skin of his neck and looked at him with questioning eyes.
“I will admit, your hesitance had me worried.” He answered and she gave him a look that asked why, although she had her own theories. “You insisted that you only wanted me yet you couldn’t tell me you love me. Therefore someone had to be standing in the way. Who could it have been if not my saintly brother?”
“Me.” she answered. “and my fears because with love comes hurt.”
“And you know I will never intentionally hurt you.” he assured her and she let a small smile pull at the corner of her lips.
“I wasn’t worried about myself.” He blinked at her slowly. “You’re invincible and I’m…not. I was afraid that if I told you I loved you only to be ripped away from you…that I would hurt you and that is something I never want to do.” Her eyes watered and he breathed out a shaky breath. “Then Cami basically pointed out that by trying to protect you I’d only hurt you more and she was right.”
He rested his forehead on hers. “Remind me later to send Camille a very expensive bottle of wine or a gift basket.”
“From both of us.” Katie agreed.
Klaus kissed her forehead then wrapped his arms around her shoulders as she wrapped hers around his waist and pressed her cheek to his chest. “I love you, Little Phoenix.”
“I love you too, Big Bad Wolf.” She answered. After a while Klaus let go of her and walked over to her cell phone, stopped the song, took it off the speaker dock and tucked it into her back pocket. “I take it you are ready to call it a night.”
“I am ready to lay in bed, in my home, with the woman that I love.” He told her, “I can see the sleep in your eyes.” After they got settled for the night they laid in bed, lost in thought as they cuddled, Klaus absentmindedly playing with her hair. “For future reference, what is your favorite gemstone?”
“It’s a two way tie between blue sapphire and mystic fire topaz.” She answered. “And diamonds are always good too of course.” She added. “But not chocolate diamonds, ironically I hate them as much as actual chocolate. They just look like dirty diamonds to me.” She looked up at him with sleepy eyes. “What about you?”
“I prefer my jewelry free of gemstones.” He answered and she picked up his hand, looking at the ring he chose to wear on an important finger.
“So you like it?” she asked looking at their hands as she pressed her palm to his, always liking the sight of her very feminine and much smaller hand compared to his larger, masculine, nimble fingered one.
He threaded their fingers together. “I love it.” he told her then pressed his lips to hers.
“Thank you for choosing to wear it on that particular finger.”
“It’s an important ring from a very important person. It deserved an important place to shine.” He told her with a smile. “And I recall a moment when you mentioned that you didn’t like that I go out and about without any indication that I’m taken.” She forgot she had mentioned that in their discussion about Cami. “And for that reason, as well as many others, it will never leave this finger.” He assured her as he slipped his fingers over the chain of her necklace that hadn’t left her neck since he put it back on. “Unless, of course…” he started with a tone to his voice that was meant to tempt, “it should ever be replaced by a wedding band.”
“Whoa. Hey.” She shot up in the bed and turned to look at him with wide eyes. “Slow down there Sparky.”
Klaus busted out laughing. “I was just messing with you.”
She punched him in the shoulder, which only made him laugh harder. “Give a girl a heart attack why don’t you.” she placed her hand on her heaving chest. “I seriously thought you were about to propose and I am nowhere near ready for that.”
“I’m sorry.” He told her, realizing now that her heart was beating way too fast. “Come here.” he held his arm out for her and she lay down and let him pull her into his chest and resumed playing with her hair, attempting to calm her. “I really am sorry. I knew you’d have something to say about it, but I didn’t know it would push you to the brink of a panic attack.”
“It’s fine. I didn’t know it would either in all honesty, especially considering Bradley thought I was going to ask you to marry me when I told him I wanted to buy you a ring. I actually found it kind of funny.” She told him quietly.
When her heart rate lowered to a normal pace he tried once again to approach the subject, gently this time, curious to know why she found the thought so frightening. “Can I ask you a question regarding certain previous subject matter?”
She smiled at his blatant attempt at avoiding the word marriage as she pulled back to look at him. “Yes. I won’t freak out on you again.”
“Is the thought of us getting married really so frightening or funny?” he now looked a little hurt or worried by her reaction.
“Funny no, frightening yes. It’s just…” she didn’t know how to explain why she had never thought about marrying him even though she loved him and most women naturally thought about their future with the man they loved…marriage, kids, navigating their forever together. She’d thought about what her dream wedding would look like before she got her memories back, but now she knew the ugly truth of what marriage could look like. “I hear the word marriage and I automatically feel…strangled.”
“Because you were forced into your first marriage and felt you couldn’t escape it.” he said in realization.
Katie nodded. “But that doesn’t mean I would feel the same way if I were to ever marry you. It just means…that it’s a crack in my side of the mirror that needs to be mended.” She said with a shrug. “I just thought it was funny that Bradley thought that I would propose to you.” she explained not wanting him to think she thought a forever with him was laughable. “I’m old school. It’s your job to pop the question, not mine.”
“After tonight’s reaction I’m not sure how I would even navigate that.” he admitted.
“Give me some time and help me warm up to the idea and you can do it however you want to.” She told him and he gave her a smile and kissed her forehead before she tucked herself back into his chest. “And, just so you know, I used to watch say yes to the dress with Caroline all the time. So I already have a dream dress in mind.” He gave her an interested look. “What type of dress do you think I would like?”
“Simple, sheath or trumpet silhouette, maybe satin and lace.” He guessed thinking he was spot on until she laughed and shook her head.
“Not even close.” She told him with a shake of her head. “My dream dress is nowhere near simple.”
“Then show me.” he told her now very interested because the most extravagant dress he had ever seen her wear was the dress that Elijah bought her for the Mikaelson ball and it was on the classic and reserved side of fashion.
“Not gonna happen.” She answered.
“Why not?” he asked with a frown.
“Because it’s bad luck for the groom to see the dress before the wedding.” She answered as if it was the obvious one and he rolled his eyes. “I will tell you that the designer is Pnina Tornai and it was a custom made dress. So good luck finding it on the internet.” She told him with a devious look. “And if we ever do decide to tie the knot it will be in this certain dress. If I can’t hunt down the original I want to get Pnina Tornai to make another one.” His jaw dropped in a smile and he laughed as he closed it and shook his head at her making demands for something extravagant. “I’ve surprised you again haven’t I?”
“Yes.” He said with a smile and a nod. “All the other dresses I’ve seen you wear were safe and classic.
“Most of the dresses I’ve worn were bought by other people and I will not play it safe with some cookie cutter wedding dress. Trust me, you’ll like it. Pnina’s dresses are sexy and usually do a good job of showcasing your most favorite part of me.”
His eyes dropped to her chest and a dirty smirk pulled at his lips. “Yeah?” he asked and she nodded. A growling laugh left his lips as he rolled over, hovering over her as he caught her lips with his.
A/N: Reviews and thoughts on my stories are always welcomed and highly appriciated as well as reblogs and likes, but the reviews are what really keep me writing. Just saying.
Is this real life or is it just fantasy? || Klaus Mikealson - Chapter 17 (on Wattpad) https://my.w.tt/CW8ow2SkEX If you are a bookworm or you just enjoy reading books,at least once in your life you've wished that the characters of your favourite book were real. So did Cassandra. What she didn't expect though was that her wish came true. She didn't even say it out loud, she just thought about it and one night she opens her door to find one of her favourite fictional character: Klaus Mikealson. Now, he is aware of his background story. What he doesn't know is that he shouldn't be real. If he was here, does that mean that every "Vampire Diaries"' character is real too? So, everyhting that happened on the show is going to take place too? So what is Cassandra supposed to do? Try to make Klaus live a normal life with her or letting him know that there is a cure for his curse? How will she be involved? Is she going to follow him? *I don't own any of "the vampire diaries" characters, only Cassandra *
Getting drunk as a vampire was a hard task, but you’d somehow managed to accomplish it last night – and you were paying the price for it today. Your head was pounding and you were very discombobulated and overall ‘out of it.’
With a grumble, you drug yourself into the kitchen in search of some food. No, you didn’t necessarily need food as a vampire, but it was a human thing that you still enjoyed and found comforting. You enjoyed being a vampire, but you also still enjoyed some of the human experiences that you no longer relied on – food being one of them.
The refrigerator was pretty much bare, only a few odds and ends being in it. There was some expired milk, cheese, condiments… And blood bags in a brown bag toward the back of the fridge. With a sigh, you grabbed a bag and trudged back to your room and got changed into some clothes so that you could go out and find some food. Sipping on the blood bag helped you to start feeling better, but you were still craving human food.
When should I come by to clean up?
You text Rebekah as you sit on your bed, sipping the blood bag and trying to recall all of the events of the evening. Remembering bit by bit, embarrassment floods you as you recall dancing on Klaus. Dirty dancing. On Klaus Mikaelson, the ‘evil’ thousand year old hybrid Original. Ugh.
Though, despite being very embarrassed, you also remembered him seemingly enjoying himself. His hands grabbing your hips, pulling you in… his mouth on your neck. A shiver goes down your spine as you recall the short but intense dance between the two of you.
I can compel some help. You don’t have to feel obligated
You roll your eyes at Rebekah’s response and finish the rest of your blood bag.
I’ll be over in an hour, gonna get some breakfast first. I’ll bring you some.
After getting dressed, you vamped over to The Grill in search of some breakfast food to cure your cravings and hangover. When you walked inside, there were a handful of tables occupied, but the place was still relatively empty. At the bar, however, you spotted a familiar looking back. You recognized the dirty blonde hair and leather jacket leaned on the bar counter – Klaus.
Your feet began walking without your consent and you approached Klaus at the bar. He looked up at you when you pulled out the stool directly to his left and sat down. “Well, you look like you’re feeling the effects of your evening,” he chuckled at your grogginess. You only respond with a grumble and lean your head into your hands on the bar counter, elbows pressed into the stained wood. Peeking over at him through your hands with a miserable smile, and he meets your eye with a hint of amusement in his eyes.
“You know that blood would help immensely, right?” he asks as if it were obvious.
“I had some,” is all you respond with, rubbing your temples.
“Ah, the venom must have really gotten to you,” Klaus responds with a displeased expression. He signals the bartender over and you groan as you hear people clinking their glasses in the distance. “She’ll have a plate of bacon and eggs,” Klaus compels the bartender. You smile up at Klaus from where your head rested in your hands.
“Thank you,” you mutter. He smiles back at you and leans in closer.
“Could also have him… Fresh from the source would help you feel better much quicker,” he smirks. You roll your eyes and shake your head no.
“Are you offering?” you tease flirtatiously. Memories of feeding on Klaus surged in your mind. He opens his mouth to respond, his full lips parted, but then doesn’t say anything, instead just smirking at you, taken back by your forwardness. You both spot Caroline walking in with Bonnie. She shoots you a look and they walk off toward the opposite side of the restaurant, making Klaus chuckle.
“Imagine she saw us last night instead of my sister,” he raises a brow at you, referring to you feeding on him. Hearing him refer to you guys as “us” sends a shiver down your spine. You giggle and shoot one last glance at her off in the corner with Bonnie.
“I think she would’ve bit my head off,” you laugh.
“She really does hate me,” he chuckles.
“Who cares,” you respond, leaning in. His smirk turns into a pleased grin and he raises his glass to cheers to your comment.
“What is that, bourbon?” you ask, recognizing the smell.
“It is,” he responds. You take the glass from his hand, brushing his fingers in the process, and take a sip from his glass, maintaining eye contact the entire time. He grins widely, thoroughly enjoying your confidence.
You let out a little cough and grimace at the taste of the strong liquor, and Klaus lets out a genuine laugh, with an amused grin. “Too strong for you?” he asks. You giggle and hand the glass back to him.
“I prefer vodka,” you respond and the waiter brings your plate over.
“Anything else I can do for you two?” he asks. You like being referred to as “you two” even though it is silly and doesn’t actually mean anything… You imagine what it would be like to be a couple.
“Yes, can I get a plate to go, too?” you smile at the bartender and he nods with a friendly expression and goes to let the cook know. “I’m gonna bring your sister some food and help her clean up,” you tell Klaus, though you didn’t really need to explain, you kind of wanted him to know that you were going to go help his sister. Were you trying to impress him?
“Charlotte?” you look over your shoulder to see who has called your name, and are pleased to see Matt, dressed in his uniform.
“Hey!” you stand up to greet your friend with a hug.
“Awfully early for you,” he teases, though you don’t miss the way his eyes hesitantly shoot toward Klaus. You know that Matt shares the same thoughts as the rest of the group – maybe even more – that the Originals are all dangerous and you should stay far away from them. But Matt at least attempts to keep his opinion to himself for the most part, to not push you away.
Briefly glancing at the time on your watch, you groan when you see it’s barely noon.
“Yeah well my house is completely out of food, as per usual, so,” you shrug.
“I thought that was one of the perks of being a vampire – not eating,” Matt asks as he ties his apron around his back.
“You know I couldn’t actually give up food,” you joke, taking a seat beside Klaus again. He is sipping his bourbon, turned in his bar stool, watching the two of you talking.
“Well, I’ll catch ya later,” Matt says, clearly not in much of a mood for conversing in front of Klaus. “Got bills to pay.”
You shoot him a half smile as he walks behind the counter and heads to the kitchen, and you turn to face the bar once again.
“So, you’re awfully close with the quarterback,” Klaus notes, not really asking.
“He’s my oldest friend. We grew up together,” you explain, taking a bite of the hot eggs. “Ugh, so good,” you mumble.
“Just a friend, huh? Hard to believe neither of you ever crossed any lines,” Klaus suggests. You take a second to study his expression – not playful, trying not to look like he cares but his eyes are betraying it. Is he analyzing your friendship with Matt?
“Nope, never. He’s basically my brother,” you affirm, but he looks unconvinced.
“Remarkable,” Klaus responds somewhat sarcastically.
“Why? Can’t a guy and a girl be friends without crossing the line?” you ask.
Klaus looks at you for a moment before shrugging. “Not usually, no.”
“Well, I’d like to think I can be,” you say, readjusting yourself on the bar stool beside him, placing your foot on the bottom bar of his.
“So you truly believe that he has never thought of you in a… less than platonic way?” Klaus presses, like it was so obvious.
“Yes, I do. He thinks I’m gross,” you say like it’s factual.
“Doubtful,” Klaus scoffs. “And you never considered it, either?” he presses even more.
“Ew, definitely not. I watched him go through puberty. It would be like dating my brother.”
“Don’t have to date…” Klaus raises a brow.
“Ugh, gross. I don’t even want to think about him shirtless, stop,” you groan and take another bite of your food.
“So you think he’s unattractive, then?”
“Well… No, he’s not ugly. But he’s Matt!” you laugh in exasperation. “Why are you so concerned, anyway?” you push back. Klaus looks at you with a straight face for a long few seconds before returning his attention to his drink, shrugging.
“Just surprised at his restraint, is all,” he takes a sip.
“Matthew Donovan would never go out with me, ever. Besides, I’m not his type. He likes blondes. He dated Caroline for a bit, and I hear he’s a bit flirty with your sister…” you smile. “Caroline was always jealous of me, of course. She’s a very insecure girl. Always thought the same thing – there’s no way we could just be friends. But it’s the truth.”
“Hmm, unfortunately I have to agree with her on that one,” Klaus starts. “I wouldn’t want my girl hanging around another guy so closely, either. Be like tempting fate, like something would inevitably happen…” Klaus looks into your eyes, like his comment has a deeper meaning. You shift in your seat, briefly imagining yourself as ‘his girl.’
“Well, that’s where trust comes in,” you respond softly.
Before Klaus can respond, his phone starts ringing in his pocket. He pulls it out with an exasperated and annoyed sigh, and the bartender brings over your to-go box.
“What?” he answers roughly, and you avoid listening in on his conversation, instead finishing up the last of your food.
Klaus hangs up after a few seconds and downs the last of his drink. “You’re going over to my sister’s?” he asks, pulling out his wallet.
“Yeah,” you respond.
“Alright, be careful, that hunter Connor is hanging around,” Klaus warns you, standing up and placing a bill on the counter in his spot. “I’ll see you later, Charlotte…” he says, touching your shoulder briefly before turning and heading out the door, seemingly having business to attend to.
You watch him leave, your eyes lingering on his frame as he takes large confident strides toward the door. When you finally turned back, you saw the hundred dollar bill sitting on the counter, and a smile creeps up your face bashfully.
After the last two weeks, you were completely emotionally drained. The night when ‘Alaric’ essentially killed Klaus was enough to exhaust you for a few days. You compelled a doctor’s note for school saying that you had pneumonia, but you really just needed a few days to process. Between fearing your own demise, discovering that Rebekah killed Elena and she became a vampire, and spending a short while thinking that Klaus was dead… you were spent.
The moment at your house that the two of you shared not long before Klaus was staked by Alaric and saved by one of his undisclosed witches was replaying in your mind every night. He nearly kissed you, and you wanted him to. And then he basically died – and that crushed you.
You really shouldn’t like him as much as you do. You’ve only known him a few months, and he’s not exactly a ‘good’ guy. But he’s only ever been kind to you. What made you so different?
He’s shown patience with the Salvatore’s on your behalf, and Elena too. He’s made an effort to get to know you… Klaus made it impossible not to fall for him.
And why was he so damn attractive? It wasn’t even that he was hot – although it definitely was a part of it – he was alluring. You felt drawn to him every time you were in the same room. You wanted to get to know him, to be around him, to be near him. He made it hard to think about anything else whenever he was near you. Stefan wasn’t kidding when he always said that vampirism heightens your emotions.
The mayor instilling a curfew was a ridiculous and ineffective way of Carol Lockwood attempting to reduce the danger in Mystic Falls as of lately. With the increase in killings due to vampires, werewolves, witches, hunters and hybrids… you couldn’t really blame her. But her ineffective human “authority” would do nothing to stop the supernatural in town. Especially when Connor was weaseling his way through the town and council.
In order to retaliate, Rebekah – being the rebel she is – decided to throw an “anti-curfew party.” “Morning everyone!” Rebekah came into history with a stack full of flyers, beginning to hand them out. She shoots you a smile and you don’t miss the way Elena glared at both of you. “So I’m throwing a little anti-curfew party at my new house. Starts in the fifth period, goes til whenever. Spread the word,” she hands you a flyer when she gets over to you and you chuckle under your breath, completely unsurprised but also impressed by Rebekah. Turns out you guys had a lot in common. “You’re welcome to join too, Elena, if you’d like to bury the hatchet.”
You can’t tell if she is being serious or taunting Elena, but either way, you’d be very surprised if she did go. You already made up your mind that you would not be missing this party, you’d even help Rebekah set it up.
“It’s a pretty enormous hatchet,” is all Elena says, glaring up at your sorta-friend. You roll your eyes and tuck the flyer into your bag, beginning to pack up your things. It was a waste of time to stay at school, you’d leave with Rebekah.
“Well I’m feeling generous with spirit,” Rebekah replies snarkily.
“New house, huh? Did your brother finally kick you out?” Elena glowers at Rebekah. Just like that, your mind is back on Klaus. Was it really that easy for you to get completely lost in thought over this man?
“He didn’t kick me out. I left.”
“So you left the only person on Earth that actually likes you?” Wow, Elena really could be bitchy.
Rebekah only smirks, unphased by her. “Well, Charlotte likes me. And your boyfriend liked me once. Actually, a lot more than once.” The bell goes off as the sub walks in, and you decide that you’ve had enough, so you stand up with your things and wait for Rebekah at the door. “Spread the word!” she smiles as she saunters out of the door with you close behind.
“I’ll help you set up,” you smile as you follow behind her, and she returns the smile, giving you half the stack of flyers.
“Perfect,” she grins. “The address is on the flyer. I’ll be heading over after I finish handing these out.”
You helped her finish handing out the flyers, then drove you both over to her new ‘house’ (mansion). You girls spent the next few hours set up, decorating and arranging. She compelled a few people to buy liquor from across town, and some others to help set up. Everything was going great. As you were hanging the lights on the long, elegant railing, you felt your phone buzz in your pocket.
I hear you are making your little friends angry, love.
You can’t help the silly smile that spreads across your face as you read Klaus’s text. Though you’re unsure what he’s talking about, you are just happy to get a text from him.
“Why’re you smiling like a schoolgirl, huh?” Rebekah teases you from down below where she is finishing setting up some snacks. “My brother?”
“How’d you know…” you trail off with a shy grin.
Oh am I? What’d you hear?
“Ew, you guys need to just get together already,” Rebekah pours herself a glass of champagne and you blush at the idea of ‘getting together’ with Klaus.
Apparently Elena isn’t too happy about your friendship with my sister.
You laugh aloud and walk down the stairs to show Rebekah the text. She scoffs proudly after reading the message. “Good. I hope she is angry.” You laugh and lean against the table to respond.
Sucks for her.
“Ya know, you didn’t have to kill her…” you raise your brows at Rebekah, giving her a look.
“Yes well, two birds one stone,” she shrugs with a smirk.
“You sure are your brother’s sister,” you roll your eyes playfully, and she laughs. “Would I be the worst if I asked Klaus to come tonight?” you ask Rebekah with puppy eyes. She makes a grossed out face and finishes off her champagne.
“I suppose not. Though he can be quite the buzzkill,” she responds. You smile and start typing out another text.
Are you busy tonight?
You are incredibly anxious for his response. This is the first time you will have initiated seeing him. Could it be a date? Is he the type to go on a date? “Don’t be surprised if he’s too busy tormenting someone to show,” Rebekah teases, although you know she is half serious.
For you? Not at all.
Your heart rate picks up as adrenaline floods your body. Such a flirt. This man has too much of a hold on you.
Want to come to Rebekah’s party?
You anxiously stare at your phone as you await his response. He responds within a minute, but those 60 seconds felt like an eternity.
Not quite how I pictured my evening, however, I cannot pass up an opportunity to see you.
Was that a yes? You chewed on your nail as you thought of how to respond.
I will see you tonight, Charlotte.
He texts back before you can respond. You blush and grin from ear to ear, excited to see him.
Can’t wait.
People started arriving around 1, but the party started really going around 3. You’d been drinking since people started arriving, as it took a lot of liquor for a vampire to get drunk – not that you were actively trying to be, but you were trying to calm your nerves before Klaus arrived. You weren’t monitoring yourself very well, because you started getting tipsy before he’d gotten there.
You knew that you were not very sober because when one of your favorite party songs came on, you started dancing like no one was in the room – when in fact the house was pretty packed.
You jumped and danced with some girl you shared a class with who was having just as much fun as you. Laughing as you jumped to the beat, your hair bouncing around in your face and the liquor in your stomach tossing and turning. Rebekah joined in and the three of you were having a blast, completely lost in the music.
The next song to come on was a more seductive song and the girl – Andy? – caught you by surprise when she turned around and started grinding on you. You laughed aloud and grabbed her hips, joining in the dirty dancing, moving your hips in sync. Rebekah mimicked and you were sandwiched between the girls, enjoying the song. It probably looked pretty hot, but you were having too much fun to think about anything else.
Having lost track of time, you hadn’t realized that Klaus had arrived and was watching you from a distance until the song was nearly over. You made eye contact as you caught your breath and grinned widely at him. He was wearing a dark red button down shirt with the first two undone, and a black jacket and pants with it.
As you were looking at him leaning on the wall across the room, looking right back at you, a new song had already started and some guy came up behind you, grabbing onto your waist. His hand pulled you into his body and he started swaying and grinding on you to the beat of the song. Normally, this wouldn’t have bothered you, but you were trying to go over to see Klaus. The guy’s hand dropped from your waist to your hips and he tried making you move with him, but you were uninterested. As you looked over to where Klaus had been, you saw that he was no longer there. Did he leave? Was he mad? Where did he go?
The guy spun you around and put both hands on your hips, pulling you against him and trying to have you dirty-dance against his leg. You continued looking around for Klaus, not really moving with the random dude. The guy spun you back around to grind on you again, and you came face to face with Klaus.
He stood a few feet in front of you, a very displeased expression on his face. His eyes were looking over your shoulder, presumably at the annoying guy dancing on you. “Dude back off,” the guy slurs as he notices Klaus.
“Leave. Now.” Klaus growls in a low tone, compelling the teenager. He lets go of you and walks off without another word, leaving you there with Klaus as the song continues in the background. You grinned up at him and in your slightly drunk state, took a chance. You closed the space between the two of you, your chest almost against his, looking up into his eyes. His expression was no longer sour. He looked pleasantly taken aback.
“Dance with me,” is all you say, turning around and beginning to sway to the beat against him. At first, he doesn’t react, but you hear him chuckle behind you. Your heart is pounding in your chest so loud that you know he can hear it, but you try to feign confidence. “C’mon!” you shout over your shoulder playfully. He surprises you when he places his hands on your hips, making you gasp and nearly trip.
Klaus leans his face into the left side of your neck as you dance against him, somewhat swaying along behind you but mostly letting you take the lead. Your body feels on fire wherever you feel him touching you, and you didn’t realize that something so simple could turn you on so much. Impure thoughts began crossing your mind as you leaned your head back into his chest, focusing on the feeling of his arms wrapped around you. He made you feel small and weak in the best way. Being a vampire and a strong-headed woman made you feel like you were more dominant than every other guy around – but something about Klaus made you feel submissive. He was strong, dangerous, older, powerful.
You decide to test your luck and take it a step further, reaching your hands up behind you and grabbing onto his neck, moving your hips back against him. His lips graze the sensitive skin on your neck, his warm breath in the crook of your neck, sending shivers down your body. You feel him graze his fangs against the skin and his arms move around you, basically hugging you against him, emitting a pleasurable whimper from you.
Everything about this moment was intoxicating, making adrenaline surge through your body. You can feel his lips grinning against your neck as he places a soft kiss in the same spot where he grazed his fangs. You push your body against his, needing more of him. A happy giggle escapes your lips and you bring your arms down and place your hands over top of his. They look small in comparison and his arms around your body as he leaned over you made you feel even smaller.
The song came to an end and you practically whimpered as he pulled away from you, leaving your body feeling bare without his warmth and presence on it. You turn around and look up at him, a blush radiating heat over your cheeks as you smile shyly up at him. He’s grinning right back at you in a seductive way that you don’t think you have seen yet.
Something feels like it’s changed between you. Obviously there’s been tension following the two of you around every time you’ve been together, and you’d nearly kissed a few times. But this was less innocent. Way less. Like you’d both finally admitted what's been going on all along without needing to say a word. The chemistry between you was crazy, you’ve never felt like this in your life.
“Come with me,” Klaus offers his open hand to you, and you hastily accept it. You’ve only ever held his hand while dancing, so watching him lead you away from the crowd with your hand in his was a new feeling. You knew you’d follow this man anywhere he’d go. In the craziest way, you felt both terrified and never safer than when you were by his side.
Klaus opened the balcony door for you and let you walk out first, pulling the glass door closed behind himself. He released your hand and you felt yourself frown in your drunken state. Walking over to the railing, you leaned both of your arms on it and looked up at the sun setting in the sky. He stands a few paces behind you, his eyes burning through the back of your head.
“Well hello to you too, love,” he teases. You turn around and press your butt against the rail of the balcony, smiling at him shyly.
“Sorry, had too much to drink,” you say, though you’re not sorry. Right on cue, a hiccup escapes your lips and he chuckles.
“Don’t apologize on my account,” he shrugs, taking a step closer. “I rather enjoyed your confidence.”
You don’t respond, just grin at him. You were starting to feel a little nauseous, but you tried to ignore the feeling.
“Kind of surprised you agreed to come tonight. Doesn’t seem like your scene.”
“A high school rager? Not particularly, but you invited me,” he grins.
“You’re such a flirt,” you smile.
“Are you objecting?” he takes a large stride closer, reaching out to touch your hair with two fingers. You lean into his touch subconsciously. God, how does he have such a hold on you?
“Not at all,” you mumble.
His eyes soften a little as he looks down at you. “Ugh, I don’t feel so good,” you groan, suddenly feeling like you may hurl. You spot someone who just filled their solo cup from the keg walking by and quickly open the balcony door, compelling them and snatching it up. Taking a few sips of the drink as Klaus watched with confusion, you tried to subdue the weird feeling in your stomach. Instead, it began spreading to your head and you felt worse. “What the…” you stumble and cough, realizing something is wrong. This isn’t from alcohol, something was going on. Your vision is blurry and you feel like you have been drugged.
“What is it, Charlotte?” Klaus asks, catching you when you stumble forward.
“The drinks…” you mumble. Klaus takes you inside by the arm, looking for answers to figure out what happened. You both see Rebekah stumbling to her room across the hall.
“Connor,” she hiccups. “Hybrid venom.”
Klaus’s eyes fall dark and he realizes that the drinks have been poisoned with hybrid venom from the vampire hunter Connor. You try to focus on keeping your eyes open as he helps you into a chair. You look up at him with blurry vision, trying to make sense of what was happening. You were poisoned? Are you going to die? Nothing was making sense.
“Here, drink.” He has crouched down in front of you and pulled you closer, placing his wrist up to your mouth. You feel the veins in your eyes surge as the smell of his blood hits you. Taken aback from his willingness for you to feed on him, you hesitate a bit. Blood sharing is personal, intimate, sometimes sexual. The idea of drinking his blood was intimating, but also…enticing.
Without saying anything, your fangs pierce his warm skin and you drink from him. The blood dripping down your throat is intoxicating and you feel immediate relief – pulling him in closer, aggressively, a tight hold on his wrist as you get your fill. A growl rumbles through your chest as you grab onto his wrist with both hands, taking more. You feel his chest vibrate in a pleasurable groan as you drink from him. Klaus strokes your hair as you feed, beginning to recover.
You finally release your fangs from his wrist and let out a large sigh, feeling relief hit you. He raises his other hand and brushes your bottom lip with his thumb, slowly dragging it across your sensitive flesh, then popping it quickly into his mouth to clean the blood off of it. You groan lightly, feeling animalistic and turned on.
“Nik!” Rebekah stumbles into the room, and Klaus stands up to heal his sister, dripping his blood into a glass for her to drink too. You sit there for a moment as he helps her, listening to the commotion downstairs – you could hear that Sheriff Liz had shown up to shut down the party, and Rebekah starts mumbling about how she was going to kill Connor.
Klaus lets out a loud sigh of disapproval and the three of you head back downstairs.
You offer to help Rebekah clean up but she says that she will do it tomorrow, so you make a mental note to come back and help in the morning.
Klaus walks you home in comfortable silence as you start sobering up. It wasn’t a far walk at all and you almost wish that it took longer. As you walk up the stairs to your balcony, it feels like the end of a date. You still haven’t kissed Klaus and it feels like every time you almost do, you’ve been interrupted. You so badly wanted this man, but you also started to feel worried that you wanted different things.
You knew without a doubt that you’d grown to have feelings for him – serious ones. But did he feel the same? Part of you wondered if this was all the thrill of the chase or him wanting to hook up. He certainly didn’t seem like the dating type. Would he want you to be his girlfriend? Would he be a faithful boyfriend? The questions raced through your head as you made your way to the door, before turning to face him. “Thank you for walking me home,” you say quietly.
“No need to thank me, love.” The mood is different from earlier in the evening – it’s more calm than intense.
“Do you want to come in?” you ask shyly. He smiles and opens his mouth, but pauses and takes a second longer to think about his response.
“I do, but I think I should let you sober up and get some rest,” he responds softly. You nod and try to hide your disappointment. It’s silent for a moment, and you can’t help but think about the last time you saw him before tonight – in a similar situation, right before he was nearly killed.
“You know…” you start, feeling awkward, but also needing to get this off your chest. “I was… really upset, when you… well, died,” you stumble over your words, avoiding his gaze. “I’m glad you’re not dead,” you smile softly, finally looking up to meet his eye.
His expression is hard to read, but he clearly appreciates that remark. He takes a step closer to you, leaning in slowly before kissing your cheek, slowly, softly, then takes a step back. “Get some sleep, Charlotte.” He starts walking down the stairs slowly, leaving you mind boggled by the door. You touch your cheek where he kissed you, a huge grin spreading across your flushed face. What just happened?
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The Allure of Darkness Series Masterlist🖤🥀
Let me know if you'd like to be tagged when a new chapter is posted!
Charlotte Fell has never had an easy life. Her mother has always been absent, following her best friend - Kelly Donovan - around the country and leaving her to fend for herself. Learning early to rely only on herself-and sometimes Matt-becoming a vampire was the best thing to ever happen to her, although it strained some of her few friendships. But everything changes for her again senior year, when she crosses paths with the mysterious Originals. Charlotte can't help but be drawn to-captivated by-Klaus. His darkness feels achingly familiar, like a reflection of her own hidden scars. But the closer she gets to him, the more her world unravels. Klaus is the most feared vampire, with a thousand years of vile acts behind him-but there was an undeniable tension between them. Now Charlotte must decide: is Klaus worth the danger and sacrifices?
Starts in Season 3 of TVD
Book 1 | 23+ long chapters
"The monster everyone fears... is the only one who makes me feel loved."
Pairing: See previous chapters. Warnings: None that I can think of for this chapter.
“So you and Klaus?” Bonnie asked from where she and Caroline sat at a table in the grill.
“It’s nothing serious, but yeah, me and Klaus.” Katie shrugged then took a drink of her coffee. “So what’s the cover story for where I’ve been?”
“You went to stay with your aunt again.” Caroline told her.
“Right, the imaginary aunt.” Katie nodded.
“Caroline compelled you into the school districts homeschooling program before my dad had put vervain in the town’s water supply.” Bonnie told her. “We’ve been tag teaming your work for you.”
Katie couldn’t help but smile. “You guys are awesome.”
“We kind of slacked off when we thought you were going to die, though, so you have a little catching up to do.” Caroline informed her, but Katie waved her off. “I also ordered your cap and gown.”
“I seriously don’t know how to thank you guys.” Katie said as she looked down at her coffee.
“Well you can start by sticking around and helping us keep Elena from eating anyone.” Bonnie said then took a drink of her coffee.
“Okie dokie.” She told them with a nod.
“So are you planning on coming back to school?” Bonnie asked.
“Yeah your spot is still open on the cheer squad if you want it.” Caroline added.
“I was thinking about homeschooling before everything happened. I’ll stick with it.” Katie said with a shrug.
“But you’ll still come to prom and graduation right?” Caroline asked with wide eyes.
“Definitely. Klaus already picked me out a dress from his creepy trophy case of family collectables. It’s vintage and very glamorous.” Katie answered, making Caroline smile.
“So we’re seriously not going to talk about the fact that you called whatever is going on with you and Klaus nothing serious?” Bonnie asked circling back to the topic Katie had purposely changed the subject from. "When I told him you were dying he started crying and threatened to rip Elijah's spine out for what he had done to you. That's not 'nothing serious'."
"He did?" Katie asked and Bonnie nodded. "Maybe it's heading toward serious, but right now I just want to focus on getting back up on my feet. Part of that is going to be figuring out how to balance my life, you know figuring out how to be with him and not lose you guys like I did before." Katie shrugged. "I know he's the 'bad guy', but he was there for me when I had no one an-"
"You don't have to explain it to us." Caroline interrupted.
"Yeah, we won't make you choose. If he's good to you then he's okay in our book." Bonnie added. "He is good to you, right?"
Katie smiled and bit her lip, "Yeah."
“So, how is he?” Caroline asked with a devious smile and a wiggle of her brows in an attempt to lighten the mood.
“Oh come on, even you have to wonder what the bad boys are like in bed.” Caroline told her with an eye roll then looked back at Katie. “So…spill.”
Katie laughed and shook her head. “I’m not going to answer that in the middle of the grill where anyone could overhear.” She answered and jerked her head at Damon, sitting at the bar with a glass of bourbon in his hand and one sitting at the empty stool next to him for the memory of Alaric.
“Right.” Caroline said with a disappointed nod. “But he was good right?”
Katie sighed and let her head fall forward. “She’s not going to stop until you answer her.” Bonnie pointed out.
“Yes, he is really, really, good.” Katie answered reluctantly. “There, happy?”
“No, but it will do until I can get better detail.” Caroline said with a smile. Katie let her believe she would get those details eventually.
~*That Night*~
“So where are we going?” Katie asked Klaus who sat in the armchair in her room watching her look through her wardrobe in just a black lace strapless bra and matching boy shorts panties. Her auburn waves were twisted up into a bun that was secured with a wooden hairstick that had a Celtic knot on the end.
He was wearing a suit and no tie, so she knew she should wear something dressy, but how dressy she didn’t know. “It wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you would it?” he asked and she turned to look at him.
“Something you should know about me…I don’t like surprises.” She told him with a tight smile. “Plus, if you don’t tell me where we’re going I won’t know what to wear.”
He walked over and pulled a little black dress and black lace Louboutin heels out of her wardrobe and set them on the bed. “Problem solved.” She looked at him and took a deep breath. “What, Love?”
“Please tell me where we’re going?” she asked again.
“You’re just going to have to trust me.” he told her as he watched her put on the dress then turn her back to him and he zipped it for her. She put on the heels then walked over to her vanity, opened the jewelry box and grabbed a random necklace then turned around to find him standing right behind her. “Do you trust me?”
She took a deep breath and let it out. Just because she had come back from the dead and managed to get a clean start didn’t mean she trusted easily again, but with him…she was cautiously doing so. “Yes.”
“Good. Are you ready?” he held his arm out for her and she looped hers through it.
TVDTVDTVD
“An art exhibit.” She said with a smile as they walked into the building. “I should have known. I did ask for an art lesson.” She told him as they walked around one of the dividers that paintings hung on.
“This isn’t the lesson, just something I wanted to do with you.” he told her as they walked around looking at the painting’s, sculptures and photos. “See anything that speaks to you?” he was paying more attention to her than the art.
“That one.” She pointed to a landscape painting of a grassy clearing over hung by tree limbs. Blue, purple, orange and pink flowers colored the ground. A waterfall could be seen off in the distance.
“I didn’t take you for the landscape type.” He told her, taking in how her eyes concentrated on the painting.
“It reminds me of home.” She told him and for a second he was confused, then he remembered that she lived in Ireland in the 1800’s. “There was a waterfall behind my parent’s house. My sister and I would run there to get away from Father. He had an irrational fear of water so we knew we’d be safer there, behind the waterfall, at least until night came and we had to go home.”
“Do you want it?” he asked.
She looked away from the painting to see him standing behind her with his hands tucked behind his back. “Is it for sale?”
“Anything is for sale if the price is high enough.” He told her with a devious smile.
She rolled her eyes and gave him a smile. “I want it if the artist is willing to part with it.” she told him pointedly. He gave her a big smile and walked off to find the artist.
When he got done procuring the painting from the more than willing artist and arranging for it to be delivered to the mansion he found Katie staring at a photograph in thought, her fingers fiddling with the necklace that rested on her chest. He stood back looking at her distant eyes that took in thick clear pieces of broken glass spread out over black sand, a dark cloudy sky in the background. “Why does that fascinate you so?” he asked, making her jump, not realizing he had found her.
She looked back at the photo. “I know it’s just broken glass, but…for some reason it makes me feel lost. Like I don’t know who I am and I don’t know what to do about it.” she told him then took a deep breath and looked at him. “So was the artist willing to sell?”
“Yes. Your painting will be delivered to the mansion tomorrow.” He told her with a smile.
“Did you see anything you liked?” she asked.
“Yes, but I believe she is already mine.” He told her, making her smile and blush a little. “Are you ready for dinner?” he held his arm out for her and she took it.
TVDTVDTVD
He brought her to a five star restaurant and got them an intimate table in the corner. “So is medical school still something you wish to pursue?” he asked then took a bite of his stake.
“I don’t know.” She paused to take a bite of her side salad. “I only ever wanted to be a doctor because I wanted to prove to everyone in Mystic Falls that I could make something of myself and be more than the slutty piece of trash they labeled me as.”
“And now?” he asked curiously.
“Now I just want to make it to graduation in one piece.” She answered honestly. “If I still feel like going to college for something by the time summer is over then I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.”
“We haven’t discussed the cure.” He said, making her tilt her head.
“Yes we have. There’s a cure… everyone but Rebekah agrees Elena should have it.” she stated.
“But would you take it if I got it for you?” he asked, making her stop eating and think.
She had once told Damon that she didn’t want to be a vampire because she didn’t want to watch her friends grow up, start families and move on without her. That she wanted a husband and a family, but so much had changed since then. When she said that, she didn’t remember that she’d already had that life. Now she just wanted to have fun and live freely for a little while. “Do you think I should take it?”
“I don’t want to influence your decision.” He told her with a tilt of his head.
“Have you forgotten who you’re talking to?” she asked with a playful smile. “I know my answer. I just want to know if you would want me to take it.” She told him then took a bite of her salad.
“If I’m being selfish, no, I don’t want you to take it.” he answered. “But I also want you to get all the things you want out of life and if a human man and a human family is what you want then I wouldn’t stop you.” she smiled at him then looked down and played with her salad with her fork. “So are you going to answer me?”
“I don’t want it. Even if there were multiple doses, I wouldn’t take it.” he gave her a look that said he didn’t believe her. “I’ve had a human man and a human family…the human life. Now I’ve been reincarnated and come back from a shattered soul, I didn’t go through all of that just to turn into a pumpkin again.”
Klaus gave her a smile. “I’m glad to hear that.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a black velvet box with a red bow tied around it. “I know you’ve already received two necklaces from previous suitors and I did not want to be cliché, but I noticed you don’t wear bracelets or earrings often. You also reach for your neck when you’re thinking about something. So…” he placed the box on the table and slid it to her. She picked it up, slid the ribbon off and popped the lid open to see a silver pendant made to look like a wax seal stamped with a phoenix, it’s wings spread as it soared up, a dazzling trillion cut diamond grasped in its talons. It hung off a thin silver Singapore chain. “Happy birthday, Little Phoenix.”
This necklace felt different than the others she’d received. It wasn’t meant to represent them as a couple or protect her like Damon’s had been, it wasn’t a show of how he would love her forever like Elijah’s had been. It was simply something he thought represented her as a person and if she was being honest, she kind of felt as if she had risen from the ashes of her old life. All she had to do now was spread her wings and soar. After a few minutes she heard him clear his throat and when she looked up she realized then that her eyes had watered.
After clearing her throat and blinking back the tears she managed to say, “It’s perfect. Thank you.” As she took it out of the box he got up from the table and took the necklace she was wearing off, put it on the table then took his necklace from her and put it around her neck. When he moved around her to sit back down she caught the front of his jacket and pulled him down for a kiss. When it broke he sat back down and Katie looked around to see people jerk their eyes back down to their plates. “People are staring at us.” she told him with a smile.
“They probably think I’m some kind predator…taking advantage of my sweet, beautiful and innocent date.” he told her then smiled.
“Or that you’re simply too old for me.” She said as she picked up her wine glass and took a drink. “Mmm, no, I got it…” she told him with a smile as she pointed at him still holding her glass in her hand, “They think you’re my sugar daddy.” His jaw dropped and he smiled. “Older guy plying a young girl with a fancy dinner, wine, jewelry…” She finished off her wine then sat her glass down. “So if anything, I’m praying on you mister rich, charming and devilishly handsome.” He laughed making her smile.
TVDTVDTVD
Klaus opened her car door for her then offered her his arm. “You know I remember a time, not long ago, when you refused to take my arm when I offered.” He thought out loud as she slid her arm through his.
“Do you want to go back to that?” she asked with a look up at him through her lashes as they headed to the mansion.
“No, I much prefer to have you willingly at my side as opposed to turning your nose up at me.” he told her as they walked into the house.
“Oh, I can still turn my nose up at you from your side.” she told him with a smile that let him know she was messing with him. “So I have a question.” She stated as they walked into the parlor and she tossed her clutch onto the coffee table.
“I may have an answer.” He replied as he watched her sit down on the couch.
“Tonight was a date right?” she asked as she pulled off the thousand dollar heels. He hummed a positive answer. “So…we're dating?”
He walked over and sat down next to her and pulled his leg up on the couch to face her. “If that is what you want.”
His answer caused a fleeting smile to grace her lips as she looked down and turned to face him, folding her legs modestly to the side in the short dress. “You always make everything about me. You give me whatever I want and if I’m being honest I love how much you dote on me.” her words made a small smile pull at the corners of his lips. “When we first started this I made my intentions clear and you went along with it. Even though I got the feeling that there was something you weren’t saying, I didn’t ask because I was happy and I didn’t want to possibly ruin it. It kind of felt like I was using you and you were letting me, but I don’t want to be selfish anymore. Not with you. So I have to ask, what do you want?”
“What did you think I would have to say that would ruin your happiness?” he asked and her eyes fell to look at her knees.
“Three little words that can do more damage than a nuclear bomb.” She answered then looked back up at him.
“I know you’re not ready for that. You’ve loved too hard too fast and I understand why you are unable to love again so soon.” He told her then grabbed her hand in his. “But you asked me what I want. So I will tell you.” he brushed the backs of his fingers down her cheek. “You gave me an easy out and told me that you wouldn’t tie me down if I wanted Caroline. You didn’t let me say that I never wanted her. She was a distraction while you were with Elijah because I didn’t think I could have you.” Even though she had told herself she was over feeling like she came in second to one friend or the other, his words gave her a sense of pride. No one had ever chosen her over Caroline or Elena. Even Damon had chosen Caroline at first. “Elijah and Damon are your first loves. When you are ready, I want to be your last.” When a tear slipped down her cheek he brushed it away. “I only want you and I want you to only want me, but that does not mean I want to tie you down. You,” he looked down at her necklace then back into her eyes, “Little Phoenix, have risen from the ashes once only to have your wings clipped by the men in your life. You’ve recently risen again and I will not let anyone, myself included, keep you from making the sky yours.”
He wanted to be exclusive yet still let her make her own decisions and be herself. He also wasn’t going to rush her when it came to confessing their love for one another. It made a smile spread over her lips, but she couldn’t find the words to tell him how much he and what he’d just said meant to her. Since she couldn’t find words, she decided to let her actions speak and grabbed his suit jacket and pulled him down for a kiss, pouring her every emotion into it. As they kissed he pulled her into his lap, holding her black cotton covered sides. When the kiss broke she looked him in the eyes then moved her lips close to his ear and whispered, “I only want you, Big Bad Wolf.” She kissed down his jaw line and pecked him on the lips before she looked him in the eyes again. “I’m yours.”
It wasn’t a proclamation of love, but it was one step closer. “And I’m yours.” his hands slid up her back, pulling her closer into him as he started kissing her neck, pulling a sigh from her lips. While his lips placed loving kisses up and down her neck and shoulders, her hands worked on the buttons of the black dress shirt he wore under his suit jacket.
“You look good in a suit, by the way.” She told him as he pulled away from her neck and slid his hands down to grip her thighs.
“You have a thing for guys in suits don’t you?” he asked with lust in his eyes.
“No. I said you look good, not that it’s my favorite look on you.” she corrected him. “If I have a thing for anything it’s men with british accents who are way too old for me.”
“So what is your favorite look on me?” he asked as he slipped his hands up the skirt of her dress.
“Your everyday look.” She answered. “Jeans, a belt and a Henley shirt, preferably a short sleeved one so I can see your arms, but long sleeved is just as sexy.” She pushed his shirt and jacket down his arms.
“You like my arms?” he asked as he pulled them out of the sleeves and wrapped them around her waist.
“Yep, and I like your lips almost as much as your hands.” She pecked him on his lips. “And I like this.” She slipped her hands down his chest and used her pointer fingers to trace the v of muscles that led down into his pants and hooked her fingers under his belt. “There’s not a single part of your body that doesn’t turn me on. I even find your feet attractive which is weird because feet usually gross me out.” She told him with a smile before her eyes turned admiring. “You’re perfect,” she kissed him on the lips, the cheek, “strong,” the ear, “romantic,” a whisper of a laugh left his lips as she kissed his neck, “sweet,” she kissed across his chest, “Sexy,” then cupped one side of his neck in her hand as she kissed up to the other side of his neck, “protective without crossing the line into controlling,” she kissed to his ear, “and really turned on right now.” she whispered then bit his earlobe as she rocked her hips against him.
“It’s no wonder when my gorgeous girlfriend is showering me with affection.” He told her as he slid his hands up her thighs to grab her butt. Klaus calling her his girlfriend made her heart skip and beat and butterflies to kick up in the pit of her stomach. She pulled back and looked him in the eyes with a smile. He smiled back and pulled her into him for a soft kiss that slowly deepened.
Their hands explored each other as they made out. After a while he pulled the hair stick out of her hair letting it spin out of the neat bun she’d twisted it into to fall around her shoulders. He slid his fingers through it and held the back of her head as his other hand grabbed the zipper of her dress and slowly pulled it down. His hands on her bare back pulled a sigh from her as he slid them up, grabbed the straps of the dress and pulled them down her arms revealing the black lace strapless bra she wore underneath.
With the dress out of the way he kissed down her neck and chest to the valley of her breasts. As he did she slipped her fingers through his hair and let her head fall back with a sigh. Not in the mood to bother with the hooks, Klaus grabbed the cups of her bra and pulled, ripping it in the middle then tossed it to the side. A gasp left her lips when he closed his mouth around her nipple. The other breast got cupped in his hand, kneading it before he gave it a pinch pulling a moan from her. His hand replaced his lips as he pulled back and looked into her lust clouded eyes.
Her hands slid down his chest to his belt and started unbuckling it, not breaking eye contact with him as she unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans then slid off of the couch and pulled them off of him, catching him in her mouth as soon as he sprang free from the tight confinements of his boxers. A moan left his lips as he let his head fall back onto the couch and put his hand on the back of her head, gently fisting her hair in his hand.
She was having fun finding new ways to pull sighs and grunts of pleasure from him when she felt him give her hair a tug signaling her to stop. “You keep that up and I won’t last much longer.” He told her in a huff and she pulled her head up with a pop causing his body to twitch and a smile to form on her lips.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” She stood up and pulled her dress that had gotten bunched up around her waist, over her head while he pulled her red lace cheeky panties down. She was going to straddle him again, but he grabbed her hips, turned her around and pulled her back to sit in his lap and lean back against him. His lips placed kisses and nibbles along her neck while one hand found her breast and the other slid slowly and teasingly down her stomach over her inner thigh pushing her leg to the side before he finally dipped into her core. “Klaus.” Her back arched as one hand grabbed his over her beast and the other reached back and imbedded itself into his hair.
“You like that?” he asked, his voice deep and low in her ear.
“I love it.” she replied, her voice just the opposite as she writhed against him. A laugh left his perfect lips before he growled and bit her neck not breaking the skin. He knew she was getting close. So after a few more seconds he pulled his hand away, offering her his slick fingers. She grabbed his wrist and sucked them into her mouth, tasting herself. He hummed in her ear, “Such a naughty girl.” She just laughed and slid his clean fingers out of her mouth and put his hand on her chest.
She shifted to the side and pulled his lips to hers. As they kissed she slid her hand down and started touching herself. When he realized what she was doing he grabbed her wrist, pulled her hand away and took her fingers into his mouth. She bit her lip as she watched her fingers slip from his mouth. Unable to handle anymore foreplay he grabbed her hips, lined her up with him and slowly lowered her down on him.
She bit her lip and let her head fall back onto his shoulder. He started kissing her neck as he rocked into her. One of his hands played with her breast while the other gripped her outer thigh. When he noticed one of her hands making its way down he grabbed it. “No cheating, Sweetheart.” He threaded his fingers through hers and held her hand against his thigh to keep her from touching herself as he rocked into her. After a few minutes he moved her around to straddle him and she instantly caught his lips with hers. A few minutes later he was getting close and he could tell she was too. This time neither of them said a word as they looked into each other’s eyes and let pure ecstasy consume them.
As they came down from their high, he absentmindedly caressed her back and she kissed his neck and held his sides. “I think I’ve already said it once today, but just in case I haven’t, I’m going to say it again. You’re…amazing.”
“Best you’ve ever had?” he asked, being cocky.
“Definitely top five.” She answered as she pulled back and gave him a smirk. He rolled his eyes knowing she’d only ever been with five different men. “The answer to that question will only do one of two things, give you a big head or hurt your feelings. I’m not looking to do either.”
“At least tell me I’m better than Tyler.” He told her as he wrapped his arms around her and bit her neck playfully.
“You are definitely better than Tyler.” She laughed. “But in his defense we were both still human. Now that he’s a hotshot hybrid I’m sure he’s a lot better.”
“Easy.” He told her in a warning tone.
She laughed. “Jealous?” she asked with an innocent tone.
“Possibly.” He answered and she leaned her head back to look at him.
“You are aware that I’m talking about Tyler Lockwood, right? The douchebag wolf boy turned hybrid that tried to kill you?” she asked.
“The same douchebag that was going to ask you to marry him?” he asked, making her realize that he’d watched the dvd.
“Yeah, but he didn’t.” she turned around and sat on the opposite end of the couch, her legs outstretched on top of his. “Besides, I would’ve said no anyway.”
“Would you have?” he asked, doubting her.
“Yeah, I mean I loved him and I liked being with him, but… my heart wasn’t fully in it and because of that I wasn’t a good girlfriend to him.” she admitted as she picked up his foot and started massaging it.
“How so?” he asked curiously, clearly liking her messaging his foot even though feet grossed her out.
“The background photo of me and Damon kissing that you saw on my phone…” she said and he nodded remembering it all too well. “That was taken while Tyler and I were still together. Then after I turned and before I broke with him I slept with Damon.” She dropped his foot and grabbed the other one. “So I guess you should keep in mind that I have a history of being unfaithful.”
“I should also keep in mind that you cheated on Tyler because you weren’t completely happy with him.” he told her as he grabbed her foot and kissed her big toe before he started massaging it. “I on the other hand know how to make, and keep, you happy.”
“Oh yeah?” she asked with a laugh and took her foot out of his talented hand then leaned forward on her hands and knees to be face to face with him. “What makes you so sure, Big Bad Wolf?” she pecked him on the lips.
“Because I’ve been at it for the past six months and you’re still here.” He pointed out.
“Huh.” He huffed realizing he was right. “Feels more like three months to me, but I see what you’re saying nonetheless.” She pecked him on the lips then stood from the couch and picked up her clothes. When she picked up her bra remembering that he broke it she sighed. “Can you do me a favor and not destroy my bras?” she asked. “It’s hard to find bras that are pretty and actually hold me up.” He gave her a smart ass solute and a closed lipped smile and she threw the bra at him making him laugh.
TVDTVDTVD
Katie woke up to find that she wasn’t tucked into Klaus’s chest like she usually was and his side of his bed was empty. “Klaus?” she groaned as she sat up and looked around, her eyes landed on a note on the bedside table and she picked it up. “I had to leave for a bit. You looked so peaceful I did not want to wake you. –Klaus.” She read his pretty cursive words aloud.
After tucking the note away in her room for safe keeping she threw on a robe and headed down to the kitchen. She was sitting at the bar sipping on a cup of coffee when she heard Klaus come in. “Good morning.” He told her as he turned her around in the barstool then placed his hands on the bar behind her.
“Good morning.” She told him and kissed him back when he pecked her on the lips. “Where’d you go?”
“A wolf friend of Tyler’s needed rescuing. She has information about Katerina that I need. So I helped her, she will be staying here until Katerina’s lackeys are no longer after her or I have the information I need. Whichever comes first.”
“Okay then.” She told him as she wrapped her legs around his.
“You’re not mad that I brought a girl home?” he asked looking into her eyes with a smirk.
“What am I, your mother?” she asked with a small laugh. “No. I’m not mad or jealous. Believe it or not… when it comes to us, I trust you.” she slid her hand around to the back of his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. “Where is she?”
“Resting.” He answered.
“Good, then she won’t walk in on this.” She pulled him down for a more heated kiss that made him pick her up and carry her to the study.
They were making out on the leather couch when they heard a knock on the door to the room. Katie moved from his lap and straightened her tank top while he answered it. “What an unpleasant surprise.” Klaus said as Damon walked into the room with a stack of papers in his hand.
“So I just came up with a list.” Damon told them then turned his back on Katie where she still sat on the couch to look at Klaus. “It’s called things you suck at.” Klaus just folded his hands in front of him with a small smirk. “Number one: Finding Katherine, ever.” Klaus’s smirk fell to a look of aggravation. “Number two: Covering up your secret phone conversations with that little back stabber Hayley.” Damon waved the papers at him then turned and tossed them on the coffee table. “So where is she and what does she know about Katherine?”
“I should help you?” Klaus asked with a motion between himself and Damon. “After you lot killed my brother and imprisoned me in the Gilbert living room?”
“You might want to prioritize, Klaus, you have much bigger problems.” Damon said, raising his voice. Katie stood up and looked past Damon to Klaus. “Katherine has the cure. My guess is she’s gonna want to cram it down your throat. You help me find Katherine, I’ll get the cure, I’ll give it to Elena, everybody wins. Just let me question Hayley about Katherine.”
Klaus gave Damon a smirk as he walked over to the couch. “Can’t help you mate, Hayley’s off limits.” He sat down and pulled Katie to straddle his lap. “Although I did have a run-in with a vampire who may know where Katerina is.” He slid his hand over Katie’s leg and up to her thigh. “Too bad for you I bit halfway though his bloody neck. He probably won’t have much time for chit-chat.” Katie started kissing his neck, no longer caring that Damon was there. “You can see yourself out.” Damon made a disgusted sound before Katie heard him walk away and the door to the room shut.
After a while of making out Katie looked at the clock in the room. “Not to cut our fun short, but I have to get to the school. Caroline asked me to come to the cheer competition and help keep an eye on Elena who has randomly decided that she wanted my old spot on the cheer team.” she slid off him and stood up. “Plus it will probably be easier for you to get information out of Hayley if I’m not around.” He gave her an interested look. “You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.” She told him with a smile. “Damon used to flirt info out of women all the time. It never bothered me because I trusted him, and as I said before I trust you. As long as you don’t kiss her or sleep with her we’re good.” She finished with a smile then grabbed her keys off of the table. “And if you decide to use vinegar I won’t be around to see it. As much as I like your diabolical side, I don’t think I’m ready to become a spectator just yet.”
“You will never cease to surprise me.” he told her as he stood up and tucked his hands behind his back.
“And it will never cease to amaze me that I keep surprising you.” she pecked him on the lips then turned her back on him. “See you later.”
TVDTVDTVD
After the competition Elena decided to throw a party at the boarding house, but Katie went home instead. As she was going into the mansion, Hayley was leaving. Neither of them said anything to each other. Katie found Klaus in the parlor with a drink in his hand. “So how did that go?”
“I wined and dined her, got the information I needed then pissed her off when I didn’t put out like he expected.” He told her with a smirk.
“Yeah she looked pissed when we passed.” Katie laughed and flopped down next to him and took the drink out of his hand.
“How was the competition?” he asked watching her take a drink.
“Elena fed on a cheerleader from another school, just as I expected her to. Then when Caroline called her out on it, Elena dropped her during the routine.” Katie told him then took another drink and passed him the glass back. “According to Caroline, Damon tried to use his sire bond to get Elena to behave, but I don’t think they realized that because the sire bond stems from emotions the bond is broken without them. So what they thought was Elena behaving and joining in on school activities was really her finding vervain free bodies to feed on.” Klaus didn’t say anything. “Sorry, I’m sure you could care less about teen gossip.”
“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t care.” He pointed out. “I was just thinking about that one time you got on stage and sang karaoke.” He told her.
“Eesh.” She commented as she moved around to lie on the couch with her head in his lap.
“Not eesh.” He scolded as he started playing with her hair. “You were good. You had the attention of every man in the room, some women too.”
“Stop.” She laughed and smacked him in the chest with the back of her hand.
“Sing for me?” he asked, surprising her.
“I don’t know…” she drawled.
“If you can sing in a room full of strangers you can sing for me.” He pointed out.
“That was when I was fearless.” She pointed out.
“It’s just me, Love, there's nothing to be afraid of.” He told her quietly. “Please?” he looked down at her with puppy dog eyes and his bottom lip poked out the slightest bit.
She couldn’t help but smile at him. “You and those damn eyes and pouty lips.” She sighed. “Fine. What do you want to hear?”
“There was a song on your phone I grew fond of. It was in your top songs list, from some tv show soundtrack.” He told her not being able to remember the song.
“Most likely the Nashville soundtrack.” She commented as she pulled her phone out of her back pocket then started going through her songs.
“It was a duet.” He added.
“When the Right One Comes Along?” Katie asked and he shook his head no. “Fade Into You?”
“That one.” He told her and she smiled a bright judgy smile at him. “What?”
“You’re such a sappy romantic.” She told him and he rolled his eyes with a smile.
“Are you gonna sing it or not?” he asked impatiently.
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll sing.” She told him with a wave of her hand then closed her eyes and started singing the slow love song. When he brushed the backs of his fingers over her cheek she opened her eyes and looked into his. The look in them caused her heart to skip a beat. When she got to the last line of the song she reached up and placed her hand on his cheek. “There’ll be no trace that one was once two after I fade into you.”
“Thank you, sweetheart.” He told her as he took her hand from his cheek and kissed the underside of her wrist. Her eyes slipped closed and reveled in the intimate touch.
TVDTVDTVD
The next morning Klaus and Katie walked into the boarding house, finding Caroline cleaning up the mess from the party last night. Not knowing they were looking Caroline picked up a cup, sniffed it then drank it. “Care, I know we’re vamps and all, but can I just say…ew?”
“Desperate times?” Klaus asked with his hands tucked behind his back.
“What is he doing here?” Caroline asked Katie.
“Not judging you for starters.” Klaus answered for himself. “Although if you are determined to get drunk then perhaps I might recommend something a little more sanitary?” Caroline drank what was left in the cup she had in her hand then threw it away. “Well then, you showed me.” Klaus told her with a smile.
Katie punched him in the shoulder then pointed at him. “Stop it.”
“Yes ma’am.” He told her with a smirk that made Katie roll her eyes.
“Seriously Care, what’s wrong?” Katie asked as she walked over and started helping her clean up.
“Your boyfriend is what’s wrong.” She grabbed a cup and threw it into the trash can aggressively. “Because of him, Tyler gave Matt the deed to his house. He’s not coming back.”
“Oh…” Katie said then started looking around the house feeling stuck between a rock and a hard place.
“Tyler made it his life’s mission to kill me.” Klaus told her as he walked over to the girls. “You can’t hate me for driving him away.”
“Oh I can. And I do. Now if you don’t mind I’d like to get back to spiraling.” Caroline told him. “So go away.”
“We were kind of invited.” Katie spoke up.
“I asked them to be here.” Stefan said as he walked into the room. “We need their help. I think Silas is in Mystic falls.”
“What makes you think that?” Katie asked with a frown.
“Blood has gone missing the Mystic Falls and Grove hills hospitals.” Stefan answered as Klaus walked around to the table behind the couch and poured two drinks.
“So some blood went missing from some hospitals.” He handed one to Katie and she took it and sat down on the arm of the couch. “What about Elena? Vampires with their humanity off tend to overindulge in human blood, or were you the exception?” Klaus turned from the table and looked at Stefan.
“It’s not Elena.” Stefan answered, putting his hand on his hip.
“Well, let’s say for a moment that it was Silas. I’m struggling to see how this affects us.” he sat down on the couch and wrapped his arm around Katie’s waist.
“Look, Silas wants to die and be reunited with his one true love, but he’s supernatural, so if he takes the cure and dies, he gets stuck on the other side.” Stefan explained.
“How Shakespearian.” Klaus commented with a cocky smile then took a sip of his drink.
“But if he destroys the other side all together, he can take the cure, die, and pass on. But in destroying it every dead supernatural being will return to our side.” Stefan’s words brought a frown to Katie’s face and she threw back her drink.
“That means every werewolf, every witch, every vampire. I wonder how many of those you personally killed. Care yet?” Caroline asked Klaus from where she stood behind Stefan.
“My interest is piqued.” Klaus told Caroline then looked at Stefan. “How do we stop him?”
“Bonnie said Silas needs to complete 3 massacres to do this spell.” Stefan answered. “Before professor Shane died, he convinced the pastor to blow up the council. Next he had you kill your hybrids and now he only needs one more massacre. So if he’s here, that’s what he’s doing. We need to find him.”
TVDTVDTVD
“So what are we even looking for?” Caroline asked as the four of them walked into Professor Shane’s apartment.
“Well, if Shane really was working with Silas chances are he was helping him plan his next move.” Stefan answered as they all started walking around, looking at all the random stuff.
“Where, on his evil villain to do list? Steal blood, perform 3 massacres, pick up dry cleaning?” Caroline asked.
“Actually not to nit-pick, but we evil villain’s usually use minions to pick up our dry cleaning, that sort of thing.” Klaus spoke up.
Katie bit her lips closed to keep her snippy comment at Klaus from coming out in front of Stefan and Caroline. “Why is he necessary again?” Caroline asked, making Katie smirk.
“Well, we don’t know what Silas can do. So if we do have to go head to head with him, an original hybrid who can’t die might come in handy.” Stefan answered.
“Besides, Stefan and I work well together, or at least we did in the twenties.” Klaus said as he walked over to the desk chair and sat down on it.
“Well, granted my emotions were off.” Stefan added.
“And that’s why you were more fun.” Klaus said as Katie walked over and pulled herself up to sit on the desk facing him. Normally she would be all for snooping for helpful information, but in this case she had no clue what she’d be looking for. “Just as Damon is probably relishing in Elena’s emotionless company in New York.”
“My brother knows what he’s doing.” Stefan told Klaus in a hard voice.
Katie bit her lips closed and Klaus smirked at her knowing she was fighting hard to keep her comments to herself. “Does he?” Klaus asked. “Don’t underestimate the allure of darkness, Stefan. Even the purest hearts are drawn to it.” Stefan just turned his back on them. “Still, I’m sure it will all be fine.” He placed his fingertips together with a smirk and swayed back and forth in the chair. Katie took in his devious smirk when he looked up at her.
“I think I found something.” Caroline spoke up and walked over to the desk with a book. “Symbolic figures in the dark arts.” She opened the book and put it on the desk. “Didn’t Bonnie talk about expression triangles? Here.” She pointed at a triangular drawing with different symbols at each of the points. Katie slipped off the desk and turned to look at the book.
“In some schools of magic such as expression, human sacrifice can be used as a focus for power. It’s rumored that the addition of two supernatural sacrifices compounds the mystical energy creating an expression triangle.” Stefan read from the book.
“Human’s, that was the council fire.” Caroline pointed at the top symbol, “Demons, Klaus’ hybrid failure.”
“Well, I wouldn’t exactly call it a failure.” Klaus said dropping his clasped hands to wrap one around Katie’s waist. “What’s the third?”
“Oh no.” Caroline said looking at the book.
“What’s oh no?” Katie asked.
“Witches.” Caroline answered.
“Bonnie.” Katie said with a look at Caroline.
“I’ll go call her.” Stefan said as he pulled out his cell phone and headed out of the apartment.
Caroline grabbed a map, ruler and sharpie and laid them out on the desk. “There’s been two massacres. Pastor Young’s farm is here,” she drew an x on the map, “and the old Lockwood cellar, where Klaus spitefully slaughtered 12 of his own hybrids, is here.” She drew another x then connected them. “According to the book, the expression triangle is equilateral, putting it here.” She made a third x and connected it to the first line she drew.
“Or…” Katie hip bumped Klaus and he moved to the side. She moved so that she could stand across from Caroline. She took the ruler and made a mirror image equilateral triangle to the one Caroline had drawn. “here.” Katie pointed at the second location that the witch massacre could happen then looked up at Caroline.
Caroline didn’t get a chance to say anything before Stefan walked in getting their attention. “Hey, what’s going on? Did you find Bonnie?” she asked.
“No, but I talked to her dad. I think I found Silas.” Stefan answered getting Katie and Klaus’ attention. “He said Shane has been helping her learn to control her magic. Bonnie called her mom to get a group of witches down here to perform a ritual to help her…tonight.” They all knew Shane died on the island.
“Okay.” Katie looked out the window to see that the sun was starting to set. “Then I guess we don’t have much time do we?”
TVDTVDTVD
Katie and Klaus walked through the woods headed to the location she’d marked on the map on the cell phone in Klaus’ hand. “So I have a question.” Katie started. “You liked Stefan better with his humanity off and you think Damon likes Elena better with her humanity off. Why didn’t you like me better without my humanity?”
“Because I like you better with it.” He told her simply. “Don’t get me wrong, you were fun and carefree without your humanity, but all the things I like about you were gone.” They came to a stop and he turned off his phone and put it in his pocket.
“And those things are?” she drawled.
“Now who’s fishing for compliments?” he asked her with a smirk and she rolled her eyes and gave him a look that asked him to answer the question. “Your fire, your compassion…everything that makes you who you are.”
“Mkay, second question.” She started. “I told you once that I didn’t know why I was drawn to you. So was that, “don’t underestimate the allure of darkness” comment you made earlier, really aimed at Elena and Damon or were you talking about us?” she asked, trying to mimic his accent.
He smiled at her bad attempt. “Both.” He answered.
“That’s not why I’m drawn to you.” she told him matter-of-factly and he gave her a curious look that she was growing to like. “It’s the man hidden under the monster that pulls me in. The little glimpses of your humanity that I’ve gotten to see. You like my humanity, I like yours.”
He leaned down and kissed her then pulled back and looked around. “We’re here. Although judging by the lack of witches, here is not the correct location.”
“Awesome.” Katie sighed now even more worried about Bonnie.
Seeing her worry he held his hand out to her. “I’m faster than you, Love.”
She ignored his hand and walked around him, placed her hands on his shoulders then jumped and wrapped her legs around his torso. He grabbed her thighs and looked at her over his shoulder. She pecked him on the cheek. “Whisk me away, Big Bad Wolf.”
When they found Stefan, Caroline and the witches Katie saw Bonnie laying in the center of a pentagram with her hands and feet tied to stakes that were hammered into the ground.
“They’re linked, Bonnie’s going to kill them.” Stefan informed them.
“Not if the witches kill her first.” Klaus pinned Stefan to a tree with his hands on his chest.
“Klaus, we can’t let them kill her.” Katie pleaded with him.
“The only way to stop the witches is to kill them and Silas gets what he wants.” Klaus pointed out.
All of their eyes turned to the witch that sat at Bonnie’s head, a knife raised over her head. Katie didn’t know what to do, she couldn’t just let them kill Bonnie, but at the same time it was like Klaus said, the only way to stop them was to kill them. Take one life or twelve? Before anyone could stop her Caroline whooshed over, grabbed the witch’s hands and made her stab herself in the heart. “No!” Katie and Klaus yelled at the same time.
Stefan went to Caroline’s side while Katie stood next to Klaus. “Well, you wouldn’t happen to have a shovel would you?” Katie asked with a sigh.
TVDTVDTVD
By the time Katie and Klaus had dug twelve holes in the middle of the woods the sun had come up. Katie and Klaus did most of the work, Caroline was still in shock at what just happened. “There, twelve graves for twelve witches, like it never happened.” Klaus told Caroline as he rolled his sleeves down. “Only it did happen.” He grabbed his jacket and shrugged it on. “Now Silas has everything he needs to open the gates to hell on earth.”
Katie slammed her shovel into the ground then grabbed her denim jacket off a fallen tree and pulled it on. “You two were just gonna let Bonnie die.” Caroline told them with a glare.
“I know arithmetic isn’t your strong point, but one is still less than twelve.” Klaus told her.
Caroline looked at Katie. “That one, is our best friend.”
“Yeah, Care, but those other twelve witches had best friends and probably families too.” Katie pointed out.
Caroline’s face turned to one of horror. “I just killed twelve people…” she whispered looking like she was about to cry.
“Okay, I’m going to drive Caroline home.” Katie told Klaus who gave her a nod.
Katie spent the night with Caroline, not wanting her to be alone with herself after what she’d done.
TVDTVDTVD
The next morning Katie got a message from Klaus asking her to come home and that it was an emergency.
“Klaus?” Katie called as she walked through the house.
“Go away.” She followed his voice to a room she’d never been in and found him sitting on the floor leaning against the bench of a piano, shirtless and shaking from pain.
“I got your message, what happened?” she asked as she walked into the room.
“I need more time. Stop hounding me!” he yelled at her.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She walked over to him and kneeled down, brushing his sweaty hair out of his face. “What's wrong?” blood was on his back a day fingertips.
“Katie…Is it really you?” he asked shakily.
“Yeah.” she drawled in confusion.
“Prove it to me.” he told her.
“Um, okay.” She sighed not knowing how she was supposed to prove that she was herself. So she simply kissed him then pressed her forehead to his and looked him in the eyes. “Now tell me what happened, please.”
“Silas, he stabbed me with a white oak stake.” He told her motioning to his back and she moved around him to see a bloody spot on his back that looked more like he’d been clawing at it than if he’d been stabbed. “There’s a piece of it stuck inside me.”
She moved back to kneel in front of him and cupped his cheek in her hand. “I’ll see what I can do.” She stood up and held her hand out to him. He took it and let her pull him up. She pulled the piano bench out and motioned for him to sit. So he sat down and leaned forward on the piano. She picked up the bloody trimming shears off the floor, grabbed a wooden chair and set down behind him.
After an hour and a half of digging around in his back and coming up with nothing she tossed the sheers onto of the piano. “You’re giving up.” He observed.
“On those stupid sheers, yes.” She said then started digging around in his back with her fingers.
“Are you using your fingers?” he asked.
“That’s what she said.” She joked and he heaved an aggravated sigh. “Sorry, not the time for jokes. Yes, I’m using my fingers. And if I still don’t find anything then yeah, I’ll give up because there’s nothing in here and I can't keep torturing you.”
“It’s there.” he told her, still in a lot of pain.
“So why did Silas come after you anyway?” she asked while poking and prodding around in his back.
“He wants me to get him the cure.” He answered truthfully.
After another hour of digging in his back she gave up. “Klaus, I swear there’s nothing there.” She told him as she stopped poking around in his back.
“I can feel it!” he yelled as he stood up and turned to her, knocking the piano bench over. She held up her bloody hands and took a step back.
“Do you think I would just stand by and let you die?” she asked with a hard tone.
“Probably.” He answered quietly, not looking at her.
“I flipped my switch because I thought you died!” she yelled at him. “So believe me when I tell you there is no white oak splinter working its way to your heart. You’re imagining it!”
“Do not raise your voice to me!” he told her, taking a step closer to tower over her.
“I will raise my voice at you any time I damn well please you stubborn, egomaniacal douche bag!” she yelled back taking a step closer to him as she glared back at him.
Instead of lashing out at her he frowned and looked at the floor. “It’s gone.”
“Huh?” Katie asked, confused.
“The pain…” He reached back over his shoulder. “The pain is gone.” He closed his eyes and shook his head. “It was…It was never there.” He opened his eyes and looked at her, all anger gone from both of them. “You were right, I was imagining it. Silas…” he pointed at his temples with two fingers, “got inside my head.” He cupped her cheek in his hand, kissed her then pressed his forehead to hers. “You took my mind off it. You brought me back, Little Phoenix.”
“Well, then I guess my temper paid off for once.” She said with a small smile that he returned. “So you’re okay?” she asked as she pulled back and rested one hand on his shoulder and cupped his cheek in the other.
“I am. Thanks to you.” he told her then rested his hands on her waist.
“So…do you really think I’d just let you die, or were you just talking out of pain and frustration?” she asked, having been a little hurt by him.
“I didn’t mean it.” he told her honestly. “I apologize.”
“Hmm, how often does that leave your mouth?” she asked jokingly and he rolled his eyes at her. “Restock the fridge with ice cream and all is forgiven. And I’m sorry I called you a douchebag.” She told him with a small smile. He tried to kiss her but she pulled away “You need a shower. Contrary to popular belief a sweaty man is not a sexy one.”
“No?” he asked with a look down at himself, his jeans riding low on his hips.
“No.” she answered with a small laugh and a shake of her head. When a devilish look appeared in his eyes she smiled bigger. “Klaus.” She drawled with a warning tone.
“Katie.” He mimicked her tone as he smiled back.
“Whatever you’re thi-” her words were cut off with a yelp when he picked her up and pressed her to the wall, exaggeratedly rubbing his body against her, wiping his sweat all over her. “Klaus.” She laughed his name while he kissed her neck and she wrapped her arms around him only to stick her hand in the blood and bits of flesh left behind when his back healed. “Okay, okay, you win. I’ll shower with you.”
Pairings: Damon x Oc, Tyler x Oc for a hot minute, Elijah x Oc for a hotter minute, Klaus x Oc endgame. Warning: Mental and physical abuse in some chapters.
Alaric spoke to one of his buddies at Duke University and got Katie into a three week medical internship program for students who want to pursue a career in the medical field. While she was there, away from Mystic Falls and the vampire/werewolf craziness, she started to change. She felt free and more herself than she had in a long time. It only made her more eager and excited to get into college and out of Mystic Falls.
Her third day there they were given a tour of the nearby hospital’s neonatal unit and nursery. “Babies who are not held, nuzzled, and hugged enough can stop growing and if the situation lasts long enough, the baby may even die.” The instructor who was leading around the group of students told them where they stood in the middle of the room full of clear hospital bassinets and incubators, a few of which held babies. “Baby Smith here is a prime example.” She told them as she walked over to a bassinet with a baby inside wrapped up like a burrito in a white hospital blanket. “Her father signed all rights over before she was born and her mother passed away during the birth.”
“So she’s orphaned.” Katie was talking more to herself than the nurse, but she caught the nurse’s attention.
“Yes.” The instructor answered. “What is your name?”
“Katie.” She answered.
“Katie, would you like to hold her?” she asked, putting Katie on the spot. “She needs all the love she can get.” Katie just nodded and stepped through the group to the hospital bassinet. “Do you know how to hold her?”
“Yes, Ma’am.” Katie answered with a smile down at the baby as she gently slid her hand under her head and another under her back. As she picked up the tiny baby and moved her into the crook of her arm, making sure to support her head, it started crying. “Hey, sweetheart, no tears.” Katie told the baby softly, temporarily forgetting about the other people in the room. “I got you, it’s alright.” She started gently bouncing the baby, humming a lullaby and the baby’s cries quieted.
“You have the magic touch. Baby Smith usually cries the whole time she’s being held.” The instructor told her with an impressed look. “Does anyone else want to give it a try?” Katie almost didn’t want to let the baby go, but she knew she had too.
--That night—
~Dream~
Elijah opened the door of their cabin, letting Fiona, who was cradling a six month old baby in her arms, inside. “He is absolutely perfect.” Hannah gushed as she caught sight of the little boy’s dark complected face that was surrounded by a soft hand made blanket.
Elijah moved behind her and took a peek at the baby over her shoulder. “Hannah is right, as usual.” He told Fiona then looked at Hannah with a look that said he was kidding with her. “May I?” he asked with a motion to the baby.
“Of course.” Fiona told him then passed him the baby.
The sight of Elijah, a strong man that some would call a monster, holding something as small and fragile as a baby caused Hannah’s heart to skip a beat. Fiona saw the look on her friend’s face and nudged her shoulder with hers. “Do you need this?” she asked holding burp cloth out to her.
Hannah blushed and slapped it away. “Oh stop it.”
“You know,” Fiona started with a look between Elijah and Hannah as she sat down at the dining table, “Julie over at the inn is in bad health and looking for someone to take in her two year old if you two would like to consider it.”
“Oh, Fiona, I don’t…” Hanna drawled with an unsure look at Elijah.
“We will talk about it.” he told Fiona surprising the hell out of Hannah. Elijah’s eyes found Hannah’s before he looked back down at the baby in his arms and started talking to him in a soft voice that made Hannah smile.
~End of Dream~
The whole time she was gone she dreamt of Elijah.
TVDTVDTVD
Katie walked into the boarding house to find that, nothing had changed. That was until she walked into the parlor and saw Damon, covered in soap suds while wrapping a red throw blanket around his hips and Elena stood across from him covering her eyes. “What’s going on here?” she asked a little shocked at the scene.
“Elena doesn’t know how to knock.” Damon answered with a smirk. “I thought she was you.”
“He’s covered now. You can put your hand down.” Katie told Elena who peeked through her fingers then dropped her hand as Damon walked over and kissed Katie on the cheek.
“Sheriff Forbes gave us another location to check.” Elena told Damon as she pulled a slip of paper out of her pocket then held it out to him as Katie ducked under his arm and he wrapped it around her shoulders. “Memphis.”
“Another dead end, you mean?” he asked as he took it from her.
“You don’t know that.” Elena told him.
“You’re right, Elena. This could be the one.” Damon told her. “After almost two months this could be the clue that tells us Stefan’s alive and well and living in Graceland.”
“Fine. I’ll go by myself.” Elena took the paper from him and walked around him, but he whooshed in front of her and took the paper.
“And let Klaus know that you’re tracking him? He thinks you’re dead. Let’s keep it that way.” He told her as he looked at the paper.
“It’s a new lead, Damon.” Elena argued. “We haven’t had one in a while.”
“Okay. I’ll check it out. If I find anything, I’ll call you.” he told her then turned around and walked off leaving Katie alone with Elena.
“So, how was med. camp?” Elena asked with a sigh and an aggravated look on her face.
“Good. I’m going to be a pediatrician.” She answered getting a raised brow look from Elena.
“Really?” Elena said as she pulled the ponytail holder out of her hair making it fall around her shoulders.
“Yep.” She said with a shrug as she watched Elena gather her hair back up and tie it back up into a ponytail. “Are you excited about your birthday party tonight?”
“I don’t even want a party. Caroline is-”
“Being Caroline?” Katie asked with a smile and Elena nodded. “It’s happening, so the least you can do is make an appearance and eat a piece of the cake I’m making you.”
“Wait, you’re making the cake?” Elena asked as Katie headed into the kitchen to get to work.
“Yep, you said no gifts so I’m making you something you can’t say no to and it’s not technically a gift if everyone enjoys it.” she told her as she started looking around the kitchen for cake pans.
“Since when do you cook?” Elena asked as she sat down in one of the barstools.
“If you ask Elijah you might have to run to the store and buy a second one, but that was before these were invented.” She told her as she grabbed the chicken shaped timer and set in within arms reach. “So I guess the answer to your question would be since freshman year, home economics.” Katie said as she slammed a cabinet door shut. “How is it possible that there isn’t a single cake pan is this big ass kitchen?” she turned around to see Elena looking at her. “What?”
“Do you miss him?” she asked, making Katie give her a confused shake of her head. “Elijah. That’s at least the fiftieth time you’ve mentioned him this summer.”
“I’ve been at a medical camp half the summer and a lot of medical emergencies happened when we were together. It’s just drumming up old memories.” She answered truthfully as she tapped her ear and pointed up.
“Have you heard from Bonnie recently?” Elena asked, getting the hint that Katie wanted to change the subject.
“I talked to her this morning. She compared her father’s family to wet paint that never dries.” Katie answered as she pulled her car keys out of her pocket. “I have to go buy cake pans you wanna tag along or…”
“No, Caroline is on her way over with Tyler to decorate.” Elena answered so Katie waved over her shoulder and left.
TVDTVDTVD
Katie worked on the cake all day and was putting the finishing touches on it when people started showing up for the party. “Are you done with that yet?” Caroline asked as she walked into the kitchen to see Katie still slaving away over the cake.
Katie ignored her and finished writing Elena’s name in cursive with black icing. “Done.” She stood up and motioned to the cake with the hand that wasn’t holding the icing bag. “What do you think?”
Caroline walked around the white three tiered, topsy turvy cake covered with pink and black poke-a-dots glaring at it with her appraising eyes. “A professional could have done it better, but I think Elena will like it.”
“Okay, now that I have your seal of approval I’m going to go get dressed. Make sure no one messes with this please.” Katie didn’t wait to hear what Caroline had to say as she headed up to her room to change.
She was straightening the neckline of her white, spaghetti strap sundress with a scoop neck and a floral print of small red flowers, when Damon walked into her room. “I missed you.” he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder.
As Katie turned in his arms a hard box in his pocket brushed her leg. “What’s this?” she asked, tapping it with her finger.
“Elena’s birthday gift.” He answered as he stood up straight and pulled a small black box out of his pocket then opened it for her to see Elena’s necklace that Stefan had given her laying on a pad of white fluff. “Alaric found it in his apartment. I thought it might make her feel like she still has a piece of Stefan.”
“That’s sweet of you.” Katie thought out loud then walked over to her dresser and grabbed a pair of small silver hoop earrings off of it. “So how was the road trip?”
“Interesting.” He told her. “Stefan killed two people, but the interesting part is there was a secret werewolf holding cell under the house.” He didn’t give her a chance to say anything before he said, “I’ll meet you down at the party.” as he tucked the box back into his pocket and left the room. Katie couldn’t help letting her ears follow Damon up to Stefan’s room where Elena had been getting ready. “I got you something.” She heard him tell her. “I know I promised not to buy you anything. So don’t worry I didn’t pay for it.”
“You stole it?” Elena asked and Katie rolled her eyes.
“No.” Damon told her with a scoff. “I found it.”
“My necklace.” Elena said quietly. “I thought I’d never see it again.”
“Alaric found it in his loft. I figured you’d be happy to get it back.” he told her.
“I am happy.” Katie could hear the sad, but slightly happy tone in Elena’s voice. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Damon told her.
Katie left her bedroom just as she heard them walking by and a little jealousy shot through her when she saw Elena’s arm looped through Damon’s. He could see it on her face so he held his other arm out to her. She took it, but as soon as they were at the bottom of the stairs she let go and headed to the kitchen to make sure no one had messed with the cake. However when she got in the kitchen she found that it was gone.
Worried she headed to the parlor where she saw Elena and Caroline getting a cup of beer from the keg in the corner. “Caroline!” Katie called getting Caroline’s attention so as soon as she could Caroline and Elena headed over to her where she stood on the steps.
“I moved the cake to the laundry room.” she told her then offered her a cup of beer.
“Thank god.” Katie sighed as she took the cup from her. “Where’s Damon?”
“I think I saw him go outside with Alaric.” Elena answered.
“Happy birthday by the way.” Katie told Elena then looked at Caroline. “I’m gonna go see if Damon wants to dance.”
She found Damon and Alaric out back sitting on the brick half wall between the cement and the grass. “How was the internship at Duke?” Alaric asked when he saw her walk up. “Did you decide if med. school was right for you?”
“Yep. You’re looking at a future pediatrician.” She told him with a proud smile.
“My girl, the future doctor.” Damon said as he grabbed her hips and pulled her to stand between his knees as he pulled her in for a kiss.
“Hey, can you keep the p.d.a. to a minimum please?” Ric complained and Katie laughed as she moved to sit beside Damon on the brick wall.
Before she could ask Damon to dance Elena walked out, said “Drink”, grabbed the glass of bourbon out of Damon’s hand and took a large drink. “Jeremy’s smoking again.”
“Is his stash any good?” Damon asked, getting a slap on the arm from Katie.
“You’re an ass.” Elena told him with a pissed off look then turned her eyes to Alaric. “Talk to him, please. He looks up to you.” she put the glass in Damon’s hand spilling it everywhere.
“You’re screwed.” Damon told Alaric who just shook his head.
Katie nudged Damon with her shoulder to get his attention and he looked over at her. “Wanna dance?”
“Na, I’m good.” He told her then refilled his glass with the bottle that was sitting between him and Alaric.
Katie sighed in disappointment. “Okay then. I’m going to go get another beer.” She said more to herself than him as she hopped down off the wall and headed inside. She had gotten a refill and was headed to her room to change shoes because the ones she was wearing were impractically high heeled when she saw Caroline leaning on the wall watching Tyler and Slutty Sophie dancing as she drank straight from the bottle. “Would you two just hook up already and get it over with?” Katie asked, getting Caroline’s attention.
“He’s had all summer to do something about us.” Caroline told her. “Besides, it’s…complicated.”
“Okay,” Katie started as she walked up the steps to stand beside her and watch people dancing on the dance floor, “weren’t you the one that told him you didn’t want to go there after he kissed you?” Katie asked, getting a look from Caroline across her shoulder. “You are also the one that said and I quote, It’s easy. Boy likes girl, girl likes boy. Sex.”
Caroline laughed remembering that she told Elena the same thing when she first met Stefan. “That’s not exactly one of my best quotes.”
“Either way the ball is in your court now. Pick it up and take a shot.” Katie told her with a smile and a pat on her shoulder as she headed up to her room. She expected to find some random couple making out on her bed, but instead she found Stefan, sitting at her desk reading her journal. “Stefan?”
He looked up at her with an emotionless face then whooshed over to her and stabbed her in the neck with a vervain dart causing her body to grow weak. It affected her more than it should have considering she ran out of vervain two weeks into her trip and hadn’t had a chance to drink any since she got back. She stumbled to her bed and grabbed the post of the footboard, holding herself up. “Hello, Katie.”
“Why are you doing this?” She groaned.
“Because I need to send a clear message to my brother.” He told her as he pulled his phone out of his pocket.
“What message?” she asked quietly.
“He and Elena need to let me go.” He told her in a matter of fact tone “Just like you need to let him go.”
“What?” she asked with a weak frown.
“I thought I heard you kiss Elijah before we went to Klaus.” He grabbed her journal and held it up. “I was right. You need to let Damon go. The longer you draw this out the more it’s going to hurt him.” He told her as he pushed buttons on his phone. Before he could hit the call button Damon walked into the room and Stefan grabbed Katie, holding her back to his chest with his arm wrapped around her chest. “Hello brother.”
“Stefan.” Damon greeted him worriedly. “What did you do to her?”
“Vervain.” He answered as if it was obvious.
“I swear if you hurt her…” Damon threatened.
“Now that I have your attention.” Stefan said, making Damon look back at him. “I need you to stop following me. It’s causing some…problems.”
Katie, growing weaker and weaker as the vervain spread through her system, couldn’t hold her head up any longer and it fell limply back onto Stefan’s shoulder. “With who, Klaus? I’m supposed to care what he thinks?” Unlike Katie, Damon could see the stake in Stefan’s hand and knew that if he made even one move toward her Stefan would stab her and possibly kill her.
“What you’re supposed to do…is let me go.” Stefan answered as Katie’s eye’s slipped shut, slowly losing consciousness.
“I’ve got a birthday girl downstairs that isn’t going to let me do that.” Damon answered.
Stefan stabbed her in the side with the thick stake making her wake up and scream. “I said…let me go.” He let Katie fall to the floor then whooshed out the window.
Damon pulled the stake out of her side making her scream again before she passed out. Damon sighed and picked her up in his arms. He laid her on her bed and brushed her hair out of her face. He tore a clean page from the notebook on her desk, wrote her a note and left it on her bedside table in case she woke up and he wasn’t there. Reluctantly he headed down stairs to make sure Stefan hadn’t gotten to Elena.
When Katie woke up she saw the note. “Went to find Elena.” She read then tossed the paper to the side as she stood up and walked over to her door. The party was still going on, but as she pulled the door open Damon and Elena’s voice’s hit her ears and she stopped. “All summer, every single time I came to you with a lead you made me feel like an idiot for having hope.” She heard Elena saying.
“You were an idiot. We both were.” Damon told her as Katie made her way toward Damon’s room.
“Tell me what you know.” Elena demanded and Katie could tell just by the tone of her voice that she was really upset with him as she should be.
“I know you need to get back to your party, Elena.” He told her dismissively.
“We’re supposed to be in this together. Why didn’t you tell me you’ve been tracking Klaus’ victims?” Elena told him.
“Because they’re not Klaus’ victims, Elena, they’re Stefan’s!” Damon snapped at her.
“What?”
“He’s left a trail of body parts up and down the eastern seaboard.” Damon told her, his voice agitated.
“No. You’re wrong.”
“I’ve seen it happen before. He’s flipped the switch, to full-blown ripper!” Damon practically yelled at her and Katie wanted to step in, but she knew Elena needed to hear what he was telling her.
“Stop it Damon.”
“No you stop, Elena. Stop looking for him. Stop waiting for him to come home. Just stop!” instead of standing out in the hallway eavesdropping Katie went back to her room to wait for them to get done arguing. “Stefan’s gone and he’s not coming back. Not in your lifetime.”
Katie didn’t know where Damon went from there, but he didn’t come to her. So she headed down to the party that was almost over and started compelling people with the line, “you don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here”.
She was picking up the plastic cups and trash that lay around when she heard Damon destroying Stefan’s room. Deciding that it would be best if she didn’t interrupt she kept cleaning. She was picking up the study when Damon found her. “What are you doin’?”
“Cleaning. This place is disgusting.” She shoved a plate with half a piece of cake on it into the black trash bag she held in her hand.
“That’s what maids and compulsion are for.” He took the trash bag out of her hand and tossed it to the floor. “Come shower with me. You still have blood on your shirt.” His hands found her hips and pulled her into him. “How long have you been awake?”
“Since you and Elena started fighting about you keeping secrets from her all summer.” She answered as she lifted her eyes to his. “I guess I really could use a shower.”
TVDTVDTVD
“Are you okay?” Katie’s eyes didn’t look at his, but at her hand that rested on his chest, knowing their conversations like these usually went better without eye contact. “I heard you in Stefan’s room earlier.”
“It’s been a long time since Stefan and I have been as close as we have been recently. I screwed everything up.” He answered.
“You didn’t screw everything up.” She told him as she trailed her fingers down the center dip of his abs. “It wasn’t your fault Tyler bit you. I never thanked you for saving him and Caroline. I know you mainly did it to try to stop the sacrifice, but it still means a lot.”
“You need to stop…just stop trying to make me feel better about this.” Damon snapped at her. “Stefan is gone because of me.”
“Stefan may be gone and he may be off the rails, but he is alive.” Katie sat up and looked at him with insistent, stubborn eyes. “Had you not done what you did not knowing you would get bit, my friends would be dead. Dead, Damon. It sucks that Elena may never see Stefan again, but one of these days you and I will and well go Lexi 2.0 on his ass as soon as we do.”
“Katie, he vervained you and staked you in the side.” Damon argued.
“But he didn’t kill me. If he was really as gone as he wants us to believe he would have killed me.” She argued. “I will help you get him back even if it means I get staked in the side a thousand times over. Hope isn’t lost, Damon, not yet.”
“Either way I’m done chasing him.” Damon’s words made Katie breathe in a deep breath then led it out as she nodded.
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Katie woke up from another Elijah dream to the smell of burning paper and sat up in bed with a sigh as she saw Damon throwing his research on Klaus and Stefan into the lit fireplace. “Are you sure you want to do that?” Katie said as she grabbed one of his shirts out of his dresser and pulled it over her head. “Maybe you should sleep on it. You might change your mind and decide to not give up on him.”
“I have slept on it, Katie. Last night, nothing’s changed and nothing is going to change. So Let it go.” He told her, not looking at her.
“Okay.” She sighed as she held her hands up in surrender then headed to her room to get dressed.
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She was sitting on the couch in the living room reading a book when Damon walked over and sat down next to her. When she didn’t look up from her book he started walking his fingers up her hand and over her arm. She smiled but didn’t look at him so he grabbed the book out of her hand and tossed it across the room. She laughed as he grabbed her by her shoulders and moved her to straddle his lap. “Are you bored?” she asked as he slid his hands up her sides. He hummed as she started unbuttoning his shirt then grabbed his sides and caught his lips in a kiss.
He had moved her around to lie on the couch when his phone started ringing. He ignored it, but as soon as it was done ringing it started up again. So he pulled it out of his back pocket with an aggravated groan and answered it. “Bad time Ric.” Damon told him as Katie started kissing his neck, not paying attention to Alaric. “She what?” Damon’s change in tone made her stop and pull back to look at his eyes, wide with worry and aggravation. “Yeah we’re headed your way.” Damon told him as he got off of Katie and hung up the phone. “Stefan and Klaus are in the Smoky Mountains. Elena talked Alaric into going with her to find Stefan.” he told her as he headed to the door.
“Is she insane?” Katie asked as she stood up and rushed after him.
“She has to be because I’m about two seconds away from locking her in a padded cell.” He said as he walked over to his car and pulled the door open as Katie opened the passenger door. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“I’m going with you.” she told him as if it were obvious.
“No. Tonight is a full moon and we will be in werewolf country. It’s too dangerous.” He told her over the roof of the blue mustang.
“All the more reason for me to come with you.” she argued and he took a deep breath and let it out in a huff. “I’m not going to just sit here and not help make sure my friend gets her stupid ass back here in one piece.”
“Fine, just…don’t do anything stupid.” He told her and jerked his head for her to get in the car.
TVDTVDTVD
When they found Alaric and Elena halfway up the mountain, Damon, still pissed at Elena, pushed her off the ledge she was standing on into the water below. “Damon, Katie, what…? How are you even here?” Elena asked, soaked from head to toe as she stood waist deep in the muddy water.
“Thanks for the tip, brother.” Damon told Alaric over his shoulder.
“You sold me out.” Elena asked Alaric with her hands held out to the sides over the water.
“You think I’d take you to a mountain range of werewolves on a full moon without backup?” Alaric asked, getting a pissed look from Elena.
“Just get out of the water so we can go home.” Katie told her with an aggravated tone.
“No.” Elena answered making Katie sigh and pinch the bridge of her nose.
“Get out of the water, Elena.” Damon told her with more force.
“No. If I get out of the water you’re going to make me go home.” She stated the obvious as Katie dropped her hand from her face and rolled her eyes.
“Yes, because I’m not an idiot like you.” Damon told her as he propped his arm up on the tree beside him.
“Right now, you’re both acting like idiots.” Alaric spoke up, over their arguing.
“You gave up on him, Damon.” Elena told him standing her ground in the water.
“I didn’t give up on him, Elena.” Damon told her as he walked a little close to the small ledge. “I faced reality. Now get out of the water.”
“No!” Elena argued as she crossed her arms over her chest.
“What’s your big plan Elena?” Damon asked as he hopped down to her level. “You gonna walk into a campsite full of werewolves,” he started walking out into the water, “roast a marshmallow, and wait for Stefan to stop by?”
“My plan is to find him and help him.” Elena argued. Seeing as how this was going to take a while Katie walked over to a tree and leaned back against it, content to watch them argue. “This is the closest that we’ve been to him since he left. I’m not going home.”
“Klaus thinks you died when he broke the curse. That makes you safe.” Damon told her with a glare. “This?” he asked with his hands held out to the sides. “This is not safe.”
“I’m not leaving before we find him.” Elena told him.
“It’s a full moon tonight, Elena.” Damon told her really getting aggravated.
“Then we’ll find him before then.” Elena told him and as a moment of silence passed Katie realized something. Damon was actually listening to Elena and considering letting her stay. Normally Damon didn’t listen to anyone but himself, and on the rare occasion, Katie. “Damon, please.” Another moment passed Katie turned her eyes up at Alaric to see if he was noticing the same thing Katie was, that Elena had more power over Damon than they thought. He looked at her then down at Damon and Elena then back at her.
“Ok.” Damon caved. “Okay, but we are out of here before the moon is full and we’re wolf bait.”
“I promise.” Elena nodded.
“Are you freaking kidding me?” Katie asked, jealous anger bubbling to the surface. “The plan was to bring her home not go on a hike in werewolf territory. I’ve lived in Irish werewolf territory as a human and I gotta say I’m not liking it any more as a vampire that could die from a single nip.”
“If you don’t want to be here, go home.” Elena snapped at her.
“Unfortunately I’m just as stubborn and stupid as you are, so no. I’m not going home unless you’re coming too.”
“Not happening.” Elena told her stubbornly.
“Then let’s stop wasting daylight.” Alaric spoke up with a look between the two girls.
They had been walking in silence for an hour when Alaric, who was walking behind Damon and Elena spoke up again. “So you lived in Ireland?” Katie knew he was trying to break the tension and she decided to let him.
“In the 1800’s, yeah.” She nodded.
“Why didn’t you just move out of werewolf territory?” he asked just to keep her talking.
“Because I was a struggling single mother with nowhere else to go.” She answered. “They killed my sister one full moon. Bit my son another, and one would have ripped me to shreds on another. Elijah saved us both.” She saw Damon look back at her at the mention of Elijah. “Before Elijah showed up I wasn’t even aware werewolves were a thing. I just thought there was an overpopulation of wolves.”
“How you doin?” Damon asked Elena when he noticed she was getting winded.
“Fine.” She told him aggravatedly.
“You know I can help you.” he told her.
“No thanks.” She replied as they climbed a small hill.
“Just one little whoosh.” He told her as he moved his arms out in front of him like superman.
“Yeah, with my luck, you’d drop me.” Elena said with a groan as she took a large step up.
Alaric looked at Katie who was still walking beside him. “You’re not whooshing me.”
Katie laughed with a shake of her head at the thought of how awkward it would be to have to grab him and whoosh him that far. She loved him as a teacher and friend of friends, but it would have to be an emergency for that to happen.
They had been walking for what felt like forever when Alaric said, “We’ve got about a mile left.”
“And the sun isn’t far from setting.” Katie told them, getting antsy.
“I can see that, Katie.” Elena told her with an attitude. “The moon doesn’t reach its apex for a while. We have time.”
Damon’s walking slowed, sensing someone else around them so Katie opened her ears and heard someone’s shambled footsteps and beating heart. She was about to say something when a guy in jeans and a red flannel shirt over a grey t-shirt stepped out of the woods. He had blood on his face, dripping from his eyes and down his throat and his t-shirt. When he saw them he looked up and said, “Vampire”.
In a flash he grabbed Damon, spun him around and pinned him to a nearby tree. Damon was keeping him from biting him with his hand on his throat. In a flash Katie grabbed the werewolf guy around his waist and slammed him on the ground. She pinned him down with her body and placed her converse clad foot under his chin to keep him from biting her. “Someone wanna help me out here?” Katie asked, surprised that the werewolf seemed to be on the verge of overpowering her when most werewolves couldn’t take a vampire out of wolf form.
Alaric grabbed a wolfsbane dart out of his backpack and stuck the guy in the neck with it, weakening him enough that Katie could stand up, but she kept her foot on the guy's neck as Damon and Alaric started tying him up. “Let me guess. Hybrid.” Alaric said getting a look from all three of them. She only moved her foot when Damon tapped her ankle then picked the guy up from the ground. After using everything they had the guy was tied to a tree, but still managing to fight. Nothing seemed to be holding him down for long. “Alright, that’s the last of the vervain.” Rick said as he tied vervain soaked ropes around the guy. “We don’t have enough stuff to hold him. I don’t think we’re gonna make that ridge before the full moon.”
“If we can get him to talk we don’t have to.” Elena was reaching her hand out to the hybrid guy when he took in a deep breath, lifted his head and screamed out as his neck started twitching, the sickening sound of breaking bones filled the air around him.
“Is he turning?” Damon asked with a frown as he looked up at the setting sun.
“It’s impossible. It’s still daylight.” Elena said as she too turned her eyes up to the sky.
“Tell him that.” Alaric popped off.
“There aren’t supposed to be werewolves out here until the moon is full.” Elena said freaking out as Damon placed his hands on the hybrid’s shoulders keeping him pinned to the tree.
“Those ropes and us are nothing to a wolf, much less a hybrid with wolf and vampire strength.” Katie told Elena and Alaric as the hybrid leaned forward trying to bite Damon.
“We’ve got to get out of here.” Elena said and Katie breathed a small sigh of relief that Elena was starting to see the light on this whole adventure of hers. “Damon, we’ve gotta get out of these mountains, now!” she shoved Damon and he took his hands off of the hybrid as they all made a run for it.
Katie wished with everything in her that she could just whoosh away to safety and a dark part of her thought about it, but she couldn’t leave Elena and Alaric behind. So she stuck with the group. The sun had completely set when Elena tripped over a tree root and they all stopped and turned to look at her to see a wolf staring her down where she sat on the ground.
Katie’s eyes looked at the wolf, then Damon who knew what she was thinking just by looking at her eyes. Damon mouthed the word no at her. She was about to whistle at the wolf to get it’s attention before she ran when Damon said, “Here doggie, doggie.” and zipped away with the wolf on his trail.
“Son of a bitch, Damon.” Katie cursed him as Elena stood up.
“Come on. Let’s keep moving.” Alaric waved his hand for them to follow him.
“We can’t leave Damon.” Elena argued.
“He can handle himself. Let’s move.” Alaric argued.
Elena looked at Katie. “Go after him.”
“I can’t Elena. So let’s go before I throw you over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes and carry you down kicking and screaming.” Katie told her as she put her hand on Elena’s back and gave her a small push to get moving.
“I’m the reason he’s out here, Katie.” Elena argued.
“I’m the reason he’s out here.” Alaric snapped at them. “I told them where we were and I’m telling you to keep moving!” Elena hesitated, but started walking down the mountain.
Katie was leaning against Alaric’s car waiting for Damon, seriously considering going to find him when he came out of the woods and she whooshed over to him. “Are you okay, were you bit?” she asked, getting an aggravated look from him.
“I’m fine, Katie Cat.” He sighed as they started walking toward Alaric and Elena who were getting out of the car as they neared them.
“Damon, are you okay? Did you-” Elena asked as she rushed over to him.
“I’m fine, bite free. Get back in the car, please.” Damon told her as he put his hand on her chest and pushed her back.
“Can you just give me a minute to appreciate that you’re not dead?” she asked.
“I’ll give you ten seconds, 9, 8...” he grabbed her by her shoulders and turned her around. “Hey Ric, did you happen to see where I parked my car?” he pushed her toward her car.
“Damon, stop being such a caveman.” Elena complained as he opened her door and pushed her into the car then shut it behind her.
TVDTVDTVD
“What happened out there?” Katie asked as they headed into the boarding house, Katie walking behind Damon. “You haven’t said a word since we got in the car.” He turned and looked at her with wide pissed off eyes. “You’re mad at me. Why am I not surprised?”
“Probably because you know I’m pissed at you for even thinking about letting that wolf chase you. Do you have some sort of death wish?” he asked as he walked closer and closer to her. “If you keep putting yourself in harm's way you’re going to end up dead and you know it.”
“What I know,” she started as she took a step back, “is that my best friend, my family, was in danger and I will die before I let my family die knowing there was something I could have done to prevent it! If you call that a death wish then fine. I have a death wish!” Damon just stared at her.
“No. I refuse to let you get yourself killed just because you think you will come back in god knows how many years.” He told her with rage in his eyes.
Katie took a deep breath and held it as she placed her hands on her hips and looked down at the ornate rug that covered the floor. Those three words, I refuse to. They started ninety percent of the sentences that her grandfather had ever said to her and in that moment, in the tone of voice Damon was using with her, she got jerked back in time and heard her grandfather’s voice in her head. Then once again heard her first father’s voice telling her ‘you will do this’ or ‘you will not do that’. “Damon,” she let the breath out and looked up at him, “I have been told all my life, in both of my lives, what I can and can’t, will and will not do. Please don’t be another one of those people who refuse to let me do something. What I do with my life, my choices, are mine to make.”
Damon didn’t say a word as he walked to the front door, opened it, walked out and slammed it behind him causing Katie to jump and the pictures on the wall to shake. With a heavy sigh she dragged herself upstairs to her room and took a shower. When she was done she threw on some cheer shorts and a tank top then sat down at her desk and let her hair fall around her shoulders in loose wet ringlets. She grabbed a pen and opened her journal to a fresh page.
“I don’t know what I’m doing anymore. I love Damon, I do, but when he says things to me like he did tonight it makes me wonder if why I put up with it. When we first got together it was just for the fun of it. Then I saw how good of a person he could be and I fell for him. Even though I knew we wouldn’t last…I fell. He’s fun to be with, but here lately it feels more like we spend more time fighting to have a relationship than we do actually having one. When we’re not fighting about Katherine or Elijah we’re finding something else to argue about. I’ve never actually seen a functioning relationship, but I’m pretty damn sure this is not what one is supposed to be like.” She lifted the pen from the paper, debating on if she even wanted to write down what she was thinking and feeling. If she wrote it down, she’d have to accept it and it would become all too real. But she forced herself to put pen back to paper. “I’ve been dreaming about Elijah. I know it’s no longer the spell making me have dreams. It’s me. It’s my subconscious pushing me to be with him. To follow my heart and stop pushing back everything I feel for him. I love Damon. He has been with me through everything and we’ve been through so much, but it feels like we are slipping apart and I don’t know what to do.” Getting aggravated she threw the pen on the desk and slammed the journal shut.
She thought she heard something and she followed the sound to Damon’s room where he was getting out of the shower. “What?” Damon asked as he wrapped the towel around him.
“Where’d you go?” she asked timidly.
“I needed some fresh air.”
“You know I can tell when you’re lying to me right?” she asked as she leaned on the door frame.
“I went to Elena’s okay?” he told her then turned to his dresser and pulled the drawer open.
“Why didn’t you just tell me that in the first place?”
“Because I know how jealous of her you can be.” He told her in a choppy tone without making eye contact.
Katie bit her lips closed and nodded. “Okay. Goodnight I guess.” She went to her room, flipped off the light switch, slid into bed and closed her eyes. The image of Damon on his deathbed filled her mind as his words echoed through her head, “Thank you for choosing me. You have no idea how much that means to me.” Feeling the stabbing pain of her heart breaking, she rolled over and pressed her face into her pillow then covered her head with the second one she never used and sandwiched her head between then as she let the tears flow.
On any other night, Damon would have come to her in the middle of the night, claiming that he couldn’t sleep without her, but tonight…he didn’t.
