The bar was packed and Raina spent her night shift unloading crates from off the truck. "What do you think you're doing out here by yourself?" Her brother's voice rang out to her from the open side of the alleyway.
"But with you here James, I'm not alone now am I?" She replied with a disgruntled voice as she lifted yet another filled crate. "Besides I highly doubt I'm in any danger out here." She smiled at him.
Walking over to help her with the last of the truckload, James shook his head. "Whatever it is you're thinking, stop thinking it. New Orleans isn't the same, a lot has changed since you left with mom, Raina."
"James I'm not afraid of what goes bump in the night." She joked with him, but behind the joke was truth. She knew about the vampires that had taken over her beloved city. But even they wouldn't scare her off.
"But what about the big bad wolf?" An unsettling voice questioned from the shadows. Whoever it was, she knew it wasn't a local.
Standing tall she stood in the direction in which the voice came from. "Depends on the wolf, Now why don't you step out of your hiding spot." She noticed James' hand reach out to her in an attempt to tell her not to pursue whoever it was.
As she watched him step out of the shadows, an impressed expression hit her face. "Don't be fooled by the book cover, the beast lies within Love." The mysterious man stated while grinning widely at her. "My you look just like your mother."
Scrunching her eyebrows together Raina stared at him. "My mother? And how do you know her." She listened to him chuckle quietly. An unnerving feeling crept up inside of her.
Rubbing at the light scruff on his chin, the man looked at her from an angle that sent a chill down her spine. "Lets just say she was lovely dinner company."
"When did you speak with our mom?" James questioned while protecting his baby sister and standing in front of her. That empowered stance she once held was no longer present and she was the same fragile looking girl as before.
The man before them fiddled with his earlobe as if he couldn't believe they hadn't gotten the message. "A few days ago, when I asked her where you two were. She put up quite a fight, a very powerful witch indeed." Raina's heart sped a little as he continued to speak. "But, in the end. I am me and that just means. I'm invincible."
Suddenly it clicked for her. As her breath momentarily caught in her chest she stared into the deep blue eyes of the man she never thought she'd meet. It was the reason her mom did everything she had, to keep her away from him at all costs. "Niklaus." She gasped.
"Klaus will do just fine, Raina." The smirk on his face practically sent her over the edge.
Grabbing hold of her brother's arm she pulled him toward the bar's back entrance way. "James I've got this just get back inside."
Staring back at her he shook his head furiously. "What? No way, I'm not leaving you out here with this psycho!" Ignoring his attempt at being the protective brother she flicked her wrist in the direction of the door.
"I said go!" And with that she watched as her brother involuntarily. When he was safely back inside of the bar and the door slammed shut behind him. Raina focused back onto Klaus. "My mom warned me about you. What do you want? What did you do to my mom?"
The smirk left his face and a false frown took it's place. "It brings me much grief to tell you that your mother didn't make it. She had a terrible slip and fall. Broke her neck." With those last three words his smile reappeared.
"You killed her." Raina spoke aloud in a whisper. She fought back the tears that were piling up in her eyes. Her vision had begun to blur because of them. "Why! What do you want?" She now shouted.
Stepping closer to her Klaus held out a hand. "I simply demand your services."
She held a hand up pointing directly at him. "I'll never help you." Suddenly she found herself running towards the street but he cut her off in the blink of an eye. Pushing her to wall of the bar, she cried out as her head crashed against the bricks behind her.
With his hand firmly gripping her throat, index finger and thumb threatening to crush her throat. "You see Love, that wasn't a request; hence the word demand. You're going to help me, or I'm going to kill everyone you've ever loved."
As he finally let her go and the air desperately rushed back into her lungs. Raina hunched over to recover from his dastardly hold. "What am I helping you with exactly?" She yelped out between coughs.
She watched as he stared her down. "You see New Orleans was once my domain, and foolishly I left it all to Marcel. A companion of mine."
"I know who Marcel is. I live in New Orleans, not under a rock." She blurted out. "And if he's such a companion to you then you should know his policies on witchcraft."
Laughing Klaus waggled his fingers. "I don't particularly follow rules and regulations."
"Well," she started while slowly wheezing. "Unlike you, I do so I'm sure any other witch can do the job for you. But you can count me out." Finally standing up properly she began to head for the bar's back entrance.
Growling he tried to cut her off. "I guess I didn't make myself clear." Before he could pounce she threw him back a couple of feet.
"No, you did. But I think I'll take my chances." Watching her run away for her life, Klaus sat there on the ground utterly shocked by her bravery. Never had anyone been so bold as to turn his threats down. While sitting there in the dim lighting from the flickering light above the door; he knew this would be an interesting journey between the two of them. Whether or not she personally would admit it.