Disclaimer: The Vampire Diaries is the property of the CW. No copyright infringement is intended.
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Warning: This is a work of fiction and no real humans were harmed during writing (as long as you don't count readers offended by the mediocre caliber of my writing). Having said that - if you are kind hearted or squeamish then turn back now. There is a surplus of fluff on the website for you to enjoy.
This is also not for Stelena, Delena, or Elena fans.
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Full moon was coming. But not just any full moon . . this was the big one. The moon was at its closest point to the earth for the whole year. He felt it deep in his bones, in the tingle in his skin, but mostly as a niggling in his brain. He knew precisely where it was. The call was deep in his head at the base of his skull, near the spine, something primal. It was seductive, enticing him to give in to it. Deep down . . . anticipation . . longing . . something. He was master of over thirty languages, and yet felt he didn't own the words to describe the sensation.
He hunched an irritated shoulder, trying to shrug off thinking about it. He would embrace the change this month, not that he needed the full moon; the change was his when he wanted it. But there was something so alluring about allowing the moon to drag it out of his bones.
Klaus looked up from the clay sculpture he was molding, grinning in anticipation. Two more days, and the fun would begin. He would leave Mystic Falls naturally. He intended to give free rein to his thirst for the kill, and every animal knows you don't make a mess where you eat. Klaus laughed silently, amused by his own wit. One last full moon in this area, and then he was gone.
He was feeling particularly carefree since draining the blood out of Elena. Alaric died the precise moment she did, and he was finally free from pursuit. Unfortunate that Kol hadn't survived, but he would be searching for his remaining family soon, bringing along the precious doppelganger blood, his key to creating more hybrids. Klaus frowned as he contemplated his offspring. They were somewhat of a disappointment. They were truly animals when they changed, no spark of human intelligence remaining. They scattered, no longer acknowledging the pack or sharing the joy of the hunt. Mindless killing machines and nothing more. He, on the other hand, remembered and relished every kill, every crunch of bone, the hot blood squirting into his mouth, the sweet coppery odor. He got excited thinking about it, but the rub was . . he didn't want to do it alone.
That was the whole point of the last thousand years. So damaged by his parents' rejection and subsequent hate that he couldn't bear the thought of being alone. He wanted partners, family, others of his kind, at the most basic level . . .someone to play with.
A wave of discontent swept over him as he faced the prospect of having no one to share his joy. Suddenly he stopped his work, frowning as he realized that his displeasure had transferred itself to his hands, and he had ruined the features he was shaping in the wet clay. He swore to himself as he looked at the mess he had made. He knew he could start over, but what was the point? His hands would betray him again while he felt this way. He crushed the ruined form into a wet ball and dumped it into a discard bin. He grabbed a towel and walked out of the room, cleaning the clay off his hands.
It was amazing how, when thwarted, his face transformed into that of a sullen, petulant little boy. The hybrid currently on house duty took one look at his expression and slunk quietly away to another room.
Klaus restlessly paced through the bottom floor of his mansion, occasionally lashing out at nothing in a fit of pique. Suddenly he stopped short, an arrested expression on his face. What he needed was a ripper. His ripper. He would be the perfect companion for the kill.
Klaus raced upstairs and throughout the mansion at vampire speed, ending up in the hallway, backpack, cloth sack, and cooler in hand. "James." He spoke the name in a normal tone.
A hybrid was before him in an instant.
"I'm taking a little trip and won't be back until after the full moon." He eyed the man, his expression severe. "You know what has to be done. Pack everything up and be ready to leave when I get back. Watch out for Damon Salvatore and the Forbes girl. If he comes back to town they'll be snooping around looking for the Gilbert girl and the Lockwood boy."
"There'll be no problems." The hybrid assured his sire. "They won't learn anything. We won't fail you."
"Please don't." Klaus could swear he saw relief in the man's eyes as he turned to leave. His hybrids dreaded the change, and his dissatisfaction with that fact made Klaus look murderous. "I've had enough disappointment in my life."
Klaus strode over to Rebekah's Jeep, his now that she had deserted him. He dumped the backpack, knapsack, and cooler in the back and hopped in.
He tracked Stefan down at the Mystic Grill. He was conveniently sitting at an outside table drinking coffee, no, Klaus picked up the scent of chamomile tea. He strode over and threw a couple of bills down on the table. "My treat." Klaus dimpled at him.
A human wouldn't have picked up the minute stiffening and other small body changes that indicated a wary Stefan was ready to flee. Klaus, however, read him like an open book and clamped an iron fist on his shoulder, putting enough pressure on the bone to make small fractures radiate out from the point of contact. "We're going for a little road trip." Klaus's voice was cheery and the humans whose gaze momentarily slid across the two of them saw only a smiling man with a friendly hand casually laid on a friend's shoulder.
He breathed the words without moving his lips. "Run and I'll crush the bone into powder."
Stefan, eyes narrowed, hissed with the pain searing his shoulder, the nails in his clenched hands cutting crescent marks in his palms. He couldn't speak, just whipped his head back and forth in a negative gesture.
Klaus smiled cheerfully. "I take it that means you won't run."
"Yes." Stefan managed to get the word out of his dry mouth.
"Upsy daisy with you then." Klaus suited action to words and used his other hand to pull Stefan to a standing position, and then manhandled him over to the jeep, barely allowing his feet to touch the ground. Klaus easily opened the door on the driver's side and deposited Stefan in the seat, releasing the painful shoulder grip just before slamming the door shut.
He was in the passenger seat before Stefan had time to open the eyes that were shut against the pain. His shoulder ached like a rotten tooth, and he panted in shallow breaths trying to cope with it.
Klaus pulled a small flask from the glove compartment, uncapping it and pushing it up to Stefan's mouth. Stefan didn't object when Klaus tipped the flask up, and he tasted blood. Klaus knew he was healing when the tightly clenched jaw and rigid arm muscles relaxed.
He took the flask back, capping the small amount that remained. "One of the downsides of being a vampire. All sensations are enhanced. Fine when it's pleasure. Not so good when it's pain." He didn't apologize though, just punched up a location in the GPS, poked Stefan in the arm, and ordered,. "Drive."
"Where are we going?" Klaus's eyes narrowed momentarily at Stefan's question, but he merely leaned back in his seat, angling his body against the door, smiling at Stefan. "Humor me for a couple of days, and then we'll join up with Rebekah and Elena."
Stefan partially opened his mouth, but Klaus didn't give him a chance to speak. "Has your brother had any success finding her? Have you?" When Stefan didn't respond, Klaus smirked. "Then, I guess I'm your best shot."
Stefan started the car, but with deep misgivings. The pleased expression on Klaus's face did not bode well for him or Elena. He didn't really trust the hybrid, but he was still his best, maybe only hope of finding her.