"I will find her," Elijah hissed through ground teeth. His voice was stiff, his features expressionless, but Klaus could see the fear in his eyes at the position he was in. "You have my word."

"And if you don't," Klaus began, a cruel smirk dancing on his lips, "you have my word, you will be dead."

His brother swallowed audibly, and Klaus shoved off of him. He stormed out of the room, and just before the front door slammed shut, he heard Elijah's shaky intake of breath.

Katerina had nerve, he would admit to that. Convincing his younger brother he was trust worthy, stealing Trevor's trust - of course Klaus knew, how could he not? The boy made it so obvious! - and her feigned ignorance was marvelous. She had he himself convinced she knew nothing of the ritual. Perhaps he had too much confidence in himself.

But then again, he knew a small tidbit of information...memories of that night flooded his mind as he mounted his black mare.

~oOoOo~

Klaus slept, Katerina's bare form beside him. After he drug her away from him smitten brother, he had dined with her and escorted her into the bedroom. She was so skittish, cutting off her moans by clearing her throat, and once his fingers began to pull her corset from her body, she protested. "M-my Lord, please."

"What is it, Katerina?" He whispered against her neck, wanting desperately to throw the dress aside and take her; her resistance was unwelcome.

"I shan't do this," She whined softly, trying to get out of his inhuman hold. 'Twas useless.

"Why do you resist me, Katerina?" He purred, sucking her earlobe between his teeth.

"I, I just, unf..." She moaned and melded against him, her defenses failing her as she gave herself up to his touch.

Now, his eyes fluttered open and as he turned his head, he witnessed Katerina's shaking shoulders. Inappropriate as it my be, his eyes wandered her being, taking in every inch of bare skin. She was flawless, in every sense of the word, and still she sobbed silently. He considered closing his eyes and pretending to sleep yet again, but the part of him that remembered his father, the human part, made him prop up on his elbow and rest his hand against her shoulder blade. "Why do you cry, Katerina?" He whispered, trailing his fingertips down her spine.

"I apologize, my Lord," She shakily replied, goosebumps forming on her skin under his caress.

He sat up further, moving her long hair aside and kissing the back of her neck. "Confide in me, love."

She trembled. "'Tis just...my daughter."

Taken aback, he faltered. "Pardon?"

"Back home, in Bulgaria, I had a child. 'Tis why my parents disowned me; banished me. I had a babe. A girl."

"You miss her," He questioned, regaining his composure quickly.

She nodded. "My papa shan't let me hold her. He took her away; gave her away like livestock. I never even got to lay eyes on her."

"'Tis awful," He replied softly. "My condolences, love."

"Oh, Lord Klaus," She said suddenly, "please do not think less of me! 'Twas a mistake in having her; 'twas a mistake in telling you."

"No, no," He whispered. "Do not disown her. She is thy flesh and blood. Never a mistake."

She smiled weakly, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"What was her name?" He asked. "I know you were not to see her, but surely you dreamt."

"I did," She whispered, looking down at her hands. "I dreamt that perhaps I could keep her. Perhaps I could steal her away in the night and run away. Travel with her to faraway lands and create a life for her. Who knows? Perhaps we would've met you and we could be a family...a real family."

He kissed her temple, and she finished, "You, me and Elizabeth."

"Elizabeth Petrova," He whispered. "Beautiful."

She smiled sadly. "I shall never know my daughter. 'Tis why I cry. Breaks my heart."

"Come," He said after a moment. "Let us sleep. Let us dream of a life with young Elizabeth."

~oOoOo~

It took three switches of horses, a ferry ride, and treacherous hours of riding to reach his destination. The town was small, filthy and smelly. His horse cried out as it stopped, and he dismounted gracefully. Three people walked about outside, all men, and when Klaus entered the square they froze.

"Pardon!" One called. "Why is ye here? What business thee have?"

"I would like to speak to the Petrova's," He snarled. "Immediately."

"Eh, for what purpose?" The second yawned. "They are busy."

"I have no time for banter," Klaus said, and he reached forward, clutching the second man by the ears and twisting his head around. With a deathly snap, he collapsed to the ground lifelessly. It took mere moments to end the other two, and Klaus walked up the stairs to the home and straightened his coat before knocking.

"What?" Someone screamed before pulling the door open. He had a dark beard, wavy hair to his shoulders and a scowl etched on his lips. He glowered when he saw Klaus, oblivious to the bodies sprawled out behind him. "Eh, who be you? Why are you here?"

Very anti-social, Klaus thought, wondering how Katerina ever became so friendly. "I have words to exchange with thee, may I enter?"

"Meh," He groaned. "Get in here with ye-self. Hurry up, you's letting in a draft."

Klaus took a step forward, passing the threshold with a smirk. The man closed the door, and bellowed, "Marie! We have company, get thy ass down here!"

"Coming, my love!" She cried back, rushing down the stairs. She had flowing black hair, pulled back in a loose tie, and brown eyes of the minx in which Klaus knew so well. "Hello, sir...?"

"Lord NiKlaus," He stated. "Pleasure to meet you, Madam Petrova."

"The pleasure is ours, my Lord," She said with a sweet smile. "Per what do we owe this visit?"

"Might you recall meeting a Katerina?" He asked, and Katerina's mother stiffened when her father's scowl grew deeper. "A Katerina Petrova."

"Katerina?" Someone cried. "What about Katerina?"

The girl was young, no older that ten years, and she shared Katerina's dark, wavy hair. Her father growled and turned on her, slamming the back of his hand against her cheek. "Silence!"

She whimpered, cowering by Lady Marie. "I'm sorry, Papa."

"Meh," He groaned, and Klaus sneered. "Never heard of the like."

"Is that so?" Klaus asked. "I have met with her. She has the greatest respect for you, and I have no idea why."

With this, he wandered down the hall. "Hey! You can't be going down there!"

He ignored the man. "'Twas this her room?"

"Get out!" The man bellowed. "Out! Out of me house!"

"Sir, I would suggest you show some manners." Klaus fiddled with the headboard of Katerina's bed, and when her father approached him, he tore off the long spindle and slammed it into the mans stomach, feeling ribs snap beneath it.

"Henry!" Marie screamed hoarsely, crying out in shock and fear. As Klaus impaled him to the wall, watching as the man gasped for oxygen and struggled to get hold on the long stake, she cried out again. "Monster!"

He gripped her shoulders and pinned her to the bed, stabbing his canines into her weakening flesh and draining her within moments. She fell limp in the vampire's arms, and Henry gurgled and stopped struggling.

As Klaus stood and wiped his stained lips, he looked back at the youngest Petrova, petrified in the doorway. Tears stained her cheeks, and Klaus sighed. He made her death fast and painless, snapping her neck and propping her body against the bed.

And then he left the home, death in his wake. He would be back in London by the end of the fortnight, but he had one more stop along the way...

Gloom and doom anyone? heehee. Okay, so, I'm not sure what pairing I'm doing later in the story yet, buuuuuut...yeah! Please tell me what you think! Next chapter will be up soon. :)