A/N: I have no clue where this idea came from. I was on YouTube and I listened to the song "Blackbird", the cover by Evan Rachel Wood. Not sure what this is, or if it will be a oneshot. Thoughts?

Just for the record, I don't hate Cassie, even if this fic makes it seem like it. She's actually one of my favorite characters :) along with Diana and Faye, of course.

Diana's POV

Everything that I had ever known, hoped for, or believed in was gone. I had known for a while that my world was spiraling out of control, but now it was real, and it was gone.

It started with what I believed in; Adam. When we'd started dating he promised me that he would never leave me and never want anyone but me. I told him it was ridiculous to think something like that was possible. When I said things like that he would only persist. I remembered girls coming up to him sometimes, asking him to dances or talking about working on projects together, jealously threatening to drown me even as I smiled at them, treating them fairly. I also remembered watching as he let them down politely but abruptly, always turning to me and kissing me. He made me feel wanted, beautiful, special; he made me perfect. With Adam I wasn't as bossy or demanding of my friends. Everyone I knew said that I had a good temper, but it was always because of Adam. He was my rock. He was the lighthouse, and I was the ship in the night.

Then Cassie came along, and suddenly Adam had eyes for another girl. I ignored it because I liked Cassie, and because I had made a promise to myself a long time ago. That promise had been to never judge anyone too harshly, and to give them a thousand second chances. Even when Adam and I were apart I stayed faithful to Cassie. When they started to date I didn't say a word about it. When they… activated the curse I got out as fast as I could, not wanting to be involved, but not saying one word against either one of them.

What was next to go was what I had hoped for. Even through all the Circle drama I felt like I would be able to find a sense of normalcy. When Cassie arrived she made all the magic more dangerous, heightened tempers, and unintentionally set the witch hunters on us. When Grant showed up in Chance Harbor I thought maybe I could regain some of the order in the chaos that was my life. He offered me a chance to escape, in more ways than one. He didn't want to talk about magic, or witch hunters. He wanted me because I was me. Even when he lied to me I couldn't help but feel that tiny spark of hope in my chest because he had done all that for me. Maybe someday in the future I could convince him to take me far away from this miserable town, somewhere exotic and beautiful.

Unfortunately, Blackwell's frantic crystal-searching forced Grant away from me, and there was no more hope.

The last was the worst. Even though I had nothing to believe in and nothing to hope for, I still had my dad. He was there for me, even if it was only once and a while with his busy schedule. He knew me before any magic or the Circle did.

Cassie just had to barge into my room with those huge doe-eyes, asking me what had happened. For the first time in a long time I lost it, telling her that she had no right to accuse me of not making it to the mine in time. I told her I had been there and that I couldn't get in. I could still remember the gunshot and the pure fear coursing through my veins. When I ran through the entrance my lungs had felt like they were going to cave in on me.

Cassie's eyes had lit up at those words, and I had feared the worst. When she explained what it meant I had thought my heart might stop. I was a Blackwell? My mother… cheated? Whenever my dad talked about my mom he said she was sweet, even-tempered, loving, and faithful, like me. Would I be as bad as she had been when I grew older?

That was the point when I started to yell at Cassie. I was evil, so what did it matter? I screamed all the evil, dirty, disgusting thoughts I'd ever had since she came into town. I said she was a slut and a whore, and I said all she wanted was everyone else's boyfriends. I used all the swears I'd ever heard from Faye. I said she was evil, her father was evil, and her mother was a complete idiot if she hadn't seen it until too late. I kept going even when tears welled up in Cassie's eyes and she couldn't find it in her to argue against me. I said that it was her fault Heather and Nick died. I said that if she had never come to town everyone would be better off. I said that she was dangerous, and that I'd rather have anyone else in the whole world as a sister besides her. When I was done she walked out without saying a word.

As soon as she was gone the rage and relief at speaking my mind was gone, replaced by emptiness and regret. What had I done? What had I said? I had just said the cruelest things I could think of to the one girl who had tried her hardest to stay away from Adam, and was obviously dealing with a lot. She didn't even have her grandma to talk to. It occurred to me that she had been excited to have a sister, maybe because she didn't have much family left she could count on.

I lay on the bed, scrolling through songs on my iPhone as I contemplated calling her. I was afraid if I tried she would hang up. Of course, I would deserve it. I would deserve it if she came to my house and choked me to death like she did with Adam. I would deserve it if she never spoke to me for the rest of my life.

I let both arms fall to my sides, giving up on sleep. I headed to the coffee shop, hoping Cassie would be there but knowing in my heart that she wouldn't. When I got there I ordered tea, hoping that maybe it would help me sleep. With my face pressed against the glass window by my booth, I watched rain begin to fall. It reminded me of the song dad would sing to me when I couldn't sleep, the one that he said mom loved. The lyrics, the soft melody redone by Evan Rachel Wood… I hummed the first few bars, trying to remember.

"Blackbird singing in the dead of night," I sang softly, tears leaking from my eyes. "Take these broken wings and learn to fly… all your life, you were only waiting for this moment to arrive."

Across the restaurant I heard some pick up the refrain. "Blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these sunken eyes and learn to see… all your life, you were only waiting for this moment to be free… blackbird, fly… blackbird, fly, into the light of the dark black night."

I raised my eyes to meet the stranger's. He was only a few booths away, and by his accent I could tell he was British. I flushed a little, not knowing why. After a moment he got up and sat next to me.

"That is a beautiful song." He said simply. I nodded. "But it's also sad. Why are you sad, love?"

I sniffed and wiped my cheeks hastily. "Because I'm an evil person."

"I can hardly believe that." He said, laughing. His laugh was rich, reverberating through the entire shop. I wanted to smile at it, and laugh back. "You don't look evil to me, not with that face."

"I am." I said. "All my life I've tried to be good. Then… then this girl came into town, and she managed to charm my boyfriend away from me. She didn't mean to." I added when his eyebrows went up. "It just happened. It wasn't her fault. She tried to stay away from him, but eventually they got together, only to break up a day or two later. There were… complications. I met someone else, too, someone nice. Of course, with the new girl in town having boy drama and friend drama I lost him because I didn't have time for him."

The man was still sitting there, to my utter surprise. I continued, hesitant. "I thought that I could escape here someday, but I don't think I ever will. Tonight I found out that the new girl is my sister. Apparently her dad and my mom had an affair. I always looked up to my mom, even though I've never known her. Now I know that I'm nothing like her. I'm evil. When I realized I was this girl's sister… I said all these awful things to her."

"Arguments happen." He said calmly. "I'm sure all the witchcraft only adds to the tension."

I stiffened. "W-Witchcraft?"

"Don't play dumb." He said. It didn't sound as threatening as I thought it would. "I know you're a witch. Chance Harbor has been home to witches for decades."

I managed a tiny smile. "Well, I guess you can say that magic is one of my biggest problems." A thought occurred to me. "What's your name?"

"Klaus."

Klaus. I loved how old-fashioned it sounded, just like my name. "Are you a witch?"

He laughed against. The sound warmed my heart. "No, nothing like that. I'm a vampire. More specifically, I'm one of the Original vampires."

"Am I supposed to be impressed?" I asked.

"You can be if you want." He teased. "How else am I supposed to win over a girl as beautiful as you?"

I blushed, and the cup in my hand slipped. When the still-hot tea splashed over my hand I hissed in pain.

Klaus was at my side so fast I yelped in surprise. "What the hell? How did you do that?"

"Vampire speed." He explained hastily. He mopped up the tea on the table so it wouldn't spill into my lap. "Are you hurt?"

I held out my hand timidly, revealed reddened skin. "Yeah, I think so. It's just a little burned."

"I apologize for startling you." he said. "The least I can do is escort you home and make sure your burn is taken care of."

"I… okay." I said. I'd never met anyone so forward before.

Klaus drove me home in my own car, saying he'd run to the coffee shop. Why get a car when he didn't need one?

When we reached home he said he could hear my dad sleeping on the second floor. I let Klaus in, willingly inviting him into what had always been my home.

"Here." He said, leading me to the sink. He gently forced my hand under a stream of cool water. "So, what's your name? I never caught it."

"Diana." I said timidly. For whatever reason, I hoped he would like my name.

"You don't find many Diana's around anymore, do you?" he asked, echoing Grant's exact words.

A warm heat settled in my stomach, like a cat kneading bread and laying down for a long nap. It was pleasant, and something I'd never felt, not even with Adam. "No, you don't."

He wrapped gauze around my hand. "I hope I can see you again soon, Diana."

He kissed my cheek lightly, then turned and walked out the door.

Maybe there was a little hope after all.

A/N: I didn't spellcheck this. Should I continue?