LEFT ALONE

A/N: You guys have been so wonderful with your great reviews that I will grace you with another update…

Song: Rachel Yamagata – The Reason Why

After a lengthy silence stretching between us, he stepped away from me, slowly pacing the room. It was like he was trying to make a show of owning the place. Occasionally, he would pause, pick up one of the ornaments, study it, place it back down and then walk again.

"You have a wonderful voice" he said gently, taking me off guard once again. "It almost makes me happy that I hadn't ripped out your throat when I had the chance" he trailed his fingers up my neck, "Almost"

…And there was the Niklaus that I had heard of.

Having him this close only made me lose sense of myself. "If you're going to kill me, just do it" I snapped, suddenly seething that he found pleasure in such a sadistic task.

"What gave you that idea?" he mused playfully and trailed his fingers up my jaw, causing another shiver to erupt.

I fought against my better judgement to not move back because I knew he would only pull me back. "How did you find me?" I decided to ask a safer question that didn't easily taunt him.

"Au contraire," he withdrew, still smiling darkly as he circled me, "I only came for the show" he answered and I looked at him dubiously, surprised to find that he was serious. "I suppose we could call it destiny…" he joked and I rolled my eyes when he slowly approached me, "…the universe at its work" he waved his hands in the air in emphasis of his ludicrous words.

I stepped back and tried to find whatever humanity I could scrape from him, "Niklaus, I real-"

He cut me off with a sharp, narrowed glare, "What did you call me?" he questioned, seeming both staggered and infuriated.

"Sorry" I hastily apologised.

"No…" he murmured, dropping his gaze and backed away from me. His hands slipped in his pockets as he turned and walked to the window, quietly staring outside. He now seemed pensive when his eyebrows were knitted together, a small crease formed on his forehead.

Just as I began to think of how likely it was for me to escape, he began to speak again. "I was supposed to be in Montreal today" he announced, almost mindlessly, "…Steam trains, such tricky things" he added quietly and then dropped his head but looked up to me, "Broke down and now I'm here" he breathed.

Suddenly, whatever trance he had been in snapped and he whipped his eyes up to me. "Finding you…" he paused and stalked back over to me, "…was just a bonus" he added. The fearless monster had made a comeback as he reached up to trail his fingers through my hair. "3oo hundred years and yet you look so…" again he paused, "…mortal" he breathed, another sly smirk pulling at the corner of his lips as he gently swept the hair behind my neck.

When he pulled back, his fingers gently skimmed over the pulse, slowly and deliberately, until I found the air being hollowed from my lungs. Then he continued to taunt me when languidly dropping his hand down my collarbone and resting over my chest, feeling the heartbeat while my breath hitched. I was conflicted over revelling in his soft touch or from coiling away from him as he grinned at the frenzy heartbeat. "What's your secret, sweetheart?" he wondered, pulling me out of my own stupor.

"I…" nothing else came from my mouth as I grew breathless.

Rather than force an answer from me, he trailed his hands down the side of my hips and to my wrist. He twisted it and I watched apprehensively as he studied the crescent shaped scar. His thumb brushing over the cold skin and once again, I trembled.

Fear or pleasure – I didn't really know.

Instead, I tried to think back to the wild red eyes that descended in my mind, almost overtaking whatever mixed feelings I had.

"Yet again, you surprise me" Niklaus pulled me back, dropping my hand but only to place his on my hip. "Now, what to do?" he asked, tapping at his chin and looking off into the distance.

"If you're looking for an apology, I refuse to give you one" I suddenly snarled and my words had him arching an eyebrow at my disobedience. "Isn't that what you want? To hear me beg and plead for my life?" I continued relentlessly as my mouth found more power over my mind. "I did nothing wrong" I argued.

"And I understand that" he astounded me again, moving back and completely letting go of me.

I placed one hand on my hip and looked up to him, "You do?"

"400 years gave me enough time to think" he nodded soundlessly and began to walk around me again.

Still, I couldn't find it in myself to trust the smile he wore and the dangerous gleam in his gaze. "Think? Think about what?" I asked hysterically.

All he did was smile and sat down at the end booth, crossing his legs and letting his dark pebbled gaze bore into mine. "Spring 1661" he began and I frowned, perplexed. "...you were in England, studying English" he revealed and I gasped, feeling numb and my knees wavering as he continued. "You published a short romance poem under the pseudonym, Marianna" he purred out the name and I allowed myself to stumble back onto the table, almost knocking it over in the process.

One hand reached up to my raging head and clutching the thick locks as he continue to reveal the power he had always maintained over me. "25th December 1881. You had regrouped yourself into hiding amongst the witches in Sacramento" he reminded me and the memories were now as clear as before. "Later one night, you snuck out of the house and down to the lake where you said your prayers, praying for salvation" he mocked me.

"4th January 1910, you were in Paris" he continued but this time, I could see from my peripheral vision as he stood up and slowly moved in. "Marseille to be exact" he recounted, "You were walking down the streets and you bought a black and gold scarf from the market" he smiled to himself with the memory while I cowered away from him. "The day after, you were visiting your ancestor's graves" he said and moved around to step behind me, "You brought these beautiful flowers – carnations, I presume and I watched as you made sure there was one on each grave" he was relentless, ignoring how silent tears were straying down my cheeks while I bit down on my lip to fight against the cries. "You sat by your mother's grave and you wept until the moon rose" he reminded me of the day.

"Why?" I shakily asked.

He nodded, unaffected with how frightened and exposed I felt at that moment. "Why didn't I kill you?" he murmured and raised his eyebrows slightly. "Now that is the question isn't it?" he mused and clicked his tongue, purposefully drawing out the silence. It was when he was back to standing before me, that he stared down at me. "Did you honestly think you could simply run and I would never find you?" he whispered menacingly and I flinched when he began to play with my hair again. "Silly girl" he trilled a light laugh against my neck. "I have been watching you closely Isabella" he whispered in my ear.

"Then why haven't you done anything" I turned to glare at him through the blurred vision.

He laughed to himself and tilted his head to look down at me, "I was waiting for the right time" he replied, leaning in but I moved back.

"When will that be?" I peered at him worriedly.

He cupped my jaw but I couldn't relax into his touch, neither could I pull away from him. "When you least expect it love" he whispered and then smiled again.

I brought my fingers into a tight clenched fist to stop myself from punching him again. The last time I tried that, it hadn't ended to well for me.

Thankfully, we were interrupted with a sharp knock on the door that broke us apart. We both snapped up to watch as the handle was turned and a young unfamiliar man emerged. Like Niklaus, he was sharply dressed in a charcoal suit, only he didn't have a waistcoat.

He first found my eyes and became guarded as he then glanced at Niklaus. I watched intently as he tried to be discreet with the meaningful glance and small nod.

Somehow this was all that was needed to get rid of Nik as he stepped back and straightened himself out. "Well, I have matters to attend to" he announced and I observed as he moved to pick up his coat and slip it on. His eyes flickered up to be briefly and then to the stranger behind my shoulder.

Once again, a silent conversation was shared and the stranger had disappeared and closed the door behind him, leaving us again.

"W-what?" I stuttered and my eyes widened with how dismissive he now was. "What happens now?" I wiped at the tears and stormed a few feet closer to him.

Nik continued to button up and straighten his tie. "Now?" he paused, looking up to me and exhaling heavily. "Well, I suppose you could go home now" he offered and I frowned in bewilderment. "…But I shall be back tomorrow" he vowed and my hopes for freedom were diminished. "And so shall you" he added seriously, suddenly standing in front of me.

"Why do-"

"Why don't I kill you?" he interrupted, already guessing my next move. Rather than give me a straight answer, he simply walked to the door. "I shall see you soon Isabella" he promised and walked out, slamming the door behind him and leaving me alone with my thoughts.

A/N: Niklaus…you gotta love him.

What do you think of Nik's mind games? The fact that he has been following her? Any ideas of their history?

Reviews are better than being alone with Niklaus.