Chapter 2: The aftermath
Elena was wide awake at six in the morning. She barely had sleep so she gave up around the time the dark tint of the night sky started to fade. She sighed inaudible sighs and checked her phone more than ten times. She contemplated on watching television but she didn't want to wake the others. When she checked her phone again it was just a quarter past six. She was anxious to go, anxious to find Stefan. They were so close. What if they move again? Damon said they wouldn't be moving for a while. When she asked who his source was he just turned and walked away. He never told. And she knew that even if she asked him again he would never tell, unless he wanted to.
She got up from bed a few minutes later to start her day. Even though the comfortable bed was very enticing, she couldn't bear not to see the outside world—New York! She pushed the heavy drapery aside and opened her window. A cool wind came gushing through, making her cheeks a little pink. There were honks and smoke and morning smug. And there's that smell, that 'this isn't Mystic Falls at all' smell that was very much not earthy but something more—structured, dangerous. She watched as people were already scurrying about on the pavement already for their way to a bright, beautiful day ahead.
And she couldn't help but think that somewhere in this center of the universe was her darling Stefan just waiting to be rescued, waiting for her.
xxx
Stefan woke up in a lavish suite in one of Klaus's penthouses. There were three girls with him on his bed, one dead, one naked, one dying. When he licked his lips he tasted the very sweet, very familiar taste of blood. He wiped the rest of the blood off his chin and stepped into his balcony where the sun was just halfway up the eastern coast. It was a sight most humans could only dream of—what Elena would dream of.
He shrugged the thought of her aside. It pained him to remember memories of her, of them, of their love and how it was supposed to last forever. Or at least he planned for it to last forever. But most plans do diminish somewhere in the middle of trying to live it. He's accepted that.
He took a quick shower, put his clothes back on, and went about the penthouse where he found Klaus hunching over the granite counter top with liquor all around him.
"'Alo, Stefan, had a nice night off?" he was definitely drunk. Stefan didn't know that Klaus was capable of being drunk… but he guessed that a whole hotel's liquor selection could possibly prove him wrong.
"Where have you been?"
"Let's see, I came home here and found you busy so I called room service," he had that smirk which told him he was hiding something.
"Okay, if you want to keep it that way."
"Brother, don't be like that. Tell you what; I have a little errand for you to run today while I sober up, up here."
"What is it?"
"I need you to give me the heart of Blair Waldorf," he turned and headed for his room.
"Who?—"
"Her address is on the yellow pages, Stefan," called out and waved him goodnight.
Who was Blair Waldorf? Who knew? Well, Klaus certainly did as he wanted her dead. When he looked up the name she was indeed on the yellow pages, also on the society pages in the New York Times, also in a magazine one of his dinners had left the night before. She was beautiful, classic—timeless. What could have this teenager ever do to Klaus?
xxx
"Rise and shine, dad," Elena exaggerated as she took the pillow that covered Alaric's face from him, "you too," he hit Damon with it.
She had already showed, brushed, lotioned, pony-tailed, and dressed, all ready to go like she was dressed for battle except her only protective gear was a necklace and one sleeping vampire pet who lay practically dead in his bed.
"It's so early," groaned Alaric.
She turned to Alaric who covered himself with his sheets. "No, it's not. It's almost eight and the sun is high. It won't wait for us you know. We're not here on vacation."
"Geez, who put you in charge?" Damon was leaning against the doorway, staring at Elena. He was just asleep a second ago.
"I did! We should be trying to find Stefan."
"Elena,"
"Damon,"
"Elena,"
"Children!"
"Oh good. You're awake! I'll wait for you guys in the lobby." Elena went for the door but just as she was about the step out Damon was suddenly in front of her.
"Get out of the way." She demanded.
"Why are you so cranky?"
"I just want to get Stefan and go home, okay?"
"Okay. Fine. Stay in the lobby, though. In this lobby. Never know what evil is lurking around." He grinned at her and let her through.
She was cranky because she hardly slept. Well, he didn't sleep at all because of her. He laid in silence and listened to her breathe and open the window and shower and brush her teeth and get dressed and walk around their suite and finally make them wake up. He listened to her heartbeat as she held her necklace while walking down the hall to the elevator. He listened, and even tried to listen for her after she has gotten in the lift. He was uncomfortable leaving her alone just for one second. The best he could possibly do now is actually get ready.
xxx
Blair woke up that crisp Sunday morning trying to shake off a feeling, trying to shake off Klaus's voice out of her head, trying to shake off her existence. She's never wanted to die her whole life more than now. He wasn't the same. He's gone darker than before, meaner, badder. Maybe she should have just let him all the way in. She's imagined the scenario millions of times before. She would be swept away by his classic, bad boy, resistant-proof charms and they would live happily ever after.
So what changed? He hair, maybe? It was a little shorter than what she had sported half a millennia ago. Her voice? Her look? She was no longer the sweet and innocent. Sometimes she thought she never was. Maybe he wanted the peasant girl from old England back. Well she wasn't that anymore. She was queen. She wasn't going to give this life up especially since she loved the humans she's surrounded herself with.
What really changed though is that she has finally surrendered. She gave up. She fell out of love with Klaus. Yes, it still hurt, but only vaguely, only when she wanted it to hurt. He left her with a heart she never asked for and broke it, like he does to his toys. He breaks them after playing with them and leaves. She feels nothing now. She refuses to feel anything at all.
"Miss Blair, Miss Serena is here." Dorota called from downstairs. It was almost eleven o'clock and they were supposed to be going out for lunch but she was still in her bed with her night mask on and she refused to move, or even leave her bed knowing that the source of all evil in this earth is out there somewhere.
"Tell her I'm dead," she called out.
"No you're not, B, get out of bed," Serena stood like a golden buddah by the door, but definitely skinnier, long legged-er, with a ton more hair, and a ton more glow.
"I don't want to."
"Why?"
"Because."
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she sighed.
"Dorota, who was here last night?" Serena asked the plump handmaiden who got them a breakfast tray.
"Last night?" Dorota paused. She did remember a man telling her to get more Gouda and pistachios from the grocery store. She introduced himself as, "Klaus," she repeated the way he said his name out loud.
"Ah yes, a Mister Klaus visited Miss Blair last night."
Serena's eyes widened and sat beside Blair on the bed, who was already picking on a berry in her yogurt. She refused to hear anything that Serena might possibly say. She refused to listen to everyone, even herself, who was subconsciously telling her that sending Klaus away the night before made things worse, that it won't be easy, that there was going to be consequences; that she still loved him and he was still the only person she has ever truly loved since the start of her time.
"What did he want?" asked Serena.
It took a while for Blair's brain to register the question, analyze its simplicity, analyze the correct answer, and actually say it out loud.
"Me," she whispered, "he wanted me."
N/A: What's up with Serena not asking who the hell Klaus was? Any ideas? ;D XOXO.
