AS I SAT OUT in the courtyard I noticed how quiet it was, especially for it being night time but I was enjoying the peace while I could. A cool breeze was blowing which made it feel beautiful out. The brightness of the stars against the blackness of the night sky was breathtaking. I sat back in the lounge chair and stared off into space, losing myself in my own thoughts, trying to forget today's events.
"Beautiful out, isn't it?"
Klaus' voice pulled me from my thoughts. He sat down in a lounge chair next to me and stretched out before looking up to the sky. We sat side-by-side in silence for a long time.
"Why didn't you tell me?" I finally asked, turning my head just enough to see him.
He smiled at my question. "I knew that was coming…"
"You could have told me. I feel like an ass now… Not to mention a homewrecker…"
He swung his legs to the side of the chair and sat up. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. His smile was mischievous. "If the man you had been in love with your entire life… The man you had been chasing all over the world finally broke down and confessed his true feelings for you… And it turned out after all this time he felt the same way about you, would telling him that you currently had a boyfriend be the first thing to cross your mind?"
I chuckled at his answer. "No, I suppose that would be the furthest thing from my mind…"
He smiled that soft, genuine smile that I had always loved so much. It was also the most rarely seen. "So you understand my plight?"
I swung my legs to the side of my chair to face him and sat up. "If it weren't for Elijah interrupting us; we very well could have had sex Klaus. Don't you think you should have maybe stopped me before that happened though?"
"I don't think we should have stopped at all," he poked.
I rolled my eyes.
"Don't roll your eyes at me."
I shook my head and chuckled. "It's not like it matters now anyway…"
"Why wouldn't it matter?" he demanded as if I'd asked the most absurd question he'd ever heard.
"I believe her name is Aurora…"
He rolled his eyes and threw his head back in a mixture of agitation and frustration.
"I'm not trying to make things uncomfortable for you Klaus…"
He gave me that infamous 'Klaus' scowl.
"I was staying at a hotel… As you very well know… I could have stayed there…"
He sighed again. "I can see where this conversation is going. I don't want to argue with you about any of this. I will leave you to your thoughts."
As quickly as he had come out to me, he was gone. I leaned back against the chair again, staring off into the sky again. It shouldn't be that difficult. I've spent the better part of my very long life fighting my feelings for him and running from him. I can't see why I couldn't continue to do the same. He has had many girlfriends along the span of our lives and I've made it through all of them, I can't see why I can't continue to do it…
"AH THERE YOU ARE, I've been looking for you all day."
I looked up from my book to see Klaus stride into the room. He headed straight to the bar and poured himself a drink before quickly downing it.
"Dinner will be at seven o'clock sharp tonight. Dress appropriately. Don't be late," he warned before he strode out without even a glance.
I frowned and closed my book before tossing it onto the table. I stood up and walked into the hallway. I made my way down to the living room to find Elijah reading a newspaper.
"What's with this dinner?" as I sat down on the couch next to him.
Elijah shrugged. "You know how Klaus has always enjoyed the finer things in life." He looked over at me and grinned. "Some things don't change my dear."
"Is it really necessary?"
"You've returned… Returned to the family. I do believe that's reason enough to celebrate. He isn't the only one who's happy to see you, you know?"
I reached over and hugged Elijah. He'd always been a big brother to me. "I've missed you too Elijah."
Elijah put his paper down and returned my hug. "Just promise to stick around this time," he added before letting me go.
I smiled at him sheepishly. "I'll think about it."
"I hope you think long and hard about it. It's nice to have you around again."
I nodded before standing up. "I will."
"Good," he answered simply before picking his paper back up.
I made my way back to my room. I sat on the edge of the bed as I contemplated what I would wear. I knew I hadn't brought anything remotely close to fancy with me, certainly not something to wear to one of Klaus' dinner parties. I sighed softly as I laid back on my bed. My head bumped into something hard, stabbing me in the back of my head.
Ouch… I sat up and turned around to find a large, black, glossy, box with an oversized gold bow on top. Klaus… I frowned and pulled the box closer to me. There was an ivory colored envelope on top of the box with my name written across it in his perfect handwriting.
Trish
I opened the envelope and pulled out a piece of paper.
I thought you may like
this. See you soon..
Klaus
I tossed the paper and the envelope onto the bed before pulling the lid off of the box. I pushed the tissue paper to the sides to reveal a black garment of clothing. I pulled it out of the box and held it up. It cascaded down revealing a beautiful black dress. It had long sleeves made of black lace, around the neck, and stopping just below the bust. The body of the dress was a very soft satin material. I placed the dress down on the bed and peered back into the box. There was a pair of simple yet classy and elegant black heals under the dress. The heels were platform peep-toes and the heel and platform were encrusted with silver gems on the heel spikes.
I picked up the lid to the box and went to replace the lid when a glimpse of gold caught my eye. I reached back into the box and pulled out a much smaller black box with a gold bow on the top of it as well. As I picked up the box I could feel the soft velvet on my fingers and I knew it was a jewelry box. Well at least he didn't go overboard… I thought to myself sarcastically. I opened the box and gasped. The box contained a platinum necklace with a large teardrop shaped Alexandrite gem pendant hanging from the bottom. The Alexandrite gem was enclosed in a platinum four prong setting and there was a diamond sitting above the point of the teardrop. I'm going to kill him…
THE DRESS FIT ME like a glove. It fit snug to my arms and breasts and down through my waist but flowed loosely around my hips and legs. The dress was short, stopping just a smidge above mid-thigh. Long enough not to show off everything I had but short enough to pique interest. The top of the dress dipped into a deep "V" shape under the lace overly, highlighting my ample cleavage nicely. The necklace accented the "V" shape of the neckline beautifully. The shoes fit my feet perfectly as well. For makeup I used various shades of purples and black to create a smokey eye look to match my new necklace, lining my eyes with black eyeliner, and a generous coat of black mascara to enhance my already long lashes. For lips I went with a sheer gloss. I curled my long blonde hair into loose waves and let it hang down.
I gave myself a once over in the mirror and sighed. My legs felt unsteady and my hands were trembling slightly. I don't know what the hell I'm nervous about… It's not like it's the first time I've ever been around these people… Calm yourself Trish… I took a deep breath before opening the door that lead out to the balcony that wrapped all the way around the building. Down below me I could hear talking and as I looked down I could see a long table set up in the middle of the courtyard. It was lavishly adorned with candles, flowers, soft music in the background, and the best China in typical Klaus fashion.
I began my descent silently. I could see that Klaus was standing at the head of the table chatting with members of the dinner party, an empty chair to the right of him, and then Elijah and a brunette that I wasn't familiar with. To the left of him was Aurora; much to my displeasure, Freya, and then a man I wasn't familiar with so far. Everyone looked so nice except for Aurora… She was dressed a bit over the top. She was wearing a fire engine red, strapless ball gown with a gold crown in her hair. Maybe it was just me being bias, but I thought it was too much…
It wasn't until I had gotten halfway down the stairs that I'd finally caught Klaus' attention. His eyes locked with mine and he stopped talking; his mouth hung open slightly. His attention drew the attention of the rest of the dinner party. In vampire speed, Klaus was at the bottom of the staircase with his hand outstretched to greet me. A smile spread across his lips as I placed my hand into his and stepped off the last step.
"Good evening love. You look… Beautiful…" he decided in a low, sultry voice as he devoured every inch of me hungrily with his eyes.
"You don't look so bad yourself," I answered as I took in the beautiful sight that he was. He was wearing a classic black suit with a matching black tie. He had a crisp white shirt under his jacket. His hair was immaculate and his face was clean shaven.
"I look even better with you on my arm."
I smiled softly. "Thank you. And thank you for all of this… You really didn't have to… Especially the necklace. It must have been a fortune…"
He returned my soft smile. "You are most welcome. And I know I didn't have to, I wanted to. It doesn't matter what it cost. It's just money and you're worth every single penny that was spent."
"You remembered… The Alexandrite…"
"Of course I did. It's your favorite. There isn't a single thing I could ever forget about you."
His voice wrapped around me like velvet and a surge of feelings coursed through my body. The same feelings I had been fighting, trying to forget, trying to hide, denying, and running from, for the better part of my entire life. He was always able to do this to me and with such ease. I hated it. My brain stalled for any sort of reply. In that moment I wanted nothing more than to feel his arms wrapped around me and his lips on mine. Stop it… I scolded myself. He has a girlfriend and his girlfriend is here… Besides, you're not supposed to be thinking these things…
"Come darling, shall we?"
I nodded. He interlaced his fingers with mine before we began walking to the table. He stopped at the empty chair to his right and pulled it out for me. It was then I realized we were still holding hands. I quickly pulled my hand out of his and sat down. If looks could kill, I'd be dead. Aurora's eyes were alive with fire. They bore into me like little lasers. I attempted to ignore her and her death rays the best I could.
"Good evening," Elijah greeted me.
"Hey." And Elijah saves the day!
"I must say, you look lovely tonight."
I smiled. "Thanks."
"Don't mind her. None of us do," he offered in a hushed voice as he nodded in Aurora's direction.
"So are you going to introduce me?" I asked, quickly changing the subject and nodding towards the brunette next to him.
"Of course. Trish, this is Hayley. Hayley, this is Trish."
"Hey," Hayley greeted me with a friendly smile. "So you're the missing Original, huh?"
"Nice to meet you Hayley. No, I'm not an Original."
"You're a… Werewolf? So you're a hybrid? Like Klaus?"
"How…"
Hayley's face lit up with questions. "I'm a werewolf… I can sense it."
"Oh… Well… I'd consider myself more of a mess… It's a long story but, yes, I'm a werewolf and a vampire…" I answered not wanting to go into details. Thankfully Klaus beckoned me, pulling me from a conversation I really didn't want to have. "Excuse me."
"She's a hybrid?"
Elijah nodded. "So to speak…"
"How come she seemed so uncomfortable talking about it?"
He frowned. "Because she is."
"Why?" she pressed.
"Her story really isn't mine to tell. You understand, right?"
Hayley nodded and let it go.
"Very nice to meet you Marcel."
"No, it's nice to finally meet you. Klaus talks so much about you, I feel like I already know you," he responded with an impish smile as his eyes danced to Klaus.
"Oh does he?" I couldn't stop my lips from turning into a grin. Klaus was clearly agitated, biting his lip to keep quiet. "All good things I'm sure. I remember meeting you a few times when you were a small boy but I'm sure you don't remember that."
Marcel shook his head.
"I'm not surprised. I never stuck around long enough for you to get to know me."
"There's my sister-in-law!" a familiar voice rang out loudly, drawing everyone's attention.
"Oh my god! Rebekah!"
She rushed towards me with outstretched arms and I rushed towards her, meeting her in the middle. We embraced, squealing like two little school girls.
"Oh my god! I cannot believe you're really here!" she squealed, rocking me from side to side.
"Ahem…"
Rebekah pulled away from me to see Aurora standing there and her smile faded. "Yes?"
"Surely when you say sister-in-law you were referring to me, right?"
"Obviously not," Rebekah snapped with an eye roll.
"Pardon?" Aurora pressed, irritated greatly by her answer.
"Obviously not if I went running to her, hugged her, all while saying there's my sister-in-law… I would think it would be self-explanatory that I was talking about her and not you."
"Rebekah…" I warned softly.
"No, I'm not going to hold my tongue any longer! Let's face it, we all know my brother is in love with you; I'm the only one with balls enough to say it! She's the one he's chased literally all over the world for the last century plus in the hopes of changing her mind. He'll always love her. You on the other hand, were simply a means to pass the time… To distract him from the loneliness…"
"Rebekah…" I warned again, louder this time.
Klaus, Marcel, and Freya had made their way over to us and were observing our conversation. Elijah, Hayley, Finn, and Kol on the other hand decided to take in the fireworks from the table.
"What happened to your 'us girls have got to stick together' thing?" I reminded her.
"We do, just not with her," she answered with a shrug.
"Rebekah, come on," Freya finally interjected.
"No Freya, you come on! You hate her too! You've been doing locater spells on Trish for the last month trying to find her even though Klaus only asked you once!"
Freya's eyes grew wide with shock. "Well I…"
Rebekah turned her attention to me. "He asked her do try and locate you earlier this month… When she couldn't find you, he let it go, presumably because he couldn't take the heartbreak of another disappointment surrounding you. But Freya here continued to do locater spells trying to find you until she finally did. Do you think Elijah found you by some sort of coincidence? Of course not! Freya saw you were here and she sent Elijah to talk to you. She thought Elijah would produce better results of attempting to get you to come back to the compound rather than just sending Klaus straightaway. When conversation didn't go as planned with Elijah, he came back and mentioned to Klaus you'd been located. Did you think Klaus knew exactly where to go to find you at the hotel? Of course not! Elijah followed you, came back, and then told Klaus who then showed up in your hotel room! And why did all this occur? Because Freya hates Aurora just as much as I do, I'm just the only one who will say it!"
"You did?" I asked, looking at Freya, surprised by the revelation because of the cold response I had gotten from her when I arrived.
Freya looked uncomfortable with the conversation. "Well… Yeah… I did…"
"Why?" I pressed.
"I know my brother… I know where his heart is… The same place it has been his entire life. I love my brother… I want him to be happy… Truly happy… You're where he's happy. You've always made him happy. It hurt me to see my brother hurt… To see my brother never truly happy about anything… That's why I did it."
"You went to her hotel room?" Aurora shrieked. "And she already was staying at a hotel before you insisted she stay here? And I'm sure everything about that story I was told was a complete lie!"
"Yes. He Did." Rebekah confirmed with a wicked smile, annunciating every word.
"Are you really going to let them talk to me like that?" Aurora wailed, snapping her attention to Klaus, her eyes ablaze with anger.
Klaus frowned and shrugged. "They are my sisters you know? I can't be expected to not take my sisters side."
"Klaus…" she growled through. "You have one chance to do the right thing, to take your girlfriend's side and put your sister and that thing in their places before I walk out that door. If I walk out that door, so help me god, I will not be coming back because I don't have to take this! I'm a beautiful woman… Any man would be lucky to have me and the list of men who do is very long! I could replace you in a heartbeat!"
"You could replace me?" Klaus repeated with a scoff, indignantly. "Then go on, do it. Pick one from your list."
I'm almost certain if she thought she could make it through Klaus, who was now standing in front of me, and she thought she could take me that my heart would be in her hands. She was on fire. There was no mistaking the look of pure, unbridled, hatred on her face as she glared at me. With one last huff, she spun on her heals and took off out of the compound.
"Klaus… I'm so sorry… I didn't mean for this to happen… I honestly didn't come here to ruin your life although it seems contrary to that. I'll go talk to her," I apologized. "I'll fix this…"
I made it two steps beyond Klaus before someone grabbed my arm, stopping me in my tracks. I turned around to see him holding onto my arm.
"Don't," he said simply.
"But I…"
"No," he said, cutting me off. "It's not necessary. In fact you just proved what I already knew. She threatened to walk away… She did walk away and I felt no urge to go after her or to stop her. I have everything I've ever wanted right here."
I frowned and sighed. "Klaus…"
"What? It's the truth."
"You know we'll never work…" I reminded him in a whisper.
"Why won't we?" he demanded, still holding me by the arm.
"We never do…"
He frowned in displeasure of my answer.
"It's the truth, we don't. It's our pattern… We go along for a little while and we'll get along just fine and then one of us, usually you, will say something asshole-ish and piss the other off. Then we fight… And when we fight, it's not good and you know it."
"A little argument now that then is healthy," he argued.
"We don't have just 'little arguments' Klaus. We've laid waste to entire villages because we were at each other. We don't just have minor disagreements, we go to all-out war with each other. We are vicious to each other. Do you really think prudent for me to stay here with you and destroy this? All of this… This isn't just some village Klaus, this is a city. A grand city that you've worked so hard to build… To mold… To create what you have here… Do you really want us to destroy what you've built here because we can't leave well enough alone?"
He sighed loudly and pulled me into him. He cupped my face with his hands. "Let's not talk or think about this. Just… Just give me tonight… Please?" he pleaded.
I was no match for him. I knew I couldn't tell him no even though my head was screaming 'leave' my heart wouldn't allow it. He had me completely transfixed. I couldn't think clearly so I just nodded my head, agreeing with him.
He smiled that knee weakening smile that I loved. "Good."
** Disclaimer: I do not own the Originals**
Author's Note:
Enjoy and thank you so much for reading!
I'd love to hear your thoughts on my writing.
Please leave me some feedback so I can gauge how I'm doing and if I should continue the story!
