Chapter 3 The Aftermath

Bulgaria 1490

No POV

Katarina is giving birth as her mother consoles. "A little more dearest….a little more." Katarina is crying breathing heavy and pushing hard. Her mother still encouraging, "push a little more".

"A little more a little more push!" her father and a young girl walk in. Katarina pushes one last time and cries out and crying is heard as her mother reveals a tiny baby.

"It's a girl" her mother exclaims.

"A girl" Katarina sighs eyes wide her breathing evening out.

"Please mother let me see her" Katarina asks beseechingly.

"Woman don't" it is her father he has come to take the child believing that Katarina has shamed his family by having a child out of wedlock.

"What are you doing?" he asks. Her mother hands the child to Katarina's father as she begs, "let me at least hold her once…just once…at least once." She has leaned towards them pleading with her voice and her eyes. Her father tells her his voice cold and eyes hard, "Forget it…you have disgraced this family!" He abruptly turns to leave with the child. He walks out and Katarina calls out.

"Father please!" her voice is anguished. "No father….No!" she cries out. "No!" She attempts to get up but is stopped by her mother. "No Katarina. It's better for her!" Katarina fights her and her mother repeats "It's better for her!" Crying heavily, "no, mother, please…" hugging her tightly her mother tells her "Let her go….let her go, Katarina." She cries again desperately as they rock back and forth. "Please, Mama…"

VLTR, VLTR, VLTR, VLTR,

Nikki POV

Morning came far too quickly, I awoke to bright sunlight streaming in threw my bedroom window and a throbbing ache in my side. I blinked at the brightness of the room, for a moment I had thought I was still in Maryland but all too soon I realized I was back home in Mystic Falls and yesterday's events came flying to the forefront of my mind. My sister Elena had gone missing and I had raced home to find her only to find out that I hadn't been needed. Hell I wasn't sure that anyone here had actually missed me. Elena had promised to answer all of my questions but at the moment I was really tempted to just grab my bag, jump in my car, and head back to Baltimore. My life, art school, my future and people I called my friends who might actually be wondering where I had gone. Like Erica, she was my closest friend at the moment. My only friend really she got that I was pretty fucked in the head because we both came from dark backgrounds. We'd both lost our parents and had chosen to leave are old lives behind to try and move forward. She was probably pissed at me for pulling a disappearing act as well as running back home; she'd tell me that I had been stupid for letting Jeremy get to me. She'd ask me what the point was in coming back when it really seemed as though I wasn't needed, yet I knew I couldn't leave. There were too many unanswered questions, and I didn't feel safe. I needed to know that my entire world hadn't been turned inside out. Last night I'd seen things that shouldn't have been humanly possible. Stefan and his brother were something other than human and my sister and brother knew and were keeping it from me. I needed answers before I could make a decision on what to do with myself stay here or go back to my so called life. But before I embark on my answer seeking mission I needed to get the hell out of bed. It was a shame to have to get up it was so much more comfortable than I remembered. I decided quickly that I needed motivation, so I grabbed my I-phone and plugged it into the dock/alarm clock that sat on my bedside table and cranked up Nikki Minaj's Moment for Life. Her slick lyrics and the heavy beat filled the room and I rolled out of bed. The pounding beat gave me the energy to start the day. I started singing along and dancing around my room while pulling clothes out of my bag and heading to my adjoining bathroom. I left the door open so I could still hear the music as I jumped in the shower. Music still pumping I climbed out of the shower drying off and quickly dressing for the day. Light washed slightly flared jeans with holes in the knees were the bottoms of choice paired with a well-worn Led Zeppelin cropped –T and a black beater underneath it. The shoes of choice were black slightly faded cowboy boots. I grabbed my phone off the dock just as Led-Zeppelin's Whole Lot of Love finished playing. Grabbed one of my favorite leather jackets and marched out of my room and down the hall to Elena's. I banged my fist against her door in quick succession.

"Elena wake your ass up we need to talk." There was a quite shuffling behind the closed door before it was yanked open by a disheveled looking Elena still in her pajamas.

"I have been up for a while no thanks to you," I can't help but laugh knowing that it was my fault. I probably woke the whole house up by blasting my music earlier. I stopped laughing abruptly because the moment reminded me of old times. Reminded me of before our parents died when I'd wake the house every morning with my music and loud slightly out of key singing. I knew that she remembered as well and suddenly I was longing for the old days the days before I felt like a stranger in my own home in my own life.

"Sorry Elena I guess old habits die hard." She smiled softly at me and then suddenly her arms were around me and she was sobbing in to my shirt.

"I missed you so much." She cried. "It's why I didn't really talk about you it hurt too much and I've had all this crap to deal with…I just and I needed you but I wanted to be strong and I…" I rubbed her back soothingly.

"I'm here now and I'm sorry too I should have come back sooner." I felt absolutely terrible, I never should have left I was selfish so fucking selfish. What the fuck was wrong with me I abandoned my family why would they miss me? I didn't deserve to be missed.

"No you were coping the only way you knew how. It's not your fault things got so messed up." Elena said pulling me out my thoughts.

"Which reminds me dear sister you have a lot of explaining to do." I told her as I pulled out of her embrace and as discretely as possible wiped away the few tears that had leaked from my eyes. She nodded a look of apprehension on her face.

"I know and I hate to make you wait longer but Stefan called and asked for us to come over I think that things would be better explained by Stefan and me." I pondered her words for a brief moment I had waited all night another half an hour wouldn't kill me.

"Fine go get ready I'll go make the coffee." She smiled and threw her arms around me in another surprise hug.

"I'm really glad you're here." She exclaimed before she turned and walked back in to her room shutting the door behind her. I sighed, a small smile spreading across my lips as I turned away from her door and headed down stairs to make coffee and toast.

VLTR, VLTR, VLTR, VLTR,

Exactly thirty minutes later Elena and I pulled into the drive way of the Salvatore boarding house. Classic rock song Hells Belles by ACDC blaring from the radio in my Chevelle as I brought the car to a stop and turned it off. I stared at the house observing it. It was definitely not what I was expecting; it was large and dark looking almost Gothic in an off way. I found it odd that two young guys lived here alone albeit the were brothers but still no parents no family it was seriously weird. I forced myself to look away from the massive house and follow Elena out of the car and up to the front door. Elena knocked on the door and waited she hadn't said two words to me since the scene outside her bedroom this morning and if it weren't for the emotions coming from her I'd think she were mad at me but I only felt her nervousness and her worry. My reverie ended with the opening of the door a seemingly less sure of himself Damon stood there his gaze trained on Elena. I couldn't figure it out but there was just something so incredible irritating about him. He was hot to put it simply but he was also an asshole one look at him and I knew he was just like all the rest good looking but completely full of himself.

"Hello Elena" he smiled at her and I felt the sudden urge to push Elena out of the way and claim Damon for myself, but I squelched it fast not wanting Elena to be able to feel my whacked emotions. One second he made my skin crawl and the next I wanted to lay one on him. With a sigh I crossed my arms over my chest and watched impatiently as Elena and Damon exchanged casual pretenses.

"Is Stefan here?" Damon finally glanced my way and I gave him my best fuck off glare as he waggled his eyebrows at me and Elena but remained silent with a huff Elena softened her gaze a clear sign although we may look alike we are very different I wouldn't have backed down. After another moment she added. "He called, said it was important." After an irritatingly long second he moved back opening the door wider allowing us to walk past him. "Right this way" I detected only a hint of sarcasm in his voice which I could tell was unusual for him. Elena walked in first and I trailed in after her. Damon stood behind me, and for whatever odd reason I was hyper-aware of him he closed the door and turned his chest pressed firmly against my back.

"Hello again Nikki can I call you Nikki?" he whispered in my ear just as Stefan came in from the left. I elbowed him as hard as I could and moved. I ignored his question deciding at the moment that flirting with my sisters' boyfriends' brother would probably not be a smart idea. Instead I focused my attention on Elena and Stefan. He greeted her with a simple "hey" and a nod in my direction I forced a slight smile but said nothing deciding to let Elena take the lead. I watched as she nodded at him and asked.

"What's this about?" She was guarded and unsure but cared all the same at least that was how I saw it. That was until Stefan moved to the side reveling the woman who had kidnapped my sister for reasons I was still unaware of. I felt Elena's shock before she gasped out one word. "You" the short haired woman awkwardly waved at us a small smile on her face all I could do was glare at her my fists clenched at my side as I fought the urge to beat the shit out of her. I stood prone as I watched Stefan move in front of Elena I couldn't see her expression but I knew she was angry with him they have a brief moment and I'm forced to hold back a sigh of frustration. He gave her a look that said it's OK and I rolled my eyes at their silent communication. I could hear a clock ticking somewhere in the house and with every tick I grew more impatient I wanted to know what the hell the Salvatore's were and how deeply my sister was involved with whatever was going on. I heard another tick another second pass as Elena simply glared at them both.

"can we get moving I'm still waiting for someone to explain to me what in the world is going on I'm gone for less than a year come back and some seriously weird shit is going on I just want some answers." Four pairs of eyes were suddenly trained on me. Elena nodded her head at me.

"Lead the way Stefan you're the one that called this meeting we'll explain to Nikki then you can tell me why she's here." She said pointing a finger in the short haired woman's direction I still didn't know her name. Stefan nodded and turned to walk down the hall. He led the five of us into a large living room that I found oddly beautiful it was old but had a decorative flare. I picked a plush chair and plopped down. Elena sat down on the couch across from the fire place while Stefan and Damon stood to the left of it with the still unnamed woman standing to the right. All eyes unfortunately were on me.

"Well seeing as you're the one that wants to know what's going on…ergo you're up Nicola ask away ask the question you have been dying to ask since you walked through our front door." Damon said eyes locked with mine I simply smirked if he thought he could raddle me he was sorely mistaken.

"Fine." I said standing up I moved to stand directly in front of the brothers.

"What are you?" The two shared a look Stefan's expression was one of seriousness while a devilish smirk spread across Damon's face. Then together they said.

"Vampires" I stood still for a moment and then the moment passed and I burst out laughing.

"Ha vampires right OK yeah your vampires." I choked out in between fits of laughter. Damon's eyes hardened.

"I would advise you to stop laughing." He murmured no hint of sarcasm in his voice at all. I stopped laughing abruptly and blinked at him.

"So I'm supposed to believe that you two are bloodsucking vampires straight out of an Ann Rice novel?" I asked no one in particular.

"Well when you put it that way no we're much cooler than that." Damon told me whilst waggling his eyebrows.

"You can't be serious vampires come on your fucking with me right?" I asked glaring at him. In the split second it took me to blink. I found myself lying on the floor with Damon on top of me hand loosely held around my throat. His face was that of a demon, his eyes had turned red and dark veins had spread beneath them. His fangs were the most unsettling but I would never ever admit it. Nor would I ever own up to the fact that right in that moment I felt scared.

"Believe us know?" he asked his speech only slightly distorted on account of his fangs. I smirked up at him.

"Oh scary face can you get off me now, I believe you, you're a vampire he's a vampire." I said forcing as much sarcasm into my voice as possible and glancing over at Stefan. He grinned at me his face back to normal; and rolled off of me jumping to his feet at what I would assume could be called vampire speed. Then in another blurred movement he was back to standing next to Stefan with his arms crossed, that annoying smirk on his face as he stared down at me. I glared at him for a second before getting up.

"Gee thanks knock me down and don't help me up such a gentleman you are." I growled out massaging my now sore backside and muttering under my breath. "Freaking, ass-hat, vampire." He glared at me a smirk still on his face.

"I heard that." I glared back at him and flipped him off before snapping.

"Good." He just laughed and I suddenly had the urge to hit him upside the head but fought it off and plopped back down in the chair I had occupied earlier.

"All right" I said nodding in Elena's direction. "Now tell me the rest."

VLTR, VLTR, VLTR, VLTR, VLTR

When I got in the car and started driving here I thought I would be dealing with detectives and police. I thought I was coming home to find my missing sister, I never thought I'd be thrust into the world of the supernatural; I never could have guessed that my life was made up of deceit and velvet lies. Nothing I knew about my life was true, I was adopted my parents Miranda and Grayson Gilbert were actually my aunt and uncle. How does one even respond to that? How was I supposed to process the fact that my uncle was my dad and my dad was my uncle? Then there was my mom who Damon had turned into a vampire. That small fact was enough to make me wish I had a stake with his name carved into it. I guess regardless of that fact I was lucky to have had Miranda for a mom as my birth mom Isobel was a total bitch she'd turned off her humanity and held no regard for human life she had even threatened to kill my little brother Jeremy. It didn't matter that we shared blood as far as I was concerned my mother was Miranda Gilbert and that wasn't going to change. As if that wasn't enough Elena and I where descended from a five hundred year old vampire that looked just like my sister. To say it kind of freaked me out would be an understatement. Especially when they told me that said vampire Katherine aka Katarina Patrova, was currently locked in a tomb underneath the ruins of the old fells church. Apparently back in 1864 the town's secret council had attempted to rid Mystic falls of vampires but unbeknownst to them Emily Bennett, a witch and Bonnie's ancestor, had cast a spell trapping the twenty seven vampires beneath the church a spell that was still in place hence Katherine's current home. What messed with my head the most was that both Stefan and Damon had been with Katherine it made me wonder if in some twisted way history was attempting to repeat itself with the brothers once again in love with the same girl, my sister. I felt so overwhelmed by it all that I had no idea how I was staying so calm. They had just crammed so much information into my head that I didn't know how to even start processing it. Tyler Lockwood my middle school boyfriend was now a werewolf. Caroline Forbes who I had once been good friends with and who my sister still was close to had been turned into a vampire by Katherine. It seemed as though everyone I knew or cared about was somehow tangled up in one big supernatural mess the only thing I was grateful for was that Aunt Jenna was blissfully unaware of everything. It seemed however that even though Jenna was still unaware of the supernatural happenings of Mystic Falls Katherine had still used her against my sister. Katherine having had compelled Jenna to stab herself in the stomach I hated that no one had even called to tell me she'd been in the hospital. I sighed internally I could feel a major headache forming and I was seriously wishing that I had never gotten out of bed this morning. I sighed and closed my eyes and let out the breath I had been holding since they had finished filling me in on everything. Opening my eyes slowly I met my sisters concerned stare.

"I know it's a lot to take in…" she started. "That's an understatement" I muttered cutting her off mid-sentence. "I know and I'm sorry if I had it my way you'd still be safely attending school in Maryland." I blinked at her my face clearing of all emotion.

"So if Jeremy hadn't called me… if I hadn't come back which even if this all hadn't happened I was still coming back… Elena I was days away from dropping out and coming home because I missed my family. I missed you and you're going to sit here and tell me you would have kept this from me." I spat standing up and leaning towards her. She looked at me regret rolling off of her in waves slamming into me and nearly making me lose my resolve.

"I only wanted you to be safe I was protecting you." She stated her voice full of conviction. "That's not your decision to make Elena how did you expect me to feel? Elena what would I have done if something happened to you and I didn't even know the truth fuck your my sister you should have told me called me a year Elena this has been going on for a year." I spluttered my anger taking control of me. Tears filled her eyes and a small part of me was glad but the other part the bigger part felt terrible her intentions were good despite how much she pissed me off.

"I'm so sorry Nikki, I just… after Mom and Dad I've been so afraid of losing people I only wanted to protect you please forgive me." I sighed the anger I was feeling dissipating quickly I nodded sadly how did we get to this point when we were younger we were so close we never kept anything from each other. I guess death changes people it changes lives somehow we find ways to go on but we're never the same. I fought off the tears building in my own eyes.

"There is nothing to forgive Elena I'm sorry too." It was my turn to hug her I wasn't leaving her ever again my life was here and I had been stupid to try to run from it. From now on my family came first and nothing would stop me from protecting them anyway I could, because at the end of the day family blood or no blood the people that truly loved us that was all we really had. I broke our embrace and sat back down in the chair I'd been occupying all morning.

"So now I know everything I guess now I think it's time you tell me why she's here?" I said glaring at the brunette pixie looking bimbo. Damon chuckled and my sister glared at him. "That's what I'd like to know too." Elena demanded. "Why are you here Rose?" ah finally a name all though personally I preferred the term bitch when it came to her. With our attention on her she finally spoke I listened intently deciding to hold my questions until she finished. She frowned at me and shook her head slowly.

"you have to understand I have been running for five hundred years because of your ancestor I only wanted to stop running I apologize profusely for my actions and I don't expect you to forgive me you don't know me and you have no reason but I want to make it up to all of you so I'm here with information I'm here to help." She looked at each of us beseechingly actual tears in her eyes. I almost felt bad for her I couldn't possibly comprehend what it would feel like to be on the run for over five hundred years I couldn't even begin to understand or even imagine what it would be like to live that long. So I nodded choosing to speak for everyone in the room.

"OK so start talking" I stated simply my gaze flickering to Damon his gaze had been fixed steadily on me for the last half an hour. I shivered involuntarily under his heavy stare it made me feel as though he were both undressing me with his eyes and sizing me up at the same time. I almost wished I could read his mind if for just five minutes so that I could know what he was thinking. Regrettably I forced my eyes away from him and turned my stare back to Rose who had started to talk.

"OK you have to understand I only know what I've picked up over the years. And I don't know what's true and what's not true. That's the problem with all of this vampire crap. But Klaus I know is real." I was immediately lost who was Klaus and why did she sound so afraid. My thoughts were interrupted by Elena. "Well who is he?" Damon smirked and answered. "He's one of the originals. A legend." Next question what the fuck was an original? Stefan then added." From the first generation of vampires." Ah that makes more sense I guess fuck I was so confused Elena asked." Like Elijah?" Elijah must have been the guy that wanted my sister last night.

"Elijah's the one Damon staked with the coat rack?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. Damon smirked. "That would be correct."

Rose shook her head. "That doesn't matter because Elijah was the Easter bunny compared to Klaus. He's a foot soldier. Klaus is the real deal." Stefan spoke next. "Klaus is known to be the oldest." Damon rolled his eyes at his brother's words and a shiver went down my spine what did this all mean exactly I was afraid to find out. Elena of course had to ask.

"OK so you're saying that the oldest vampire in the history of time is coming after me?" I gulped how was I supposed to protect her from this Klaus why the hell did he want her? Elena looked to Stefan and Rose who at the same time said.

"Yes" and Stefan Said "No" to which Damon had to but in and try to explain "what they're saying is or I mean if what she's saying is true." Rose interrupted him "which it is."

To which Damon's snarky reply was. "And you're not just saying this so we don't kill you" I fought off the urge to laugh at his words and Rose interrupted again "which I'm not" Damon continued.

"Then we're looking at a solid maybe." Elena simply nodded while Stefan stood up from the chair he was perched on I hadn't even noticed he'd sat down.

"Look Elijah's dead right? So no one else even knows that you exist." He sat down next to Elena and Rose interrupted him. "Not that you know of" to which Damon interrupted "that's not helping" Stefan ignoring them continued. "Look I've never even met anyone who's laid eyes on him. I mean we're talking centuries of truth mixed with…" he turned to look at Elena. "Fiction I mean we don't know if he's real for all we know he could just be some sort of stupid bed time story" Rose leaned toward them in attempt to emphasize her point. "He's real" she reiterated. "And he doesn't give up. He wants something he gets it. And if you're not afraid of Klaus then you're an idiot..." Damon in all seriousness with only a trace of sarcasm interrupted her. "All right were shaking. You made your point." Feeling Overwhelmed Elena gathered her bag and stood up. Truthfully I felt like I couldn't breathe I didn't understand why this Klaus wanted my sister they had left something out when they were explaining it all to me. I opened my mouth to ask what they hadn't told me but Stefan looked at Elena in confusion and spoke before I could. "Where are you going?" she turned around with a sigh. "School I'm late" Stefan stood up." let me grab my stuff I'll go with you." Elena shook her head at him. "No that's ok I know where it is." I felt bad for them it was so obvious how they felt about each other I watched as Stefan nodded and watched her leave she left the room so quickly that I didn't get to ask her anything. I decided to just ask Stefan when Damon cocked his head towards Rose and told her sarcastically "She's in denial" I stood up ready to once again ask them what they left out in their little story about vampires and all that's happened in the last year when Stefan turned towards them contempt in his yes. "Shut up Damon" He smirked at his brother and I could tell he wanted to laugh. "Hi still here" I put on a smirk of my own and glared at the three vampires in the room. They all turned to look at me and Stefan sighed.

"Sorry Nikki." I smiled softly at him and heard Damon scoff.

"So he gets to call you Nikki and there's no problem, but when I do it you attempt to injure me with your boney elbows." I turned toward him and smirked.

"Yes because unlike you he's not trying to flirt with me." Stefan chuckled and Rose all out laughed. Damon's smirk turned into a grimace quickly and he glared daggers at me. My smirk simply widened and I turned back to Stefan. He looked at me oddly for a second then shrugged his shoulders.

"All right what do you want to know?" he was good I'd give him that much.

"What part of your vampire story did you leave out Stefan what aren't you and my sister telling me? Why does this Klaus guy want my sister?" I asked my mouth tightening into a thin line as I waited for him to answer. He sighed and glanced at Damon and then Rose, before turning back to face me.

"The woman we told you about that turned Damon and I into vampires." I nodded.

"You called her Katherine." He smiled wistfully.

"Yes, Katherine." He sighed and bit his bottom lip. "How to explain this." he murmured. He shook his head and then he was gone.

"What the…" I gasped and looked to Damon and Rose but before I could ask Stefan had already returned holding a small card in his hand. He said nothing just simply handed it to me. I flipped it over and stared at first I didn't understand it was an old fashioned picture of my sister except I realized it wasn't my sister her eyes were to cruel they didn't hold the kind light that my sisters did. And then I moved my thumb and read the caption. Katherine 1864. I gasped. "Wow you weren't kidding when you said they looked alike?" I whispered. Stefan sighed and I handed him the photograph.

"Elena is Katherine's doppelganger two very different people that look exactly alike. You and your sister are her descendants and Elena is the key to breaking a very old curse." I gulped somehow I knew he didn't mean that my sister was just the key but that it was much worse than that.

"What Curse Stefan?" I implored him my eyes wide and filled with worry. Stefan stared at me and I could tell he was unsure. I chalked it up to him not wanting Elena to be mad at him for telling me because it would be so like her to leave out the most important thing in attempt to protect me. His eyes traveled over to Damon who grimaced and stepped forward.

"Elena has to be sacrificed in order to break the curse of the sun and moon. Supposedly six hundred years ago a shaman put a curse on vampires and werewolves making vampires slaves to the sun and werewolves servants of the moon. Klaus wants to break the curse" I looked at Stefan helplessly and he just shook his head sadly.

"I need to head to the school to check on Elena." He told me quietly. "But before I go I have one more thing to show you." He murmured before placing a gold heart shaped locket in the palm of my hand. "This locket contains an herb called Vervain it will protect you from compulsion." He told me a small smile on his face. I frowned.

"what is compulsion?" I asked him perplexed.

"Compulsion is a power that all vampires possess, its a sort of mind control we can make you do whatever we want you to do we can even make you forget." I stared at him eyes wide mouth hanging open.

"and this herb Vervain it will stop a vampire from being able to do that to me?"

"yes which is why you should put it on and never under any circumstance take it off." He sent me a sweet smile before quickly disappearing from the room. I sat there my thoughts swirling I stared at the locket for a moment it was beautiful and heart shaped with inlaid wings and a smaller heart set between them. The necklace would protect my mind from vampires but it wouldn't protect my sister from Klaus. I took in a sharp breath I couldn't think I couldn't breathe why? Why was this happening? I didn't have a clue how to respond to what Damon had told me. To the situation at hand my sister dating a vampire I could handle my sister being sacrificed I wasn't sure I could handle at all, how was I supposed to react to something like that an extremely old vampire wanted to sacrifice my sister in order to break a curse. I sank back into the chair I had previously occupied and put my head in my hands. If I thought I'd had a headache before I definitely had one now. I didn't look up as I felt someone kneel in front of me, warm hands that were clearly male were settled on my shoulders and I took in a ragged breath as he spoke somehow before he even opened his mouth I knew it was Damon. He smelled incredible good and I fought off the urge to inhale his musky scent.

"Listen Nicola I'm going to make you a promise which is something I don't do very often." I took in a breath and dropped my hands to my lap raising my head so that I could meet his brilliant blue eyes. He took that as a cue to continue.

"I promise you that no harm will come to you or your sister so long as I can do something to prevent it. No one is going to be sacrificed we're going to figure this out." His eyes were full of sincerity and I couldn't help but believe what he said. Somehow despite his arrogant and sarcastic demeanor I felt a sense of safety which was incredibly stupid because I barely knew him in fact he downright irritated me and I really had no justification for why he did so just that he did. So I nodded and took a deep breath taking in his scent he smelled like cinnamon spice and cologne that was the only way I could describe it. I held up the necklace and unclasped it I carefully put it around my neck and re-clasped it. Then I focused my gaze on him.

"OK so now what?" I asked him my voice sounding a lot steadier than I actually felt. He smiled and removed his hands from my shoulders and stood up. He offered me his hand and pulled me up with him.

"Now." he smirked turning to Rose who I'd all but forgotten was even in the room. "We get some answers." I eyed Rose oddly she had folded herself into the chair opposite mine she sniffled quietly and tried to wipe the delicate tears that had gathered in her eyes away. I watched her curiously I couldn't get passed the fact that she had kidnapped my sister her being a vampire only made me feel less sorry for not liking her but I guess I was being harsh just like with Damon I didn't know her. To me she was a freaky five hundred year old vampire with a questionable haircut. Despite what I thought Damon's sarcastic words were still slightly rude. "Alright Rosebud. I need some answers. Oh please don't tell me you're crying 'cause your buddy Trevor lost his head." I nearly got to my feet and slapped him upside the head I may not like her and I had no clue who Trevor was but I guess she cared about him it wasn't right to knock her grief. It amazed me how he could be sweet with me and even flirt with me then turn around and act like an ass towards Rose. Her snarky reply gave her brownie points in my book.

"You always been this sensitive?" She asked and I bit back a laugh.

"Full vampire switch for this very reason takes the emotion out of it." I stared at him confused. It would seem I still had a lot to learn in regards to vampire 101. I watched oddly fascinated as they inched closer to each other. Rose was able to match Damon snarky reply after snarky reply.

"Yeah, you switch yours, I'll switch mine." He smirked "Is that a dig?"

"It's an observation. Being in love with your brother's girlfriend must be difficult." Hmm so I wasn't the only one that noticed I was starting to like her more and more. His smile faltered. "I'm not in love with anyone." It was almost fun watching her make him squirm but at the same time I found myself wishing I were in her shoes. "You want to try that again?" Damon's eyes sparked with danger. "Don't get on my bad side." Rose got in his face and smirked. "Then show me your good side." I was starting to feel uncomfortable so I glanced between the two of them trying to subtly remind them of my presence by loudly clearing my throat. Damon's hard gaze flickered over to me and he smirked.

"Right, how do I find Klaus?" Rose's shoulders slumped as the light moment of shameless flirting, much to my thanks, passed. "You don't find Klaus, he finds you." She sounded afraid again, this Klaus was seriously going to piss me off I just knew it. "Come on. Somebody's got to know somebody who knows where he is, right? "I sighed that would be the logical train of thought but something told me logic had been thrown out the window a long time ago. The sound of Rose's voice pulled me out of my thoughts "Add another two hundred somebodies to that and you're still not even close. "I wasn't sure but I had the feeling that when you're alive for as long as they said Klaus was that it would be quite easy to stay hidden. "Humor me. You got in touch with Elijah, how did you do it?" Rose sighed and sat down. "Through a very low somebody on the totem pole. A guy name Slater in Richmond" Damon smirked. "Perfect. I'll drive." Rose glared at him. "No. You forget not all of us can do sun. Damon glared at her then smirked "Then you drive. Come on." I glanced between the two of them annoyed.

"Ehmm" I pretended to clear my throat. Damon glanced my way. "Right Nicola can come too." He said stressing my name. I smirked.

"Lead the way."

AN so its been a really long time since the last update and we are so sorry for the wait Vampire Sa5m1993's computer crashed and then she had no internet for two weeks and VampyLexi94 doesn't have a computer at the moment or internet so we were both kinda stuck and then Microsoft word decided to be a jerk so that took time to deal with too anyway those are a lot of excuses and we are sorry but we thank you for being patient and we will try to keep up with the aforementioned update schedule. Which is every two weeks or so. Anyway hope you enjoyed the chapter. Chapter four will be up towards the end of the month.

-VampireSa5m1993- and -VampyLexi94-