I'm a little disappointed with this chapter. It was more of a filler, but the next ones will be better…I hope. If any information in this chapter is wrong, ignore it.

It's official: There will be a lemon sometime in future chapters.

I have another question for you all at the bottom, so don't miss it.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries; it belongs to the wonderful L. J. Smith.

For the next week, I tried my best to avoid Klaus. The day after our…incident was the hardest – everywhere I turned, he was there, and once he spotted her he would drop what he was doing and try to talk to her, only to have me turn my back on him and walk out before he could utter a word. But as the days passed, I saw him less – Akua told me that Stefan and Damon were killing off his hybrids again – and, though I should've been happy about that, I just felt…empty.

I did, however, spend a lot of my time with Elijah. Akua was sometimes needed for whatever reasons, and in the time she was gone, Elijah would walk me through the gardens that surrounded the estate, or sit with me in the library and recite Nordic poetry from the time when he was human. He seemed to miss it – being human. Every now and again, as he spoke of his pre-vampire time, his eyes would glaze over with sorrow, but when I blinked, it was gone, and back was the cheery Elijah that I liked to hang out with.

Finn was nowhere to be seen, but Kol was everywhere. And when I looked at him, he was always staring at me with an unreadable expression. It made my stomach flop and sent shivers up my spine. The only time he wasn't following me was when I was with Elijah or when Klaus was around, and I took some comfort in that.

When I finally told Akua what had happened that night, she squealed. "I knew it! I knew he had a thing for you!"

"Akua, we were drunk. It wasn't anything," I sighed.

"Then why did you wait so long to tell me?" She asked cockily. When I didn't answer, she smirked. "That's what I thought."

We were silent for a few moments as I continued to brush my hair. She pursed her lips and began flipping through a magazine on my nightstand. "So, you've been spending a lot of time with Master Elijah."

I stopped mid-stroke. She calls Elijah Master, too? "Yeah. And?"

She shrugged, but didn't look up. "I was just curious about it."

"He's a nice guy, and great company."

"Mhmm. But I have a feeling that Master doesn't like it," she said.

"What makes you think that?" I asked distractedly.

"Well," she began, "he didn't seem very happy when he saw you two laughing in the rose bushes." She paused. "He broke his wine glass."

My eyebrows furrowed. "Why would he do that?"

She gave me the look. "Why do you think?"

I set down the brush and pondered that. Why was he acting like this? Sure, he had tried to kiss me, and he wanted to talk to me afterwards, but I was telling myself that it was because he wanted me to be his play thing. He had done it with Katherine; why not me, as well?

But breaking glass just because he saw me with his brother was a little much. If he really thought of me as his toy, he wouldn't have been affected by the sight of me with another man. I knew for a fact, though, that he had a new girl every night – and it was quite obvious that they weren't used just for blood. I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair; it was so much easier when Klaus was an evil bastard.

"Enough about me," I said, desperately trying to change the subject. "What about you and Dorian?"

Her eyes sparkled, Klaus momentarily forgotten. "What about him?" She tried to sound nonchalant, and failed miserably.

"I saw him looking at you yesterday."

Her eyes widened. "Really?"

I nodded and laughed as she squealed again. It was easy to tell that she had major feelings for the Greek hybrid, and he felt the same way. Elijah noticed it to – we had even made a bet on how long it would take before they got together.

"So, when are you guys going to…?" I trailed off.

"When he asks me," she replied, a little deflated that he still hadn't asked her. Supposedly, they had felt this way long before I got here.

"You know, I could talk to him for you. Drop subtle hints."

"Would you really?" She asked.

"Yep," I gasped as she wrapped me in a bone-crushing hug.

"You're the best friend a girl could ask for," she trilled.

I patted her on the back, and sucked in a breath when she finally let go. I ran the brush through my hair once more and checked my reflection. Elijah was supposed to be here any minute, and I wanted to look presentable, not because I had romantic feelings for him, but because…well, I don't really know why. My phone buzzed, and I took it off the charger to check it. Six missed calls, nine texts. I bit my lip and tried to read some, but halfway through the second message, a call interrupted me.

"Hello?" I answered hesitantly.

Elena? Oh thank God! Where are you? Everyone has been trying to get ahold of you for days!

I cocked my head. "Jeremy? How did you know they were looking for me?"

Bonnie called me, hoping that you had told me where you were going. I've been worried sick about you.

I pang of guilt stabbed me in the chest. "I'm sorry, Jer."

It's okay, just tell me where you are.

I began to panic, and picked up the first thing I saw – the wrapper of a lollipop I was sucking a few minutes ago. I crinkled it in front of the receiver. "Jer? You're breaking up on me. I'll call you later." I hung up and turned my phone off. It was an old trick, but I didn't have any other options.

I closed my eyes and rubbed my temple. All of the people I loved, the people who had abandoned me, were worried about me, and I knew that if I told them the truth, they would come after me. I knew what I had to do, and I didn't like it one bit.

Elijah chose that moment to show up, greeting me with a warm smile and a bear hug. "Good morning, Elena."

"Hi, Elijah." I grinned sheepishly at him. "I'm sorry, but I can't go with you right now."

His smile fell. "Why not?"

"I have to speak with Klaus. It's important."

He nodded. "I could escort you there, if you would like."

"That would be great," I said with a smile.

We walked in comfortable silence, down the winding halls, until Elijah led me into a study. Klaus sat with his feet propped up on the large desk, reading a newspaper article, a large, thick pair of black glasses perched on his nose. I snorted.

When he saw us, his face hardened and he set his feet down. He folded the newspaper and took the glasses off, setting them in a left-hand drawer. Folding his hands underneath his chin, he looked to Elijah first. "Elijah, you may leave."

It seemed like he wanted to protest, but a moment later, he reluctantly walked out of the room, shutting the doors behind him.

Klaus looked at me, then. "What can I do for you, love?"

I took a deep breath. "I need a cover story to tell my friends. They're starting to worry about me, and if I don't give them an answer soon, they'll come looking for me."

"I thought they didn't care about you?" he pointed out, eyes squinted.

"Well, they changed their minds," I snapped. That was a sore spot and he knew it. "What should I say?"

He shrugged. "I don't give a damn what you tell them. They aren't my bloody friends."

"So you just want me to come up with something on my own?" I asked.

"I thought that was clear, darling, but maybe I said it too fast." He leaned forward in his seat. "I. Don't. Give. A. Damn,"

My jaw clenched. "What the hell is your problem?"

His fist tightened around the pen he was holding. "I don't have a problem."

"Is it because I wouldn't kiss you?"

His eyes flashed with anger and...hurt? "What makes you think that?" He grit out.

I rolled my eyes and placed my hands on my hips. "So now you're going to be a dick to me because I wouldn't kiss you? Sorry to break it to you, Klaus, but I will not be your play thing-"

He blurred over to me, so fast that my eyes couldn't follow, and pushed me against the wall roughly. I wasn't going to lie; it kind of turned me on. But I was too angry to acknowledge it. "Do not accuse me of using you," he growled, eyes glowing gold.

"What are you doing, then?"

He didn't answer me right away. His eyes flickered to my lips for a moment, then back to my eyes. "I have no idea," he whispered. "But I'm not using you."

I don't know what came over me in that moment – maybe it was the passion in his voice, maybe it was the way his body, flush against mine, radiated raw power, or maybe it was the way he looked at me with smoldering bedroom eyes – but I found myself whispering, "Then prove it."

He looked shocked. "Prove it?"

"Yep," I said. "Show me that I'm not just another toy to you."

His breathing hitched and he swallowed audibly. I waited for him to make the next move, and a moment later, he did. "Okay."

He backed away, slowly, until he was at a reasonable distance. "Would you like to have lunch with me tomorrow?"

I smiled slightly. "Sure."

He smirked, but it was different from the usual one he wore – it was less cocky, less evil. "I'll pick you up at eleven o'clock."

"Okay." I turned to walk out, but, after a moment's hesitation, walked up to him, stood on my tiptoes, and pecked him on the cheek lightly. "See you tomorrow."

He touched his cheek, and looked at me with…I don't know. But it gave me butterflies. I turned without another word and made my way back to my room. It wasn't until I closed the door and flopped on my bed that I realized I never got the cover story I went to him for.

Big question: Should there be a love triangle? And, if so, between whom (Klaus, Elena and….)?

Don't forget to review! They make me write a lot faster.

Colbey