Natasha muttered something under her breath and Klaus was thrown off her, and went crashing into the opposite wall. Natasha stood up, brushing herself down and watched as Klaus leaped gracefully to his feet, snarling at her.
"Why do you care so much anyway whether she'd dead or not? You were planning to kill her anyway." Natasha asked him, raising an eyebrow.
Klaus ran a hand through his hair, he was still trembling with fury.
"Yes, but after I used her blood to make hybrids!" He growled, knowing that wasn't the only reason he saved her. He didn't love Elena, and he knew now the grief he had felt when Tatia died was probably much more than now. But he had grown to care for her, and he had felt something spark when he kissed her. And he hadn't expected her to die so soon.
"So? Use her blood, there's still plenty." Natasha told him, gesturing around her to where Elena's blood was splattered on the wall and the floor.
Looking at Elena's body again, reignited Klaus's fury again and he threw himself at Natasha. She was taken by surprise again, and they went crashing to the floor.
He felt his fangs appear, and he went for her throat but her scream stopped him.
"Wait! You don't want to kill me!" She pleaded, suddenly seeming to realize the danger her life was in. Klaus scowled at her.
"I'm pretty sure I do, love." He snarled.
"I can bring Elena back!" Natasha gasped, Klaus could hear her heart hammering under her chest.
"Don't lie to me, love." He whispered menacingly, and Natasha went pale.
"I'm not! There's a revival spell!"
Klaus stared at her, considering her words, then moved, allowing her to stand up. She stood up slowly, as he watched her warily. He knew she was a powerful witch, but he was a powerful vampire, wasn't he?
"Talk." He said, his face stony.
And she talked.
(**)
Klaus held Elena in his arms, as he stood up. They had to go back to Mystic Falls. Natasha had told him about the revival spell, and it was possible to bring back Elena. But Natasha said she needed more power so they needed to go back, for Bonnie. He walked out of was still mistrustful of her. She had killed Elena, after all. Why would she bring her back just because he told her to? Klaus stiffened as he sensed two familiar presences.
"No." Stefan whispered, stepping out of the shadows. He looked at Elena with an expression of pure pain. Damon on the other hand looked furious. He launched himself at Natasha, but she blocked his way with a flick of her hand. Damon stopped as if he'd hit an invisible wall, and snarled at Klaus, before throwing himself again and again at the wall. He looked livid.
"What happened?" He growled, his expression filled with fury.
"We're going to bring her back. I'm not done with her yet." He told them, making his way to the car.
He saw hope fill Stefan's eyes. "What do you mean?" He asked, his voice still hoarse with grief.
"Natasha and Bonnie are going to perform a revival spell." Klaus said, in no mood for a long explanation. He didn't want to deal with the brothers' anger and grief.
Stefan stepped forward but was also blocked by the invisible wall.
"Please, save her." He said to Klaus quietly, locking gazes with him.
Klaus looked at him for a few seconds, then nodded almost imperceptibly. He got in the car, laying Elena carefully down in the back seat. Natasha sat down beside him, and he drove off. The brothers disappearing in his rear view mirror, Damon still looking enraged.
(**)
Klaus marched up the steps, and entered Elena's house, carrying her. As he expected, Bonnie, Caroline and Alaric were all there, sitting in the living room. They jumped to their feet when he entered. Caroline gasped when she saw Elena in his arms, and Alaric paled slightly.
"Ste-Stefan told us what happened." Caroline whispered, while Bonnie glared at Natasha.
Klaus laid Elena on the floor, as gently as he could, then watched Natasha set up candles around her. Stefan and Damon burst through the door a few minutes later, just as Natasha lit the last candle.
"Bonnie, I need you to stand here." Natasha said, pointing to the spot at Elena's head.
Bonnie scowled at Natasha, but she moved for Elena's sake. As much as she hated Natasha, she loved Elena and she couldn't cope without here. Walking to where Natasha was pointing, Bonnie thought about how hard this must be on the Salvatore brothers.
Damon frowned at Natasha. This better work or else heads would roll. He was so furious that he wasn't even letting the thought of Elena enter his mind. She wasn't dead. She wasn't dead. She wasn't dead. She couldn't be dead. If this didn't work…he would rip Klaus's head off. Then Natasha's. Then Stefan's. Then his own…
Stefan stared at Elena, his eyes blazing with grief. He had failed her. He had sworn to protect her with his life, and he had failed. He let his own insecurities and paranoia get the better of him. When he found out about her and Klaus, he had been so angry. He shouldn't have left her alone. He should have gone after her, even if she chose Klaus. 'I'm so sorry, Elena.' He thought, his heart constricting painfully.
Klaus watched Natasha muttering something under her breath, as she walked around Elena. The candles shone more brightly, as they flickered, casting an orange glow on the room. Natasha murmured some instructions to Bonnie, but Klaus wasn't listening. Instead he was staring at Elena. She was so much like Tatia, and yet so different. She had a fire inside her, that was now extinguished. He smoothed his face into an expressionless mask. He hadn't let himself be vulnerable in a long time, and he wasn't about to start now. Natasha would revive Elena, and he would use her blood to make hybrids. Then one day she would die. But today was not that day. He hadn't finished with her just yet.
He was brought out of his thoughts by Natasha standing up straight and talking.
"We're ready."
Bonnie nodded slightly, still looking at Elena's dead body.
Something flickered in Bonnie's eyes, and Klaus frowned. "What is it?" He asked.
Bonnie hesitated and then the words poured out of her in a rush. "When Elena…died," She started, and Damon, Stefan and Klaus all tensed at her words. " Her life force left her body. To bring her back, she needs a life force again. That life force has to come from somewhere…well actually, someone." Bonnie finished, looking at Stefan worriedly.
"What are you saying? Someone has to die for Elena to come back to life?" Klaus asked, even though she was looking at Stefan. It seemed that wherever Elena was concerned, everyone just looked to Stefan. He wondered how Damon felt about that.
"Yes. What a pity." Natasha said, staring right at Klaus, her voice expressionless.
Damon shrugged. "So? Pick up a random guy from the street. Let's do this." He said, gesturing impatiently.
Caroline looked at him stunned, but Klaus chuckled. "I'm going to have to agree with Salvatore 1." He said. "Let's do this."
"No! You can't just take a random guy's life!" Alaric cut in.
"I think you miss the point of being a vampire." Klaus said.
Alaric ignored him.
"Would you rather Elena stay dead?" Damon snapped at him, and Alaric shook his head.
"Of course not. But…" Alaric hesitated, clearly uncomfortable with the moral implications of what they were doing.
Klaus rolled his eyes. "He's new to this, then?" He said to Damon about Alaric. Damon ignored him. A lot of people seemed to be doing that recently.
"Right, that's it." Damon said angrily. He marched to the door and flung it open revealing Matt who was just about to knock.
"Oh, hi." He said, frowning in confusion.
Klaus grinned viciously.
"Matty. Perfect timing."
"No!" Caroline gasped in shock, understanding dawning on her.
She flew to Matt's aid, and Klaus casually swatted her out the way. These new vampires were tiring sometimes. They always felt like they were stronger than him.
Damon looked at him thoughtfully, and then nodded, signaling for him to use Matt. He went over to Matt, but suddenly Stefan was in between them.
"Not Matt." He snarled, quietly.
Matt frowned in confusion. "What's going on?" He asked Damon who was standing in front of him.
Damon shook his head. "We don't have time for this, Stefan. We need to save Elena." He said, ignoring Matt, and agreeing with Klaus for the first time in his long life.
Klaus nodded and reached out to grab Matt, but Stefan positioned himself in between them again.
"Elena will hate you for using Matt." He said quietly.
That made Klaus pause, after all, he didn't want her to hate him, did he?
"Fine. I'll get someone else." He said, causing Damon to look at him in disbelief.
"You've got Stefan fever. Where you'd rather the girl dead and still liking you, than alive and hating you." Damon said, sighing.
Klaus paused. It was the first time they'd acknowledged that he had any feelings for Elena. He shook away the thought, and started to walk out the door.
"You have an hour. Otherwise it'll be too late and we won't be able to bring Elena back." Bonnie called after him. He nodded and stalked out of the house.
(**)
He was in the park when he finally found someone. It was late and so there weren't many people around. There was a young man on the bench. Klaus checked his watch. He still had forty five minutes left, he could do this.
He sank down onto the bench nodding at the guy. "Klaus." He said, offering him his hand.
"Nate." The guy said, shaking it.
"You ever been in love, Nate?" Klaus asked, causing Nate to look at him oddly. Klaus didn't care. What did it matter if 'Nate' thought he was odd? He'd be dead soon.
"Uh, no, not really." Nate replied. "You?" He asked out of politeness.
"Once." Klaus said quietly. "Over a thousand years ago."
This time Nate's eyes widened. "Are you high, dude?"
The question made Klaus chuckle.
"I should get going." Nate said, awkwardly and stood up to leave.
Klaus yanked his arm, pulling him back to the bench.
"Stay." He compelled him, and Nate nodded wordlessly. "And don't talk."
"I'm not in love with Elena." Klaus said. "Elena's the girl you're about to die for." He added in explanation.
Nate's eyes widened even more, but he couldn't move or speak because of Klaus's compulsion.
"But why was I so angry when she died? Why do I care so much about her?" He asked, fully aware Nate couldn't reply. Nate shook his head helplessly.
"I think it's because it's my fault she's dead. Natasha was angry with me and took it out on Elena. But I shouldn't care. I don't care. I'm not frightened of her dying in the future. She's human. She's weak. She will die, and I'm alright with that. I just don't want her to die yet. And I'm worried that…the more time I spend with her…I may end up falling in love with her." Klaus ended, thankful he could talk to someone.
"In case you're wondering, I'm telling you this because I know you won't tell anyone else. You'll be dead soon." He added.
Nate tried and failed to move.
"Maybe I should just let her stay dead? I don't want to be in love again, it's very tiring. And I'll have to compete with Salvatore 1 and 2, though I know they'll be no competition. I think Elena might have been falling in love with me too. I may have ruined though. I tried to have her ex boyfriend killed." His phone ringing interrupted Klaus's rant.
"Oh, excuse me." He said to Nate. He saw it was Damon ringing him. He rejected the phone call and pocketed his mobile.
"Time to go." He said, nodding at Nate.
"Follow me quietly." He compelled him again. And then he made his way back to the Gilbert house.
When he entered, Damon glanced at Nate then nodded. Alaric looked guilty. Natasha nodded at Nate then started chanting again. Bonnie soon joined in.
Stefan glanced at him, and then glanced away again. Klaus wondered what he was thinking. He was probably feeling guilty about Nate. Damon had warned him about Stefan's guilt problems.
Nate was squirming, trying to move or shout for help, but thanks to Klaus's compulsion, he was unable to do either.
Nate looked at him, his eyes pleading, but Klaus met his gaze, even smiling slightly. Maybe Elena was right, maybe he was a monster.
As soon as Bonnie stopped chanting, Nate slumped to the ground, unconscious.
A smile played on Klaus's lips, this must mean it was working. Natasha was still chanting in a foreign language, and Klaus waited patiently. Damon was tapping his foot, and Stefan looked tense.
Eventually Natasha's lips stopped moving, she nodded once at Klaus. It was done. Now they had to wait.
(**)
Elena slowly opened her eyes and was immediately blinded by the bright lights. She squinted, and tried to sit up, groaning while she did so. Immediately she felt two pairs of hands around her, helping her up. As her vision adjusted to the light, she saw Stefan had his arm around her waist, keeping her steady. Damon also had his hand on her arm, checking she was alright.
"Well that's awkward." She heard a smooth voice drawl to her right. She turned around and saw Klaus lounging against the wall, his arms crossed in front of his chest. When he heard his words, Damon immediately let go of her and stepped back. He nodded once at Stefan, and then she was crushed in Stefan's arms.
"Elena. You're alive!" Stefan breathed into her ear, his voice full of happiness. Elena breathed in his familiar scent and almost smiled. He hadn't treated her like this, since he'd gone off with Klaus to save Damon.
Eventually he let her go, and she stepped back, only to be hugged tightly by Caroline and Bonnie.
"Thank god!" Caroline said, sighing in relief.
After she had hugged Alaric, only Damon and Klaus were left. Natasha had stalked out of the room as soon as Elena had woken up.
She went up to Damon, and he took her hand and squeezed it slightly. It was his way of saying, I'm glad you're alive. She smiled up at him. It was good to see him again.
Then it was just Klaus. He stood in front of her, his face expressionless. They both stood there, silent for a few minutes. Then he reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, before turning and stalking out of the room. Elena frowned at his retreating figure. What was that about? It was like he didn't care she'd been dead.
She looked around the room, and decided she was sick of secrets and of hiding feelings. So she quickly ran after him. She found him leaning against the side of her house, outside in the garden, sitting in the grass. When he saw her, he gracefully got to his feet, his posture elegant and poised as always.
"Are you stalking me?" He asked, elegantly raising an eyebrow.
"Why would I stalk you? Of all the people to stalk." Elena asked him.
"Because I'm fascinating." He stated, as if it was a well-known fact.
Elena hid a smile. "So you say." She said to him, causing a smile to play on his lips.
"Natasha killed you. It was my fault." He commented.
Elena frowned at him. "That sounds like a fact, not an apology." She said, and he ran a hand through his hair.
"I don't do apologies." He said, his tone amused.
"Well I don't do psycho vampires trying to use my blood to create a vampire of hybrids." She retorted, causing him to chuckle.
"You wish you could do psycho vampires." He said, stressing 'do' slightly so Elena knew what he was insinuating. She blushed without meaning to.
She couldn't think of anything else to say, so she turned to go, but she felt him catch her wrist. He pulled her back, spinning her to face him.
"About before, is it still true? Do you still…feel like that?" He asked her hesitantly, as if afraid of the answer.
"Do you?" She shot back, remembering his previous words. He'd said, me too.
He looked at her thoughtfully, before shaking his head. "No." He replied.
She flinched without meaning to, then retorted, "Me neither."
Why did she care? She should have expected that. Why would he like her like that? She was nothing more than the doppelganger to him.
Again she turned to go but he pulled her back.
"Would you stop doing that?" She turned to say to him, but his eyes were searching the darkness instead.
He put a finger to his lips, gesturing for her to remain silent. Elena turned to see who was there, but she could see and hear nothing. She frowned at him, but then a voice called out from the darkness.
"Niklaus. Doppelganger. What a pleasant surprise."
(**)
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