"Where's your brother? I need to talk to him."

"Nik? I believe he's gone out to look for you...I couldn't imagine why." I frowned at Rebekah's smug face; she was enjoying torturing me.

"Is Elijah here? I know he hasn't left town yet." She grimaced and I looked past her to see Elijah enter the main hall of the house. "Would you move aside now?"

"You little..." Rebekah looked like she wanted to hit me, but when Elijah came up, she quickly calmed down and sped away.

I sighed and said "Well, she certainly seemed pleased to see me...Klaus isn't here?" Elijah shook his head. "Where is he?"

"My sister wasn't lying when she said Niklaus had gone to search for you. He received word about your departure from the Salvatore house and left immediately."

"Then I'll have to call him...Do you mind if I come in?" I didn't need the invitation, but I didn't want to create any bad feelings between Elijah and I. He hadn't exactly been a friend to me, but he was the only one that hadn't tried to keep me for my blood. I trusted him more than Stefan at the moment.

I went in and sat on the large couch and quickly phoned Klaus. His phone hadn't even gotten done with the first ring before he answered with an exasperated "Dani?"

"Klaus...You don't have to look for me anymore, I'm at your house..." He was silent. "You're mad, aren't you?"

"At those Salvatore brothers more than I am at you. Why did you leave without telling me? I've been rampaging through these woods for the last hour to no success."

"I had to get out of there...They've been suspecting me of being evil ever since you took me prisoner, and they're driving me insane..." I heard Klaus chuckle and restrained the urge to curse at him. "And I need to talk to you about something. Preferably immediately."

"What could be so bad that you disappeared into the forest for four hours without a single word to anyone? We've already discovered your big secret."

"Not all of them...While I was in the woods I talked to Alaric and another ghost...Ayana." There was a silence again. "Do you know her?"

"I didn't realize her spirit was still haunting the area...How pleasant. Yes, I do know Ayana. She was a prominent witch when I was still a human." I gasped. I didn't know Ayana was from that long ago...

"Why would she only show herself to someone now?"

"Because of you, Dani. Look, I will be home in a matter of moments, and I expect you to be waiting in my room to tell me what Ayana has revealed to you. Can you refrain from running again until then?"

"Do you have no faith in me?" Klaus chuckled and I hung up. I looked up and saw Elijah was still in the room, and had undoubtedly heard the entire conversation. "Was she really from when you were human?"

He nodded. "My mother had originally wanted Ayana to be the one to turn us immortal, but when she refused, my mother turned us herself."

"And that's when it all went downhill, I guess...This is dangerous, isn't it? Something bad is going to happen..."

"Most likely...Whatever secret your blood holds, there will be fighting because of it." I groaned and buried my face in my hands. "Niklaus will be home shortly, so I will be leaving. I suggest you straighten out your feelings for him now, while you can. You may not get the chance to later." I looked at him questioningly.

"And why not? I may not be a full vampire but I sure as hêll can still take care of myself."

"That may not be enough. Niklaus had turned against his own siblings many times, and he may do the same to you. Even if he doesn't, there are still a great many that will want you dead now, and my brother may not be able to protect you from them all." Elijah disappeared, leaving me angry and exponentially more confused than before.

I pushed myself off the couch and went upstairs the Klaus' bedroom, at the same time that I heard the front door open again.

The bedroom door popped

open next to reveal Klaus' equally angry and anxious face. "My brother and sister were here?"

"Rebekah left when I got here, and Elijah left after I called you...He told me who Ayana was."

"Well, isn't that just wonderful...But that doesn't matter. What did she tell you?"

"Well, she said she wasn't sure, since she wasn't the one that turned me into a half-breed..." Klaus was suddenly in front of me, gripping my arms for dear life and staring heatedly into my eyes. It was a moment before I shook my head and said "Ayana told me there's more I can do."

Klaus sat beside me but didn't let go of my arms. "What?"

"She said I'm like this because the vampire curse was put on me before I was born...It's like I'm permanently stuck in transition. The magic that makes people into vampires does the opposite with me, since I was never fully turned into a vampire. Because of that...she said I might be able to cure werewolves and hybrids too." Klaus' eyes widened. "Since I'm technically half-dead, that's why I can see ghosts too. If I drink someone's blood I can gain their strength..."

"We knew that..." I held up a hand.

"Ayana said it may work if I drink a witch's blood too." Klaus let go of me and I rubbed at my arms. "Again, she said she wasn't sure, so I can't really tell you if it was real..."

"With her, it is undoubtedly real. Ayana has not made herself known for the last 1,100 years; she would not do so now without good reason."

"So I'm doomed...great." I plopped back on the plush bed and stared at the ceiling. "Either you're going to kill me or some other supernatural weirdo is gonna do it for you...I might as well commit suicide while I have the chance." Klaus lay beside me and take my hand in his. "That's not exactly comforting at the moment."

"Who says I'll kill you? I'll merely use your blood against those who would try to kill me...again." I raised an eyebrow.

"Really? I know who you are and how you are...You didn't hesitate to dagger your siblings or kill your own mother on multiple occasions."

"That may be true...But I also have an impeccable record of keeping my assets safe."

"Except here in Mystic Falls. Your siblings were released, one of them and your mother was killed, Elena was turned into a vampire, and you've nearly died yourself several times. Remind me of your impeccable record?"

Klaus was on me, holding me down with a smirk on his face. "Now, there's no need to point out all of my...setbacks. Of which I will be fixing at least one of them with your help."

I plucked one of his dark blonde facial hairs and said "And how are you so sure that I'll help you?"

His turquoise eyes swam as he said "I have faith...And I can always persuade you if I need to..."

"Persuade, or compel?" He grinned and I shivered slightly. "I'm not sure I like that look on you..."

"Why? Because you know I'll do this?" He kissed slowly at my neck and I held perfectly still, though my arms wanted to wrap themselves tightly around his neck. Against my skin, Klaus muttered "Or that I would do this..?" He tore the shirt from my back and I gasped at the quick breeze of cool air against my bare skin. "Or maybe..."

"Okay,okay, okay, I get the point...You could've done it with less violence against my clothes though." Klaus chuckled.

"That's nothing." He laid back and pulled me on top of him, and I heard a distinctive rip at the back of my jeans. A second later he pulled the torn denim remains from my legs and I buried my face in his chest. "Embarrassed, love?"

"I really wish you would stop doing that...I'm gonna have to buy a whole new wardrobe soon." Despite my embarrassment I laughed. "And no, I'm not going to let you buy it for me. If you have your way, I won't have anything to wear except tight little dresses and pajamas."

"And what's so wrong with showing a little skin every now and then?" He nibbled at my neck and I yelped and jerked away. "Ooh, someone's testy..."

"I'm not testy...I just know that showing skin around you means that skin's gonna get bit." He shrugged. "And you have no remorse...Must be fun."

"Oh, it is." He rolled us back over and I found my arms pinned at my sides. "But I'm not totally without feelings."

"Greed, anger, hatred...And lust? Those are all selfish feelings."

"Yes, but feelings all the same." As Klaus lowered his mouth to my neck again, he muttered "But lust is definitely my favorite..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Why does your sister hate me?" Klaus looked over as he pulled a pair of jeans up over his legs. "Every time I see her, she always acts so nasty..."

"Despite our disagreements, she's most likely jealous that you have more of my attention than she does. We traveled together for almost 1,000 years and I never paid more attention to anyone else. She's actually been like this for some time."

"Probably because you were raving about Stefan the Ripper and your hybrids, and then about Elena until she was turned into a vampire. Rebekah probably thinks you're ignoring her."

"Because I am. And when did you become so informed about my life?"

"I do pay attention, you know..." Klaus shrugged and turned to get a shirt. "And I don't know about your life, just the horrific things you've done recently. The other 1,100 years are a complete mystery to me."

"Well, wouldn't you just love to know about all that. Sorry to disappoint you Dani love, but it's actually pretty boring. Aside from a short 53 years when I temporarily went insane and almost breaking my hybrid curse with Katherine, killing and terrorizing were all I did."

"Who says I don't want to hear about killing and terrorizing?" He raised an eyebrow. "Okay, so I don't...Probably because I'm the only one in this town that hasn't killed a single person. No humans, vampires, werewolves, hybrids, witches, or hunters...I should be given some kind of medal by now." He laughed.

"Well, as long as we can keep the secret of your cure to ourselves, we might just be able to keep that record going a while longer. Along with not getting you killed, of course."

Klaus finished dressing and I asked "So...why aren't you worried about getting cured?" I tried to make it sound casual, but my heart was nearly pumping in my throat as I spoke the words. Ever since my mother told me about the cure, the thought about Klaus turning human had been festering in the back of my mind, despite my efforts to ignore it.

"Two reasons. One, do you know how impossible it would be for someone to kill me? There's only one way, and I have it locked up in my safe. Two, I'm not sure your mother told us the whole truth."

"What do you mean?"

"I can tell when someone is lying, regardless of if they're human or vampire. She wasn't lying about the cure, but she was about how it works. I have a feeling that simply killing a vampire after they drink your blood will really kill them instead of curing them."

I was bewildered. "Why would my mother lie to me?! I finally found her after so long..."

"You came to her door with me by your side. She probably thought you would want to cure me, and so she lied so you would actually kill me."

"What?! How could you say that!?" I jumped up and ran over to Klaus,pounding on his chest with my fists. It barely phased him, but he grabbed my wrists and held them at my sides. "She's my mother..."

"Who left you before you were even a week old. Sorry to tell you love, but you've just experienced your first family betrayal...If you stay by my side, you'd better get used to it." My face fell and he released my arms. "Now perk up, we're going into town."

"For what? All we're gonna do is probably grab a bunch of skimpy clothes for me, some liquor for you, and terrorize the local supernaturals..."

"And you're depressed, so maybe terrorizing the locals is just what you need. Come on, I'll even show you how to hunt and kill someone." I gasped. "Okay, you don't have to kill...But if you're so worried about people coming to kill you, you'll have to learn how to feed on humans. I can't be there to give you my blood all the time."

"I know that...I just don't think I'm quite right to be feeding on anyone..." Klaus chuckled.

"You're beautiful and you don't take crâp from anyone, not even me. I'd say you're the perfect person." I shrugged and he put his arm around my shoulder. "Come, let's go feed before someone shows up to spoil our fun."

We went downstairs and Elijah was standing in the parlor, not looking surprised to see me. There was a tense moment as he and Klaus stared each other down, but Klaus quickly pulled me out the door and into his Jaguar.

"Wow...I thought you two were going to battle it out right there."

"I've already committed to teaching you how to hunt; I'm not going to spoil your good time by dealing with my brother's antics." I repressed a laugh; knowing Elijah, he would have said the exact same thing about Klaus. Plus it was funny to hear Klaus talking that way, knowing he was the one usually up to something shady.

He sped us into town with almost no heed to the road, but I wasn't worried. Elizabeth had the police doing so much of her supernatural dirty work, I'd learned, that there were almost none of them paying attention to traffic laws outside the main part of town.

We quickly made it into town and, not surprisingly, he drove us right up to the Mystic Grill. I was beginning to think this was the only place people ever hung out anymore. At least when I was a teenager, we sometimes hung out in the woods or went to the next town over.

I headed to the door but Klaus stopped me. "What?"

"Just giving you a few tips. Looking as ravishing as you do, someone will probably try to pick you up. If he does, you take him in the bathroom or in the alley over there and drain him. I'm assuming you know how to flirt with a man?"

Even though it was for the purpose of hunting a victim, I felt offended that Klaus actually asked that question. I kept myself from slapping him and said "Just because I didn't sleep with anyone before you, doesn't mean I didn't know how to charm a guy. I thought you had more faith in me."

"You were compelled when we slept together, how am I to know the truth?"

This time I did slap him, but he just laughed. "You're an âss, you know that?"

Reaching under the hem of the knee-length dress I wore, Klaus grabbed mine and said "Why don't you go and work yours, and find us some food?"

I turned and almost stomped in the front door of the place, not looking back once until I made it to the bar. The bartender poured me a drink without my asking, and I knew I had been there way too many times since I'd come back.

As I sipped at the glass of apple-flavored liquor, which I had come to love after finding it in Klaus' stash, I looked around at the people already here. There was none of the usual gang inside, which meant it would be safer for me to try to feed on someone. I saw Klaus walk in the door and look my way, and I took my drink and went over to the pool table.

It was empty, so I grabbed a cue stick and set up a game. As I expected, he came over and stood to the side as I did this.

"Aren't going to play a game with me?"

"If you're going to lure a nubile young man into leaving here with you, it wouldn't be a good idea, now would it?" I shrugged and leaned over to shoot the first shot, and could almost feel Klaus' eyes on me. "If I simply stand here to the side and watch, no harm is done."

"Well, lucky for me then..." I hit and the cue struck the rest of the balls, scattering them everywhere. None went in and I said "Now it's really good that I'm playing by myself, or I'd have to let you have a turn."

"Oh, I'm enjoying myself perfectly well standing right here." I giggled and lined up the next shot.

"You know, with you hovering and staring every time I bend over, I fear I'm not doing a very good job of luring anyone."

"What a shame...I guess I'll just have to compel someone. Be right back." He sat his drink down and I snatched it up, and he walked away laughing.

I sipped and sat it beside mine and continued playing. It was a rare time now that I could just do something without someone bothering me, and I felt oddly at peace. Even after Matt came over and I almost hit him with the pool cue out of shock.

"Matt...what are you doing here?!"

"I work here, remember?" I nodded slowly, lips pursed. In my excitement/anxiety to feed on someone for the first time, I had forgotten.

"Of course I remember...I just didn't know you were working today. Though you look like you're about to go home..." He wore a dark jacket over his uniform shirt and had his truck keys in hand. "Oh, I shouldn't bug you."

"It's okay, it's not like there's anything waiting for me at home anyway. Mind if I join?"

After another little moment of shock, I nodded and said "Yeah...I'll set up a new game." I proceeded to re-rack the balls and let Matt go first. As he did, I spotted Klaus over by the bar, watching and undoubtedly listening. When he nodded, my heart skipped a beat, and I knew he wanted me to feed on Matt.

But could I? I argued back and forth in my mind as it was my turn and then his again, and I couldn't come to a decision. If I didn't do it, Klaus would either find someone else in here or compel Matt to let me, or just compel me. If I did do it, Matt might hate me, and then I'd lose another friend...Matt was one of the few I hadn't stopped speaking to, unlike Stefan.

After a while I said "How 'bout we go outside? It's a little crowded in here."

"Okay, sure." He grabbed his drink and we went outside, Klaus' eyes on us the whole time. As soon as we were outside, I pulled him around the side of the building and he nearly shouted "What the hêll..?! Dani!"

"I'm sorry...I don't know if you saw him, but Klaus is in there, he brought me here to feed on someone..." He was about to say something but I held up my hand. In a whisper voice I said "I was supposed to bring someone out here and feed on them and let them go...But then you started playing pool with me and now he wants..."

"Klaus wants you to feed on me." I nodded. "So basically it's either me or some random person in there that he'll probably kill?" I nodded again.

"There's some...stuff going on that nobody but me and him knows about, and he says I have to be prepared to feed on people if I have to."

"What kind of stuff?" When I didn't say anything, Matt grabbed me by the arms and said "What kind of stuff?!"

"I...can't tell you...At least not here. It's the reason I left Stefan's house and why I can't talk to any of the group..." I sighed and looked at the ground. Saying all of that aloud made me feel even more pitiful. "You can go, I'll just tell him I couldn't do it..."

"No, it's okay." My head snapped up and I stared Matt in the face. "If things are as bad as you say...then you really do need to start feeding on people."

"So...are you telling me what I think you're telling me?" He nodded.

"But only if you tell me why you're in so much danger now. I'm not gonna help you, or especially Klaus, unless there's a dâmn good reason."

I nodded and Matt leaned his head to the side, and the big vein in his neck stuck out. I could hear the blood rushing through his veins and his heartbeat in his chest, which picked up rhythm as I put my hands on his shoulders.

I heard him inhale sharply as I sunk my teeth into his neck, and as soon as his warm blood touched my tongue, I almost lost it.

I say almost, because it wasn't as good as Klaus' blood was, so I was able to just take a mouthful or two and let go without hurting him. I wiped vigorously at my mouth until I was sure the blood was gone and looked up at Matt.

He didn't really have an expression, and it made me worried. "Did I take too much? Are you okay?" He nodded and I exhaled heavily.

"Yeah...It's just that it's still a surprise to know you're half a vampire when I was the first one to meet you when you moved back. I guess it didn't sink in or something..." I bit my lip.

"Are you sure you're okay? I can go grab a rag or something from inside..." Matt shook his head. "Sure?"

"Yeah,you barely nicked me; I'll be fine..." I looked at the wound and saw he was right. The punctures were tiny, probably because I was afraid to hurt him and didn't bite very hard. "I don't wanna make this a daily thing..."

"Neither do I..."

"But if you're in trouble and don't have any blood on hand..." I took a step back. "Hey, I'm just saying; I'll help you."

"I'm not offended or anything just...surprised. I thought you hated vampires, is all..." He shrugged and I turned to watch as he went to his truck in the parking lot. "That better be enough, 'cause I'm not attacking anyone else tonight..."

I went inside and found my drink still sitting by the pool table, and Klaus was finishing me and Matt's game. When I approached he stood and asked "Everything go well with the human?"

"Yeah...I fed, are you happy?" He grinned, which I took as a yes.

"Certainly, though you don't look so happy to have fed. And it seems you made a bit of a mess..." I looked at Klaus oddly until he stepped to me and wiped a drop of blood from my chin that I'd missed. "Mess or no, you didn't kill him, which I guess is a success in your book. I'm surprised you were able to control yourself."

"Yeah, me too..." He raised a questioning eyebrow. "It's going to sound insane."

"1,100 years as a vampire, remember? I think I've seen more insane things than you have."

My face grew dark red as I forced out "His blood didn't taste as good as yours does..." Klaus chuckled and I blushed even more. "It's not funny!"

"Love, I'm not laughing at that, I'm laughing because you were afraid to tell me. I've fed so much, I know there's differences in how blood can taste. I'm flattered that you prefer my blood over a human's, and I return the favor by saying that your blood tastes better than anyone I can remember having as well."

I mumbled nervously and he chuckled again. "Can we just go home now? I fed like you wanted me to, and now I'd just like to take a relaxing bath..."

"Yes, a bath does sound good right about now..."