Chapter 10

Dangerous Liaisons

Three days and still K hadn't roused. Damon tried everything at this point. He waved liquor in front of her nose, blood, blared loud music, shook her continuously and yelled at her, and still there was nothing. She never even flinched. K looked thoroughly dead. It wasn't hard for a vampire to look like they were gone to the world given there was no pulse or biological need to breathe. The only thing that kept him from thinking she actually was gone was that she hadn't turned that sickly grey color their kind turned when they did die.

So he sat there in a chair in the corner of the room, chewing on his lip as he thought about what to do. He couldn't think of anything else and it was driving him insane.

"No change?" Elena asked as she walked into the room.

"No." he sighed, adjusting himself slightly. "Short of setting her on fire, I've tried everything."

Elena rolled her eyes at the thought of fire being their last option as she approached the body on the bed. K still looked exactly like she had when Klaus had left her save the wound was gone. The blood was still there, but she was as healthy as the walking dead could be.

"Remind me to tell her she owes me new sheets if she ever wakes up." Damon said as he joined Elena at K's bedside. "How's Alaric?"

"Fine, I guess. About as good as he can be given what happened."

Damon nodded as they made their way out of the room and downstairs again.

"So, still going to this ball thing?"

Elena sighed heavily and turned to face him with annoyance marring her features.

"Yes Damon, I want to go."

"Why?" he asked. "So mama Original can kill you?"

"She's a witch, not a vampire."

"A witch who had her heart ripped out of her chest and magically came back to life a thousand years later." He clarified. "Yeah, that screams trustworthy to me."

She rolled her eyes at the vampire again and grabbed her purse.

"You're going to have to get over this Damon, seriously." She said before walking out the front door.

"Yeah, cause we have such a good track record with you and that family." He muttered sarcastically under his breath.

~~~!~~~

Later that night at the Ball the Mikaelson family was throwing, everyone was in attendance. It was unnerving seeing all of the Originals in one place given what and who they were. It put everyone that knew them on edge. Damon, Stefan and Elena watched as the family danced in the ballroom without a care in the world and why would they? It seemed like everything was going the monsters' way and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

As the music began to shift into a new song, Klaus suddenly froze. The trio watching him noticed the action. The hybrid suddenly stood stock still while people moved around him, his eyes staring intently in a different direction. Slowly, the others eyes followed his line of sight and realized what held his attention so completely.

K stood in the entryway looking around the area for the people she knew wearing her own beautiful gown. The young woman just stood there, her gaze scanning the room as she moved uncomfortably. She was taller now by a great deal that was likely the heels she wore. Her hair was up partially, only the top section while the rest flowed down in thick curls. The same ungodly green eyes shone brightly through the smoky makeup.

The dress she was wearing was unlike anything they had seen her wear before. It was jet black chiffon that shined, the bodice a strapless corset with what looked like some kind of intricate flowers or leaf design with the sharp pointy edges the only thing visible against her ivory skin and the piece of mock-sheer fabric that ran down the center of her chest to her hips, ending in a point. The dress hugged her curves until splaying out like a ball gown, moving effortlessly as though it were weightless as she walked, and a thick choker with strung beads that matched her dress was fixed around her neck.

As though the shock of her being awake after days of sleep weren't enough for the ones that had seen her only an hour ago in bed, Klaus walked towards her. K's eyes fell on the hybrid as he approached with his hands clasped behind his back respectfully. He said nothing and she didn't move as he stood before her. The three couldn't tear their eyes away from the scene, partially expecting K to fight the man, but she didn't. She didn't do anything.

Klaus reached her and to their shock bowed respectfully before offering her his hand. K hesitated and took it. He wore a simple smile, not a condescending smirk, not a malicious grin, just a smile. That in and of itself was odd as he led the young woman to the dance floor. K still wasn't sure what to think. Her face was apprehensive and uncertain. Klaus only kept the smile and placed a hand on her waist as he took the other.

They didn't move for a moment while most of the eyes in the room fell to the evil hybrid and the young woman some of them knew. A new song began and soon they started to move. It was a simple waltz, nothing special as they swayed around the dance floor. They moved effortlessly with the music, gliding without really touching the tiled floor. Her eyes never left his and her body still tense as Klaus held the small of her back gently.

"Was your sleep interesting?" he asked after a few seconds of dancing.

"It was." She answered softly.

Klaus noticed her obvious apprehension.

"Is something wrong with that?"

"I'm not sure."

The smile on his lips faded slightly as the dance floor slowly emptied. There were people -both his family and patrons of the city- who were watching the curious couple.

"I take it they weren't memories you were expecting to receive."

"How do I know they aren't fake? How do I know they weren't placed there like the others were?"

"You don't." he answered truthfully. "The only way to be sure would be if I died, and I don't plan on that happening any time soon. Or ever, if I were to be honest."

She didn't speak, but her brows pulled together slightly. The song picked up and the two stopped talking. Instead, Klaus held her firmly as the dance required and their actions intensified. They were no longer swaying softly to the music. When the beat had turned a point, so did they.

K clung to Klaus, uncertain of why or what was going to happen next, but she did as he swung her out. Her dress flew around her in a cascade of black until Klaus snapped her back to him, wrapping her around and still moving with the orchestral music. He spun her around with their chests pressed together and their eyes never blinking until the final thump of the song brought it to an end. On the last note, Klaus had dipped the young woman.

After the music's end, they stood, still locked in their place for a moment. K's head slowly shifted to look at the man hovering over her. He stood fluidly though in no rush to do so and delighted when she shuddered as his hand ran up her spine to aid her. Their eyes never left the other's, locked for what felt like hours until K blinked. She seemed to snap too, clearing her throat as she noticed everyone else staring at them. Almost immediately she stepped out of Klaus' hands. He seemed confused slightly though flattered she was flustered too.

"Excuse me." She muttered. The words were barely more than a whisper.

And with that, she turned and left the dance floor quickly, nearly sprinting. Klaus smiled smugly to himself at her actions. It was hard not to. This meant he got to her, something he liked very, very much.

K wove through the crowd quickly and tried her best to get away from the odd scene she left in her wake. She didn't like it. She didn't like it at all and even less what was going through her mind while she slept. Her trek didn't end until she was outside.

"K?"

The voice made her jump internally. Turning quickly, she saw Elena walking up behind her with the same odd look of concern K knew she mirrored.

"Yeah?" she asked with a clearing of the throat as she tried to look less shaken than before.

"Are you okay?"

A weak laugh left the young vampire's lips and she shook her head. She didn't know. She didn't know if she was alright or what was happening. She was confused. But she did know one thing. That she'd lie.

"Yeah," K forced. "I'm fine."

Elena nodded, but neither of them really believed it. There was something lingering that Elena couldn't place and K wasn't going to elaborate.

The pair stood in silence on the front step to the Mikaelson home. The night was nice, the air crisp and cool and it gave the vampire time to think. Her thoughts, however, were quickly interrupted by one of the Originals inside. It was one she never wanted to see again.

"Well, well, well," a cold voice chimed from behind. Elena turned curiously, but not before seeing pure, unadulterated fear mar K's face. "If it isn't Niklaus' little pet."

"No, no, no, no, no…" K began to chant under her breath.

Slowly and shaking with fear, she turned to see the source of the voice. Elena had only seen that level of fear from the young woman when she was faced with Klaus, and even then it seemed to pale in comparison. As it was, K swam in the emotion at nothing more than Finn, the Mikaelson sibling that had remained in his casket the longest. By all intents and purposes, she shouldn't have known him. Elena began to understand just how old she was.

Finn took leisure steps forward with a hand in his pocket and glass of champagne in the other. He seemed calm and eerily steady which made him all the more unsettling. K on the other hand was backing away, stumbling briefly when she'd stepped on her dress.

"Stay away from me." She said with no authority or strength.

A wicked smile touched his lips for no more than a second before disappearing again.

"What's it been?" he kept the casual tone to his words as he advanced on her. "Eight, nine centuries?"

"What's going on?" Elena asked, finally speaking after remaining silent for the majority of the confrontation.

"This doesn't concern you, human." He said to her though his eyes never darted. "What was your name again? It started with a K, didn't it?"

"You know exactly what my name is." She hissed.

He cocked a brow and tensed his jaw. Before Elena could register the movement, Finn raced for K. Coughing and choking diverted her eyes to the young woman being held high in the air by her throat. Her feet kicked uselessly beneath the weight of her heavy garment and Finn kept his gaze stern. Elena didn't know what to do.

"You will watch your tone when speaking to me servant." He growled. "Or do I need to teach you another lesson?"

Panic pulsed through K and before she could think better of it, she screamed and kicked Finn in the chest. He grunted from the force of her pumps shoved into his chest and dropped her. K hit the ground ungracefully -something that was rare for her kind.

The scream brought attention from within the house. A few patrons emerged in the doorway, but the scream had brought more than just the humans. Elijah, Kol and Klaus appeared quickly, thinking briefly there was bloodshed only to find K scurrying away from an irate Finn.

"You bitch," he hissed before taking steps towards her when his brother suddenly appeared in his way. He glared hatefully at Klaus. "And here you are again to defend your little lap dog."

Klaus's eyes were dark, his jaw tight and every muscle in his body ready for the impending fight.

"Walk away, Finn." He said sternly.

"Choosing dinner over your family, again Niklaus?"

Klaus altered his stance just enough to let his brother know he was serious.

"Well look at this." Another voice chimed. Kol -smiling far too happily for the tense situation- began to descend the stairs. His step was light as he joined his older brother Finn's side. "Niklaus's little pet survived."

"Oh my god," K breathed, watching as every figment from her nightmares appeared in front of her. "They're everywhere."

"Oh look!" Kol laughed. "It remembers us."

Klaus kept staring hatefully at his siblings while they relished in the fear billowing from K at nothing more than the sight of them.

"Perhaps," Elijah called, taking only a few steps forward and electing instead to remain primarily in the background. "It's best you leave."

He made her the offer after seeing the paralyzing fear she held for his family. He didn't blame her. He'd not only been there through some of her torture, but been the source of some of it too. He only wanted to save her from further discomfort.

Without bothering to hide herself from the sparse humans that had remained in the doorway, K raced from the scene with little more than the sound of fluttering fabric. She was gone in seconds.