Hey everybody,

I can't apologize enough for the delay. I know I'm probably not forgiven but I'll do what I can to win you back. Thanks for everyone who is still reading this, I hope you enjoy the next two chapters I'm putting up today :) We're finally getting into the main VD story line (well kind of)…

XOXO. - SJ

England, 1517

The first time Roxana ran away was about three years into their marriage.

Every member of Niklaus' family had left to go hunting with another group of vampires that were passing through the area and she had decided that it was her only chance to run for it. She had made some friends over the last few years. Some of which were servants working for the Mikaelsons, she would never forget their faces as they packed all the supplies she would need to survive a week or so on her own into a need little package. She had also made some close companions in town, who had generously given her a horse for the journey. Then, just before she left she stole some money from Klaus' bedroom. Then she was gone. Her heart raced and didn't stop racing throughout the entire journey. She was terrified that she was going to get caught. Though she had changed into much less fancy clothes that would keep her warm against the biting wind and pulled her hair up into a cap, she knew that Klaus was a hunter, he would be able to follow her scent and that knowledge kept her ill at ease. She made it to a fishing village on the outskirts of England and was ready to sail on a boat to India before she was found. Her freedom was so close and yet so far. She had been away from him for 2 and half weeks at that point, the longest time that they had been separated since they had met. Every day felt longer than the last. She was was scared, extremely paranoid and completely and utterly broken hearted. In that time she had tried really hard not to think about the reason she had run away but the images kept on surfacing in her mind.

Roxana shot up in bed in a cold sweat. Her stomach churned ruthlessly and she wanted to be sick. She had dreamed about the King again, the visions of what he had done to her would not leave her subconscious and she had to endure the reoccurring nightmare at least twice a week. Klaus would usually wake her up when she started screaming and crying but recently he wouldn't even rouse himself. He seemed to have the ability to block her misery out as he slept peacefully. However, on that particular night such was not the case. Roxana looked around the dark room to find that it was empty. The other side of the bed where her husband usually slept was cold and vacant. Confused, she wrapped a blanket around herself and tiptoed out of bed. Glancing at the clock on the wall she found that it was about a quarter past three in the morning. She exited the room and began to make her way downstairs as quietly as possible. Then she heard it, the offending sound drifted from the parlor to her perked ears. It was the distinctive sound noise of a woman in the midst of intense pleasure. She didn't know what possessed her to continue on her path towards that room. It could have just as easily been Elijah or Kol causing the exalted moans but something deep down inside of her that knew it wasn't. She entered the parlor with the white blanket held firmly around her like it would somehow protect her from what she was about to witness. It was Klaus, of course it was Klaus, and he was being gratified lavishly on the sofa near the fire by, not one, but two other women. Not just any women but women that she knew, one being her personal handmaiden and the other one of the kitchen girls. She stopped in her tracks, her lips parted slightly and her eyes wide in horror. Klaus' head lulled over to look at her lazily and his gaze hardened for a moment. He pushed off the girl who was riding him just as Roxana swiftly turned and tried to escape the scene.

"Stop!" He called out to her, his voice harsh and commanding, "Wait there, Roxana, don't move." Her back was to them but she heard him pulling on his clothes and shooing away the women before walking over. She dreaded every footstep that brought him closer to her, "What are you doing awake?"

"I had a nightmare." She responded, her voice cracking as her heart felt like it was being ripped at the seams. Klaus put a hand on her shoulder and turned her around to look at him.

"It's just sex my darling, they mean less than nothing to me." He stated but she shook her head and backed away from him.

"So do I." She stated, tears leaking down her cheeks.

"That's not true and you know it." He said dismissively.

"Yes it is!" She protested, "It is! You don't care about me and you never have! Why did you marry me, huh Klaus? Was it just to torture me? Or was it just like everyone else says, am I just a charity case to you?" Klaus watched her out of narrowed eyes and she laughed bitterly and shook her head slowly, "No, your cold heart couldn't understand and act of pity or charity."

"Enough!" He shouted loud enough to wake up every single member of his household.

"NO!" She screamed back, "I've been through hell and back because of YOU! What have you ever done for ME? Saved me from my father? I've gained 10 times as many scars since I've been "saved". Nothing Klaus, you've done nothing but force me into marriage and punish me." Klaus grit his teeth and stalked towards her as she moved back as quickly as she could. She tried running for the stairs but he was in front of her before she even reached the first steps. So she turned again and raced for the door. This time he let her and she pulled it open with all her might and went out running towards the woods. She didn't stop running in fact until she was thoroughly lost at which point she just fell to the ground and curled into a little ball in the grass. It was cold and all she was wearing was a newly torn white nightgown. Why had she done this to herself? She couldn't think straight. Her eyes were closing on their own accord as she shivered in the night. She could hear animals rustling through the trees; at least she hoped they were animals. Dirt smudged her face and the undergrowth stuck in her hair but she couldn't care less. As long as she was out of that house, she could breathe, for a little while at least.

When Klaus had collected her the next morning and forced her into her room, locking her in there for a whole week, she realized that she needed to leave permanently or at least try. It didn't last long, or at least, not as long as she would have wished. She was sitting on a hard bed looking out the window onto the port, watching the huge ships pull into the harbour, when the door was suddenly forced open. She heard the lock break easily under his hands and she knew that she was done for. He was going to kill her, of that she was almost positive. He would rip her throat open or drain her whole body from blood.

"That was a very silly thing to do my love." Klaus' voice boomed from the doorframe, "A very silly thing to do indeed."

"Yes, it was wasn't it?" She answered quietly, "Futile."

"And what point were you trying to prove with this little escape plan of yours?" Klaus asked carefully, "Was there even an endgame? Because it seems to me that if you had thought this stupid escapade all the way through you were have stayed at home like I told you to." She stayed silent and the floorboards creaked under his weight as he entered the room languidly, "All the servants you conspired with, they're all dead. I thought you should know that every action has a consequence." He continued coldly, "I didn't want to bother compelling the truth out of each townsperson until I found whoever helped you there so I slaughtered the entire village." Her breath hitched and she struggled to keep her expression neutral, "It's been a while since I've orchestrated a good old fashion massacre. Take it as a token of my affection." He sat down next to her on the small bed but she refused to look at him.

"I don't want to go back." She told him.

"We're not going back." He answered casually. Her eyes fell to the floor and she let out a deep sigh. So he is here to kill me, she thought. She didn't know whether she was petrified or relieved.

"This is the end then?" She looked up at him suddenly, "You did love me once didn't you Niklaus? I loved you." She admitted, "Too much for my own good."

"This is not the end of anything sweetheart." He pressed a kiss to her temple, "You didn't actually think that I would let you get away that easily did you?" She stared at him in confusion, "We're moving Roxana, far away from here. Somewhere more… isolated."

"More isolated than this?" She asked incredulously, "Is there such a place?"

"You have no idea." He whispered in her ear, "I cannot trust you anymore my darling wife and my trust is not something that you want to lose." His threatening words sent shivers deep into her soul and she wished that he had just killed her.

She didn't remember the exact date of when she met Mikael, her husband's hated stepfather, but she would remember that day for the rest of her existence. Klaus was away. He was on some sort of search for Katarina Petrova again, he had tried explaining to her all the details of the curse but it had only confused her and she lost interest very quickly. She didn't know why Klaus felt that he needed to be both an original vampire and a werewolf. She was left in the empty house, locked away from any other sign of civilization – except of course for Niklaus' loyal servants who were all compelled to follow his orders by the letter. They were not very good company. She sighed as she ran her fingers over the letter she had received that morning. I hope that you are not too lonely. I'll be home soon, my love. I miss you. It read as a compilation of sweet nothings and empty promises but nonetheless the endearments were appreciated. She didn't have much else to do really except wander the enormous new house or the gardens. She practiced the piano endlessly, finding it hard to learn on her own but attempting the feat regardless. It was raining when a mysterious knock echoed throughout the mansion. She looked up from the paper in her hand and glanced out the window. An ominous black carriage was sitting outside the house and she rushed up, thinking that the only person that it could possibly be was her husband. She exited her room and raced down the stairs towards the entranceway.

"Niklaus?" She called hesitantly. But it wasn't Niklaus. It wasn't anyone that she knew. The man's face was much older than Klaus' or any one of his siblings. She stopped in her tracks.

"No, I'm afraid not." He stated with a small smile. She was speechless for a moment and looked down at her attire. She was wearing a simple light blue dress and her hair was left undone, cascading down all the way to her lower back, "You must be Roxana."

"Yes." She answered, "I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting anyone so…"

"It's quite alright." He moved towards her slowly, "My name is Mikael." Her heart skipped a beat and her mouth fell a little agape.

"Niklaus' step father." She spoke quietly.

"One and the same, unfortunately." He laughed. Roxana glanced to the butler but he was staring out into space blankly. She swallowed nervously.

"Have you come here to kill him?" She asked meekly. There was no point in pleasantries. Klaus had told her of his stepfather's quest to end his existence. A shiver ran up her spine at the thought.

"It seems that I missed him." He looked around the empty room curiously, "Do you know when he'll be back?"

"No." She answered automatically.

"Well then where has he gone?"

"I don't know." She responded shakily, "I really don't." Mikael advanced on her quickly and she scurried back as quickly as she could but she wasn't fast enough and he grabbed her arm, pulling her body close to his and looking deeply in her eyes. Her pupils dilated as they were locked on his.

"Where is Niklaus?" He asked again.

"I don't know. He didn't tell me." She answered in a dead voice. Mikael sensed no presence of vervain on her nor did he expect his stepson to ever consider giving it to someone he wished to control. He broke their gaze and stepped back slightly. Tears pooled in her eyes, "Please don't kill him."

"Somebody told me that you'd be glad to see him dead, that you had run away from him not that long ago." Mikael furrowed his brow.

"No. I thought…" She looked down at the ground as her tears fell down her cheeks, "I thought I could live without him. But I can't. I really can't." She shuttered, "I'm nowhere near as strong as I would like to think." Mikael scrutinized her with an unreadable expression, "I'll do anything. Anything you want, really. Just please."

"I used to know love like that." He said almost wistfully.

"Then you'll understand—"

"He's a killer. He slaughtered an entire village when you ran away. I saw the devastation he caused. He killed my wife, his own mother." Mikael growled. Roxana stayed silent, "You seem like a nice enough girl, a little too innocent perhaps. I've heard stories about you, about your family. How can you love a such a monster?" She shook her head slowly.

"I don't want to." She whispered. He examined the girl. She was pretty, wide-eyed and caring. He could see why Klaus would be drawn to her. He had even gotten married to her, kept her around, confided in her… well he trusted her enough not to try to kill him in his sleep anyways.

"How about, you invite me to tea and we'll… discuss the possibilities." He said and she nodded quickly, escorting him into the parlor.

New York, 2011

Roxana rushed excitedly into the change room and put on the dress. It was a stunning deep blue, with a sweetheart neckline and a skirt that flared out at her waist like the dresses in the 1950s had except this one was much shorter than they would have allowed back then. She smiled at her reflection and ran a hand through her hair before stepping back out of the small stall to face Niklaus. He was lounging on one of the couches with a bored expression on his face but his attention immediately perked up as he watched her emerge. She did a little twirl for him.

"What do you think?" She asked. He reached foreword and grabbed her hand, pulling her onto his lap. She giggled and leaned down to kiss him on the lips.

"You look beautiful my darling." He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist. A saleswoman tutted disapprovingly when she saw the couple, raising an eyebrow at them and Roxana reluctantly stood up. Klaus smacked her bottom as she walked back into the change room to get dressed into her normal clothes once again. She blushed but still smiled brightly at him as she pointedly closed the door and locked it behind her. When she had immerged she handed the dress to Klaus who took it to cashier to either pay or compel the woman to give it to him, either way she ran turned her eyes to the jewelry that the store had on display, marveling for a moment at the gleaming beauty of the elegant pieces. Niklaus put his hand on the small of her back and handing her the bag that contained her new dress. She beamed up at him.

"Thank you." She said and kissed him again, "And thank you again for taking me here. I love this city."

"I know you do." He responded as he too her hand and led her outside, "And don't thank me, nothing is too much for you, especially on this special occasion."

"I don't know why 495 is such a special number but I'm not complaining."

"Well I just know that I've been a little… shall we say preoccupied in the last few years, you know with the curse and everything. But now that it's broken and I am beginning to make new hybrids, I thought that we should celebrate our anniversary properly." He said and she smiled widely at him. They found themselves walking in central park. Roxana was practically skipping really. She hadn't been in New York for what seemed like an eternity but even though modernity had taken over, the essence of the city hadn't changed, and she was still completely in love with it. Niklaus suddenly stopped at a bench on the edge of the water. The view was beautiful, the trees were just changing colors and the fall weather was idyllic. They sat down together on the bench; "I have something else for you." He told her and pulled a little box out of his coat pocket. She smiled and took it hesitantly.

"Why are you doing all this?" She asked, biting her bottom lip.

"I haven't done anything romantic for you in the last century love." He teased, "Let me have my moment." Roxana was still a little skeptical but said nothing as she opened the small velvet box. Inside she found a ring. Identical to the wedding ring he had first given her back in 1516. She had been devastated when she had lost it in the early 1900s when they had first moved to America. Klaus had replaced it instantaneous with a new one but the stand-in never held the same sentimental value to her, "I found an old picture of you wearing it and had it recreated." She was at a loss for words as he slipped it onto her finger. She threw her arms around him and pressed her lips to his passionately. They molded together and for once she felt like things were like they used to be, right at the beginning, before everything got eternally more complicated.

"I love you." She sighed into his lips, "More than anything."

"As do I little one." He kissed her again on the forehead. She suddenly stood up and grabbed his hand, "Where are we going?" He asked with a small smile.

"Back to the hotel." She had a glint in her eyes, "I want to thank you properly." She winked and he stood up eagerly, walking to the street and anxiously hailing a cab.

He groaned before letting out one last animalist snarl, "Good girl." He praised her hoarsely and leaned his head back against the headboard in satisfaction. She wiped her mouth discretely and looked up at him lovingly, "Now go change into that sexy lingerie I just bought you." She furrowed her eyebrows at him, she had brought some lingerie with her but he had grown bored of the outfits she owned. He wanted something new and exciting for their romantic getaway, "Second drawer on the left." He directed, nodding at the dresser on the far end of the room. She obediently looked through the drawer until she found a box with the Victoria's Secret insignia on the front. She smiled at him and disappeared into the washroom to freshen up. Klaus' cellphone rang, he grunted and reached for the device that was sitting on the bedside table.

"What?" He hissed into the phone.

"Your father's dead."

Roxana curled her hair easily with the nifty little device that she had learned how to use with Rebekah's help (whom Klaus had recently un-staked and returned with to Mystic Falls after a short "business trip"). She let the locks falls down her shoulders just as Klaus liked. She applied a little makeup before slipping on the lacy red bra and panties that were still wrapped in tissue paper. She gave herself one last onceover before walking out of the washroom. However, she was rather disappointed to see that Niklaus was viciously talking on the phone. He didn't even looked up at her as she re-entered the room.

"Rebekah love, what's this I hear about Mikael's tragic run in with a dagger?" He said. Roxana's jaw dropped. Klaus listened as Rebekah answered him on the other end of the line before finally saying, "I'll be home soon." Then he hung up. He dropped the cellphone back on the table and stared straight in front of him blankly for a long moment before glancing up at her. His eyes softened as he took in her appearance and he beckoned her foreword.

"What's going on Nik?" She asked, padding towards him lightly.

"Mikael is dead." He answered and a small smile graced his lips. She was shocked, "We have to go back, tonight." She looked down at the ground, not in the least trying to hide her disappointment.

"But our anniversary is tomorrow." She reminded him softly, "I mean we came all this way for it and you said you had something special planned…"

"I did my love. I made a few calls and I had the 102nd floor of the Empire State Building reserved for just us and then…"

"No!" She interrupted him – putting her hands over her ears childishly, "Don't say anymore, I don't want to know. It'll only make me sadder." His eyes roamed over her body appreciatively.

"Still," He grinned, "we don't have to leave, just this second." He pulled her down onto the bed and rolled on top of her, "We'll combine the anniversary celebration with my dear old stepfather's wake. Two birds one stone." She rolled her eyes at him.

"Well that's… morbid." She said before he attacked her neck with his lips and she was lost to the world.

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