Chapter Thirteen: Give Me Love

"Give a little time to me, or burn this out

We'll play hide and seek to turn this around,

And all I want is the taste that your lips allow…

Give me love like never before, 'cause lately I've been craving more…"

Ooo0ooO

I was sleeping dreamlessly, floating along a dark pool of nothingness, when I felt a hand against my cheek. Annabelle's soft murmur woke me up.

"I'm glad I found you," she was whispering, "I just hope you really can find my brother." I listened to her heart beat slow again and her breathing even out as she fell back asleep.

Without opening my eyes, I whispered back to her. "I promise, love."

I slid back into sleep and woke up a few hours later, alone in the bed. I sat up and looked around, but Annabelle wasn't in the room. I noticed the balcony door was open. Sliding out of bed, I walked to the doorway and leaned against it.

Annabelle was sitting on the railing with her legs dangling over the edge. She was facing the horizon and the descending sun. And she was singing.

"Something always brings me back to you,

It never takes too long…

No matter what I say or do, I still feel you here till the moment I'm gone.

You hold me without touch; you keep me without chains…

I never wanted anything so much

Than to drown in your love and not feel your reign…"

"Annabelle?" I called quietly. She looked over her shoulder, her face calm…but sad.

"Hey there," she said. She motioned her me to join her. I walked over and leaned against the railing, looking over at her with a small smile.

"What are you doing out here all alone, sweetheart?" I asked. Annabelle sighed, reaching over to clasp one of my hands in hers. I felt warmth bloom from her touch, a sensation I came to find comforting.

"Thinking, I suppose," she answered quietly. Her eyes seemed distant, lost in some way. They were a clear, crystal gray today, reflecting the sun's rays, bringing out the darker charcoal gray ring that circled her pupils perfectly.

"Thinking about what?" She looked at me with a frown tugging at her lips.

"The dreams I've been having lately," she said. She blew out a breath, scattering the hair that was hanging in front of her eyes. I reached over and tucked the silky strands behind her ears.

"May I ask what they have been about?" I implored gently. She turned on the railing so her back was to the sun.

"My brother, Charlie," she told me. "I keep having dreams or vivid memories of the last moments I spent with him, when he was helping me try to find you." The hand that still held mine tightened.

"When it came down to looking for you or looking for Charlie, I chose you. I don't regret my decision but right now, I just want to know if my brother is okay, Klaus," she said, looking into my eyes. "I just want to know he's alive and whoever took him never laid a hand, or paw, on him." I nodded.

"I know, darling. I promised you I would help you find him, and I intend on keeping my word."

"But…with all your Hybrids gone…" I chuckled.

"It doesn't take a Hybrid to do some investigating, my Annabelle," I scolded softly. She laughed a little.

"You have a point," she admitted. She smiled at me. "Thank you again." I cupped her cheek in my hand.

"I know how important family is," I replied, stroking her soft skin. Her gray eyes gentled and she leaned into my touch, nuzzling my hand.

"Come along, sweetheart," I urged, taking her waist to set her down on her feet.

"Where are we going?" Annabelle asked with a curious expression. Wrapping an arm around her, I smiled.

"Just a stroll," I said. Annabelle leaned up on her toes and pressed a kiss to my lips.

"Okay."

Out of habit, we walked hand in hand towards the stretch of woods leading to the river. We continued walking along the rushing water, down the hill past the falls, until we started circling the quarry. I watched Annabelle take in her new surroundings, the new sights and smells… Her eyes focused back on mine and she smiled, her lips bowing perfectly.

"I like it here," she stated. I chuckled, running my thumb over her knuckles. Annabelle walked over to a rock and sat down, pulling out her phone. With a couple flicks of her thumbs, music started pouring out of the little device. She placed it down on the rock and stood, holding out her hands to me.

"Dance with me?" she asked innocently, her expression playful. I felt my own lips curve in response as I pulled her into my arms. Her head rested against my chest, right above my heart, while her hands rested on my shoulders. My hands gripped her slim waist gently as we swayed to the music playing.

"You only know what I want you to

I know everything you don't want me to

Your mouth is poison, your mouth is wine

You think your dreams are the same as mine…"

I twirled her slowly, pleased when she laughed. Her eyes sparkled up at me and I brushed a kiss over her lips. She sighed as she pressed her lips to my ear so she could sing softly into it.

"I wish you'd hold me when I turned my back

The less I give, the more I get back

Oh, your hands can heal, your hands can bruise

I don't have a choice but I still choose you…"

I wanted to shiver at the haunting words, but I resisted the urge. Annabelle's lips were now pressing against the curve of my neck, trialing up along my carotid artery. I knew my pulse was hammering slightly at her touch and I knew she could feel it.

The song faded away slowly.

"Oh, I don't love you but I always will

I always will

I always will…"

"Nik?" I turned my face so I could nuzzle Annabelle's hair, inhaling its soft scent.

"Hmm? What is it sweetheart?" I murmured. Anna pulled back so she could look me in the eyes.

"I have to tell you something," she said, her voice now as serious as her face. She drew me down next to her on the rock, turning the phone off. Her hands settled on her lap before she continued.

"Besides the dreams I've been having about Charlie… There's been something else. I… I have been dreaming about two children. A boy with brown hair and blue eyes and a girl with blonde hair and gray eyes. Twins. I think…" Her eyes flickered over to me nervously. "I think they are our kids."

My eyes widened at this. I blew out a breath and ran a hand through my hair. "I've been having similar dreams," I admitted. Annabelle drew in a sharp breath.

"How long? Why haven't you told me?" she demanded, standing up and placing her hands on her waist. I shook my head at her.

"Just once, before the mess with my Hybrids happened. And I didn't tell you for what I imagine is the same reason you didn't tell me," I explained. "I was confused about what this meant. Last time I had dreams about someone I didn't know I ended up finding out she was indeed real, and not only was she real, she was my mate." Annabelle sat back down next to me, her brows furrowed.

"Do you think these dreams that we share are glimpses of the future?" she asked. She placed an arm on her leg and put her chin into her hand, obviously mulling things over in her brilliant mind.

"But how is that possible," she mumbled out loud. I shrugged.

"How is any of this possible?" I declared, standing up while placing my hands behind my back. I heard Annabelle's breathless laugh.

"Good point." She was by my side in an instant and we stared out towards the quarry and the smaller waterfall out past the water. I felt her elbow nudge my side gently.

"Let's keep walking," she urged before heading backs towards the trees.

To my complete shock, she looked over her shoulder with a mischievous grin and shifted before darting away quickly. I paused before flashing after her. I heard the ghost of her laugh echoing through the trees.

"Find me," a whisper said. I turned but didn't see Annabelle anywhere. Amused, I walked slowly around.

"I didn't know you enjoyed playing a game of hide and seek, Annabelle," I called out.

"Come play with me then." I looked up quickly and saw Anna in her human form standing on a tall branch before flashing away, a giggle echoing in the place she stood.

I leaped up into the tree she had been in, letting my Hybrid instincts take over. I knew my gold eyes were shining as my fangs slid into place. Flashing from tree to tree with ease, I followed her scent trail.

Suddenly, I heard a sharp bark. Glancing down, I saw a brown wolf wagging her tail on me from the ground before taking off deeper into the woods. Admiring her ability to shift so quickly, I shifted as I fell back to the ground and sprinted after her.

I caught glimpses of her chocolate brown coat while weaving through the trees. I was surprised by her speed but in the end, it was no match for mine. I caught up to her and we ran side by side. Trying to outmaneuver me, Annabelle turned tail and raced back towards the quarry. I stretched out my leaps, keeping up with her easily. I saw her gold eyes flash over to mine briefly and they were shining.

Once we reached the quarry, Annabelle surprised me by barreling forward towards the water. I stopped and watched as she bunched herself and jumped into the water. When she resurfaced, she was back in her human form.

"Join me," she called, a flirty smile spreading across her lips. She walked out of the water slowly and looked like a goddess with her wet hair dripping past her shoulders and her drenched clothes clinging to her body. My breath hitched as I watched her, desire burning through my veins like fire.

As if she sensed it, she was in my arms in an instant, her lips pressing against mine. I groaned and gripped her hips, fisting her wet shirt. Her tongue swept along my mouth and I nipped her bottom lip, relishing in her sweet taste.

Then just as quickly, she was gone. I stumbled and whirled and saw she was standing a few feet away with a cheeky grin. She wiggled her fingers at me before taking off again.

"No supernatural abilities! Find me like a normal person!" she called. I waited a few moments before strolling back into the trees. I resisted using my sharp hearing or sense of smell and searched for her. I spotted her behind a large sage brush and snuck up behind her.

"Got you," I said simply before plucking her off the ground. She gasped and giggled, wrapping her arms around my neck. She kissed me briefly.

"Isn't this fun?" she asked, settling her head down on my collarbone and looking up at me with smoky eyes. I sighed and dropped my forehead against hers for a moment.

"I don't remember the last time I played such games," I said softly.

"Really? You didn't play hide and seek when you were a kid? Was that even around over a thousand years ago?" I smiled. Holding Anna close, I jumped into the nearest tree and settled us on a thick branch. I set her down next to me but she insisted on crawling back on my lap. So I leaned my back against the trunk and stretched my legs along the branch, holding Annabelle close.

"When I was a human, my siblings and I use to play amongst ourselves in the woods. We lived in a village with families of werewolves-,"

"Wait, werewolves? Are you saying werewolves have been around even longer than the Original Vamps?" I nodded. She pursed her lips and got that far off look in her eyes again.

"Something to share, darling?" Annabelle leaned her head on my shoulder and told me the story of her family history, her bloodline and about the Original Werewolf.

"I see," I said, "Then that means I most likely played alongside with your ancestors." Annabelle shook my head and laughed a little before asking me to continue my story.

"I mostly had mock sword fights with my brothers, Elijah and Kol, while our oldest brother, Finn, always stayed with our mother. My sister, Rebekah, would always play with our youngest sibling, Henry."

"You've never told me about Henry," Annabelle whispered. An ancient, dull pain stabbed at my heart. With her ability to know precisely what I was feeling, Anna took my hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

"Henry was very adventurous and curious… So one night during a full moon, instead of escaping to the underground tunnels with the rest of our family like we usually did, Henry and I snuck into the woods to watch the werewolves shift. We hid in the shadows of the trees and watched as man shifted to beast slowly, the snapping of their bones ricocheting in the clearing. Henry wanted to get closer so I went with him. Once all the men had shifted, the wolves began howling fiercely and they began hunting… Before I could react, they sniffed us out and attacked. I tried to save Henry by warding them off with my sword but they ripped him apart…" I trailed off, the only ache growing stronger. I closed my eyes against any tears. "And when I carried his broken and bleeding body back to my father and the rest of my family, it was decided them that we could not stay human. Not with those beasts out there that might hurt us."

Annabelle's warm hand rested against my cheek and I leaned into her touch instinctively. One lone tear escaped my eyelids and she wiped it away.

"It's okay to cry, Niklaus," she murmured softly. "You're only human."

"But I am not human," I said quietly, opening my eyes. Anna's soft gray eyes stared into mine with patient understanding.

"But you were when you lost Henry. These feelings you carry with you," she said, placing a hand over my heart, "Are human. They are strong and they are real." At her words, I placed my forehead against hers again and released a shaky breath.

"When I lost my parents, I thought I lost everything. I remember getting the phone call telling me they were dead, killed by a drunk driver and I remember saying that was impossible. My parents had both been supernatural creatures, how could a stupid car have killed them?" Annabelle sighed. "It was only later when Charlie and I discovered that the "car accident" was a cover up for what really happened." I pressed my lips to her forehead.

"Turns out, my parents were both killed by a vampire. It was just some rogue vamp, bloodthirsty and desperate. He had stalked them and somehow got into their car. When they started driving the vampire attacked my mother, biting her and my dad crashed the car while he was ripping it off her neck. My dad bit the vampire before it ripped out both of my parent's hearts as punishment. Charlie and I found the fucker's body a week after the accident. He had staked himself to escape the pain of the wolf venom and he was roasting in the sun when we found him." Anna's eyes were dark and I felt her heart beat angrily as she remembered the story.

"He took away two out of the three people that mattered most in my life," she hissed. "Just because he was thirsty and decided my werewolf parents would be fun prey. I'm glad he died. He deserved to die." In a flash, Annabelle was gone and I heard her land on the ground below. I jumped down after her.

Her wolf eyes were glowing and she was snarling, fangs bared. Whirling, she punched the tree we had been resting on and the bark splintered. She snarled sharply and I saw blood trickle down her hand and she turned to face me again. Slowly, her eyes cooled off and her fangs retracted. She visibly struggled to get the wolf under control.

Tsking, I lifted her hand and saw the gash slowly closing but still oozing blood. Her blood smelled like wolf's blood, wild and animalistic, but it also smelled like honey and rain, pure and sweet. I stared at the dark red liquid as it slid down her fingers and started dripping slowly.

"Nik?" Annabelle's voice brought me out of my trance and I looked into her eyes. Her expression was worried as well as curious.

"Do you…?" she trailed off, her eyes looking down at her injured hand and then back at me.

"Annabelle," I scolded lightly. Reaching in my coat pocket with my other hand, I drew out a handkerchief and gently wiped the blood away. "I would never," I stated firmly.

"Why not?" I raised my eyebrows at her.

"Are you giving me permission to drink your blood, sweetheart?" I asked, keeping my voice neutral. Annabelle shrugged.

"I may not be a vampire but I imagine those blood bags of yours don't compare to the fresh stuff," she commented. I smiled darkly.

"No, indeed they don't," I agreed. "But that does not mean I will take yours."

Annabelle cocked her head to the side. "Do you drink from other people then?" I thought I heard a jealous note in her tone and smiled wider.

"I have sampled a few around town," I said vaguely. Anna frowned at me with disapproval. "Well, darling, if you're so jealous, all you have to do is offer." I smirked at her when she gaped at me.

"I am not jealous!" she insisted. I hummed, rocking back on my heels, watching her with amusement.

"I'm not," she snapped. I lifted my hands and laughed.

"You don't have to keep repeating yourself, darling, unless you feel the need to convince yourself more than myself," I stated. Annabelle huffed and rolled her eyes, yanking her hand out of my grasp. I chuckled softly.

"Shall we go home, love?" I asked. Annabelle smiled wickedly.

"Race you!" she cried before turning and shifting once more. I couldn't stop myself from laughing before following her example.

When we reached the long drive leading up to the mansion, I overtook Annabelle smoothly and shifted as I jumped up the stairs. Turning, I smirked at her as I watched her shift back.

"I believe a prize is in order," I claimed. Annabelle raised a brow at me.

"Oh? What do you have in mind?" she asked, walking towards me until we were face to face. I felt my blood boil at her close proximity and desire took over.

"You, in my bed," I said. While her eyes widened, I snatched her and flashed us into the house. I had her pinned against my bedroom door before she could take her next breath.

I heard her heartbeat speed up and her skin heated quickly as I captured her lips. She groaned and fisted her hands in my hair. I ripped away her damp shirt and cupped her small breast over her bra. Annabelle jerked her hips in response.

When I was about to reach for the door, she yanked her lips from mine.

"Wait," she panted. "Wait." I groaned, burying my face in her hair.

"Klaus," she laughed breathlessly. "I don't… I don't think I'm ready." I pulled back and looked into her eyes. They were bright and flinty, full of nerves and desire. I sighed.

"Come along, sweetheart," I said, taking her hand after picking her shirt off the ground. I lead her down the hallway to her bedroom and opened the door. She walked in and I followed, closing the door quietly. I handed her the ripped shirt quietly and moved over to the fireplace across from the bed and started a fire.

Annabelle walked into the closet and back out a few moments later, wearing her usual cotton pants and tank top. I sat down in front of the fire on the floor and she joined me, placing her hand over mine.

"I'm sorry," she said out of the blue. I looked over at her with a curious expression.

"Whatever for?" I asked.

"I uh, I don't mean to be such a tease. I just…well, I, um…" She bit her lip nervously and giggled, running a hand through her wavy locks. Then she took a deep breath and focused her gaze on me.

"Klaus, I'm kinda, sort of…a virgin," she admitted. I stilled, unsure of how to react.

"How could one be labeled 'sort of a virgin'?" I asked after a moment. Annabelle laughed nervously again.

"I just never met anyone I wanted… ah, intimately. I suppose." She lifted and dropped her shoulder gracefully, as if dismissing the thought.

"Are you afraid?" I asked softly. Her eyes flickered at that but her lips curved as she shook her head.

"No," she said, turning her gaze to me. "Because I know when I'm ready, you won't hurt me." I stared at her.

"I could," I whispered. Annabelle's eyes went half-mast.

"You won't."

"How could you be so sure?"

"Because I just am. Anyway, everyone knows that when a girl admits she's a virgin to her boyfriend, that scares him shitless." I snorted at her choice of words.

"Nothing scares me," I huffed. Annabelle scoffed at me.

"Liar," she countered. She stood up and walked over to the bed. I followed her and watched her curl under the covers. To my surprise, she lifted the sheets and motioned for me to get in.

"Just a moment," I told her. Flashing to my bedroom and back in a matter of seconds, I returned in a t-shirt and sweats. Annabelle giggled.

"The feared Klaus in pajamas," she announced. I smirked at her and crawled towards her on the bed. Brushing a kiss over her lips, I slid under the sheets. Annabelle immediately curled along my side, placing her hand over my heart.

"Good night, Nik," she said on a yawn. I felt her snuggle into my side, resting her face along the side of my neck. I wrapped my arm around her.

"Good night, my sweet Annabelle," I murmured in response.

Ooo0ooO

Author's Note: Hey guys! I didn't realize that Vampire Diaries wasn't coming back on until January 17th, so I added in this chapter to go along with the previous one! It's all Klaus's perspective, since I figured it'd be fair to do that since we saw Annabelle's before!

If you guys want me to write in more chapters before the 17th, let me know and I'll update the story! If not, be patient grasshoppers, the story will continue as soon as the show does!

Let me know what you thought of this chapter!

(P.S. The two songs that were featured in this chapter were 'Gravity' by Sara Bareilles and 'Poison & Wine' by The Civil Wars, just so you guys know!)