Poison & Wine

by oakenlass

Andy is Elena Gilbert's fraternal twin. When the Originals come to town, her life becomes complicated after learning she too is a doppelganger like her sister. However, it becomes clear she isn't meant for the same purpose as her sister as her connection to the Mikaelsons is a lot deeper anticipated. Klaus/OC/Elijah. This is a rewrite of my original story.

21. Chapter 21: Sympathy for the Devil

Poison & Wine - Chapter XXI

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"Andy, wake up, love. I think I see David Bowie," Andy groaned as she was being shaken awake. When she opened her eyes, Klaus was standing over her, a light shining from around him that caused her to squint her eyes. She was lying down in the backseat of the car, and she was painfully aware of something sticking right into her back. Moaning, she covered her eyes with her hand that way the sun would no longer be beaming into her eyes. She scooted over away from whatever was hurting her back and felt a wave of nausea hit her.

"Please tell me I did not make a huge mistake last night," She said after a moment, her voice hoarse. Once he had started drinking with her last night, she had completely blacked out. She strained trying to bring memories back, but ultimately it only worsened her headache. She knew all it had taken was one tiny moment to send her down a familiar road she thought she had left behind. Her thoughts began turning dark as her head pounded and her hands trembled. The cravings would be worse than ever now.

"Don't worry, love. All you did was manage to drink a quarter of the bar's supply," Klaus said, though his voice was full of disappointment and… anger? Andy quickly uncovered her eyes and sat up, looking at him in confusion. Why was he mad? He wasn't the one who had a hangover. He didn't just throw months of work away. Seeing her confused expression, he spoke up. "You didn't tell me you were a recovering alcoholic, Andy."

She sighed and looked up at the ceiling, resisting the urge to roll her eyes at him. She should have known that Stefan would have said something to him, but she hadn't been really concerned with what Stefan thought last night. "It didn't seem important," He started to open his mouth, but she was quick to interrupt. "Oh, please, don't act like you care, Klaus. We aren't friends. We hate each other, with good reason on my part. I mean, Stefan is addicted to human blood and you have him drinking it all the time. Why can't he give into his vice and I can't? Besides, I highly doubt this is something we really need to talk about. I'd much rather prefer a cold shower and some fresh clothes."

She watched him with a mix of emotions, wondering why he was bothering to even argue with her about this. Stefan was addicted to blood and he enabled Stefan, but maybe he saw it as different since Stefan was a vampire. But she was a human, something which he didn't concern himself with. He must just want "his" doppelganger to remain spotless. She wanted to fight him more, to insist to leave her to figure it out. However, the headache was beginning to worsen, and she just wanted silence.

"Andy." She was surprised by the firmness of his voice and looked back over at him. She didn't like the way he was looking at her. There was something in his gaze—something that looked like a lot like concern, and she wanted it gone immediately. He was a heartless monster. He had made it clear he held no concern for humans, least of all for her. He had no right to be concerned for her after everything he had done. "Had I known, I wouldn't have even allowed you to be in that bar. This isn't some joking matter when you are human and your entire being is completely different from a vampire."

"That's a bullshit argument. You just don't want to admit you forced Stefan into his addiction and inadvertently me as well," Andy shot back at him.

Klaus hesitated a moment before he clenched his jaw and looked at her with a stern look. "You promised to do what I say. I am telling you that you will never drink again, as long as my compulsion holds you. Is that clear?"

"I'm not a child, Klaus," She snapped brusquely as she sat up, a move that only made her feel dizzy and light-headed. He snorted, and she looked up to catch him rolling his eyes at her. She felt her blood boil and clenched her fists.

"And I'm not an enabler," He shot back before hesitating for a long moment. "The Stefan argument will have to wait another day. As miserable as you might be with me, I won't allow you to throw all your work away again, even if it might all be my fault. I won't let you use it as an excuse to hate me even more or use your hatred of me as an excuse."

"I wouldn't hate you if you weren't a murderous asshole who constantly treats me like I'm trash. I know you don't hold humans in high regard, but maybe if you were even a bit nicer to me then I wouldn't want to get as far away from you as possible," Andy said as she turned her body to face him completely.

"I have been much nicer to you than you deserve," Klaus said defensively. She opened her mouth to argue but he cut in. "You forget that you and your friends tried to kill me. Then instead of killing them all like I should have, I allowed you to come along with me to make up for their mistakes," Andy silently gaped at him. She thought he had always brought her along because of their deal, that he wanted to make her suffer. He leaned closer to her, his expression serious. "The only reason they get to live is because of your sacrifice, love. And had you been anyone else, I would not have given you one thing you wanted over these last few months. You would have been a prisoner."

"Wow, that's so romantic. So is this the part I'm supposed to swoon and throw myself at your feet?" Andy replied dryly. He had never told her that he hadn't killed those in Mystic Falls was because she had come with him willingly. It almost made her happy she had now gone with Stefan to see Klaus about the cure for a werewolf bite.

Klaus sighed and looked away from her. "You always make things so difficult, Andy. I'm still not sure if it's irritating or endearing."

"I've been told it's a mix of both."

There was an almost sheepish look on his face as he looked back at her, making her wonder what he was thinking. Finally, he gestured to a grocery bag that was sitting in the floorboard by her feet. "There are some fresh clothes in there. Hardly decent for hiking, but comfortable and the best we could do considering where we are," he said quietly.

"Is there anything in this bag for this headache I have the pleasure of housing?" She questioned incredulously, but he simply remained silent, his gaze slipping away from her. She didn't want anything from him except some Tylenol, but she was grateful that she get out of clothes that reeked of alcohol. Looking through the bag, she found a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. They weren't ideal for a hike, but at least she would be comfortable in the sweatpants.

Looking up, she finally allowed herself to look at their surroundings. Klaus had mentioned hiking and sure enough, they were almost surrounded by trees. She was going to hike with a hangover. Wait, why were they going on a hike in the first place? Unless Klaus had finally gotten the information that he needed out of Ray, meaning that they were about to find a pack of werewolves and Klaus would turn them all. "Ray told you…" She surmised as her gaze landed back on him.

"He did. I would prefer to make it there by nightfall, so…" He gestured to the clothes before he turned and walked away from her, keeping his back to her as he surveyed the trees to give her some privacy. She immediately peeled her shirt off, holding her breath as she removed the material. Her head was pounding and the terrible smell that was emitting from the fabric caused a wave of nausea. She rushed to get changed, wondering if she had ended up on the bathroom floor. She didn't smell any vomit, and her hair was still pulled back. She quickly redid a sloppy ponytail, knowing she didn't have the time to rake her fingers through her hair. Once she was done, she climbed out of the car feeling a little less dirty than she had minutes ago, though she still ached for a shower.

"I hope you are decent," Klaus called just before he turned around. She rolled her eyes and turned to face the car again. She threw her dirty clothes into the plastic bag and then leaned against the door, closing her eyes and exhaling. She was feeling sick from all that she drank, that was for sure, but she also found herself craving another drink. It would help her headache and maybe even help her throw up the leftover nastiness in her. She wondered if she could convince Klaus one more wouldn't hurt that much, though considering he had ordered her not to drink again, he probably wouldn't budge.

"Everything okay, love?" She jumped slightly at the proximity of the voice. She looked over her shoulder to see he was standing by her side and watching her closely.

"Yes… No," She ran her hands down her face, catching some of the sweat that was already building on her forehead and nose. She rested her hands on the seats and propped herself up, knowing she would be throwing up anytime now. "You should have left me at a hotel. I can't… I can't hike right now. I'll only slow you down and paint the forest with throw up. I just need… something to get over this then I'll be fine."

"You're going to be fine, Andy," He assured. "You don't need anything except for some water."

"No, I'm not going to be fine, Klaus. Relapses… relapses aren't something you can just handle with compulsion. It won't remove the cravings. If I don't pick up another thing of alcohol because of your stupid compulsion, I'm going to be experiencing the same withdrawals as last time. The last time I relapsed I was able to go right to a rehab facility. I had my family. I had support. I have nothing this time except for you and I don't even count that. Even Stefan doesn't want to hang around me. I worked for months to get to the point where I didn't need any of that stuff. The cravings were almost completely forgotten and I threw it all away just because…" She stopped, her voice breaking as she remembered how Jenna sounded over the phone. The very thought of the woman made Andy want to just drink to forget her all over again.

A hand on her shoulder surprised her. She looked up at Klaus with bleary eyes, shocked to see a look of sympathy on his face. "You don't have nothing, love," he said before he walked to the front of the car. She blinked her tear away, confused by what he meant until he returned with another plastic bag, holding it out for her to take. She looked incredulously as she took the bag and looked down at it. There were a few bottles of water, a couple bottles of ginger ale, a pack of saltine crackers and some Advil. She found herself snorting, though was grateful he had at least thought to get her something.

"Oh, so my support network is now some caffeine and other medicines. Thanks," Feeling that nausea had passed for the moment, she turned to the car and popped a bottle of water open. She quickly chugged the bottle and then tossed it on the floorboard and took a couple pills, hoping that they wouldn't take their time to kick in.

"You know, you never fail to downplay kind gestures," She looked over at Klaus from the corner of her eye, pretending to busy herself with looking through the bag. She could point out his kind gestures didn't balance out the shit he had pulled in the past, but she didn't have the energy to argue. "I didn't leave you at a hotel because you don't need to be alone right now. Getting out in the sunshine, hiking… all of that will help you get your mind off of things for today. And tomorrow, we will find something else to keep you busy. Perhaps Stefan can take you out. I imagine I will have my hands full with my hybrids anyway. A break from me may do you some good."

As he spoke, Andy turned to look at him. His words held no venom or teasing note in them. No, he actually seemed genuine in his wish to help her. It made her wonder what exactly was his game. He was looking at her with that same look he had a few minutes ago, almost like he was nervous to even be speaking to her. "Why do you even care, Klaus? Don't want your little doppelganger drinking underage? I'd be a hell of a lot easier to get along with that way," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Don't act as if relapsing is something you truly want. I've been alive a long time, love, and you're not nearly as hard to read as you believe," Klaus took a step closer to her, smartly not putting a hand on her again. "Is it wrong to simply want to help you? You say we aren't friends, but we could be. You have more uses than just your blood, and I must be of more use to you than just someone to blame everything on. We have tried hating each other, and it hasn't accomplished much. Why shouldn't we try something new?"

Andy scrunched her eyebrows together as she studied him. Where had this come from? Had she said something to him last night that made him think that this was a promising idea? Did he not remember everything that had already happened between them? One night being drinking buddies didn't wipe all of that shit away. "Klaus, listen, I appreciate you wanting to help me, but it's not that simple and you know it. The shit you pulled in Mystic Falls is justification enough for me to never speak to you again. I can't just forget it all and be your friend or whatever you're looking for."

"Do you even remember last night at all?"

Andy shrugged nonchalantly, not wanting to admit she had willingly conversed with him. She remembered some of last night, but about the time he had started drinking everything became a blur. "I remember drinking Jack Daniels. Not much else past that," She glanced up at him to see his reaction and he was scrutinizing her closely. It made her wonder what exactly they had spoken of last night for him to push for them to become friends.

Feeling a sickness rise in her, Andy moved away from him before she threw up all over the ground. Tears built up in her eyes and began streaming down her face as she kept on throwing up. Her head was pounding and she felt drained, certainly enough that she wasn't sure how long she could hike. She didn't even notice Klaus was rubbing her back in comfort until she had thrown everything up.

"I'm never drinking again," She muttered as she debated lying back down and sleeping in the back of the car.

A low chuckle came from Klaus. "As interesting as this view is of your… vomit, I don't want you to get dehydrated before our hike. You need to try to drink a little more," Andy stood straight up and threw him an annoyed look. "You already smell…" He hesitated when she looked back at him with a raised eyebrow. "Like a bar threw up on itself," he finished with a smile.

"This is always the worst part," she said, her voice tight as she leaned forward to grab the grocery bag. She sighed in relief before she opened and chugged one of the huge bottles of water.

"You're going to make yourself sick again," he noted with raised eyebrows.

"Maybe if I look at you," She replied haughtily as she picked up the ginger ale and debated whether or not she wanted to chug it as well. She paused in surprise when she heard Klaus laugh again. Looking up, she saw he was smiling at her indecision. Not smirking, but smiling in such a sweet way that it made her wonder what was going on with him. She had only seen this kind of smile in her dreams.

Maybe his new nice guy act toward her wasn't completely made up, though it seemed as if it were out of nowhere. No matter what happened the night prior to make him believe that they could be friends, she couldn't just forget the way he had acted in the past. He had been a complete jerk since the moment they met. He had killed dozens of people in front of her. He compelled, tortured, and killed when it suited him, no matter who got hurt. One night of drinking together didn't cancel that out. Something also told her that he wasn't going to just stop killing either.

"What?" she finally asked him, her brows furrowing.

"Nothing," He replied before he turned and walked to the trunk of the car. Andy watched him a moment before she grabbed the bag and followed after him.

"Really, though. Why didn't you just drop me off at a hotel? I won't be able to move as fast as you or Stefan," She questioned as she got another whiff of how she smelled and she nearly threw up again.

"I told you, you're going to spend the day busy. I've seen plenty of addicts in my time, Andy," Klaus explained as he stopped next to the trunk. "And, frankly, even if you have no ready access to any alcohol, it's best for you to be out and about."

"But you've compelled me to follow your orders. You ordered me not to drink so there's no chance of that happening," She pointed out, causing him to pause and look over at her.

"Does that bother you?" He asked softly, his tone once again surprising her. "I know sometimes it's easier to deal with things on your own. Compulsion can be… iffy with its results."

"That is the first time I have ever heard you say that compulsion doesn't always work," She noted as she leaned against the car. "But to answer your question… no, I don't want you to remove it. I-I'm not the most stable person right now, not really... This way, I'm guaranteed not to drink. You said I don't have ready access, but I think you forget how much you and Stefan drink. I spent months stealing and hiding my stash back in Mystic Falls. All it takes it one minor distraction to store some away. Not that I have any stored, scouts honor."

Klaus paused for a moment before he spoke in a gentle tone. "Maybe we can try—"

"Stefan!" Andy interrupted as she noticed the Salvatore approaching them. She didn't want to hear any more friendship proposals from Klaus at the moment. Stefan had an expressionless look on his face, something she was becoming accustomed to at this point.

"Everything okay?" He asked her as he looked her over. She saw the look in his eyes that indicated they were going to have a talk later. "I thought you'd be out for a few hours. Klaus told me that—"

"I'm sober now, that's all that matters," She cut him off as she turned to see Klaus had opened the trunk. She jumped in surprise when she saw Ray was unconscious and even more bloody than he had been when they were throwing darts at him. How much had she missed when she blacked out last night?

"We better get a move on before he wakes up," Klaus said as he turned to look at them. "Now, who wants to have the honor of carrying him?"

---

"Need some help back there, love?" Klaus questioned as she leaned against a tree to catch her breath.

"I'm fine," Andy insisted with a scowl before she stood straight up. "Let's go."

They had been hiking for nearly two and a half hours and Andy was feeling it over her entire body. She was aching, and her bones were crying out for a break while Stefan and Klaus acted as if the walk was nothing, even though Stefan was carrying a person on his shoulders. It probably didn't help that she still had a hangover. She had thrown up a couple more times, especially after she had tried to put something on her stomach. She knew the other two—mainly Klaus— were getting annoyed with her for having to stop so often, even if they tried to hide it. Klaus hadn't bothered her much, only to ask if she was okay or wanted him to carry her since Stefan was busy toting Ray on his shoulders. She had shut him down with one scathing look, although that hadn't discouraged him from smirking.

As she nudged into Klaus' shoulder as she walked past him, her mind went back to this morning. He had been uncharacteristically nice to her and she didn't know what to think about it. "You okay? Is Ray getting heavy?" Klaus asked Stefan as if he just now remembered that the vampire was carrying an unconscious body up a mountain.

"I'm fine," Stefan said, echoing Andy's words as he fell into step behind her.

"You sure about that? You know, we've been walking for quite some time now. If you need some water or a little sit-down..."

"You know, I get that we're, uh... we're stuck together, but if we could maybe just skip the chitchat, it'd be great," Stefan interrupted, not even sparing a glance in the hybrid's direction. Andy glanced over her shoulder to see the almost disappointed look on Klaus' expression.

"So much brooding. Your self-loathing is suffocating you, my friend," Klaus replied, doing his best to hide how he felt about Stefan's rejection. Andy still didn't understand why Klaus wanted Stefan to be his friend so badly. Damon would have had no problem acting like he enjoyed the killings. Then again, perhaps the two of them were too similar to get along.

"Maybe it's 'cause I'm a little tired of hunting werewolves. I know Andy must be. We've been at it all summer," Stefan said in irritation, but Andy soon stopped paying attention to their conversation. She halted in her steps as she noticed the group of people about fifteen feet ahead of them. There was an entire campsite of about ten to fifteen people. Andy realized this was the pack that they were looking for and the chances were that it wasn't going to end well for the pack. She felt a wave of nausea hit her as she wondered how many more people she would see killed today. Now she was really wishing Klaus had dropped her off at a hotel. If this was his idea of a detox, she wanted no part of it.

"Thanks to our pal Ray, we found ourselves a pack. There," Klaus said, coming to stand beside of Andy and gesturing toward the people.

"Well then. Shall we?" Stefan questioned as he walked past them and into the campsite. Andy looked up at Klaus as they began walking to see he almost appeared giddy.

"Happy your dream is about to come true?" Andy asked him, watching every movement he made. He almost looked like a child on Christmas morning to her. She hadn't realized how badly he wanted to have other hybrids.

"Happy doesn't even begin to describe what I'm feeling," He admitted, looking over at her with a look of elation. Andy gazed into his cerulean eyes and for a moment felt as if his excitement was contagious, but knew this was something she could not be excited about. Not when she knew what was coming for those who were unfortunate enough to be in Ray's pack. They would be turned against their will, given a life they had never asked for in the first place. Then they would have to come to terms with it all, and if Klaus had his way, they would be his army in case anyone tried to fight him. She would have to ask him later if he would allow them some free will, though she wasn't hopeful for the answer.

Stefan had walked into the campsite and dropped Ray's body on the ground. One of the women had rushed over to the unconscious werewolf in worry. "Ray! Oh, my God. What's going on?" She looked up at Stefan in confusion and worry. "Who are you?"

"The important question is who am I," Klaus said as he joined Stefan. Andy stood back, feeling nauseous from the hike and the realization that these people would be more or less dead by nightfall. Her calves were killing her, and she just wanted to lay down and cover up, to be blind to this all like she had been all summer. She needed to remember that she was complicit in all of this. She hadn't ever even tried to stand up to Klaus when lives were on the line. Even in her dreams, she just watched as the people were killed. "Please forgive the intrusion. My name is Klaus."

"You're the hybrid," The woman said, standing to her feet and looking at him in horror.

The smile that curled on Klaus' lips was something she knew she would never forget. His ego needs a major bruising, she thought quietly to herself as she did her best to bite her tongue. "You've heard of me. Fantastic." Andy sat down on a nearby log as he spoke, knowing this might take a while. She wished that she hadn't drunk the rest of the ginger ale, knowing that the next few hours would be torture.

Stefan glanced over before he came to join her. When she felt him grab her hand and squeeze it three times, she nearly started to cry. Stefan and she had grown apart significantly in the last month. He had become reclusive and even more broody, though she couldn't lie and say that she had exactly sought him out always. This gesture felt like it brought them back together, even if it was only for this moment. They were in the same position, stuck with a man who had taken everything from them but they had the small comfort of their loved ones being safe back in Mystic Falls. She knew despite Stefan killing, that the old him was in there; she only hoped he didn't blame himself for her relapse.

Finally, Andy turned her head to look at Stefan and he met her gaze. She saw a similar sickness in his eyes, knowing that he would be beating himself over these people being forced to become hybrids as well. Andy squeezed his hand, trying to offer the little comfort she could to him.

Klaus paced around as he spoke to the group. "What you all are here for today is to become like me," he explained, stopping by his first hybrid in transition. Ray still laid unconscious on the ground. "Ray here is already in transition. When he wakes up, all he will need is some blood."

Andy stiffened and kept looking at Stefan, but he had already looked away from her, his jaw clenched. Would Klaus use her blood to create the hybrids? That was why he had really brought her, wasn't it? He needed someone to feed his hybrids. All that talk about not being alone was bullshit. He had brought her in case his werewolves needed a blood bag.

Glancing around at the werewolves in the pack, she wasn't sure that there were any other humans around. If Klaus was going to ask her to be a blood bag for his hybrids, he had another thing coming to him. She wasn't about to let him use her blood to create his army.

"Should any of you think of running, my friend and I will not hesitate to break your legs. I imagine running would then be quite a chore. Whether you like it or not, all of you will become hybrids by the time the full moon sets," Klaus continued speaking as he walked over to the log and stood by Andy. He looked over at her, but she avoided his gaze and went back to staring Stefan down. Would he let Klaus use her as the blood source for his hybrid?

Stefan finally met her gaze again and she saw the uncertainty briefly flash in his eyes. He didn't want any of this as much as she did. He too seemed to be thinking that Klaus was going to offer her up as the blood source. "It's fascinating, actually... A werewolf who isn't beholden to the moon, a vampire who doesn't burn in the sun. A true hybrid," Klaus continued prattling on as she clenched her fists.

Andy's attention was pulled from Stefan when Ray woke up with a gasp. "Excellent timing, Ray. Very dramatic," Klaus commented, a smirk curling on his lips.

"What's happening to me?" Ray asked as he sat up, touching his neck and face as he looked around in confusion.

"Stefan?" Klaus signaled to the vampire, keeping his eyes glued to his first hybrid creation. Andy looked up at Stefan in desperation, but he threw her a quick reassuring look as he stood up and looked at the group of werewolves.

"Are any of you human? Your friend here needs human blood to complete his transition to vampire. If he doesn't get it, he will die," Stefan called out, causing Andy to let a breath of relief out she hadn't realized she was holding. At least she wasn't the first choice.

"Doesn't take much, just a sip. Anyone? A boyfriend, a girlfriend, along for the ride?" Klaus continued before focusing on one of the men standing near the back. All eyes turned to the man and Andy's heart dropped. He looked a lot like Matt, someone she hadn't thought a lot about in some time. It could have easily been him here if Tyler had been a part of this pack… "You!" Klaus exclaimed as he rushed over to the blond male and bit his forearm. Stefan quickly grabbed the human and threw him on the ground in front of Ray. The woman who had initially rushed to Ray's side protested but Klaus was quick to grab ahold of her. Andy swallowed thickly, clenching her fists as she watched them all speeding around the camp.

"If you don't drink it, Ray, I will. Problem is I don't know how to stop," Stefan said as he bent down next to Ray, and Andy felt her stomach flip as she watched the exchange. Someone was about to die just because she didn't want someone to feed on her.

"It's the new order, sweetheart. You join us, or you die," Klaus said to the woman he was still holding. Andy stood and looked at the human in worry. That was someone's boyfriend, son, brother. Ray was appraising the human as if he was a steak. It was clear Ray was having to hold back from killing him as he was practically shaking and digging his fingers into the ground. Andy couldn't just stand by as this man was used as a blood bag and had to nearly be killed by his own friends.

"I'd rather die than be a vampire."

"Wrong choice," Andy watched in slight horror as Klaus fed his blood to the woman and snapped her neck. Andy stepped forward as Ray started going toward the Matt look-alike. A spike of fear rush through her for the man. She couldn't stand by and watch this. The hybrids would kill him.

"Stop," Andy exclaimed as she ran over to Ray and the human. She threw herself in between the two men and turned toward Ray. "Just drink from me, okay? You…" She looked at the human and pointed at the log. "Go sit over there, away from the thirsty hybrid."

"What do you think you're doing?" Klaus asked, speeding over to them. He grabbed Andy by her elbow and pulled her to her feet.

"There's no reason to use him, Klaus," Andy said, keeping her tone calm and her face neutral. She was a bit perturbed he tried to make it seem this was a detox for her when in reality, he wasn't sure if he'd have any other human blood around for his hybrids. That was an argument for later. "He is just a human. We can compel him and let him go. You brought me for a reason. You didn't know that there would be a human here. Just let me do this. My special blood might make your hybrids stronger."

"You're willing to risk your life? After all, their hunger may be much more than you're prepared for, especially in your state," Klaus pointed out with a raised eyebrow. "And like you said, he's human. He has no real purpose here. You're someone important. In the grand scheme of things, he won't do much other than popping out a few children and maybe getting a promotion or two before he retires."

"You need a human. Here I am. After all, doppelganger blood can't hurt," She pointed out to him. She started to pull away to turn to Ray but Klaus gripped her tighter.

"Sit. Down."

"Excuse me?" She turned to look at him, seeing he was looking at her with a stern expression.

"I don't recall you calling the shots around here. Sit down before I send you back to the car," Klaus said, his tone harsh and firm. She looked at him with surprise, not understanding why he wouldn't just use her. At the very least, it would be a lot faster using two humans. Why did he look so angry?

"I guess I forgot my place, sir," Andy snapped, looking down at the human with a frown as she realized Ray had already finished feeding. She looked back up at Klaus with a scowl to see he was still watching her with an annoyed look. She pushed past him and went to sit on the log, realizing that Klaus probably didn't appreciate her reaction in front of his hybrids, but she didn't care.

"She'll thank me for that later," Klaus commented as he turned to the group of werewolves. Andy looked back at him to see he had his fangs out now and his eyes were yellow. "Okay, who's next?"

---

"There. Good as new. Now you relax, okay, mate? We're gonna need you when the rest of them wake up." Klaus said as he compelled the human after giving him his blood to heal him. Klaus turned to look at Andy to see she was still sitting on the log with a disgusted look as she gazed around the unconscious bodies strewn across the camp.

She didn't understand any of this. She was human, after all. Why did she care if he used a nobody to create his hybrids? The most she understood about him was that he was a hybrid, but she didn't know anything else about what happened with his family. She didn't understand how much it meant to him to have the hybrids, what they were going to be for him.

As Klaus stood to his feet, Andy approached them and knelt to check on the human. "He's fine, love. Just needed some blood to heal him," Klaus told her, hoping she would get past her anger quickly. The only reason he hadn't ultimately used Andy as the blood bag was because he believed it would just further anger her. He needed her in one piece anyway and he didn't trust new hybrids to be able to hold back from drinking too much. Even the man he had used was beginning to look bad despite giving him blood to heal him. He would have used Andy's blood if it came down to it, but he hadn't expected that not using her to have the opposite effect.

"I didn't mean to question you in front of them," she said abruptly, causing him to look down at her in surprise. Was she joking? He had never expected to hear her apologize. She stood so they were on the same level and peered at him with her almond eyes. She was giving him a desperate look, borderline puppy dog look. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again, especially not in front of your hybrids."

Klaus narrowed his eyes at her, wondering what game she was playing. What could she gain from apologizing to him for something he wasn't even angry about? At most, he had just been irritated. "What has inspired this change if I may ask?" He questioned incredulously.

"Realizing that no matter what I say, you'll never listen to me and do the opposite. You listening to me is not a luxury for me, I get it. I'm just the dumb doppelganger who you're stuck with until you can find a purpose for me," She pointed to the human before she looked up at Klaus with an imploring look. "You can't use him for everyone. He can't handle it, not all of them, even if you heal him. If someone accidentally kills him, he'll turn. You're already forcing the others to turn, don't make that choice for him as well."

"Andy, you are underestimating the control a newly turned hybrid has. They could easily tear out your throat without even meaning to," he pointed out, hoping she would just drop the subject.

"Klaus, I am here. Please, I don't want to see anyone else die. I have no right to ask anything of you, I understand that. I understand you're the alpha and that I take orders from you," She took another step toward him, causing him to tense slightly at her proximity and the intensity of her gaze. Her next words were whispered as if she didn't want Stefan to hear. "But if I'm stuck with you for the rest of my life, then shouldn't we be able to get along? This morning you seemed like you wanted to help me. You don't trust me, and I don't blame you, but if you want to have some semblance of a working relationship, this is how. We can't change each other, so maybe we can adapt to one another. Forgive me for saying this in front of witnesses, And I am telling you that if that boy dies when there is something I could do to stop it, then there will never be anything between us. I will hate you until the day I die and he will just be added to the long list of deaths I blame myself for already. Do you want to help me? Then don't let him die today. For me. Please, Klaus."

She was just talking to save the boy's life. She didn't care that he was the alpha or that she was supposed to not question him. Klaus wasn't stupid enough to not see that, but he had to admit he admired her dedication to stopping him from killing. He didn't quite understand why she was so willing to do this for someone she didn't know. It did strike him odd that she blamed herself for the deaths she had seen, but it made sense why she eventually had turned back to alcohol after all the things she had seen the last few months.

He didn't quite understand why she blamed herself; it was either him or Stefan who killed, never her. She hadn't shed anyone's blood and he had no intention of having her kill anyone. He understood if she blamed herself for Isobel's death, that had been the whole point in using her for the sacrifice.

Klaus prided himself that he had understood Andy more than she realized. She tried acting as if she didn't give a shit, but it was so thinly veiled. She cared, and that was how she had even gotten into this situation to begin with. She tried to act as if Klaus didn't get under her skin, but that was clearly untrue. Their conversation in Georgia had been enough to prove that, and their conversation last night that she had no recollection of proved that. He knew alcohol had a funny way of influencing people and knew that she probably hadn't meant most of what she said, but he knew it wouldn't be anything he would be forgetting anytime.

Her almond eyes peering up at him made him wonder if she thought she held some leverage over him, but he saw no confidence or certainty that he would agree to this. She simply looked at him with a pleading look that was borderline desperate. She didn't want to see anyone else hurt, and something in Klaus didn't want to hear her crying later that night or to see her the way he had last night again.

"Fine," Klaus agreed reluctantly. "If you are certain you can handle it, then so be it," She sighed in relief and started to walk away by he grabbed her forearm, causing her to pause and look back at him. "I cannot promise it won't hurt, but I suppose I can spare some of my blood if they rough you up too much."

"You won't let them hurt me," she answered immediately and so certain that it made Klaus pause in surprise. He was in a bit of disbelief that she seemed convinced that he wouldn't let any major harm come to her. He wondered what exactly made her believe that. Surely Stefan was the safer bet in ensuring her safety.

Klaus watched as Andy pulled away from him and leaned down to check on the human, who was silently lying on the ground with his wounds fully healed though he looked sick and afraid. She stood again and walked over to one of the other werewolf's bag, shuffling through it until she pulled out a water bottle and a t-shirt. She folded the shirt up into a rag and poured some water over it. Klaus continued watched her with curiosity as she walked back over to the man and began to gently rub his sweaty face with the rag and pouring some of the water into his mouth. He had never seen her look so gentle and calm before. She was completely focused on the man, allowing Klaus to watch her all he wanted without being met with a scowl.

Klaus glanced at her appearance. Her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail and she wore the clothes he had someone pick up for her last minute. Sweat lined her eyebrows and nose, and her face was flushed red as a result of the heat. Despite this, she almost looked serene as she took care of the man. How was it that the girl could find some solace in this moment? He was certain she was nothing like Anastasia; the original had been kind and quiet. She would have given anyone the shirt off her back and never think to question those she respected. He had pegged Andy as a mean-spirited smartass with little kindness in her except for her family. He had been able to understand that assessment more than seeing her acting kind toward someone other than her own family boggled his mind. He remembered Stefan telling him how kind she had been to him when they first met.

He had to wonder if Andy hadn't known who he was when they first met, how she would've treated him. While he was in Alaric's body she hadn't acted any different when she thought he was the history teacher. Klaus still recalled his shock upon Andy figuring out that something was wrong and that he wasn't Alaric; she had picked up on it before anyone else and he still wasn't sure how she had figured it out so quickly. Up until that point, she had treated him nice enough.

"I'm sure you've seen better days," Andy murmured to the human, putting a hand on the human's arm and squeezing it. Klaus felt himself scowl slightly. What did this man do to deserve her kindness? All he was here for was to help some werewolves out. He had done nothing for her other than feeding Ray, but even that he had been compelled to do. "What's your name?"

"D-Derek…" The man managed to get out after a moment.

"My name is Andy. I'm—I'm sorry I can't help you more," she said hesitantly, looking up briefly to meet Klaus' gaze. Klaus rolled his eyes at her, knowing she was probably cursing him for this. He turned away from the doppelganger to see Stefan was standing a few feet away. The Salvatore was watching him with a curious look and Klaus shrugged noncommittally as he realized he had been caught intently watching Andy. He hoped it came off as more disinterest and boredom than anything else.

Stefan had been watching them a lot in the past few days and Klaus needed to make sure he wasn't showing any special treatment of Andy. Stefan had smartly not made any comments about what he had noticed—not that there was anything to notice—but Klaus still didn't want Stefan getting the wrong idea about them.

Fortunately, he was saved any further scrutiny by Ray. "They're dead. They're all dead," The man managed to choke out. Klaus turned to look at the hybrid, his arms wrapped around himself as he shivered.

Klaus hesitated a moment, wondering why he would be cold in this weather. He chalked it up to being in transition, though he couldn't remember his own experience being like that. "Ah, he's through his transition. He should be feeling better soon," Klaus said as he turned back to Stefan.

The Salvatore approached him, folding his arms over his chest as he drew closer. "So, is this your master plan? Build an army of hybrid slaves?" he questioned.

Klaus rolled his eyes. "No, not slaves. Soldiers, comrades."

"For what war, might I ask?" Stefan questioned, narrowing his eyes at him.

"Oh, you don't arm yourself after war has been declared, Stefan. You build your army so big that no one ever dares pick a fight," He pointed out with a smirk.

"What makes you so sure that they'll be loyal?" Stefan glanced around incredulously at all of the werewolves.

"Well, it's not difficult to be loyal when you're on the winning team. That's something you'll learn once you shake that horribly depressive chip off your shoulder," Klaus commented, causing Stefan to laugh dryly.

"That's why you're, uh... you're keeping me around? To witness my attitude adjustment?" The Salvatore shook his head in disbelief. "I'm almost afraid to ask why you keep Andy around, though with your wandering eye I shouldn't even have to ask."

"You'll know why I'm keeping you around when I've decided that I want you to know," Klaus said in annoyance. If Stefan was going to start picking on him about Andy, he would have to set the record straight. Turning back to Ray, Klaus frowned when he saw the man's eyes had begun bleeding. He sat down next to him and grabbed his face to examine it. This wasn't right. Something was clearly off. "Something's wrong."

"That shouldn't be happening, should it?" Stefan guessed as he came to stand behind him.

"Well, obviously," Klaus bit back in irritation. As he was focused on Ray, he missed the look exchanged between his companions.

"Well, maybe it's just because he's a hybrid," Andy commented as she walked over to stand next to Stefan. "After all we've never seen one transition before. Maybe this is how it's supposed to go?"

Klaus stood and turned to look at them. They looked rather unbothered by all of this, but honestly, what could he expect of them? Both were forced into the situation. They didn't give a damn about him or his hybrids. "I think you forget I am a hybrid, love. Perhaps you would like to provide Ray with some more blood?" He suggested, raising an eyebrow at her. He knew she would soon back out of letting the hybrids feed on her as soon as one did.

Andy looked back in annoyance but still walked over to Ray and sat where Klaus had just been. She rolled her sleeve up and gingerly offered her wrist out to him. Klaus watched closely as Ray didn't hesitate to bite into her wrist. She flinched as his teeth sunk into her but watched the man with curiosity. Klaus had to admit she took it a lot better than he expected her to. With her general holier-than-thou attitude, he had anticipated she wouldn't actually follow through with letting someone feed on her.

From the look of Ray's expression, he seemed to be enjoying her blood. Klaus had briefly tasted her blood the night before when she pricked her finger on one of his fangs but hadn't tasted anymore than those few drops. He knew her blood smelled different than others, but not quite like Elena's. Elena's blood had had a subtler difference in its smell and taste than a regular human's, Andy's scent was almost nonexistent, which was probably why the smell seemed foreign. It was how Milena's had been, but even hers had some scent to it, even if it wasn't as much.

"Okay, I think that's good," Andy said, trying to pull her wrist away but Ray was locked onto it. Klaus didn't hesitate in moving forward and pulling Andy away from Ray. She gasped in surprise and held her wrist to her chest as Klaus held Ray back from her.

"Didn't take too much, did he?" He asked her as he examined her wrist. When he had pulled her away from Ray his fangs had ripped more skin open, though it didn't look like it would do much damage.

"I am feeling a little woozy," Andy admitted, swaying on her feet a bit. He looked up at her pale face and shook his head.

"You won't be in any shape to feed the others unless you drink my blood. Even then you'd only be good enough for a sip or two before you get sick again," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder to balance her. She watched him with a weary expression as he led her over to another log to sit down. "I'm sorry, love. The boy will have to do."

"Klaus—"

"I thought our terms were that you did what I say, when I say it," Klaus pointed out, raising his eyebrows at her. She gave him an irritated look and opened her mouth to speak, but he continued speaking before she could get a word out. "You'll be no use dead, Andy. I would like my doppelganger alive."

"Guess I'm the one lucky doppelganger then," She replied with a fake smile before letting it fall. "I'll be fine. Just give me your blood."

"You know vampire blood doesn't heal you, Andy," Stefan pointed out as he leaned against a tree. Klaus looked back at her in confusion. Vampire blood didn't heal her?

"Is that right?" he asked her.

"It will be fine. They'll be able to feed long before I can throw it up," Andy insisted with a stern look. "Derek can't take all of it himself."

He sighed and glanced over at the man lying on the ground. "Who will be a constant thorn in my side if the hybrids drain you of all your blood? It is a risk I won't take. I apologize, love. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Andy looked like a child sitting there, her bottom lip jutted out. If it wasn't for her clear irritation, he would have laughed. He could barely contain it as she folded her arms over her chest. Her pouty face was too childish to be taken seriously and reminded him of his sister. Then again, she was practically a child still, something he tried not to think too much about.

Finally, she looked back at him and nodded, though she clearly was not happy with the situation. "Give me your word you won't kill him," she demanded, apparently not caring once again they had an audience.

"Andy…"

"I'll stop acting like I have a stick up my ass, okay? We can be friends or whatever you want from me. He doesn't deserve to die just because he was trying to his friends through their transition tonight," Andy pointed out, her brown eyes pleading with him. "It can be my birthday present. I won't ask anything else from you."

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. He knew her requests would never be over. It was the same tactic Rebekah would use on him; she would insist that it was the last thing she would ask for, but she inevitably always asked for something else. "You want your birthday present just to be me sparing that boy's life?"

"Friends give each other gifts," she said softly, causing him to pause and study her face. She looked genuinely concerned for the human and he had to admit his frustration. It didn't matter to him whether the boy lived or not, but he didn't exactly want Stefan or Ray to think that Andy could just ask for anything and he would oblige. However, as she gave him the puppy dog eyes, his mind went back to his sister.

Klaus found himself unwillingly bending. One little request couldn't hurt, right? It was just one life, and the man could easily be compelled to forget all of this. It wasn't as if she was asking him to not turn any of the hybrids. "I give you my word I will not kill the boy," Klaus said, rolling his eyes again. "Perhaps this will be enough for you to sit there and be quiet for once."

"How am I supposed to believe you? I mean, you may just try to find a way to weasel out of it like you did with Elijah," She pointed out, causing him to look at her in annoyance.

"I will allow you to remove the dagger from Elijah should I kill the boy. I give you my word," Klaus replied in a low voice, knowing full well now he would not kill the boy now. The last thing he needed was his brother getting his revenge and running around to find where he stored their family.

Andy watched him for a moment before nodding, seemingly satisfied with this response. She looked down at her wrist and winced slightly. He would give her some of his blood if it would heal her. There had to be a first aid kit somewhere in the camp in case of emergencies. He stood and went over to one of the backpacks, searching through it until he found a first aid kit.

As he walked back over to Andy, he ignored Stefan, who he could feel watching them once again. Stefan didn't want to be his friend, fine, but if Andy was going to extend the olive branch he wasn't going to swat it away. If Stefan wanted to make his assumptions, then so be it. Perhaps Andy's acceptance of their situation could be a way for Stefan to finally let go of everything back in Mystic Falls and be the same person from the twenties.

Klaus sat next to the doppelganger and pulled the bandages out from the kit. "I can do that—" she began, but he was quick to cut her off.

"You're a lefty, love. You won't be able to wrap your left arm with your non-dominant hand," Klaus pointed out as he held out his hand for her to give him her arm. She narrowed her eyes at him before giving him her wrist. He gently held her wrist, doing his best not to think of the soft feeling of her skin. He had almost expected her skin to be rough. He had made sure she had all the toiletries she could want, but somehow her using one of the scented lotions seemed odd to him. He continued to silently wrap her wrist up, feeling her watching his face as he did. "Vampire blood really doesn't heal you?"

"Uh, no, unfortunately. Or at least, not normal vampire blood. Got shot by a werewolf and Caroline gave me her blood. Less than a day later I was on Carol Lockwood's bathroom floor throwing it all up and my wound had reopened," Andy explained in a small voice, tilting her head as she turned her attention to his hands. "We haven't exactly tested it again, though I was tempted to ask Elijah if I could try his blood. You never know, right? With all my freaky dreams and… anyway, I thought maybe it could be worth a shot."

"We could now, but considering last night, we won't be sure if my blood would be the reason you are throwing up," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. Once he had finished wrapping her wrist, he looked up at her with a smile. "Not so bad, was it? My help isn't always so terrible."

"I'll be damned. The hybrid knows at least how to do some practical things," She replied, slowly pulling her arm back to her chest. "I didn't know you knew anything about first aid, but you treated the wound surprisingly well… or at least from what I remember my dad teaching me back when I was in girl's scouts for all of a month. I guess I should… er, thank you, Klaus."

"Anything for a friend, love," He replied with a grin, causing her to roll her eyes at him.

"You're the poster child for the best friend ever, blah blah blah. Is that good or do I need to hype you up some more? Not really good at this 'friend' thing," Andy said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Especially when the said friend is…" She trailed off, her gaze landing on Ray. She must have remembered she promised not to insult him in front of his hybrids. She exhaled and looked back at him with a pained expression as if holding in the insult had physically hurt her.

He let out a small chuckle and shook his head. "Don't strain yourself, love. Just relax. I'm certain this won't kill you," Klaus put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed before he stood up, noticing that Stefan was still silently standing by. The Salvatore looked at him with a questioning look. Klaus simply ignored him once again and walked over to Ray, who seemed to be shaking more violently now. His eyes were still bleeding, and his eyes were bloodshot.

"You said it was gonna feel better. Why doesn't it feel better?" Ray questioned as he looked up at Klaus with a worried expression.

"Some master race," Stefan snidely commented.

Klaus threw him an annoyed look. "Lose the attitude," He shot back at him. He had just gotten Andy to lose a little of hers, the last thing he needed was Stefan making up for that.

Another woman finally woke up with a gasp. Klaus called to the human as he moved to the woman, "Derek, come feed your girlfriend." As the human stood, Ray let out a snarl before he suddenly darted away from them. Klaus sighed in frustration and looked back at the Salvatore, who hadn't budged one inch. "Go get him."

Stefan finally sped off after Ray and Klaus turned to see the woman was feeding on the man. A few of the others began to wake up and Klaus grabbed one to compel. "Nobody touches the girl while I'm gone. Is that clear? If anyone touches her, then you die," he said, pointing to Andy. Once his compulsion had taken, Klaus sped off in the direction Stefan and Ray had gone, only to find Stefan standing alone, looking a bit shaken.

"Where did he go?" Klaus demanded. Stefan turned to him and quickly walked toward him.

"He, uh... he got away. Forget him. Let's go," Stefan started to go past him, but Klaus grabbed his arm. Stefan stopped and looked at him with a hard look, but Klaus felt the irritated skin under his hand. He looked down at the werewolf bite on Stefan's arm, raising his eyebrows at it. He must have been bitten before Ray got away. He wondered how Stefan had let Ray get away that easily even if he was a hybrid.

"A fatal werewolf bite. Ouch," Klaus commented, dropping his hand from Stefan.

Stefan pulled his arm away and nodded grimly. "Yeah. I'm gonna need your blood to heal me."

Klaus paused a moment, looking into his green eyes. Something about Stefan was off today, and he had been acting off ever since they had gotten back to Tennesse. Klaus straightened up as he spoke. "Well, I tell you what. You find Ray… and then I'll heal you."

"You can't be serious," Stefan said, the disbelief clear in his expression and tone.

"You better hurry, 'cause that bite looks nasty," Klaus said before he turned and walked away from Stefan. When he arrived back at the campsite, Andy was standing now but had put some distance between her and the hybrids. They were all almost awake now, blood already pouring from their eyes as they all stared her like they were about to rip her head off, even the one he had compelled to make sure none of them touched her looked pained as he stood in between them.

"Something's seriously wrong, Klaus," Andy murmured as she rushed over to him, her eyes wide.

"You don't say?" Klaus replied in slight annoyance. She grabbed his arm as he went to walk toward his hybrids, causing him to pause to look back at her.

"Where is Stefan?" she asked, glancing back to where he had just emerged from the trees.

"He went to find Ray," Klaus answered, noticing that night was beginning to fall around them. "I suspect the best course of action now is to let me deal with the hybrids. Just… stay out of the way, love. For your own sake." He slipped out of her grasp and walked toward his hybrids, a heavy feeling falling over him. What if this didn't work? What if his mother had cursed all hybrids? No, he couldn't think about that. This would work. It had to, or else he would be alone forever.

---

Andy was sitting by the fire, watching Klaus with a pensive expression. Stefan had been gone for a little over an hour now and all of the hybrids had drunk from Derek, the human who had been unfortunate to tag along tonight, but none of them had shown no signs of improvement. Klaus was busy pacing around the campsite, a worried look on his face as he kept an eye on his hybrids. He hadn't spoken to her since he got back to the camp and she couldn't help but feel how off this entire situation was.

She wondered why his hybrids meant so much to him. He clearly didn't care for any of these people, but he had told Stefan he wanted to build an army, though he didn't have the intention to fight anyone. Since she had been with him, she hadn't seen him hang out with anyone but Stefan and her. If he spoke to someone it was for information or to give them orders, nothing more. All his family were apparently dead or housed daggers in their hearts like Elijah. She remembered that Elijah had said he had become a recluse in recent years. She had to wonder if all this mess with the hybrids was all just because he didn't actually like being alone, which would explain why he wanted Stefan as a friend so badly. After all, he had lost two witches in Mystic Falls and outside of that, he hadn't exactly been friendly to anyone else as far as she had seen.

Andy was certain he didn't have any friends. Honestly, she found herself almost feeling bad for him for once, and related to him a bit in that sense. All her friends were Elena's first. She had never really had a friend of her own, not outside of the rehabilitation center but even then, no one had kept up with one another after they had graduated from their program or left the program early. Then again, Klaus probably wasn't able to keep many friends because of his homicidal tendencies. She remembered how he had put a sharp object to her throat when they first met. If that was how all of his friendships started, she wasn't really surprised he had no one left.

"I want you to forget all of this," Klaus said to Derek as he compelled the human. "Your girlfriend dumped you and you've never felt freer. Grab your backpack, go back home and forget all this ever happened." Derek stood, grabbed a bag, and walked out of the campsite without a second look back. Andy hoped he would be okay going off on his own, but he would probably be safer than hanging around a bunch of hybrids looking like they were jonesing for their next drink.

Klaus looked over at Andy, and she offered a half-hearted smile. He smiled back at her after a moment, though he was clearly worried as well. She stood and went to go to him, but was suddenly yanked backward. Klaus started moving toward her, but a hand closed around her neck causing him to still. She was pressed against someone's chest.

"Come any closer and I'll rip her throat out," A woman's voice threatened, her breath hitting Andy's cheek. Andy's heart raced and she tried to struggle but the hand tightened around her neck. "Would be a shame if your girlfriend died because of you, wouldn't it?"

"Careful, love. There's only one Alpha here," Klaus said, his voice threatening but remained even as he glared at the woman. All the hybrids were staggering around the camp, their eyes bleeding as they came to see what the fuss was about. They looked like zombies to Andy, and she swallowed thickly as she realized soon she might be dead. She looked at Klaus in fear, wondering if he would actually let her die.

Klaus looked back at her, doing his best to keep his expression neutral but something told Andy that he wouldn't allow her to be killed. Despite who she was looking at, she actually felt like she could trust him in this moment. It was the same feeling she had earlier when she was certain he wouldn't let his hybrids hurt her as they fed, which he had proved when he yanked Ray off of her.

"You should have never come here," The woman snarled before her teeth sunk deep into Andy's flesh. The doppelganger screamed out in pain, but Klaus was on them in a second and slung the woman who had grabbed Andy against a tree.

Klaus turned to look at Andy and grabbed her by the shoulder. "Go!"

She held her hands to her neck, looking at him in worry. She didn't know this woods or what else was out here, and he would be left alone to deal with his hybrids. "But—"

"Run, Andy!" He roared at her before turning his attention back to the hybrids who were all looking at her in hunger. "Now! I promise I will find you in a little bit but you need to get out of here."

After looking back at him one more time, she turned and began running away as fast as she could. She held her hands to her neck and fought the urge to look back as she ran through the woods. Would the hybrids be able to overpower Klaus? Surely, he would be fine, he was the Original hybrid. He was going to be okay.

She wasn't sure how long she ran for, but eventually, the little adrenaline spike she had run out and she found herself gasping for breath, leaning against a tree for support. Her neck was still bleeding, and she had no clue how far she had gone.

As she caught her breath, she realized she was lost at night in the Rocky Mountains. There was no way for her to find either Stefan or Klaus. She hadn't kept track of where exactly she had come from, though she had a vague idea. Her only real hope was that they found her, as Klaus promised he would. There had to be countless dangers out here other than the hybrids that Klaus had been trying to make. She didn't know anything about fighting.

Andy stood up from the tree, wondering if she should head back to the camp. She heard twigs snapping around her and other sounds. She didn't care to find out what else was out here.

Suddenly the air was knocked out of her again as she was slammed face first into a tree. She struggled to get out of the hands that held her, but once again she felt teeth sink into her neck. Andy cried out in pain, but within another moment the hands disappeared. She fell to her knees and gasped for breath.

Looking back she saw Damon was struggling to hold Ray back. She gaped in surprise at the elder Salvatore as she sat up, wondering what he was doing here of all places.

Ray managed to pin Damon against a tree and was snapping his fangs at Damon, but Stefan sped over and yanked ripped the hybrid's heart out through his back. Ray fell to the ground, lifeless, and Andy stared at his body in shock. Klaus was not going to be happy.

Stefan immediately turned and rushed over to Andy. "Are you okay?" he asked her as he helped her to her feet. His green eyes looked her over, and she was relieved to see something other than apathy in his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine," She said with a reassuring smile despite feeling dizzy and uncertain if she could stand on her own. As put a hand on a tree to balance herself, her gaze moved back to Damon as the smile slowly slipped off her face. She hadn't seen him in two months and now she didn't know how to feel. She wondered who else could be out here with him as his icy blue eyes stared them down as Stefan helped her to her feet.

"Fancy meeting you two here," Damon commented before he met Andy's gaze. "It's nice to see you're still alive. Barely, it would seem, but at least you're still human. Thought Klaus might have turned you into Corpse Bride."

"What part of 'don't follow us anymore' got lost in translation, Damon?" Stefan demanded as he walked toward his brother. Andy stayed back, holding a hand to her bloodied neck and watching the two brothers. She knew if Jenna was here, or at least close enough to hear the commotion, then she would've already grabbed her and run. Jenna must be at home, where she should be, Andy thought to herself. Andy knew how close Klaus already was to killing Damon for tracking them. If Jenna put herself in danger after everything, Andy might just kill her herself.

"Might want to take it up with your girlfriend. You don't want her chasing you, I'd stop with the late-night phone calls," Damon replied, causing Andy to look over at Stefan in confusion. Had he called Elena? Why had he put her in danger like that? If Klaus had overheard, it would have ruined everything they had done to keep it from him… and he would know that she never died. Andy realized with a wave of nausea that the hybrids could be acting up because of something to do with the sacrifice, after all, Elena had survived. If Klaus' hybrids didn't end up working, she had a feeling he wasn't going to just let it go and move on.

"I didn't call her," Stefan said defensively, drawing Andy out of her thoughts. He wouldn't meet her gaze though and focused solely on his brother.

"Sure you did. She's not gonna give up on either of you…" Damon glanced over his shoulder before looking at Andy. "Same goes for you, Andy. I don't know if calling Jenna using a waitress' phone in Tennessee when we know that state was Klaus' last known whereabouts was a smart idea. For people who don't want to be saved, you have a funny way of showing it."

"I didn't call her," Andy repeated Stefan's words but tried to make them believable, though he didn't look convinced by her either.

"Jenna would want to see you. She's out here looking for you. She went the opposite way I did. It would only take five minutes. You can't be that anxious to get back to Klaus."

"Damon, I'm not leaving Klaus," Andy said firmly as she walked to stand next to Stefan. "You all are better off giving up on us. I'm never coming back, and neither is Stefan. Jenna best let me go. You better let Stefan go. Klaus is going to kill you all if you don't stop. I can't say you guys didn't bring it on yourself at this point."

Damon's face scrunched. "So, you've drunk the Kool-Aid as well?"

"I made a deal, Damon. I made my choice, nobody else. Respect that," Andy said to him, her voice stern as she straightened herself. "Go home and forget about us. We'll certainly forget about you all. Just give it some time and it will be as if we were never there to begin with."

"I suppose telling you that Elijah left you a note couldn't entice you back to Mystic Falls?" Damon said as he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Andy gaped at him for a second before a scowl overtook her features. He was just saying that to her. Even if he wasn't lying, she had no interest in hearing what Elijah had to say. Screw him and his letters, she thought to herself as she turned and started to walk away.

"Goodbye, Damon. Tell Elena I said happy belated birthday."

"Why don't you get Elena home? See if you could keep her there this time," Stefan said to Damon before he picked up Ray and walked after Andy, who had tensed at hearing that her sister was also running around these woods. They walked in silence for a moment before Stefan veered off from her. She followed him, figuring he knew better how to get them back to Klaus. He laid Ray's body on the ground before he continued walking. She trailed behind him, curious what he was doing.

"I think Damon's gone now. I don't hear Jenna or anyone else," Stefan said her as he turned his head to look back at her. He looked down at her neck and she pretended not to see the light veins that popped out around his eyes. She trusted Stefan not to hurt her. "Why were you out running?"

"The hybrids… they went crazy and one tried to kill me. Klaus told me to run," Andy explained as she followed Stefan down a pathway. He led her to the edge of a cliff where they were looking down at a car. Andy's breath caught in her throat as she recognized the blonde hair from afar. Jenna… Elena stood in front of her aunt and Alaric, the three of them talking. She had considered that Damon' words were lies, but seeing Jenna here in the flesh, looking for her, felt agonizing. It felt like her heart was being ripped in two. Jenna was here for her.

Andy felt her eyes water up as she gazed at Jenna. She looked fine and no different than she had the last time she had seen her. Stefan reached over and grabbed her hand, undoubtedly feeling something similar running through him. They squeezed one another's hands as they watched their loved ones in silence. Jenna looked upset as she pointed into the woods and yelled something at Alaric. Damon finally appeared and began quickly ushering Elena into the car. Jenna looked at him before looking up at the woods, her eyes scanning for someone, for her.

"We should go," Stefan whispered. Andy nodded and began to back away until her aunt and sister had disappeared entirely. Andy didn't realize until it was too late that she hadn't even taken in Elena's appearance. She did her best to swallow back her tears as they went back and retrieved Ray's body. Stefan began to lead them in the right direction, or at least Andy hoped it was.

Stefan faltered with Ray's body a few times and she finally noticed the nasty bite on him. "You're hurt," she noted, concern in her voice.

"Yeah, Ray managed to bite me. Klaus wouldn't heal me until I brought Ray back…" He trailed off, sighing.

"Well, you did bring him back. He'll heal you and everything will be fine."

"Andy, something is wrong with his hybrids. You and I both know this is just the beginning," Stefan replied, looking over at her with a knowing look. Andy sighed and looked forward, hoping Klaus wouldn't question her if they had done something to mess with the sacrifice. If he compelled her, she would have to answer.

"You need to compel me," Andy said suddenly as she stopped walking. Stefan stopped as well and turned to look back at her. "Compel me to believe she died or something. If you don't, and Klaus starts to dig deeper, he'll be able to ask me."

"He'd be able to compel me as well," Stefan pointed out as he sat Ray's body down again.

Andy ran a hand down her face. "What do we do, Stefan? If he finds out then everything we did will be for nothing. He'll kill everyone."

Stefan walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, hey. We won't let him even consider going back there, okay? He has no reason to go back there, especially after what he told you earlier."

Andy swallowed and searched Stefan's eyes. "You heard that?"

"Even if we don't talk much anymore, I still keep an eye on you, Andy," Stefan said as he squeezed her shoulder in comfort. "You need to be careful, whatever the situation. I think Klaus might be in trouble."

"What kind of trouble?"

"Andy, I don't think you need to be any more friendly with him than you already are. You don't need to give him any reason to keep you longer than he already has," Stefan said, evading her question as he went over to pick up Ray. "We should get back to him. The last thing we need is for him to come find us."

The rest of their walk was silent. Andy wondered what Stefan meant by not being any more friendly toward Klaus. Sure, he had a relationship with two other people who looked exactly like her, but she was also certain that she wasn't his type. If anything, she was certain he would prefer vampires to humans even for a fling. No, there was nothing between her and Klaus, nor did she see anything ever happening between them. He had done so much damage to her life as is.

Andy's thoughts went back to her family and how her aunt and sister had been in the same vicinity as her tonight. She thought Jenna would have moved on from her, but why else would she have been here tonight? She had come for Andy and that fact made her want to run back to the car and forget the deal with Klaus. She was sure she could get Stefan to tell Klaus he hadn't seen Andy. She could pretend to be lost in the woods and Klaus would be none the wiser… and yet, something kept her from doing that. She wasn't sure if it was everything she had seen in the past couple of months, but she couldn't return home, not now. Something whispered to her that she needed to be with Klaus. She couldn't leave Stefan alone after all.

Then there was the fact she had gone along with everything Klaus said—seen so many people die and had done nothing to stop it. She didn't deserve to be alive or happy any more than those who had died did.

When they arrived back to the campsite, Andy's jaw dropped as she noticed the rest of pack lying on the ground dead. She looked to see Klaus was sitting with a beer bottle in his hands, as he sipped on it. His expression was dark and somber. As they approached he didn't look up at them, instead keeping his gaze down. Stefan dropped Ray's body on the ground as they watched Klaus. When the body hit the ground, Klaus finally looked up at them as Stefan held his injured arm in pain.

"They went rabid. Some of them, I killed. The others just... bled out. In the end... they're all dead," He stood as he spoke and glanced around at the bodies again. Suddenly, he let out a gut-wrenching scream that caused Andy to flinch. He chucked the bottle across the camp, shattering it as it connected with a tree. "I did everything I was told!" He yelled as he turned to look at them. He stopped yelling and regained some of his composure, but continued breathing heavily as he faced them down, his voice growing quieter as he spoke. "I should be able to turn them. I broke the curse. I killed a werewolf, I killed a vampire… I killed the doppelgänger."

Andy exhaled softly and put a hand on her bloodied neck, feeling a bit dizzy from everything. A part of her was actually feeling bad for him. A very, very small part. He had been trying to break the curse for hundreds of years at the very least and now when he finally did, he wasn't able to turn hybrids. Presumably, because Elena survived the sacrifice. Glancing over at Stefan, she saw he looked just as uncomfortable as she did. She looked back at Klaus and hoped that he couldn't read their discomfort easily.

"You look like hell," Klaus commented. "You both do."

"Last I checked, I'm dying... and you don't want to heal me," Stefan pointed out.

Andy looked back at Klaus to see he was looking at Ray's body, a broken look in his eyes. She swallowed before speaking up. "It's my fault. Ray attacked me and tried to kill me. Stefan had no choice but to kill him. I'm sorry."

"I had to take him out. I was supposed to bring him back alive. I failed you. I'm sorry," Stefan said as he stepped forward. "Do what you have to do."

"It should have worked," Klaus murmured in a soft voice as he looked at Stefan with a hard look in his eye. The two stared at one another for a long moment before Klaus turned around and picked up an empty bottle of beer. He looked back up at Stefan as if he was still making a decision on whether he wanted to heal the vampire. Finally, he bit his hand and made a fist to drain some of his the blood in the bottle. After he had filled it a little bit, he held the bottle out to Stefan.

"Bottoms up. We're leaving," Klaus said, his arm outstretched. Stefan stood in place for a moment before stepping forward and taking the bottle from him. Klaus looked down at all of the corpses around the camp before focusing back on them. "It appears you're the only comrades I have left." Stefan started drinking the blood and Klaus went to leave but paused to look back at them. "See Andy back to the house I told you about. Make sure someone patches her up."

"Klaus," Andy said, stepping toward him. He paused but didn't turn to look at her. "Where are you going?"

"I need some alone time. Don't worry, love, I'll see you later," He said after a moment. Andy watched him leave with a frown, debating with herself whether he deserved this.

---

Bones cracking. Anger. Hurt. Hatred. Why me? Why did I have to be the bastard? Why did they hate me? My entire body is on fire. I feel like I'm about to pass out from the pain until suddenly, everything falls into place. Run, just run. It's the only thing that makes sense. Run until Mikael can't get you until all of it is far enough in your past you never have to think about it again. Run until you're alone. Stupid boy, he says, you've always been alone and it's all your fault. Always and forever.

Andy replayed the thoughts in her mind as she dried her hair with a towel. Shortly after Klaus had disappeared, she and Stefan had started hiking back to the car. Stefan had decided to just carry her so it would go faster since it was already pretty late. However, before they could get very far, Andy had crumpled up into a ball because of the pain that had hit her out of nowhere.

Once again, she was feeling Klaus' emotions. He was turning into a werewolf and Andy had experienced the full thing. It had ended quickly, but if it hadn't been for Stefan's words of encouragement, Andy was certain she would have passed out from the pain. She wasn't sure how Klaus had managed to make it through the transition. She was also still bleeding from her neck, though Stefan had tried using the little bit of gauze left to help with it.

After that, their journey to the hotel had been uneventful to both of their relief. Stefan had asked if she needed anything and seemed like he wanted to talk to her more, but she avoided speaking to him by saying all she wanted to do was shower and sleep, which was true. Still, her thoughts in the shower had been all focused on one person.

Klaus had been nothing but a menace in Mystic Falls. The first time they had officially spoken, he had held a sharp object to her throat and threatened her. He had killed countless people in front of her, he had even compelled people she knew to kill one another. He compelled her birth mother to his side. He killed Elena and Isobel, and then technically John. He tried killing Jenna, Tyler, and Caroline among others. He had done so much to her family and, yet he had actually been nice to her today, seeming genuine in his offer of help to get over her addiction. Then he seemed so distraught and his feelings of loneliness proved her theory that the hybrids may just be so he would have someone. This had also marked the first time she had felt something for him that was dangerously close to sympathy.

He was alone. That was why he was doing all of this. He wanted a family and he thought that's what his hybrids could be. That was why he wanted Stefan; he wanted a friend. That, she could sympathize with. She had always had a family, she always had a place where she belonged. Klaus didn't have that, not anymore at least. Though she didn't agree with his methods, she found herself sympathizing with him to an extent. She did wonder how much of his loneliness was by his own doing.

Andy walked downstairs as she left the towel hanging on her shoulders. As she walked toward the kitchen, she noticed the light in the living room was on. She walked in to see Klaus was sitting on the couch with sketch paper and charcoal in hand. She paused for a moment, looking him over and seeing no indication that he was angry. He looked like he was deep in thought and looked rather somber. Earlier at the campsite, he didn't seem to think anything had gone wrong with the sacrifice. Perhaps he believed there was another cause.

"Well, you look a lot better," Andy said as she leaned against the doorway. She wore only her pajamas now—a tank top and shorts because of the heat—and hadn't expected to find him in the living room of the house. To be fair, the sun hadn't even risen yet but she had expected him to be back until late in the morning. Klaus looked up at her, not offering a smile or words as he drank in her appearance. "I'd offer you a drink, but I think I've already got enough holes in me."

"I didn't expect to see you up," He admitted after a moment of silence.

"I stunk and needed to change. I can never sleep after showers, though... so, do you mind if I join you for a bit?" She asked, mentally kicking herself. She shouldn't be down here with him. She should've continued into the kitchen to find food then go upstairs and lock herself in her room. But something in her was almost… concerned for him, something she wasn't sure she could trust. She told herself it was to discern if he knew about Elena being alive though, even if he had no reason to believe that she had survived the sacrifice.

Klaus nodded and returned to his drawing. She sat across from him and watched him for a few moments. He looked so normal as he sat there. He didn't outwardly act upset either, though Andy suspected he was still feeling down. It took a thousand years for the curse to be broken, and now his hybrids couldn't even survive the transition.

"How are you feeling?" He looked up at her in surprise and she had to admit her own surprise. She didn't know why she wanted to know if he was okay. She felt bad for what happened to him, but she also knew she was glad that Elena was alive. If he couldn't make hybrids because of that, so be it.

"Perfectly fine," He replied, his cerulean eyes going back to the paper.

"You can talk to me if you want to, you know. Friends do that," She pointed out, eliciting a smile from him as he rolled his eyes.

"Somehow I doubt this is a topic you wish to discuss. You must be happy, after everything. I terrorized your town, killed some of your loved ones, and I still didn't get what I wanted."

Andy remained quiet for a moment before she spoke. "I'm not happy about any of it, Klaus. All those people died for nothing today."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you," Klaus replied with a bitter tone.

"What do you want me to say? You want me to lie and say that I didn't feel even a little satisfaction. I did. You killed my sister and my mother along with a lot of other shit," Andy said, which earned her a scathing look from him. She continued before he could say anything. "However, I recognize that this isn't easy for you. You've spent centuries trying to break that stupid curse, but you got the main thing you wanted. You are a hybrid, Klaus. Why do you need to create more?"

"I don't need to, but I want to because I can. Or at least I thought I could," Klaus muttered as he sat his drawings to the side and folded his arms over his chest.

"I think you just don't want to be the only hybrid. I think you want to have others like you, which is why you made Stefan drink blood to become a ripper. You don't want to be alone," Andy said softly. Klaus rolled his eyes and scoffed.

"You have me all figured out, do you?"

Andy shook her head. "You ever think that maybe this is karma for all the shit you've done? A thousand years is a long ass time to torture and murder people. Maybe you just won't be able to make hybrids. The curse held your hybrid nature back, not others. Maybe other witches or nature put in safeguards so even if you broke the curse, there couldn't be others. You don't need an army, you said it yourself. You're the Klaus Mikaelson. You don't need anybody, though I suppose that does get lonely after a while. That's why you brought Stefan along, isn't it? You wanted a friend, a comrade."

Klaus watched her evenly for a moment before he gave a half-hearted shrug. "I am the original hybrid. I don't need anybody."

"Is that why you carry your family around in coffins?" She probed, causing him to narrow his eyes at her. "You want to wake them up, don't you? But you know when you do… they won't be very happy with you, so that's why they're still in there. I don't know what they did to you," She said, her voice growing quieter as she continued. "Elijah… He might have been willing to kill you at one point. Maybe for a second. But I should've known he couldn't have gone through with it, even if you hadn't told him about your family. I think a part of me knew he couldn't, but he was so certain he could go through with it. If any of that is a consolation for him trying to kill you. Though, I imagine even if you removed the dagger from him now he wouldn't be thrilled to see you."

Andy stared off into space, her mind slipping back to the moment in the apartment when Elijah had spoken about family. Klaus was his little brother, even if he had done all of that stuff to their family. Andy herself had seen in her dreams how friendly their interactions were, how much Elijah cared for Klaus once. She felt so stupid for trusting that Elijah would be able to kill his little brother.

"I have done a lot to you, haven't I?" She looked back at him in surprise as his voice broke the silence. "I suppose I could've gotten my point across better than killing your coworkers…" He hesitated a moment before he sighed and sat his materials aside. He leaned toward her, his cerulean eyes never leaving hers once. "I'm sorry about your mother and sister. If there had been any other way, I would have done it… but witches are finicky. Your sister had to die. I couldn't wait another five hundred years, not when the line could be wiped out."

"Your mother… She put the curse on you because she was ashamed?" Andy questioned, doing her best to steer the conversation away from Elena, though the fact he apologized for killing Isobel was eating at her thoughts. He had done it to get back to her but now was singing another tune. She remembered Klaus once telling her that he was his mother's greatest shame and had taken measures to ensure he never became a hybrid. He had told her during their first conversation that it was his mother who placed the curse.

His eyes flashed amusement, but the look was gone before she could question it. "No, at that point her shame was for all to see. She did it to spite me and the sanctity of nature," He said bitterly as he shook his head and sat back in his chair. "There are many things those dreams of yours never showed. Hopefully, they stay gone. I will admit hearing about them unsettled me. If you had been anyone else, I would have killed you for even having a glimpse of my past. I am almost surprised Elijah allowed the dreams to continue, though he could never resist a pretty face and snarky mouth."

"They came out of nowhere. It was after I first met him. Though I didn't even know they were real until he confirmed it," She paused a moment and looked him over. "I'm sorry you had to go through that," Andy murmured as he sent her a questioning look. She cleared her throat and elaborated. "In the dreams… I saw how Mikael was. No one should be treated like that, ever. Not even the original hybrid asshole."

A small smile curled at his lips. "So, Andrea Gilbert does know how to speak kind words, ignoring that last insult. And here I was thinking you treated all your friends like they were heartless, monstrous bastards."

Andy rolled her eyes and sat back in the chair. "Lucky for you I don't have many friends."

He raised an eyebrow. "You decided to cut ties with those in Mystic Falls then? I noticed you haven't exactly called any of them."

"It's—It's easier if I just let them go. If they let me go," Andy admitted in a small voice as she curled her legs beneath her. She avoided his gaze for the next part. "And the only ones probably genuinely concerned with getting me back are my family. I mean, the rest of them were really Elena's friends, not mine. As for Damon… he was always in love with my sister. I think maybe he and I were friends, at some point. He did a lot when I got back to town. Stefan and I... are complicated. We are friendly, but his priority was always…" She cleared her throat and shook her head. "I'm nothing to him, to all of them. In the long run, they'll forget me. They did while I was in rehab. A couple years down the road all Andrea Gilbert will have been to that town is Miranda and Grayson Gilbert's crazy daughter who probably became a drug addict, never to be heard from again. If they even remember me. The most noteworthy thing I did was work at the Grill and punch the Sherriff's daughter once."

"On the contrary, I don't think you are that forgettable, love. Your aunt cares for you. She hunts with Damon for you and Stefan," He pointed out. "After everything you did to save her life…"

"Jenna has been my best friend since I was little. They always said I was like her," Andy said, a fond smile on her face as she thought about the blonde standing by the car arguing with Alaric. "I was practically attached at her hip when she got sick with pneumonia. She had moved in with us because my father was a doctor. I was only seven, but I was so afraid she was going to die. I didn't understand any of that stuff, you know? I would sleep on the floor by the bed just to make sure she was still breathing. If my parents tried to carry me to bed, I'd wake up and stand my ground. Nothing was ever going to take her from me."

"Perhaps… Perhaps you can visit her," Klaus offered, causing Andy to look at him in surprise.

"You'd let me visit?"

"You are human, Andy. Even if I don't care for humans, I realize your lives are over in the blink of an eye. Jenna is a vampire now. It wouldn't make me a very good friend to keep you away from your family forever," Klaus replied, a smile pulling at his lips. She gave him a smile in return and glanced down at his notebook.

"What are you drawing?"

"Oh, nothing," Klaus pulled the paper further back in the cushion, causing her to raise an eyebrow at him. "It's not finished. I don't like showcasing unfinished work."

"Okay, Picasso," Andy said as she stood. "I'm going to find myself something to eat… Do you want anything? Or would it mess up your flow?"

"Uh, nothing right now. Maybe in a bit."

"Suit yourself," She shrugged and started to walk out but paused to look back at him. "You know, Klaus, you're not half as bad as I thought. You're tolerable when you want to be. Even if you have no respect for human life or boundaries."

Klaus looked up at her with a half-smile. "Don't get too comfortable, love. I may surprise you yet."

She rolled her eyes. "Right. I forgot you will always and forever be an ass."

His eyebrows shot up. "I wasn't aware your dreams had continued."

"They haven't, not since I've been with you at least. Why do you say that?"

"No reason," Klaus hesitated a moment before he stood and crossed the room to her.

"Goodnight, Andy." He turned back to his drawing and she managed to catch a glimpse of it. It was of Anastasia, or of Milena… or she supposed it could be her. She looked back at him and inhaled slightly, her mind going back to all of the corpses of the dead hybrids lying around. She wondered what made her feel bad for him despite all of those people dying. After everything he had done, a part of her actually felt bad for him.

"Goodnight, Klaus."

~ * • ° • ° • * ~