"What are you doing here?" Dana made no move to bring her sister inside. Especially not with the look Klaus was giving her at the moment. It was a look that could kill, and he was sure she didn't want that look to transform into something more deadly.
"I was told to come here when I didn't feel safe at home anymore," she stated simply.
"Who told you-" Dana paused, then shook her head and glanced over at Klaus with a questioning look.
Klaus narrowed his eyes at the girl. She certainly wasn't lying, at least not that he could tell. Her heart hadn't raced as she spoke, but then again that could be very well be training she had been through growing up.
"She's not a hunter," Dana provided with ease, "Never has been, and they certainly wouldn't send her out to spy or anything else."
With that Klaus stepped aside and gestured with his hand. Valerie stepped inside, casting a wary look towards the hybrid as she did. She tugged at the skirt of her floral dress, a nervous habit of hers to tug on an article of clothing. Dana couldn't quite blame her for being nervous. Not when she was standing between Klaus Mikaelson and her older sister.
"Who told you-"
"Valerie Chasseur." A familiar voice interrupted Dana's curious question. When she glanced up only to discover Elijah standing there, she suddenly understood.
And Klaus was starting to understand as well.
"You told my sister to come here?" Dana stared at Elijah with wide, shocked eyes. "Do you know what sort of danger that could have put her in?"
Elijah stared at her, unfazed. "I compelled her years ago to forewarn you if your family ever got too close to you…and to come to this address if she ever felt unsafe." He explained, as if it were the most logical thing in the world.
Klaus rubbed his stubbled chin thoughtfully. While it made sense for Elijah to find some sort of way to make sure Dana stayed out of her family's reach, it didn't make much sense why he would go to such lengths to compel a human girl to come here. Unless she was something more than human. Perhaps someone who could be useful to their family in the future.
"Who are you love?" Klaus was suddenly eye to eye with Valerie.
Valerie took a step back, her eyes suddenly wide with something that perhaps resembled fright. He had to remind himself that if what Dana said were true, then it was highly unlikely she ever found herself in such close proximity to a vampire, much less a hybrid. He tilted his head in interest. Elijah had seen something in this girl that he couldn't. But what?
"Brother," Elijah mused, "perhaps you should allow the girl to get settled in." He gestured to the backpack strapped to her back. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure Dana can get show you to a guest room in the house."
Dana shrugged her shoulders, gestured for her sister to follow, and after watching her sister stumble away from Klaus with sympathetic eyes, they were gone.
"Valerie Chasseur is actually Valerie McCullough. A witch from the McCullough witches. She was taken from the family long ago by a hunter who gave her over to the Chasseur family without revealing the girl's true nature." Elijah leaned against the wall, staring at the floor with a contemplative look dancing in his eyes.
Klaus was interested then. Interested in the fact that they now had a witch on their hands who could learn the craft. Well, if their little brother managed to keep the young vampire around. There was always that little factor. Granted, Dana seemed relatively at home there in the Mikaelson manor. From what Klaus could tell she wasn't overly wary of the him, and seemed to get on well with Elijah. As for Rebekah, the two girls hadn't had much interaction. Especially with Rebekah's interest in high school, and the lack of interest Dana held for it.
"That explains a lot…"
Dana's voice came from the bottom of the staircase. She was leaning against it with her arms folded over her chest. "I mean, I knew she was adopted. Just not that she was a witch."
"Kol will definitely be interested," Klaus mused, smirking at the thought of his brother finding out there was a young witch residing in their household.
Dana rolled her eyes. She'd nearly forgotten what high respect Kol held witches in. That was, after all, the entire reason he wanted to kill the Chasseur hunters. They had eradicated an entire coven of witches he'd run with. She straightened up, furrowing her brows.
"Bonnie's a witch…so maybe she could help Val learn? If she wanted to…that is…" Dana suggested, not even sure if Val would be interested in pursuing her heritage as a witch. She pursed her lips, folding her arms over her chest.
Suddenly an amused laugh came from the doorway of the front of the house. It was the bell-like sound of Rebekah's laugh that Dana could honestly say she didn't hear that often. "Good luck getting that bunch to help."
Dana blinked in surprise at Rebekah. She hadn't been expecting the blonde home so early. As far as Dana had been concerned it was a school day, and the only reason she was concerned was because she had befriended Matt. Granted, school had been over for quite some time, but Rebekah had mentioned something about staying after to plan some sort of event.
She opened her mouth to respond, but nearly immediately snapped it shut. The Original certainly had a point if anything. Elena Gilbert and her little band of friend's were very unlikely to help Dana. Elena had already shown a decent amount of mistrust towards her. They even had less reason to trust Val, who had been spotted with her family plenty of times.
Dana decided to leave then, disappearing in an instant and leaving the Original family to their own doings. Rebekah quirked a perfectly arched brow. "What's wrong with her?"
Klaus waved a hand as he headed back to his continue his painting, "I'm sure she's off to do something remarkably idiotic."
Dana knocked on the door of the Gilbert home, bound and determined to find the little Bennett witch once and for all. She'd been searching the town for a good fifteen minutes, which didn't seem like a long time, but for an annoyed vampire her age it made her extremely impatient.
The door swung open, revealing Jeremy Gilbert who seemed genuinely surprised to see her there. That and the unfamiliarity that played across his face proved that Jeremy didn't know her. Or, at the very least, he didn't recognize her by her physical features.
"Can I help you?"
Dana smiled, "Yes, actually. I was looking for Bonnie Bennett."
Jeremy looked suspicious now, but then he shrugged his shoulders and said, "She's in the kitchen."
That was all. No invitation to come inside, perhaps a little test of his to decide if she were a vampire. With that same smile she stepped over into the household before marching straight towards the kitchen where she could hear the faint sound of voices.
Dana came to a standstill when she saw Bonnie sitting on a barstool with Elena Gilbert and the infamous Kol Mikaelson.
She scowled at the sight of him, "You're the last person I was expecting to see."
Surprise registered across Elena's face. Kol smirked. Bonnie raised an eyebrow. They seemed almost surprised.
"How did you get in here?" Elena questioned, her eyes narrowed suspiciously at Dana. Granted, from what Dana could tell, Elena had had that suspicious look on her face earlier due to Kol's presence.
"Your brother let me in," Dana answered, not bothering to mention that it didn't matter since she'd been invited in before anyway. Then, blatantly ignoring the look Kol was giving her, she said, "Bonnie, I need your help."
"And why should I help you?"
Dana bit her bottom lip, bothering to spare a glance at Kol for once. "Well, my younger sister was…adopted. And from what Elijah says she's from the McCullough line of witches."
"You mean to tell me that your parents who hunt supernatural creatures adopted a witch?" Bonnie appeared almost skeptical now.
"They didn't know she was a witch," Dana explained, "but I'd like for you to help her and teach her how to use her powers."
Bonnie didn't say anything for a minute. Instead she exchanged a quick glance with Elena. Dana didn't like the look Elena was giving Bonnie. Her fingers twitched for a moment. The thought of Bonnie not helping Valerie irked her. Val's witchcraft could be the one thing that could keep her safe.
"I would love to help," that was a lie, "but I just don't have time-"
Before Bonnie could say another word Dana had her hands in position to snap Elena's pretty little neck. She stared across at Bonnie who had frozen upon seeing her move to threaten her best friend's life.
"I suggest you rethink that. Valerie needs a way to take care of herself and I'm not opposed to snapping Elena's neck," Dana threatened, suddenly appearing a little more terrifying than before as she said, "and if you try anything I'm sure Kol will be more than happy to help."
Kol cocked an eyebrow. Then he glanced at Bonnie, lifting his shoulders in a shrug. Admittedly he was surprised. The fact that Dana had even showed up here was a surprise to him. There was a particular look in Dana's eyes that he caught. He wouldn't quite call it mania, but it was more of a sort of devilishness that hadn't been there before.
"Fine. I'll do what I can, but if you hurt any of my friend's I swear-"
"I'll give her your number and she'll be in touch," Dana interrupted, and with one last look at Kol she disappeared from the house in a flash.
A/N ~ Sorry it took so long to update! Don't forget to let me know what you think!