11th July, 2011

"My allegiance? Really? You can have my allegiance when hell freezes over."

"Well, that can be arranged."

"Oh, will you two stop fighting like an old married couple." said Stefan, getting up and leaving the room.

"Don't mind him," Klaus told her happily as Stefan left the room. He didn't seem at all perturbed by Stefan's attitude. Perhaps he was used to it.

"Missing your boyfriend?" he asked pleasantly, traces of a smirk playing on his lips which were stained red.

"I have nothing to say to you." she shot at him.

"Oh, come on!" he shoved the now-dead girl that he'd been feeding from and came over to where Ava was sat. He knelt down in front of her and cupped her face. She tried to pull away but he pulled her back. She knew that if she continued to resist he'd be more than able to snap her neck. "Are you telling me that you're not even the slightest bit relieved? The charade is over! You don't have to pretend anymore. You don't have to act like a human, you can embrace your nature. You've done it once, I saw it, and you were fantastic. I'd quite like to see that side of you again."

"Never." she snarled.

Klaus sighed. "What happened to you, Ava?"

"What happened to me?" Ava said incredulously, getting up and standing over him. Had he seriously just asked her that? "What happened to you, Klaus? You used to be nice! What happened to the man who rescued me from an abusive marriage? Or the man that held my hand when I gave birth? Do you remember him? Because I do. Instead I get to deal with you. Maybe if you hadn't compelled me to kill my friend and then forced me to come with, I might be a little more willing to cooperate. Stop acting like a spoilt brat throwing a tantrum because you haven't got what you want for once." she spat the words out venomously.

He glared at her, his chest heaving as he inhaled and exhaled heavily. She wondered if she'd pushed him too far and he would rip her heart from her chest and be done with it.

"You're one to talk." he said quietly, standing up so that she had to look up at him. "Do you remember the time you walked out on my brother and I without so much as a thought for either of our feelings?"

"That was seven hundred years ago!" she exclaimed in exasperation. "Get over it!"

"I'll get over it when you get over the fact that I forced you to kill your friend."

"That was two days ago! Are you serio-my God you are impossible!"

"Get over it."

After storming out of the room in a towering temper and taking herself a good distance away from Klaus, she almost walked into Stefan who seemed to be returning from wherever he'd gone earlier.

"Someone got up on the wrong side of bed this morning." Stefan said after glancing at my expression.

"Shut up." she snapped.

"What's he done?"

"What hasn't he done?"

Stefan grinned but didn't say anything.

"How do you stand him? I mean, seriously?"

His grin soured. "I don't really have a choice."

"What?"

"I sort of…have to be here."

"Why?"

"Klaus saved my brother. We made a deal. He saves my brother and I do whatever he wants."

"You're welcome."

They both span around to find Klaus leaning against the wall behind Them. He didn't look angry anymore, but he didn't look particularly happy either.

Just the sight of him made her angry, like searing flames were crashing through her body, erasing any rational thought she might have had. She hated him. No, she despised him with everything she had.

Well, not quite everything. There was a part of her that was buried deep, deep down that didn't hate him at all. Not even a little bit. Because she knew that somewhere deep inside of him was the side of him that she'd fallen in love with all those years ago. He kept that part of him under lock and key.

"Over your temper tantrum yet?" Klaus asked Ava, folding his arms.

She glared at him but didn't rise. That was what he wanted. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"Stop antagonising her. Can we go? I'm bored."

Klaus tore his gaze away from Ava's scowl and focused on Stefan. "I suppose so. We only stopped to feed, anyway."

"Where are we going?" Ava asked.

"Far away."

Ava bit down on her bottom lip. Obviously she had no choice, she had to go with Klaus, but before she went, she wanted, no, needed to make amends with her friends. Even if they didn't accept it, she needed to apologise. No doubt they were all still grieving over her apparent betrayal and the death of Rachel. She needed to apologise to each and every one of them. Especially Sam. Oh God. Her stomach twisted with guilt and longing and the thought of Sam. He was so kind and giving and caring. What had he ever done to deserve such an awful girlfriend?

She sighed. In a way Klaus was right. It was a bit of a relief to be able to give up the charade. To stop the pretence. After decades of living the human lifestyle it was a breath of fresh air.

The thought did nothing to endear Klaus to her. In fact, it only made her dislike him further for being right.