They woke up the next morning wrapped in each other's arms. She grinned. "This is so nice, Nicky."
"Yes," he nodded. "But unfortunately, now we have to start the day."
"What?" Her eyes widened and put a hand on his forehead. "Are you sick? Pointing that out is usually my job!"
"I know," he nodded. "But it's a lot easier since we can resume our current activities once Adrian's in school."
"Who's turn is it to take him?" She asked. "Yours or mine?"
"I'll do it," he said. "You just recovered from being dead yesterday. You need time to reacclimate."
She rolled her eyes. "You just don't want to be here by yourself while I'm gone," she said.
He nodded. "Well there's that too," he said.
She got out of bed and headed for the shower. "I'm surprised you still want to be near me at all," she said wryly. "What with your 'not-going-near-any-humans-ever' policy. Because that's what I am now, you know."
He nodded. "I know. And since it's partly my responsibility and a necessary step for us to take over the world, I'm not going to complain too much."
"You want to come into the shower with me?" she asked, her hand paused on the doorknob.
He shook his head. "I don't think it would be wise for us to get distracted. That might make Adrian late for school and you frown on that, remember?"
She nodded. "Oh, all right. I get your point, I just thought I'd ask." She went into the bathroom and turned the shower on, stepping inside and letting the warm water caress her body. Absentmindly, she began humming a tune. She didn't quite know where she'd heard it, but she got it stuck in her head from time to time. The sound penetrated the other side of the bathroom door. Klaus heard it and he froze.
That song. He hadn't heard it in ages. And the last time...he didn't want to think about the last time. Chicago, 1942. Nevertheless, the thoughts came in a crashing deluge anyway. Pretty soon, he no longer saw the white bedroom wall next to the oak armoire by the bathroom door, but instead found himself sitting on a bar stool, a line of empty scotch glasses in front of him. He was wearing black slacks and a white suit jacket with a white bow tie. His head hurt. The neon lights were making him dizzy. Suddenly, he felt a hand at his elbow.
"Haven't you had enough?" The voice was firm and sharp.
"What?" He asked, blinking and trying to get the blurry room back into focus. He turned and saw Alistair looking back at him.
"Haven't you had enough?" He repeated, in a tone that clearly said that he had had enough.
"No," Klaus burst out laughing, a grating, bitter sound. "I haven't, see? All the scotch and gin in the world wouldn't be enough. Not now." He looked at the bartender and pushed his empty glass towards him. "More of the same, Sam. And hurry."
"No!" Alistair snatched up the glass and pulled Klaus to his feet. "What is going on with you? You haven't been acting like yourself lately, and while normally I'd be relieved because the poor human citizenry around here could use a rest, I'm concerned."
"It's nothing, Alistair," Klaus shook his head. "Just the past coming back to haunt me. I saw her again."
"Who?" Alistair asked.
"Don't make me say her name," Klaus shook his head. "You know who."
"Are you sure?" Alistair asked. "It's been years. You could be mistaken."
"No," Klaus shook his head. "Sera may not be a blonde anymore, but it was definitely her. She probably came back just to mock me."
"Or maybe she just came for a drink and this has nothing to do with you," Alistair said calmly.
"That can't be," Klaus shook his head. "There are dozens of places to get a drink in this city. Of all the gin joints in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine. It can't be just by chance. There has to be a reason, and I'm going to find out what it is!"
He pushed Alistair roughly aside and strode over to where she sat in a prim pastel purple suit and matching hat. "What are you doing here?" he growled.
She took a sip of her usual rum and Coke and then looked up at him calmly. "Well, hello there. I was wondering how long it would take you to come storming over here once I arrived." She paused. "How are you doing, Nick? Not walking too steadily. You've been drinking again, haven't you? I hope I'm not the cause." Her blue eyes were deceptively innocent.
He felt like smacking her. But he knew he couldn't. Not here.
"Have a seat," she said. "You look like you're dying to say something."
"Are you?" He asked. "I believe you have more cause to say something than I do."
She sighed. "No, I don't. I know what you want to hear. You want me to explain why I wasn't at the train station. Well, I can't tell you that. There's no good answer. At least none that will be satisfactory to you."
He stood up quickly, knocking the chair to the floor. "Well that's convenient," he snapped.
She stood up, frowning. "Look. It's not like I left without a word. The note said everything I felt I could say. Anything else, well, you wouldn't understand."
The vein in his forehead was pulsing now. "What kind of a fool do you take me for?" He asked. "There was someone else, wasn't there?"
She shook her head. "No, Nicky. Of course not. I just..." She trailed off and sighed. "Look, I didn't come in here to cause trouble, but it seems like that's exactly what I've done. I'll be going now." She put a twenty dollar bill in his palm and made her way toward the door. He followed her and was standing behind her when she paused, a white-gloved hand on the doorknob. "This is what's best," she said, not looking him in the eye. "And Nicky...I'm sorry, for whatever it's worth."
"Nothing," he snapped. "It's not worth anything. Just go away." He grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "But first," he said, "Don't ever come looking for me. Forget you ever met me. If and when I ever feel like speaking to you again, I'll come looking for you. Understand me?" He gave her a shake for emphasis.
She nodded, and left the club. It was the last time he ever saw her until he'd arrived in Mystic Falls.
After she was gone, he collapsed into a chair. "Alistair!" He croaked after a minute. "Come here!"
"What?" Alistair asked. "What's all the shouting about?"
"I sent her away," he said. "I told her to forget she ever met me and to not come looking for me."
"Why did you do that?" Alistair asked. "You love her!"
He laughed bitterly. "No," he said. "I don't love anyone. Especially not her. Nothing should end the way we did."
"It wasn't all bad," Alistair said. "You'll always have Paris. And on days when you're feeling less bitter, I hope you'll remember that."
"Nicky?" He looked up at the sound of her voice and blinked. "Are you all right?" She was wearing a light blue sundress with dark blue flowers on it and looking at him with concern. "Oh," he stumbled over his words for a moment. "Sure," he said. "I'm just dandy. Would you mind taking Adrian to school? I just...I need..."
"It's okay," she said. "You go ahead and rest."
There was a knock on the bedroom door a few minutes later. "Come in," Selina called. "It's okay."
"It's time to leave for school..." Adrian saw Selina and froze. "Who are you?" He asked, looking at her in surprise.
"You know who I am," she said, giving him a hug. "Aunt Anna fixed up my hair yesterday and then we went shopping. Do I really look that different?"
"Yes," Adrian nodded. "But very pretty."
She grinned. "Thanks. Now let's get you to school."
He followed her out to the car and when they were on the road, she looked at him and said, "so what are you learning today?"
"We have a math test," he said.
"Did you study?" She asked.
"Yes," he nodded. "You told me last time not to compel the teacher, so I won't."
"Good," she nodded. "I'm proud of you."
"You seem like you've recovered from being dead," he observed.
She grinned wryly. "Well you may find this hard to believe, but that wasn't the first time that's happened to me." She paused. "You're not going to take advantage now that technically you're stronger than I am, are you?"
He grinned. "Hey, that's right! I forgot!" He rubbed his hands together. "What evil things should I do now?"
"Nothing," she said. "You will do nothing."
He nodded. "I know, Mommy. I was just kidding." He paused. "This is the part where you tell me to stop sounding like Daddy."
She grinned and ruffled his hair. "Well you know the speech so well now that I don't think I even need to say it."
They drove up to the front of the school and parked just as Helene and Astrid came toward them.
"And how are you?" Astrid asked her. "Does it feel good to be amongst the living again?"
"Oh, yes," Selina nodded. "I hate being dead. It's so annoying." They watched Adrian and Helene walk side by side toward the school room and once they were out of sight, got in their cars and went back home.
When Selina got home, she strode back into their bedroom, where Klaus was still lying on the bed and sulking. "What's wrong with you?" She asked, climbing next to him. "You're Mr. Moody this morning."
"It's your fault," he said, sitting up quickly.
"Why?" Selina asked. "What did I do?"
"You left me," he snapped. "And you won't tell me why!"
"Left you? What...?" Then, it dawned on her. "You mean at the train station?"
"Yes at the train station!" he said. "What other time was there!"
"I had a good reason for leaving." She said.
"I doubt it," he said. "I think there was somebody else and you just didn't want to tell me. You were being cowardly."
Selina shook her head. "No," she said quietly. "You couldn't be more wrong. That wasn't it at all."
"Well then what was it?" He asked, getting down on his knees in front of the bed. "What was it that made you leave?"
She rolled her eyes. "You're going to think it's stupid."
"I don't care," he insisted. "Just tell me."
She was silent and then said at last, "I had an inconvenient attack of conscience. That's why I couldn't go with you."
"What the hell does that mean?" He yelled.
"Think of all the people who died in that fire we started," she said quietly. "And all the people who lost their jobs. I couldn't be responsible for something like that again. And I knew that if I stayed with you and Anna, if I let my selfish needs and wants control me, it would happen again. So I left."
"Oh...wait..." he held a hand up. "Let me see if I understand this. You left me because of an accident that could have happened to anybody? It's nothing to feel bad about! People probably have sex and burn things down every day! And when you were thinking about all the guilt another accident would cause you, did you ever stop to think about how your leaving would make me feel?"
"Oh, yes," she nodded sarcastically. "Of course, Nick. Because every facet of my being is concerned with you. I just could not exist a day if you were no longer in my life. Without you, I'm nothing." She rolled her eyes.
He was breathing hard now. His eyes were blazing. She knew that he wanted her to be scared of him, but she just giggled and stuck out her tongue instead. That seemed to send him off the deep end. She got off the bed and made a run for it. He followed, chasing her out the back door and into the yard. Once his feet touched grass, he transformed. When she heard the growling behind her, she ran faster. She knew that as a human, she should be terrified that the beast pursuing her could kill her with a single bite, but it just made her more excited. She weaved in and out of the trees, hoping to distract him, but he was undeterred, leaping over logs and tree roots as if they were nothing. Eventually, she felt herself beginning to tire, but she knew she couldn't stop until it was absolutely necessary. She wouldn't be beaten lying down.
He finally caught her deep in the woods. As she lay on the ground and he leaned over her, his blue eyes still blazing, she said quietly, "feel any better?"
"No," he shook his head. "I still want to rip you to pieces."
She smiled saucily. "You know," she said, "there are other things we could do that are so much more enjoyable." She leaned forward and kissed him. But he cut it off rather abruptly, stood up, and pulled her to her feet, dragging her back to the house and tying her up in the basement. Then he went upstairs and got himself a drink.
When Adrian returned from school, he found Klaus at the kitchen table. "Can I talk to you about something?" he asked hesitantly.
"Sure," Klaus nodded. "What about?"
"Girls," Adrian said, blushing a little.
Klaus nodded. "All right," he said, his voice slurring a little. "Here's what you need to know about girls: they're all evil, all right? They tell you they love you and that they want to run off with you and be with you forever and then at the last minute, they have an 'attack of conscience' and disappear."
"Are you all right?" Adrian asked. "Where's Mommy? Maybe I should talk to her."
"No," Klaus shool his head and put a restraining hand on Adrian's wrist. "That's the last thing you should do. Everything she'd tell you is a lie."
"Why?" Adrian asked.
"Because," Klaus said, "women are sneaky, conniving and evil! That's why, as men, we always have to stay one step ahead, do you understand me? We have to anticipate their every move and stop them before they ruin everything!"
"I don't get it," Adrian said.
"Oh," Klaus nodded. "You will. Eventually, some cursed female, full of wit and charm with really great legs and a body that would make a priest knock out a stain glass window, will tell you a bunch of lies. You'll believe them and then spend the rest of your life paying for it. Now what was it you wanted to tell me?"
"Oh, nothing," Adrian said, backing away. "It's just that Helene kissed me during recess today."