BOUNDARIES

Blue eyes stared piercingly into the canvas before them, examining the drying paint. Swirling the brush on his palette, Klaus let his latest feelings flow from himself through the paintbrush to the surface of his work-in-progress. Ever since the Mikaelson Ball he'd been painting and drawing almost as much as he used to, but now it was different. He was way more aware of the feelings shining back at him and this was all thanks to Sirena. She had said that what she saw in his work was loneliness, something they apparently had in common. Now his work seemed to be mocking him as he tried to rid his work of the emotion. No matter how hard he tried he proved to be unsuccessful and it was beginning to anger him. He had definitely noticed that it seemed to be less evident when things were going smoothly between him and her, but did hers do the same thing? No, of course not. She still saw him as a monster. She had made that perfectly clear to him. His anger spilling over, he thrashed the paintbrush out at the canvas. Breathing hard, he took a step back and was actually surprised that his impulsive act had actually made the painting even better. Raising his eyebrows he gave a shrug and sat his palette down on a nearby table just as his sister entered.

"What took you so long?" he inquired.

"Alaric didn't want to hand over the stake," she replied. "Luckily, I'm quite the charmer." Holding the stake up, her lips spread into a smile.

"That's it?"

"The last of the white oak stakes that can kill us. Do you want to do the honors or shall I?"

Klaus took it from her and felt a slight twinge of relief as he tossed it into the fire.

"Well that's that then." Rebekah turned to leave.

"Pack your bags. We're leaving."

Freezing in place, she tried to hide her worry. "Today?"

"Why not? You know what Sirena said. There's nothing for us here." His eyes dropped to the floor. "We'll grab the doppelganger and be off by sunset."

Spinning on him, she readied her argument. "But tonight's the decade dance."

"So?"

"So I'm head of the committee. We have to go."

"I'm not going to any dance." Klaus turned back to his painting, trying to put an end to the debate.

"She'll be there."

"That means nothing to me," Klaus lied.

"Oh, please. I know that isn't true. Just as deep down you know it isn't true that Sirena thinks you're nothing more than a monster."

Klaus twirled the paintbrush in his fingers, staring at the loneliness in his painting and thinking it over.

"Go for me at least. Please," she pleaded.

Turning, Klaus closed the distance between them. Giving in with a deep sigh he said, "Okay, fine then. One last hoorah."

Rebekah smiled sweetly. "One last hoorah, Nik."

"Have I told you how much I love you?"

"Yes, Caroline. About ten times," Sirena returned Caroline's bright smile.

"I'm sorry. It's just Bonnie, Elena and I used to always get ready together. Now they're off doing their own thing. I'm just grateful for the company and —"

"And for letting you get me all dressed up for the dance," Sirena finished for her with a grin.

Caroline gave an embarrassed sigh. "It's kind of like a passion of mine."

"Well, I appreciate it." Looking at her reflection in Caroline's vanity mirror she looked as if she had fallen straight out of the 1920's. The beautiful sequined headband decorating her finger-curled hair was the perfect accent for the extravagantly embellished dress she wore. "I must say, you did an excellent job."

"Aww. Thanks."

"So, um… since I'm your date I'm guessing Tyler is still… well, not here."

Caroline's smile faltered. "Yeah. I can't wait until he can come home. He's missing out on senior year. This year was supposed to be epic!" She plopped down onto her bed.

Sirena hated it when Caroline was upset. She was one of the nicest people she knew. Plus they had that whole we're both captured and being tortured experience together. She moved to join Caroline on the bed. "Look," she said, "It still has the potential to be epic. The only way it still has the chance is if you don't stop trying, right? Let's go to this dance, have a blast and just let tonight be about dancing until we drop." Getting up, Sirena took Caroline's hand and pulled her to her feet. "So let's go. We're late for the twenties."

The school gym looked spectacular. Rebekah and Caroline had really outdone themselves. Not that Sirena would tell Caroline, but she was glad Rebekah pushed the 20's instead of the 70's. The 70's just didn't hold a light to the glam of the 1920's in Sirena's opinion. The fashion, the music, the parties, the deco — it was amazing!

Sirena took it all in from the sidelines. She and Caroline had danced their butts off, but Tyler had shown up as a good surprise for Caroline, leaving Sirena to cool down while they danced, making up for lost time. Couples swayed back and forth to the music, lost in each other's eyes. There was Caroline and Tyler, Bonnie and Jamie, Stefan and Elena, and … Klaus.

He stood out from the rest without any effort. Standing there looking very dapper in his cream colored suit, his eyes fixed themselves on her from across the gym, the distance between them nothing but tension. Time seemed to stand still as both stood trying to decide whether to go to the other or not. Sirena took a deep breath as Klaus went to take a step in her direction, but suddenly her view of him was blocked and she now stared back into the blues of Damon's frantic eyes.

"Come on," he gestured to the door, "We all need to talk."

Sirena let out a breath of frustration as she nodded. Before she followed Damon out into the hallway she looked behind her, searching the crowd for Klaus, but all she saw was a sea of dancing high schoolers.

Catching back up to the others, she heard Elena say, "If Alaric is sick then we need to find a cure. Something."

"We tried medicine," Damon shrugged, "We tried magic."

"But I thought Bonnie gave him herbs," Sirena thought out loud.

"Well the thing is, for them to work he has to actually take them and he hasn't been. I found his untouched stash," Damon answered.

"Why don't we get him off vervain, compel him?" Stefan offered.

"What? To pretend to be Alaric?" Damon asked incredulously. "The guy that we know is gone. We're talking about someone who only hates vampires, and vampire sympathizers."

"So wait," Elena interrupted, "What are you suggesting we do?"

"I'm suggesting we put him out of his misery."

"You can't be serious," Sirena stared Damon down, hoping to see some sign that he was joking. Sirena couldn't imagine not having Ric Around.

"No, no way in hell!"

They all spun around to find Jeremy standing behind him looking furious.

"Oh, come on," Damon shot, "It's what he would want. It's a mercy killing."

"You're out of your mind," Jeremy fired, before turning on his heels and leaving with Elena in tow.

Sirena sighed. "Damon, there must be another way."

"It's Jeremy. He's just a kid who doesn't underst—"

"That's just it," she argued, "Just a kid who's lost everyone and now you're wanting to willingly kill his closest thing to a guardian and therefore take away from them."

Damon didn't respond and Stefan stood rubbing an index finger over his lips.

"Alaric would never give up on saving someone," Sirena continued, "I just think we should do the same for him."

Giving in, Damon stepped toward her, his face mere inches from hers. "Okay, fine, but —"

"Guys!" Jeremy ran towards them, looking worried out of his mind. "It's Esther! She's here and she's with Elena."

Without hesitation, they ran outside hoping to come face to face with the witch, but it came as not so much of a surprise when they found that she was no longer there and neither was Elena. The surprise did come, however, when they went to follow Jeremy to go after Elena and ran into an invisible barrier keeping them from leaving. At their feet they found a white line that seemed to run all around the school.

"Salt," Damon stated, bringing his hands to his hips in defeat.

Luckily, they had the very person who could help right inside the school at their backs. While Damon and Sirena went off to find Bonnie, Stefan stayed behind and it wasn't long before the person he had been waiting on showed up.

"Rebekah, call me back immediately," Klaus spoke into his cell, storming from the school. "I only came to this dance because of you and you're nowhere to be found." Hanging up, his eyes dropped to the white line on the pavement. Taking a deep breath and rolling his eyes, he addressed the company behind him. "What is this?"

Stefan approached Klaus, saying, "Your mother is back."

Klaus pursed his lips in anger. He knew it was only a matter of time. "Delightful. Then I take it she's no longer here."

"She took Elena and left."

"And Sirena? Where's she?"

"With Damon. They went to find Bonnie to get us out of here."

Of course Klaus wasn't happy about Damon and Sirena being together, but it sure beat her being taken by his mother. Turning, he walked past the Salvatore towards the high school doors. "Well let's go see how they're doing, shall we?"

The two arrived and Bonnie was already standing in the center of the candlelit classroom chanting. Jeremy paced back and forth, keeping a watchful eye on Bonnie, Jamie stared on in confusion, and Stefan watched from afar. Sirena leaned back against the desk next to Damon, trying to ignore the tension that remained between her and Klaus. She could tell he was taking care not to look in her direction.

"What's taking so long?! All boundary spells have a loophole," Klaus eyed the witch.

Matt burst into the classroom. "People are walking right out of the dance, past the barrier."

Stepping forward, Jeremy offered a plan. "Matt and I can leave. We can stop Esther ourselves. We just gotta find out where she is."

"It's suicide, Jeremy," Stefan stated.

Klaus rushed over and wrapped his hand around Jamie's throat, lifting him from the floor, strangling him.

"Klaus, leave him alone!" Sirena yelled, stepping up behind him.

"I'm the bad guy, love. It's what I do." Klaus addressed Bonnie, ignoring Sirena's protest. "Suicide would be disappointing me! Now work your magic, witch, or I'll start killing people you fancy."

"Let him go," Bonnie pleaded.

"Not until you get us out of here."

Stefan joined Sirena behind Klaus. "Ah, don't be stupid, Klaus. Bonnie doesn't give a damn about us. The only reason she's helping us right now is to save Caroline and Tyler. You start killing the people she cares about, she'll tell us all to go to hell."

Klaus' eyes bounced back and forth between Stefan and Sirena until finally he freed Jamie. Sirena knew that he was acting like even more of an ass because of what she had said to him. Her hurting his feelings was going to get someone hurt… or worse. There was no way in hell she was going to let that happen. "Klaus, can I speak to you outside?" Starting for the door, she didn't have to look back to know he would follow.

"Sirena?" Damon called, afraid of what could happen if the two of them were alone while Klaus was angry.

"No need to get so territorial, mate," Klaus grinned, closing the classroom door behind him. The two walked the halls, neither one saying a word. Sirena wanted to get some distance from the curious ears of the others.

Once they'd reached the gym, Sirena stopped. Moving to face her, Klaus said, "Go on. Out with it. Don't leave me in suspense."

"You can't do that, Klaus. These people are my friends," she stated, looking him straight in the eye.

"No one tells me what to do. If I think that some persuasion is in order to get the job done, then I'll do what I have to do. You shouldn't be surprised."

Sirena knew he was referring to what she had said. "I'm sorry!" she blurted with dropped eyes, catching him totally off guard. "I didn't mean what I said before. It's just this whole thing with you and Stefan and he's my friend and sooner or later —"

Klaus placed a gentle finger to her lips, silencing her. "Apology accepted."

Relief washed over Sirena. She hadn't expected him to forgive her so easily. Honestly, he always seemed to be the type to hold a grudge for centuries. Klaus held his hand out to her and she gladly took it, letting him lead her in a sway to non-existent music. She found that she truly loved dancing with Klaus. His moves were flawless; Not flawless in a technical 'I've been training for years' kind of way, but in a way that held emotion. It surprised her.

"I would've loved to have known you in the 20's. Your fire, your passion, vitality… it all would've been perfect for that time."

Looking up at him, she said, "Weren't you and Stefan just terrorizing the people of Chicago? Doesn't sound like fun to me."

Klaus smirked. "We could've found other ways to entertain ourselves. The parties, oh the parties… you would've loved them. Everything back then was so daring and mysterious. Two words that also happen to describe you perfectly."

"I'm not that daring," Sirena chortled.

"Was it not daring to befriend me despite everything I had done to your friends? Despite what they would think of you? Is it not daring to challenge me?" His smirk grew.

Sirena knew he was right. Giving Klaus a chance went against everything her friends wished.

"Not many people would've had the courage to try to get to know me. For that I owe you a great deal of gratitude."

Their eyes met and she could tell he was being entirely sincere. "Well… I'm glad I did."

His lips pulled up into a smile. "I must say, you look perfectly glamorous tonight. You pull off the 20's very well."

"Thank you," she blushed, making him smirk, but it soon faded.

"You should know, earlier today I had planned on packing up and leaving, putting Mystic Falls in my rearview with no intention of coming back."

As he spoke, Sirena's heart dropped. What would she have done if he was gone forever? How would she feel about that?

Stopping their swaying but still holding her, he said, "I'll leave after Esther is dealt with unless… unless you think I should do otherwise." His voice was soft, hopeful even.

The truth was she really did want him to stay, but what did that mean for them? "Why do you care what I want?"

"But isn't it obvious, love?"

He dipped her back slowly, making her stomach fill with butterflies. She could feel his breath on her face as he leaned down close. His lips grazed hers…

"So sorry to interrupt this overly adorable moment," Damon interrupted and Klaus lifted Sirena back up, keeping his arm around her waist. "But Bonnie is ready to do the locator spell." The two men glared daggers at each other. Heaving a frustrated sigh, Sirena headed outside and left the two men behind, who she figured would be having a rather heated discussion.

Lights flashed behind her from the entrance to the school as Sirena stood on the red carpet staring out at the trees. What had just happened back there? Was Klaus really about to kiss her? The whole thing had Sirena all shaken up. What would she have done if Damon hadn't walked in when he did? She knew all her friends still looked at him as the bad guy even if she didn't, his temper left something to be desired, his hybrids meant the world to him… and yet, something inside of her was really hoping he would kiss her. Whether he was going to kiss her or she misread things, she didn't want him to leave.

"Everything alright?"

Sirena spun around to find Stefan standing behind her with his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, why?"

"Well, you looked like you had something on your mind," he paused, "That and Damon told me about what happened in the gym."

She mentally cursed Damon, but she should've known he wouldn't keep it to himself. "Okay, so what?"

Stefan held his hands up in defense. "Easy. I just want to make sure you're alright."

Relaxing a little, Sirena took a deep breath. "Fine. I'm just confused is all."

"Look," Stefan stepped up to her, "Everyone knows I am not a fan of Klaus. That may even be the understatement of the century, but it's obvious he feels something for you. What may not be so obvious to everyone is that you also feel something for him."

Sirena looked from the red carpet to her friend. "What should I do, Stefan?"

"Whatever feels right. Just be sure to take care of yourself no matter what you choose to do. I still don't trust him. Klaus will do whatever he has to in order to surround himself with hybrids. Just remember that."

Sirena gave him a small suspicious smile. "Why are you being so understanding?"

With a chuckle, Stefan said, "You have always been there for me, even in my darkest times. The least I can do is be there for you."

"Thanks." The two faced out towards the boundary line and his furrowed brow told her he was more than worried for Elena. "She'll be okay, Stefan. No matter what happens, Elena always seems to come out alright."

A half-hearted smile was all Stefan could manage. He knew she was right, but he couldn't help but feel helpless from being stuck here.

"You know this is your fault," Klaus called from behind them, striding up to stand before them. "You set us on this path when you released my mother. I wonder if revenge will prove worth the cost."

"I'm done with revenge. As far as Esther, we've stopped her before, we'll stop her again."

Klaus cast Stefan a reminiscent smile. "We're strange bedfellows, you and I. You know, all of this reminds me of our time together in the 20's."

"You say that like I'm supposed to have happy memories about it."

"Well, there were moments. Real friendship. Brotherhood."

"Well he already has a brother," Damon interjected, placing himself at Stefan's side. "Not to be, you know, territorial or anything."

Klaus chortled at Damon's obvious stab. "Oh no, of course, the Salvatore's and their unshakeable bond. I wonder what will happen when Elena finally makes her choice. Will we see you shake just a little bit?"

Sirena always felt uncomfortable whenever someone talked of Elena having to make a choice between the two brothers. Of course there was her past with Damon and while it was in fact a past, she still didn't like to be reminded of Elena's role in it. On the other hand, there was Stefan. What would happen to him if he wasn't the one Elena chose? She cringed at the thought of her friend letting go of what was left of his humanity.

Bonnie exited the school. "It's done. Esther's not fighting me any more. The boundary spell is broken."

Klaus slowly reached a hand out to test if what she said was true. When his hand crossed the line without any resistance, he gave a quick smirk back to Sirena and then was gone into the night.

After they were free to leave the high school, Sirena had rushed home to change out of her clothes from the dance to go and relax a little before something else came to try and kill them all. Unfortunately it wasn't long before her night took another turn for the worse. One text from Damon and she found herself standing in the cemetery with the rest of the gang, no one saying a word. They shared a silence full of heartbreak as they awaited Alaric's exit from the tomb where he had been forced by Esther to turn into a vampire. Her plan had been to use his alter ego to turn him into the ultimate vampire-killing weapon. Her plan failed, but that didn't mean they weren't still at a loss. Alaric didn't want to complete the transition.

Sirena stood fighting back tears, trying to be strong for her friend. She hadn't known him very long, but he had made a huge impact on her. A comforting hand found its way to her shoulder. Damon's hand dropped down to hers and she gratefully let him take it. They may not be romantically involved, but it made her feel better having him by her side as a friend. She squeezed his hand a little harder as Alaric appeared from the darkness, clearly surprised to see everyone there to support him. His eyes found each one, sending each one a thought of gratitude as his eyes glistened from tears threatening to spill over. With a nod of his head, he disappeared back inside to let himself die.

Everyone had left Alaric in peace, all except Damon who had stayed behind to be there for him. Sirena sat staring into the fireplace with a tear-streaked face, downing a bottle of Damon's finest bourbon in honor of Alaric. What would they all do without him? If it weren't for him, she would probably be dead right now. He was always looking out for her. Deep in thought, she almost didn't notice the company at her side.

"What are you doing here, Declan?" she demanded, not bothering to look his way.

"We need to talk," he said, watching the light of the fire dance across the features of her face. She almost looked as if she had checked out.

"Not the time."

"I'm afraid it has to be. I think you may be in danger."

Sirena gave him a look of indifference. "I'm sorry, but I'm a bit too preoccupied to worry about that right now."

Declan pushed up from the couch to stand in front of her. "Look, I'm sorry about Alaric, but I need you to listen." Once he was convinced he had her full attention, he continued, "I think you should come with me. I need to protect you."

"Protect me from what?"

"Kol."

With a humored humpf, Sirena said, "I take it you two had your talk."

"Yes, and I couldn't convince him to leave you be. He may come after you."

Jumping to her feet, Sirena got in his face. "Why?! Why me?! I have nothing to do with you getting him put in that damn coffin! Why not just go after you himself?"

"Because the prophecy wasn't about me!" Declan sighed, lowering his voice. "The prophecy was about you."

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