Chapter 55

Jane was finishing her morning running through the woods behind her house, when suddenly she got the feeling she was being watched. She swerved and went up another path, coming up to a large log lying in her way and she hopped up onto it. Catching her breath, she scanned the forest, trying to find where her unease was coming from. In a blur of seconds, she was pulled off the log and pressed against the large tree a few yards away, her feet dangling off the ground by someone's supernatural strength pinning her against the sturdy wood.

"Klaus." She exhaled and leaned her head back against the tree. "You scared me." Her heart was still pounding in her chest.

"Sorry, my love." He smirked at her. "Mind pointing that elsewhere?" He was referring to her stake which was still aimed right at his heart. "Won't kill me, but it'll hurt."

"Let me down first." She said breathlessly, her cheeks pink at the intimate position they were in. Her legs were practically wrapped around his waist. He set her back down on the forest floor, reluctantly, and she shook her hair loose from her falling ponytail to fix it.

"May I ask what you're doing out here all alone?" Klaus questioned in amusement, crossing his arms and leaning against the tree he had just pinned her too. Jane leaned her head down to regather her hair.

"I was running."

"Yes, love. But why were you running?"

Jane put her hair up into a messy bun. "Because I needed to think." She replied truthfully and he arched an eyebrow.

"Armed?"

"Yeah, things tend to happen to me. As you know." She said rather sheepishly and he smirked just the slightest. She tilted her head. "Why are you out here? You're not stalking me are you?" She frowned and he grinned.

"Perhaps I was. You are nice to look at, love."

She flushed and then shook her head. "Why are you really out here? Have you been following me?"

"No, I just happened to be in the neighborhood. Getting breakfast."

"Then you might want to get breakfast off the corner of your mouth before someone else sees." She retorted and he wiped where she said. Blood coated his thumb. He gave her a sheepish grin.

"Well, we can't all be neat eaters, my love."

She snorted. "Just as long as it wasn't one of my elderly neighbors."

"I do have my standards."

"Mmhm." She hummed and he chuckled.

"You've been avoiding me for the past few days. I'm a bit hurt."

"I've just been busy."

"Yes, working out in Alaric Saltzman's apartment can be time-consuming." He drawled.

She scowled at him. "So you have you been following me?"

"I actually came by to see if you have heard from Rebekah?"

Jane frowned. "No, actually. She was supposed to call me before Homecoming and she never did…Matt said she never showed up to be his date either so…She won't answer her phone."

"She is rather flighty. My sister. No doubt she found something else to do."

"Wouldn't she at least call you? I'm assuming she'd want to know about Mikael."

Klaus nodded once, his mind calculating how exactly to extract his revenge for Stefan's little action. He'd worry about Rebekah later.
"Maybe she was worried that Mikael would come for her too." Jane suggested.

"Perhaps, love." He murmured distractedly and she got the feeling he was done talking to her. It was stupid of her to think that he'd actually want to hear what she was saying or that she would even expect him to care. Why would he? It was just the bond making a nuisance of itself again. All he wanted was to find his sister. But then why did it bother her that he didn't want to listen?

"I should go." She said quietly and he focused back on her. She looked slightly dejected and kept gazing down at her feet. He frowned. Why was she sad?

"Love?" He inquired. "Is something wrong?"

"No." Jane murmured and looked back up, forcing back whatever had been bothering her. "I'm fine. I'm just a little tired."

He tilted his head, still trying to figure out how he had upset her. "Have you been having dreams, love?"

Jane flushed. "Is that why you're here? Did you see it?" Klaus hid a smirk, but she saw and hit him on the arm. "It's not funny. You weren't supposed to see that."

"Oh, love, it's perfectly all right." He soothed, cupping her face. He didn't want her to feel embarrassed about a dream she couldn't control. "It was the bond, yes?" She nodded and he smiled encouragingly. "It's all right."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, my love. It's not something you can help." She relaxed beneath his fingers and he moved closer to her.

Jane waited with a nervous tension. She felt like she was split in three parts. The first part of her, a desperate part, wanted him to kiss her, but she knew that he shouldn't that it wouldn't be fair to Damon and that Klaus only wanted her because of the bond. The second part of her told she was stupid for even thinking she could be with either of them. Damon used her, Klaus used her, she was meant to be alone. She had to be. Here he was only pretending to like their conversation. Just like Damon did part of the time. And the third said, wait for Damon. Don't give up on Damon. Forget Klaus. Think about kissing Damon.

Now she just wanted to go home and cry from all the voices swirling in her head.

"Well, you must be busy." She said, thickly. "I should go." She didn't move and neither did he. He sensed she was upset again and he frowned.

"What's the matter, my love? Why are you upset?"

Like he had said the magic words, sentences spilled forth from her lips like water rushing from a flood gate. "Because Damon wanted Katherine and he was suddenly interested in me for more than my seeing abilities. And you're no better. You just wanted me to tag along with you and use my seeing powers too and my blood too."

"Now, love-"

"No, I'm not done!" She snapped and he arched an eyebrow at her ire. "And then…it changed. You showed me your good side, was that just a ruse or did you mean it? I thought I had it figured out. We were friends…And then you got angry and…You let me go with Damon. and I thought…This is the Klaus that I came to know. But you came back here and tried to kill all of my friends and tried to make me leave with you."

"I asked you-"

"Just-no!" She shrieked, clearing getting rid of everything on her chest. "And Damon did basically the same thing! He showed me his good side, let me believe that…That he cared and then he kissed Elena and hid it from me." She took a deep breath; she didn't want to talk about that anymore. "Despite all that…The bond makes it even worse. It makes you want to bond with that person. That's why you're drawn to me. And you can say that it's not true and you can tell me all of these feelings you have are real…But it won't change what happened. I made you feel this way."

"I could change, Jane. I would try for you."

Jane shook her head. "That's what Damon said, but it was a lie. Because the bond was strong and he thought he was telling me the right thing. What I wanted to hear."

"Jane." Klaus took her hand and pulled her back to him when she tried to walk away. She had tears in her eyes. "I'm not lying."

"How do I know that? I don't even know how to tell if that's you or the bond talking."

"So all of these feelings are all mine alone? You feel nothing for me?"

Jane's cheeks heated and she pulled away, tears spilling forth. "No, I can't. I have to go." She ran towards her house, leaving him to watch her leave.


"So, you see why I am so confused?" Jane asked Bonnie as they walked through the woods. "It's like a freaking war in my head." Bonnie had had an odd dream about coffins and she and Jane were going to investigate what it meant. She had wanted to bring Elena too, but apparently she was on Damon duty meaning she was watching him drink.

Bonnie shook her head. "You just got to sort it out. I can't tell you what to do. Just my opinion."

"Which is…?"

"Don't get involved anymore. Just, try to stay out of it."

"I can't. I've tried for the past three days. And then that happens this morning."

"Has Damon spoken to you since the whole blow up after Homecoming?"

"No. We're kind of avoiding each other right now. and I am so not telling him about the dreams. He'll accuse me of cheating on him, when we are not even dating anymore."

"Damon still seems to think you are." Bonnie pointed out. "He's drinking in the Grill."

Jane sighed. "Because of Stefan, not me. Or at least not just me." She shook her head. "Well, enough about my weird problems with guys. You said four coffins and Klaus was in one?"

Bonnie nodded. "Yeah, it was weird. The witches are trying to tell me something for sure."

"Finn, Elijah, Kol, Rebekah, Klaus…" Jane counted on her fingers, frowning.

"What?"

"Klaus' siblings. Finn, Elijah, Kol, and Rebekah."

Bonnie frowned. "You think the witches are telling me about his siblings?"

"It can't be it though. Rebekah's not daggered or in a coffin so there's one that wouldn't have someone in it." Bonnie flinched. Rebekah was daggered and in the Salvatore's basement. That was probably why Damon hadn't invited her over to talk about things. He was sure she'd undagger the Original.

"Maybe that one is for Klaus."

"But he can't be daggered and that still leaves one sibling one."

"Well, whatever it is, we're about to find out."

Jane looked up at the old building. "Damon said the witches messed with his ring."

"Yeah, not many people like him." Bonnie said and they smiled at each other.

Giggling, the girls went inside. The rooms were dusty and in need of many repairs. Broken furniture lay here and there and there was an old grandfather clock at the far end of the house. She had always liked the large clocks and she admired it for a moment before wandering on.

"Its kind of dusty in here. We should really clean it out." Jane said and Bonnie snorted.

"Go right ahead, but I wouldn't bother. The witches don't care what it looks like." She and Jane stood in the hall for a moment before Bonnie felt the witches murmur towards the down stairs.

"Down there?"

"Yeah"

Jane followed her down into the dimly lit basement of the old house. The only light coming from the broken planks in the walls and the ceiling.

Bonnie sighed and turned to the other girl. "I didn't thank you for forgiving me. We didn't mean to leave you out, it was just-"

"Because Klaus would have gotten it out of you."

Jane and Bonnie shrieked as Stefan came around the corner.

"Stefan, you startled us!" Jane frowned and he chuckled.

"Sorry." He didn't look sorry in the least.

"Did you follow us here?" Bonnie frowned.

"Yeah. Wasn't too hard. Both of you should probably be more careful."

"What do you want?"

"Relax." He said, pushing off the wall he was leaning against. "I need your help."

Bonnie scowled. "Why would I help you? Elena said you saved Klaus' life."

"Jane's already filled you in about Klaus' little secret. He kept his family with him at all times – daggered. Stored in coffins. And now I have them, and I need you to help keep them hidden."

"Are you out of your mind?" Jane scowled. "You're just gonna make him angrier. You can't just take someone's family like that. Stefan, why would do that?"

"Because he's taken things from me and I'm returning the favor." Stefan told her evenly. "Are you going to help or not? His family is his one weakness. As long as I have that, I can ruin him."

Bonnie shook her head. "I don't have enough power to hide four Originals!"

"You're a witch. You hate Klaus. I know you can figure something out. And you have Jane to help you with your magic."

Jane and Bonnie exchanged looks.


Damon set the bottles on the countertop. "All right you have your choice—Bloody Mary, Screwdriver…Brunch in a Bottle." He took a swig of one of the shot glasses and then downed some orange juice with it. He pouted when Alaric ignored him. "C'mon, Ric. I can't drink all of this by myself... I mean, I can, but then somebody's getting naked…" He sent a smirk over to the young, pretty bartender who smiled back with a smirk of her own. Alaric didn't move.

"Oh man. I can't believe you're both making me drink alone." He bemoaned and Ric sighed, trying to focus on his task which was grading History papers.

"I'm busy."

"It's the eve of Klaus-ageddon. You're doing homework?" Damon said drunkenly.

Ric rolled his eyes and faced him. "This may come as a shock, but I'm not here to hang out with you. I'm here to see Jeremy... Who is an hour late for his shift." He glanced at the clock on the wall.

"Kids today... Where are their values?" Damon snorted.

"This is his mid-term paper." Alaric passed the paper along the bar. A grade of "F" written in red ink on the front. "Copied it straight off the internet. Didn't even try to hide it..."

"Ooh, somebody's getting grounded."

"Did you say you are waiting for Jeremy – as in Jeremy Gilbert?" She asked.

"Yeah." Alaric replied.

"He was fired last week."

"Oops." Damon grinned.

"So where is Jane today anyway? Why aren't you off with her and not drinking?"

Damon shrugged. "We're not really on speaking right now."

"Put your foot in your mouth did you?" Alaric smirked and Damon sent him a look. "Stop stressing her out. I'm surprised she even functions anymore. I had to shoo her out of my apartment yesterday because she was beating the hell out of the punching bag again. She did wrap her knuckles this time, but…She's really upset about something."

"Well, if I see her I'll ask her. She's been avoiding me."

"Wonder why." Ric drawled. "You almost got her killed by Mikael."

"How was I supposed to know he was the world's oldest pervert?" Damon scowled. "Or that he just happened to be lusting after Luciana only to move onto Jane instantly."

The human rolled his eyes. "Look, the fact is, something is seriously stressing her out." Ric showed Damon her paper. "A "C". She doesn't make Cs in my class. She never has. It would have a been a great paper, but there were so many mistakes and things that she really should have caught. She barely did the ending paragraph."

Damon took it from him and flipped through it. "Maybe she was tired."

"Maybe, but I think something else is going on." Ric got up from the bar. "Rob is going to be back today maybe she just needs someone caring for her. I'm going to find Jeremy."

"Good luck." Damon muttered after him.


Bonnie shut her grimoire. "Okay, I may have figured out a way, but the witches won't talk to me. But I think they will talk to you, Jane." She leaned against Elijah's coffin. Stefan had brought them inside.

"Me? Why me?"

"Because you're an elemental. One with the Earth. I lost my way with the witches because I brought Jeremy back, against nature. But I think they will listen to you."

"I don't know…"

Stefan was suddenly hovering over them and Jane frowned. She shouldn't feel scared of Stefan, but the fact was…She had no idea how he was now. He wasn't the same Stefan anymore.

"Listen, Jane. This is really important."

Jane scowled. "Are you threatening me, Stefan?"

"Of course not." He said, but his eyes told a different story. "But it's imperative that we keep these coffins from Klaus."

"I'll help you, but on one condition. I want to talk to Elijah."

"You're not undaggering him." Stefan scowled.

"I don't have too. I can talk to him another way. It's just a theory, I've never tried, but I think I can talk to him."

Stefan nodded once and he pushed off the wall. "Fine."

"You have ten minutes." He told her and she nodded once before pushing the lid open. Elijah was laying peacefully and she bit her lip as she took his hand. Concentrating, she shut her eyes.

Jane found herself in front of a large old fashioned house. A plantation house it appeared to be. The windows were cracked here and there as a hot breeze blew into the house, hopefully making the air seem not as stuffy inside. She could feel perspiration gathering on her skin and she made her way indoors. She was greeted by a carousing vampires dancing and conversing with one other, blood dripping down most of their chins. Frowning she, stepped around a few more intimate ones found herself at a large staircase that wound up to the next floor. She stopped, seeing a mirror and gazed at herself. She was wearing a red and gold corseted dress and her hair was up in a tightly twisted bun. A few of her curls were loose and stuck to her cheeks from the heat.

Jane started up the steps, wondering where Elijah was, and then down a hallway. She stopped at the only door that was ajar and she peered inside. A familiar Original was admiring a shelf of books. His back to her. she walked inside, looking over the grand oak desk there and noticing some odd burned places in the curtains.

"Elijah!"

He turned with a smile and she ran to him, hugging him tightly. "It's so good to see! I've missed you!" He chuckled and hugged her back.

"Miss Evans." He greeted.

"What this place?"

"Our old home in New Orleans. 1766."

"It beautiful."

"Yes, but I'm sure you noticed the burned curtains."

"Yes, what happened?"

"My siblings happened."

Jane tried not to laugh and he smiled bitterly.

"I can only assume that I'm still daggered."

Jane's smile fell. "Yes, I'm sorry. I want to undagger you, but Stefan won't let me. He's holding you and your siblings captive from Klaus."

"That is a dangerous venture. He does know that my brother does not take kindly to threats."

"I'm sure he knows. He just doesn't care." Elijah raised an eyebrow and she explained everything that had happened since he had been daggered.

Elijah sat back in his chair. "I see."

"So, I can try and undagger you."

He shook his head. "You need to stay safe. Stefan is unstable right now because of my brother's impeccable way of dealing with others. I don't want you getting hurt."

"I can't just…You've been stuck in here for months." He smiled at her and took her hand.

"A few months is nothing compared to years, Miss Evans. You'll find a way to help me eventually." He smiled. "No doubt you'll want to help all of my siblings." Jane smiled.

"I think it would be nice if you were all together again."

Elijah smiled. "Yes, it would." The room suddenly shook.

"What was that?"

"Someone is attempting to wake you."

"Oh. I guess my time is up then." Jane said sadly and then she hugged him. Elijah smiled and hugged her back.

"It's all right, Jane." He kissed her forehead. "Just remember this, you get to make the decisions. Damon may want you back, but if cannot conduct himself in a manner that is right for you, then he is not worth your tears. And the same goes for my brother. It is your feelings that should matter first." She nodded and then the room faded.

"Time's up." Said Stefan and she nodded. He held a hand out to her. "Now we need your blood." She slipped her hand into his and the world went dark again as she left Elijah's coffin.


"You're really going to do this in the Grill, in front of everyone?" Damon scowled as Klaus appeared behind Elena. "It's a little beneath you, don't you think?"

"I don't know what you are talking about." Klaus shrugged. "I just came down to my local pub to grab a drink with a mate." He glanced over his shoulder at his Hybrid who Elena recognized as the same one who had bumped into her while she had been jogging. Klaus noticed that she recognized him and smirked. "Get a round, then, would you, Tony?" The Hybrid nodded and walked away.

"I'm surprised you stuck around long enough for happy hour." Damon quipped, body tense.

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "My sister seems to be missing. Need to sort that out..."

"Cute, blonde bombshell, psycho? Shouldn't be too hard to find."

"Truth is," He stepped closer to Damon. "I've grown to rather like your little town. Thinking I might fancy a home here." He took the darts Damon had been using earlier. "Oh, I imagine you're wondering how does this affect you." He walked around them to get to the dartboard. "The answer is: not in the slightest. As long as I get what I want and everyone behaves themselves, you can go on living your little lives however you choose." He smirked at Elena. "You have my word."

"What more could possible want?" She hissed.

"Well, for starters, you can tell me where I might find Stefan." He crowded Elena and Damon moved closer, blocking him and Klaus smirked in amusement. Damon knew why he was smirking and growled.

"Stefan skipped town the second he saved your ass." He said through gritted teeth.

"You see, that's is a shame."

Wham. The dart in his hand hit a bullseye. Elena's eyes widened.

"Your brother stole from me. I need him found so I can take back what's mine."

"That sounds like a Klaus and Stefan problem." Elena frowned.

"Well, this is me broadening the scope sweetheart." Klaus smirked and then faced Damon.

"I haven't see you around much, mate."

"Well I've been a bit busy."

"Yes, upsetting Jane for the hundredth time. Must be exhausting." He mocked.

Damon narrowed his eyes. "You stay away from her."

"Are you jealous that she's more willing to give me the time of day? She did after all spend some time with me earlier."

Damon growled and it pissed him off how Jane had listened to nothing he had said about staying away from Klaus.

"She was only talking to you to keep you from trying to kill her." He sneered.

Klaus didn't rise to the bait. He only smirked at Damon's attempt to reassure himself. "Oh, I see. Possessive. Well, no need to be that. I don't think she likes you much right now anyway."

Damon scowled. "Keep away from her, Klaus. I know what you want from her and she's not going to give it you."

"You may think me to be the villain and perhaps I am, but both Jane and her opinion matter to me." Klaus told him with slight annoyance at the arrogant vampire. "She's perfectly capable of making her own decisions."

"Or at least the ones you want her to make." He retorted, slapping a mangled rose against his chest. Klaus looked down at it. Elena cocked an eyebrow. "Buying her things? Cheap way of getting her to do your bidding."

"She wanted to go dancing." He said innocently and Damon's jaw clenched. "I was perfectly content at leaving her be, but she said she wanted to go. You didn't bother ask her."

"I was trying to keep her out of it and away from you." Damon hissed. "I knew you'd try to get her to your side by acting nice to her. We all know it's an act, Klaus. You don't care about her. You only care about her blood and Elena's blood."

"That is where you are wrong, mate. I do care for her, very much in fact." Klaus smirked at Damon's furious expression. "Now if you'll excuse me. I have a drink waiting for me."


Jane yelped as she was grabbed from in front of the Grill.

"Ow, Damon, stop that hurts." She said as he stalked towards the back alley of the bar, dragging Jane with him. "Let go!" He did and she stumbled against the concrete wall. And hit him in the chest when he steadied her. He didn't notice the bandage around her hand. "What is wrong with you?"

"We need to talk, now." He demanded, a "no nonsense attitude" on his face.

Jane scowled, folding her arms across her chest irritably as she set her bag of food on the ground. "About what?"

"What the hell were you doing with Klaus this morning? Did the night of Homecoming completely leave your head?"

"Are you calling me stupid again, Damon?" She snapped. "I was there. I know what happened. Mikael tried to kill me!"

"Because Klaus brought you there and Mikael saw! He saw you as a distraction for him! All you had to do was tell Klaus you didn't want to go with him. I thought you wanted to go with me?"

"Yeah, I wanted to go with you! But guess what? You're too busy trying to one up Klaus to care about how I feel! So instead of sitting at home feeling like a moron for waiting for a phone call that clearly wasn't coming, I decided to go!"

"Of course I care! And the only way to make sure you and Elena are safe and everyone else for that matter, is to be rid of that evil Hybrid. I didn't ask you so you'd keep your ass home!"

"So instead of telling me your scheme and asking me to stay out of it, you decided to cover up what was going on again?! How am I supposed to trust you when you leave me out?!"

"I'm on the good team. You're supposed to trust me!"

"Well, the fact is I don't!" She hissed at him. "I don't! And I wish I could, but you've lied to me and you've hid things from me…"

"But you trust Klaus? Maybe I was right in calling you naïve!"

Slap. The left side of his face stung from her slap and yeah he deserved it, but it just made him angrier.

"You're an asshole, Damon! All of my friends lied to me, how can I trust them either!? Trust Klaus? No I don't, but I can't just ignore him if he's around my house or in it. Kind of like you." She said, trying to make a point, but Damon only caught what bothered him the most.

"You invited him in your house?" Damon hissed. "Why did you do that? Are you insane?"

"I just did okay? I don't have to tell you my every move!"

"No, not okay! Damn it, Jane! How am I supposed to keep you safe?!

"I didn't ask you too." She tossed his words back at him from the nights ago and he growled.

Damon whipped around and pointed at her. "I don't want you around him. You got me? You stay away from Klaus. He's just after one thing."

"Oh my god, are you serious?" She scowled, but he remained insistent. "You can't be. Klaus isn't like that, Damon."

"The hell he's not." He snorted. "Why do you think he keeps buying you stuff, Jane? Keeps being nice to you? I told you it's not friendship he's after!"

Jane twisted her shirt. "But-"

"But what? He seemed to care about your thoughts and feelings? Seemed to sympathize with you? Bullshit. It's just a way of seducing you into his bed."

Jane was glad that she was looking away from him. Her face was on fire from how Damon's words were getting to her and how it reminded her of her dream about Klaus. Her eyes stung and she blinked back tears.

"I'm not trying to hurt you, Janey." He said in a softer tone, when she refused to look at him. He knew she was trying not to cry. "I just want you to understand. Klaus is the bad guy, all he wants is to get you to submit to him and then that's it. He'll toss you away and leave you for someone else." He cupped her cheek gently, turning her to face him. "He just wants to get you in his bed like some ancient Viking conquest."

Jane lifted her eyes to his. "I told you once that that was all guys ever wanted from me." She whispered. "They just wanted sex. Is that what you wanted?" She slapped his hand from her face. "Was I your conquest?!"

"Jane-" Damon began, frowning, but she started stalking up the steps. Scowling, he zoomed in front of her, looming over her on the steps above her. "Jane, you know that's not true."

"Just go away, you made your damn point, I can't trust anyone. Especially you and Klaus!"

"Hey," He said sharply and stopped her from leaving. "Stop it."

"You made it perfectly clear how stupid I am, so thanks for that." She snapped at him, angry tears blurring her vision. "Just leave me alone."

"I'm not calling you stupid, but you have to think about your actions. He's trying to seduce you, Jane. And you're falling for it."

"Like you did? Promising me things and being super nice to me? Was that all an act too?!"

"Stop comparing me to Klaus!" Damon hissed. "I am nothing like that Hybrid freak!"

"Don't call him that!" Jane snapped back, aggressively. "Tyler's a Hybrid too! You can't just label people like that, Damon."

"Tyler Lockwood is sired to Klaus, Jane. That makes him one of many freaks to roam around."

"Am I a freak Damon? Because I'm an elemental, a seer, and a doppelganger! So you're a freak too then! You're a vampire!"

Damon got in her face. "Knock it off! This conversation is going off topic. Klaus is not to talk to you or touch you or anything. You were mine first."

"Screw you, Damon!" She hissed, grabbing her lunch, and purposely hit him with her shoulder as she walked passed him. Damon looked over his shoulder at her and frowned. If she wanted to act that way, fine. What did he care?


Jane gasped as a vision entered her head and she had to stop and hold onto a nearby fence.

Jeremy was standing in the middle of the road outside the Gilbert house. Suddenly a car was racing around the corner, tires squealing as it gained sped. Jeremy didn't move. Elena, Jenna, and Alaric were on the porch and then Alaric was sprinting towards the teen in the road.

"Oh my God! Jeremy!" Elena called.

"Jeremy!" Ric yelled.

"Jeremy move!"

Alaric quickly shoved Jeremy out of the and the car slammed into him. Ric was sent flying up and slamming the windshield before he tumbled to the asphalt below.

"Ric!" Jenna screamed and she and Elena ran over to the man. They turned him over, but he wasn't responding to their touch.

Jane came out of her vision with a cry.

"Jeremy…Ric…" She ran up the street, leaving her lunch on the ground where she had dropped it.

Jane made it to the Gilbert's in time to see what her vision had warned her of. Jeremy was in the middle of the street and unless someone moved him, Ric would get hit. She couldn't allow that. She had the visions for a reason. To help.

"Jeremy!" Jenna yelled and Elena and Ric came flying off the porch

"Jeremy move!" Elena yelled and she and Ric ran towards him. Ric wasn't going to make it time to move back out of the way, then suddenly Jane was there was she was pulling Jeremy out of the way of the SUV and they fell backwards. The vehicle lammed on its breaks directly. It screeched to a halt.

Jeremy seemed to come out of his trance and he looked down to see Jane hugging him tightly. "Jane?" She looked up at him.

"Jer! Jer, are you okay?"

"Yeah…what happened?"

Elena, Jenna, and Ric crowded around them.

"Who was that one the phone, Jeremy?" Elena asked.

"…Klaus." Jeremy murmured. Jane frowned.

Jenna hugged Jane. "Thank you, Jane. That was so dangerous," She half scolded, but hugged her anyway. For a second, Jane was caught up in Jenna's hug. She missed her mother so much and Jenna's hug was warm and comforting like her mom's used to be. Tears stung her eyes. "But you saved him…How did you know?"

"I got a vision and…I couldn't let anything happen to you Jeremy or to Ric, because I saw it happen. Ric pushed Jeremy out of the way and got hit by the car." Jeremy, Elena, and Ric paled.

"Oh, my god." Jenna stated and she held Jane close. "You saved them both."

"Jane?" She looked over to see Elena. "I…Thank you for saving Jeremy and Alaric." Jane nodded once and then Alaric hugged her. Again she was caught up in how she missed her parents and she had to move away or end up bawling.

Jane pulled away from the group. "Excuse me a moment." She stood up and went over to the SUV, knocking on the window. It rolled down and Tony glanced her up and down.

"Are you hurt?" He asked, eyes wide and apologetic.

"Did Klaus tell you do to this?!" She demanded.

"I don't-"

"Answer me!"

"Yes!"

"Tell me why."

"Because he wants his family back from Stefan."

Jane scowled. "Get out of here, right now, Tony. And you tell Klaus that we need to have a serious talk about how we get things."

He backed up his car and took off in the opposite direction, tires screeching. Everyone else was looking at her.

"What?"

"He listened to you." Ric stated, thinking hard. "He's sired to you, Jane." Jane's eyes widened.

Jeremy frowned. "Tyler said something about making Jane happy…I think he's gone to your house."

"Elena, where is Rebekah, you need to tell me." The girl turned to her.

"But why?" Elena asked.

"Because I'm going to make sure Klaus never tries hurts any of you again."

"You're going to give him Rebekah. Damon won't like that." Alaric frowned.

Jane scowled. "I don't really care what Damon likes right now."


"Jane." Tyler knocked on her door. "We need to talk. Please."

"I'm here."

He turned around to see her. "Oh, I thought you were at-"

"What is it?"

"Look, I've been having this weird feeling…I…This is going to sound really weird, but do you need me? Is there something you want me too for you?"

Jane sighed. "It's true. You're sired to me."

Tyler nodded. "Yeah, I think so too…So do want me to get you something to eat? A pizza? Make you tea? Anything?"

"Take me to Klaus." She told him and he blinked.

"Jane…"

"Take me to Klaus, Tyler." She said firmly and he nodded.

"All right then, let's go."


"There he is." Klaus smiled as Tyler came in. "Man of the hour."

"So everything went okay?"

"Not exactly, but alas…I suppose I'll have to find a different way to teach my lesson."

"What lesson?" Tyler asked, acting as if he didn't know as per Jane's instructions.

"Well, you see, I compelled Jeremy Gilbert to stand in the middle of the street. Tony was to run him over, but apparently someone rescued him." Worried for Jane, he asked:

"Who?"

Klaus shrugged. "Possibly Alaric, who really who cares? Perhaps they got the message."

"You didn't say you were going to hurt anyone. You just said you were sending a warning."

"Apples and oranges, Tyler. I did send a message, how effective will depend on how long I have to wait for what I want."

"That's not right, Klaus."

Klaus sighed. "Tyler, mate. What you are feeling is the remnant of a guilty conscience. I need you to get over it, okay?" He placed his hand on the young hybrids shoulder "End of the day, human life is just a means to an end, our means to our end. You do well to remember that."

"Yes, well I certainly will."

Klaus turned around with a roguish grin. "Jane, my love. How long have you been there?"

"Long enough." She responded. "Well, far be it from me to keep you from having a grand old time." She whirled on her heels. Klaus sighed and zoomed in front of her,

"Now, love, I wasn't talking about you. And you shouldn't eavesdrop."

"I'm still human, Klaus. I don't get to live hundreds of years without some supernatural ability." She poked his chest angrily. Tyler couldn't help but be slightly amused by it. "You if care so little for human life, how can I trust you not to think so little of me?"

He took her chin. His gaze heated. "Trust that I care for you deeply, my love." She cheeks turned red, but she shook her head, dislodging his hand.

"You just tried to kill Jeremy Gilbert. You know, one of the many humans of Mystic Falls?"

"That was to send a message, darling. Nothing more."

"And if he had died?" Klaus shrugged and she scowled. "I won't stand by while you hurt people to get your way."

"What would you have me do, my love?" He growled, tugging her closer to him. "He has my family."

She sighed. "I know that." She said softly. "But this isn't going to sway Stefan. He's too off the rails."

"I gave him his freedom."

"Yes, you did and while that was great…He's been on human blood for months, that's not just going to go away. He's part Ripper and it's made him reckless."

"I am not going to involve you, Jane. This is between Stefan, your friends, and I."

"Well that's too bad, because I'm in it anyway. And I know where Rebekah is."

Klaus stiffened. "You shouldn't threaten me, love. That's not nice."

"Neither is trying to hurt my friends. But I'm not threatening you. I'm bargaining with you. Leave Elena and her family alone and you I'll show you were she is."


"Rob, what are you doing here?" Jenna asked with a small frown.

"Have you seen Jane? She was supposed to be at home."

Alaric shook his head. "I haven't seen her since this afternoon when she saved Jeremy from getting hit by the car."

"A car? What's been going on around here?" Rob frowned. "She won't answer her phone and it's really important that I know where she is. There's a vampire around here that's been tailing me since I came into town. It's not safe for her unless she's inside." Alaric frowned.

Jenna bit her lip. "Do you want to come in and wait for her?"

"No, I think that-" Rob was cut off by a vampire sinking his fangs into his neck savagely. Alaric pulled back a screaming Jenna. Rob was let go of and he hit the ground, choking and gasping for air. The vampire disappeared.

Jenna's eyes widened. "Oh, my god."

"Stay back." Alaric warned her and stepped forward. He needed to get Rob and pull him safely inside, but he was in the middle of the porch inches from the steps. Cautiously, he peered out of the house. All seemed quiet, but Ric knew better. "Rob, can you see him?"

"N-no. Don't…" He warned, he was losing blood and fast. The hand clamped to wound did little to stop it.

Alaric inched out of the house and reached for Rob. Suddenly the vampire was back. Jenna cried out to Alaric, but suddenly something made the vampire gasp and fall to the wooden floor. Behind him was Jeremy, holding the crossbow.

"Is that my crossbow?" He scowled and the teen grinned sheepishly.

"Jeremy Gilbert, I swear I am going to-"

"Not now, Jenna, you can ground me later. He's not dead." He nudged the vampire with his foot. "We have to get Rob inside." Alaric and Jeremy grabbed the man's arms and legs and hurried him inside.

Once Rob was on the couch, Jeremy ran into the kitchen. He came back with a meat cleaver and went outside to the fallen vampire. He raised his arm and brought it down swiftly onto the vampire's neck. Jenna gagged and Alaric grimaced as the boy hacked off the vampire's head.

"Oh, god…" Jenna murmured.

"Now he's dead." Jeremy announced and came inside.

"Jenna, call Damon and then see if you can find Jane and Elena. I have a feeling that Klaus is behind this. That's the same Hybrid that tried to run us over earlier."


"Do you know what I can't figure out?"

Stefan rolled his eyes. He and his brother had been standing outside the witch house for hours.

"Why save me? Was it brotherly love, guilty conscience? Is the switch on, is the switch off?"

"You have somewhere you need to be Damon?" Stefan retorted.

"Ah, deflection. That's not going to work on me. I invented that."

"We're done. Can't you just go away?"

Damon scowled. "Not until you tell me why you saved me. You owe me that."

"I didn't owe you anything."

"Fine." Damon pouted. "Next question: why did you steal the coffins?"

"Because Klaus' family is the one weakness I can use against him." Stefan informed him in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Use against him to do what!" Damon snapped. "You're not going to kill him, you know how I know? Cause there was only one way to kill him and you blew that to save me."

"You're wrong, Damon. Klaus doesn't just get to live forever. There's another way. There has to be." Stefan said and Damon could hear the urgency.

"Fair enough. But whatever you're doing I want in."

"I don't need your help."

"Really? Last time I checked you're hiding in a haunted house."

"I'm in this alone, Damon." Stefan reminded him.

"You go after Klaus, you're going to have to be cutthroat and devious. I'm so much better at that than you. Come on brother. What do you say? If you're gonna keep saving my life at least make it for a good reason."

"You want in, huh?" Stefan asked.

"Yeah."

"Okay. But its just you and me. Elena stays out of it."

"What about Jane?"

"Technically. She's part of it."

"How so?" Damon frowned when he realized Stefan wasn't giving anything away just yet. "Deal." He agreed and Stefan nodded.

"Follow me." Stefan walked back into the house.

"Wait. I'm not so... welcome in there." Damon gestured at the house. The last he had been inside the witches had messed with his daylight ring.

Stefan smirked. "Don't you worry, Damon. We all want the same thing." He led his brother to the basement. "Have a look."

Damon snorted at the empty room. "What? Klaus is allergic to dust?"

"Hmm... Look again."

Damon did and his eyes widened. There sat four coffins. "Witch spirits hate Klaus as much as we do. They're using their powers to hide the coffins. Thanks to Jane and Bonnie."

"So even if he comes in the house..." Damon mused, liking this plan.

"... he won't he able to find them." Stefan finished with a nod.

"What do you mean thanks to Jane?"

"She was here to this morning. Lending a helping hand."

Damon scowled. "Why was she here?"

Stefan shrugged. "I think the witches called her here with Bonnie."

Damon's phone rang. "Ric. Whoa, slow down. What happened?"


"Mr. Evans. What are you doing up? You should be resting." Meredith scolded, her eyes wide with shock. She was also trying not to let her eyes wander over the firm muscled back of the man in front of her.

Rob looked at her over his shoulder as he pulled his shirt back on. "Ah, I'm more of a walk it off kinda guy." He smirked. "Do I need to sign something?"

"You had a lot of blood missing and a concussion. I have no idea how you're on your feet right now, but I need to run some more tests." She informed him with a surprised look and she touched his arm.

Rob placed his hand over hers and she looked up at him. "I actually have some place I need to be. I have a niece I need to check on, but... thank you... Dr..."

"Fell." She informed him with a smirk. "But the patients who follow my advice get to call me Meredith."

He grinned cockily. "Well... I appreciate your help Dr. Fell." He moved around her and she turned around.

"Mr. Evans... what is your secret? Guardian angel or did you sell your soul to the devil?"

Rob gave her a mysterious smile. "I bit of both I suppose. Thank you for being my guardian angel." Meredith flushed as he winked at her and left the room.


"Hello, darling. Discover you can talk to me did you?" Rebekah asked, reclining in the booth. They were inside the bar in Chicago that Klaus had taken them too. Rebekah was dressed in her 20's attire, flapper dress and a string of pearls around her neck. Jane looked down to see that she was wearing a similar dress that was champagne colored.

"Pretty isn't it?"

Jane nodded and then she went over, hugging her. Rebekah could feel the distress coming off her in waves.

"What's the matter, Jane?"

Jane rapidly told her the events of Homecoming night and the days that followed up til then and Rebekah scowled.

"Rude. I told you, Jane. My brother is a beast and Damon's no better. And those so called friends of yours…I say screw the lot of them. Undagger me and I'll take you far from Mystic Falls. We'll let Nik have that cow Elena. Then we can undagger the rest of my family. Once we get them back from Stefan."

"I'm afraid he's going to hurt me, Bekah. I haven't told Klaus where the coffins are but I feel so guilty."

"Don't be fooled. He doesn't care what happens to us, just as long we're still daggered and down in a box."

Jane shook his head. "No, I could see it. He does feel remorse, but he's afraid to show it. To look weak."

"And you're afraid to love him."

"I don't love him."

"Whatever you say. You did defend him rather quickly."

Jane flushed. "I just don't think you should be so hasty."

Rebekah sighed. "I'm still angry at him. He won't undagger me."

"But-"

"Not even if you beg him. Nik's too far into his own plans that he won't allow harm to come to Elena."

"Bekah."

"She stabbed me in the back. watch and see if she doesn't do the same to you, again."

The world shook and Rebekah sighed. "Someone is breaking our connection. Try and visit me soon. I get lonely with these figments of people."

"I promise I'll find a way to get everyone together."

"I know you'll try." Rebekah told her and patted her cheek. "Now run along. I have a feeling it's Nik."


"Where is Jane?" Klaus asked when Elena opened the door to the Salvatore house.

"She's with Rebekah."

Klaus arched an eyebrow before coming inside. "I trust you have news of Stefan."

"I couldn't find him." She lied and he turned to face her. "But I know where Rebekah is."

"Yes, Jane wishes for me to leave you and your family alone in exchange for my sister. A fair enough bargain. I hope you appreciate what she's asked."

Elena nodded. "I do. She saved my brother…"

She led Klaus down into the basement. Jane was kneeling next to Rebekah, clasping her hand and her eyes shut tightly. Rebekah lay on the ground, daggered in the back and grey.

"My poor sister. I can't turn my back on her for a moment." He cocked his head to one side, watching her. "Can she hear us?"

"I don't think so." Elena shrugged.

"What is she doing?"

"Talking to Rebekah."

He was curious as to why and how she was able to do so, but he let it go for the moment. "I'll give her another few minutes then, shall I?"

Elena shifted. "You should know I was the one that daggered her. When she wakes, up she'll come after me."

"I can control Rebekah. Besides, I still need your help finding Stefan."

"I told you I don't know where he is." Elena frowned as Klaus leant down and pulled the dagger from her.

"You're lying. Fortunately, you have no shortage of loved ones. If I don't find my family the question you should be asking yourself is who's going to die next? Bonnie? Caroline? Damon?"

"She'd hate you if you hurt him."

Klaus stroked Jane's hair gently. The girl didn't acknowledge it. "All I promised was not to harm your family. She never mentioned your friends." Elena frowned. "It's only a matter of time before Stefan gives me what I want."

"He doesn't care about me anymore. You made sure of that. You turned him into a monster." Elena snapped at him. "Now he's your problem. And just so you know, I'm not the only one that Rebekah wants dead. She knows what you did to your mother. She knows that you killed her..." Klaus looked away briefly. "You can let yourself out."

Elena turned and left.

Klaus knelt next to Jane and touched her arm. "Love…it's time to let me have her."

Jane came back to herself and she blinked up at him tiredly. "She's okay. She's just afraid." He cupped her face.

"You never cease to amaze me, love."

"Will you undagger her?"

"In time. I'm afraid she'd go after Elena if I were to undagger her now."

Jane looked at her sadly and Klaus stroked her cheek. "Don't be sad, my love. I will undagger her someday."

"Elijah too?"

He nodded. "Yes, Elijah too. Would that make you happy, love?"

"I think it would make you very happy to have your siblings with you again."

"Perhaps or perhaps they'd want revenge against me."

"Well, maybe if you try to explain to them that you were sorry…" She suggested before smiling. "Or I could do it. I could talk to them like I did Rebekah." She looked happy and he didn't want to tell her that his siblings would be ill tempered with him, especially Finn and Kol. Instead he only nodded.

"Perhaps, but I'll need them back first."

Jane nodded seriously. "I hope you can get them back without violence."

"Where's the fun in that, my love?" He smirked and Jane sent him a look.


"Did you get rid of him?"

"Yep, Tony the headless Hybrid is now at the bottom of Steven's Quarry. How's Jenna?"

"Troubled. She just watched her nephew hack off a Hybrid's head with meat cleaver."

Damon winced. "Yikes."

"How's Jane's uncle?"

"Rob took my blood. He's all good now. Ric and Jeremy are giving him a ride home."

"Is Jane here?"

"She left a few minutes ago. Klaus dropped her off."

Damon's jaw clenched. "I can't believe she gave him Rebekah."

"She was trying to save us, Damon."

"Lot of good it did, Klaus sent his damn Hybrid anyway. Does she know?"

"Not yet. Rob doesn't want to upset her. So he said not to tell her." Elena sighed. "Look, I've been thinking and I…I want you to compel Jeremy away from here. Jenna's agreed to it. it's not right that he's a sixteen-year-old and he had to chop someone's head off."

"I understand." Damon said softly. "But do you really want to let him go?"

Elena sighed. "I have too."

"Please, Damon. He's just a kid, he shouldn't be involved." Jenna murmured. "What kind of guardian does that make me if I can't take care of him in world of vampires? The least I can do is get him somewhere safe. I have some friends in Denver who are willing to take him in."

Alaric came into the kitchen and they heard Jeremy go up the stairs.

"How's Rob?" Elena asked and Ric nodded.

"He's better. Says he either owes you a round at the bar or a round in your head for healing him with your blood." He said to Damon who smirked. "He's waiting for Jane at home."

"She's probably there now."

Ric frowned. You let her walk off alone?"

"Come on, obviously the big, bad vampire that was stalking Ranger Rob is dead and headless. She's perfectly safe." Damon stated. "As long as she stays the hell away from Klaus."


Jane was about halfway home when she realized she didn't have her phone.

"Oh, no." She bit her lip, wondering if she could get it tomorrow, but she had no idea if Rob was home yet or not. She turned around and headed back for the Gilbert's.


"I feel like a horrible person." Elena sighed, sitting on the steps of her porch.

"You just saved his life, Elena." Damon told her gently. "Take it from me, estranged is bad, dead is worse."

"I just can't stop thinking about what happened the last time I asked you to compel him."

"He found out." Damon shrugged. "And he got over it. Again, not dead, Elena." He joined her on the steps. "He's lucky to have a sister like you..."

She smiled at him. "Thank you."

"No problem."

"Not just for this, Damon. For everything." He swallowed hard. "I don't know what I would do if you weren't here."

She needed him and it was…a nice feeling. "You should know this, Elena." She waited, the tension between them rising high. "Stefan didn't screw us over. He screwed us over, but he had a good reason."

"What?" Elena frowned.

"He saved Klaus to save me. Then he stole the coffins to get even."

"What? Damon, if he did it to protect you then... why would he even do that? What does that even mean?"

"What does it mean? Means I'm an idiot." He leaned closer to her.

"Damon." Elena stated and took his hand. "You are not an idiot. It just means that deep down Stefan really does care."

"Elena…" His eyes lowered to her mouth.

She shook her head. "Damon, no…" She pushed his chest.

"I know, you and Stefan."

"And…Jane."

"Yeah." He said bitterly, still angry from their fight earlier in the day. "Klaus is trying to screw her and she's as clueless as usual."

"You have to tell her about what Klaus did. I think it's wrong to keep trying to hide things from her. Maybe if she knows the truth then she'll have more of a reason to stay away from Klaus."

He stood up. "I should go."

Elena nodded, standing too. Part of her wanted him to kiss her, wanted him to take her in his arms. She wanted to inhale the scent of his leather jacket and his after-shave. It was all Damon. But the rational part of her knew it was wrong. Wrong to do this to Jane again, even if she and Damon were separated at the moment. She had just started to try and rebuild their friendship again.

"No." He said suddenly, turning back around. "No. You know what? If I'm going to feel this conflicted, then I have to know the truth."

"The truth about what?" Elena asked and then Damon's mouth was on hers. There was something. A spark between them. He could feel it. Pulling back, he examined her face to see if she had felt it. Elena's eyes slowly opened and then they widened.

"Damon." Elena said and Damon turned his head to see what she was looking at. Jane was standing at the end of the walkway with a heartbroken look on her face. Slowly, the girl put a hand over her mouth, shaking her head.

"Janey." He said as she backed away from them and then she was running up the street. "No, Janey, wait!"

Elena bit her lip, tears in her eyes. "Oh my god…Damon. What did we do?"

"I have to go talk to her." He said quickly and hurried after the girl. "Jane!"

Jane was halfway up the next block when Damon caught up to her.

"Hey, don't go."

"Twice?" She hissed, rounding on him with teary eyes. "I can't believe…I can't believe you! You asshole!" She snapped, hitting him in the chest.

"Janey, please."

"How could you!? After all of that talk about how you wanted to be with me, how Klaus was trying to manipulate me, and you saying all that stuff about trying to make it up to me?! Was that all bullshit Damon?! Huh? Or were you just proving that once again I'm too stupid to comprehend what was going on?"

"No!" He snapped back. "I meant all of that. Look, what just happened was an accident. We…I just making sure I didn't feel anything for her, Jane."

Jane hit him in the chest. "You told me you don't! So why would you try it?!"

"Because I had to be sure, Jane!"

"And did you feel something, Damon?" She asked. "Did you?!"

"I don't know!"

Jane shook her head. "Is it me? Did I drive you to this?"

"No, no." He said taking her hands. "No, Janey." She pulled away.

"I don't believe you." Jane snapped and socked him in the nose. She heard something snap and took satisfaction that his nose broke, although now her hand hurt like hell. "You're the one going around kissing other girls! You said you wanted to be with me, but you've never tried that hard to get me back."

He snapped his nose back into place, but it still throbbed. "Janey, please listen to me-"

"Why is it that I always get screwed over? What did I do?"

"Jane." They turned to see Elena coming up to them. "Jane, I am so, so sorry I didn't mean-"

"You're a bitch, Elena. I gave you the benefit of the doubt, because I wanted to believe that you were still my friend, but I was wrong."

"Hey, knock it off." Damon said. "Don't talk to her like that. It was my fault."

Jane scowled. "Yes by all means stick up for the girl you kissed." She backed away from him when he tried to catch her arm.

"Don't, Jane. Look, I'm sorry."

"Just don't, Damon. I'd just rather you didn't touch me right now."

Damon's jaw clenched. "You going to let Klaus touch you then? You gonna go run to him? Let me tell you something about your wonderful Klaus."

"Damon, don't-" Elena began, but he ignored her and plowed on.

"You want to know what he did? He sent his Hybrid to stalk your uncle when he came to town. Attacked him on Elena's porch! The same one who only hours earlier tried to run over Jeremy! Oh and so I saved your uncle with my blood, which is what Klaus should have done because it's his Hybrid!"

"What? No." Jane shook her head. "No, he wouldn't."

"Yes, he would!" Damon mocked her. "Your naivety strikes again! He's not your friend! He used you and then backstabbed you. Oh and Jeremy lobbed Tony's head off!"

"Damon, stop it. This is not her fault." Elena snapped.

Jane was full on sobbing now. "I didn't know."

Damon's angry went away and he sighed. "Janey, I didn't mean to blame you…You just don't understand-"

"What? That you love her and you always have."

"No!"

"Then why am I the only one who gets hurt? Why did you kiss her again?"

Damon hesitated before he sighed. "Janey…"

"No…Just stay away from me. All of you stay away. Rob was right about not being able to trust anyone." Crying, she turned and fled from him and Elena, disappearing around the corner.


Jane yelped when her foot caught the edge of the sidewalk and she ended up, hitting the ground. She choked back a cry when she landed on her already throbbing hand. Her knuckles were bruised and swollen from punching Damon's nose. Sitting up carefully, she cradled her hand, trying not to cry. Her knee was skinned up badly now and it stung and now both of her hands hurt. She knew she shouldn't sit in front of someone's driveway all night, but she couldn't stop crying long enough to attempt to get up again. She cradled her hands to her chest and tried to suppress in her tears. She was exhausted and she felt miserable and just wanted to go home, but she couldn't let Rob see her like this. He'd go on a rampage and kill all of the vampires, of course it wouldn't kill Klaus or Tyler, but still… She just wanted to sit and be alone. Just like she should have been from the beginning.

She tried not to sob and took a deep breath to calm herself. Everything she knew had changed. Her friends used her, her parents were gone, Rob was…somewhere, Damon hurt her, Klaus was confusing, Elijah and Rebekah were still daggered. Why did everything have to change? Why did she always get the bad end of things?

"Love?"

"What?" She asked, making sure not to look at him. Why did he have to show up everywhere?

"Why are you sitting in the dark crying?"

"I'm not." She said stiffly and he knelt next to her.

"Don't lie to me."

She faced him and pushed at him hard. "Go away! Stop telling me what to do!" He let her push him and didn't budge, but that seemed to upset her more.

"What's happened? Why are you so upset?"

"I just tripped over my own feet like an idiot." She lied and she wiped at her eyes when she thought he wasn't looking.

Klaus took her chin. "Jane. Will you tell me?"

"You…Why did you do that? Why did you hurt him, he didn't do anything to you!?"

"And just what did I do offend you and gain your ire?"

"You sent Tony to stalk my uncle. He almost died."

Klaus frowned. "I can assure you that I did not. Nor would I ever harm your family, Jane. who told you that?"

"Damon did. He said that Rob was standing on Elena's porch and Tony just attacked him."

"I never told him to do that, love. In fact, I hadn't seen Tony all evening." It was a bit alarming. Was there another vampire around? "Where is Tony now?"

"Jeremy cut his head off."

He arched an eyebrow. "I see…Are you hurt?" He smelt blood and he looked down at her knee and her hands. He reached for her hands and she drew back. "Easy, love. I wouldn't hurt you."

"Everyone says that." She snapped. "It's a lie. Go away."

"Well, that might be hard to do, considering your sitting in my driveway." He chuckled. She got a good look at the house behind her and scowled. Of course she tripped in front of Klaus' house.

"I should go." She attempted to stand up, but her knee protested and she went back down. Klaus caught her around the middle.

"Careful, my love." He chided softly. "What happened to your hands?"

"I punched…Damon." She whispered and he smiled.

"Did you? And just why did you do that?"

She started to say, the words getting caught in her throat from the urge to cry. Jane didn't want to put up with another male ego or show him she had been crying so she shook her head.

"No. I…I should just go home." Her eyes were watering again and cursed herself internally. "I should just go."

"You're hurt and upset." He said and frowned. "You shouldn't be out here." His concern for her was sweet, but also a bit alarming. What did he want? Was he going to hurt her?

She attempted to move on her own again. Her bloody, roughed up knee screamed in pain and she bit her lip as she steadied herself against a tree with one hand. "I need to go." She waved him off when he looked ready to steady her. "I just want to be alone."

Suddenly, lightning lit up the sky, followed by a loud clap of thunder and then…rain. Giant, drops of cold rain fell from the inky sky and Klaus made a decision as they were soaked in seconds. He scooped her up into his arms and toted her towards the mansion.

"Put me down. I don't want to go with you." Klaus ignored her and she frowned. "Put me down right now, Klaus, I mean it." She kicked her feet, trying to dislodged his grip. "Let me go!"

"No, love."

She continued to fight him, until she slumped and started sobbing. It was heartbreaking sobs and he knew that it hadn't just been her uncle's attack that upset her. Had it been Damon? One of her friends? He wouldn't put it past them, they didn't deserve her.

"Get us some towels and blankets, Mindy." He ordered the Hybrid and carried a sniffling Jane over to one of the couches that he had.

When he had her mostly dry and warm beneath the blankets, he knelt in front of her.

"Now, tell me, love. What are you doing here, sweetheart?"

"I…" She felt her throat close up. Hot tears stung her eyes and she shook her head. She couldn't even say it. "I…Never mind. I s-should go." She tried to stand up, but he took her arm holding her still gently and then swiped his thumb beneath her eye to catch a stray warm tear.

"What's happened, love?" Klaus frowned, when she lowered her gaze. "What, Jane? Has someone hurt you?"

"I was just walking and I fell..." She said lamely.

Klaus took her face into his hands and made her look at him. "Jane. My love." He said patiently, soothingly. "Tell me why you were walking in the dark."

"Damon." She whispered and he frowned.

"What? What did he do? Did he hurt your hand?"

"He-he kissed her. I saw him. He kissed her. For the second time." He was curious to ask if this mystery girl was Elena, but Jane was far too distressed to answer any more questions. She was so upset that he almost left her to go string Damon up by his innards, but he knew that upset or not, Jane would never forgive him for doing that.

"Oh, my love. I'm so sorry." He pulled her in against his chest as she pressed against him, crying once more. He shushed her, stroking her damp hair gently while she wept. "Don't cry over him, sweetheart. He's not worth your tears."

"It…just…hurt." She said, her breath catching. "And then he blamed for what happened to Rob and to Tony."

He cupped her cheek. "No, my love. That wasn't on you. And I swear I will find out who dared to do this to your uncle." He stroked her cheek. "Now let me see your hands." He took the one with the bandages first.

"What happened to this one?"

"I cut myself." She sniffed and he nodded once.

"Your bandages are dirty. You need clean ones." He took the other with tender hands, turning it this way and that, before he tried to unbend her fingers.

"Ow." She winced and he let go.

"Sorry, love."

"Is…is it broke?"

"I don't think so. It's too swollen to tell."

He could see she was exhausted and she kept rubbing at her eyes. "You are more than welcome to sleep here, love."

"…Kay." She said sleepily and he smiled a bit. He gathered her up in his arms once more, carrying her towards the stairs. With her uninjured hand she clutched his shirt and he murmured soothingly to her when she gave a small hiccup.


Klaus offered her the warm, dry clothes that Mindy had found and she was soon tucked into his bed. His bedroom was the only room that had been furnished so far, other than the couches down below. Jane was under the covers and her hand was wrapped in a towel and an icepack. She told him some of what had happened and then sighed.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, yawning and trying to keep her eyes open. "I didn't mean to just show up here."

"Nothing to apologize for, my love." He clicked the light off when it was apparent that she was seconds away from falling asleep. "Go to sleep now. We'll talk more in the morning, all right?"

"Thank you, Klaus." Jane said tiredly, exhausted from crying and taking pain medicine. Klaus had offered her blood, but she had declined.

"You're very welcome, my love."

He shut the door softly and headed down the stairs to contemplate what he was going to do now.


Klaus frowned when he heard whimpers and sobs coming from upstairs. He opened the bedroom door and looked in. Jane was tossing and turning, the sheets tangled around her legs.

"No…" She sobbed in fright and Klaus looked at her sympathetically. "Please help me!" He couldn't ignore the pleading tone of her voice even if he wanted too. It was such a sad sound to hear.

He went inside when she risked injuring her hand further with her tossing and turning. She shook her head wildly when he caught her from tumbling out of bed.

"No, no, let me go! Help me!" Her dream appeared in his head without him doing any prodding and he frowned.

"No, please! Please, don't!" She cried, but she was ignored. "I just want to go home."

"In you go, my little sweetness." The man holding her said and Jane screamed as she was shoved into the dark pit. She hit the ground and coughed, looking around. It was pitch black save for the light coming from the top of the hole. She felt something brush against her and she shrieked, backing away, only to feel several hands on her.

"No, let me go." She sobbed. Someone was smelling her hair, running fingers through it and she screamed and fought against the hands holding her. "Let me go! Let me out!" Her jacket was ripped off her and she whimpered.

"Shh." A voice said in her ear. "There, there, pretty girl. You won't have to suffer long." Hands were stroking her arms and legs and she felt mouths on her skin. Five or six at least tasting of her skin.

"No!"

A bright light shone down upon her and the dirty vampires holding her hissed and retreated.

"So, sorry to do this to you, missy." A dark figure stated. Jane had to shield her eyes because she couldn't see. "You seem like a nice, harmless girl. But I can't risk you being around and if Klaus Mikaelson wants you, it must not be good. Consider this a mercy killing."

"Please…I just want to go home." She sobbed. "Don't leave me down here!" The light was cut off and the darkness blinded her once more

"Shh." Klaus soothed when he gathered her up in his lap, rewrapping her hand and she whimpered. "There, there, you're safe, my love. You're safe." He rocked her gently, frowning. Was that a vision? Was someone else out to harm her because of him? There had been many who had tried to find her before he had, many who now lay dead. But he had a lot of enemies, many that would love to get their hands on someone like Jane. Her seeing abilities alone would attract quite a bit of people.

Was one of his enemies about Mystic Falls? Were they out to harm Jane? Was that how her uncle was attacked by his Hybrid?

Jane's sobs subsided when he cradled her against him, calming her by wrapping his arms around her tightly to not let her move so she would know she was safe.

"You're all right, sweetheart." He murmured in her ear when she had settled back to sleep and then tucked her head under his chin. "I promise to never hurt you like that. And I guarantee that Damon will regret it." She snuggled further into his chest and he smiled, tugging the blanket over her legs. "Sleep now, my love. I will keep you safe. I will always keep you safe."


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