A/N: First a warning, there is a mature, though brief, sex scene. Hopefully, you all read the author's note. I was originally going to have this be the final chapter to this story... but, I thought it gave it a more interesting perspective as a story to the Mikaelson Clan. Plus, I truly hated that Camille died and part of my grieving process of her character's death was giving her a way to survive Lucien's bite in this story. So I snapped this chapter forward to the day Camille was supposed to die. I hope you all enjoy. The next few chapters will be Klaus's and Cami's journey after that night at the bar and how they got to where they are in this chapter. I promise the bond will eventually be explained.
Please read, review, and enjoy.
Disclaimer: I own what is mine.
Chapter One
New Orleans, 2016
"You will find peace..."
As he uttered these final words to the first woman in a thousand years to have completely stolen his heart, Klaus unconsciously reached for the bond that had been severed upon her turning. The intangible link that had provided him peace for so long... It was only at the last second that he remembered the bond was no more and he would brush against a wall... but he didn't. The wall was present, but not as finite as it had been. The brick had turned to a picket fence.
He could feel her. He could sense his Camille. Still there, still bright, simply out of reach. He pressed against those planks desperate to break that final barrier... if only to have a few more minutes with her.
"Camille..." He whispered, unable to keep his impetuous need from his voice, "Camille... Stay with me, love. Please."
His hand grasped hers with a fierce intensity, "Reach for our bond. I need you to reach for it, push for it, please. Camille. I am begging you. Twice now, you have made me beg and I do not beg. Do not deny me again."
Tears crawled down his cheeks as he battered frantically at those planks. She was so close.
Blood entwines. Blood enshrines
He choked as he remembered the night of their binding. They had exchanged blood.
He had given her his when he had seen Lucien's bite. Had that weakened the barrier?
He ripped open his wrist without a second thought, "Camille, I'm going to bite you, love. Drink from me when I do. Drink and seek our bond. Please, Camille. Please."
His strained pleading had brought in his siblings as they felt the end was here. Placing his wrist over her mouth, Klaus sunk his teeth into the tender flesh of her neck – never noticing the distraught cries of Freya and Elijah as he took her poisoned blood into himself. He was still locked in Jackson Square, cradling Camille to his chest as he drank deeply... all the while straining for their bond and praying that she heard him.
It was so tentative, he swore he had imagined it at first, the tepid glance of her tongue against his flesh. Yet, as his blood dribbled down into her throat that pull grew stronger, and gradually, he matched his pulls with hers.
Blood entwines. Blood enshrines.
Please.
Those tedious planks warbled, and his heart surged. Drawing her blood further into him, he felt her do the same. He struck out at that barrier again and near crowed as he felt it crumbled.
Neither he nor Camille witnessed the light that spilled from their laced forms. Elijah and Freya stood dumbstruck as they bore witness to the final cementing of a bond that neither had been aware of existing. It was with this startling flash that the otherworldly beauty came crashing to an end.
Simultaneous cries of pain and anguish filled the air as the light receded back into the shadows. Camille's body arched and her jade eyes flew wide as fierce fire spiraled through her limbs. Her blood had turned to a molten river, and she swore she was burning from the inside out. Never once noticing how Lucien's bite gradually disappeared from her arm.
Klaus was in no better condition as he snarled into the crook of her neck. The veined lines around his eyes vanished as yellow glowed with sun-like intensity into the threaded fibers of his bedsheets. It was as if oil had spilled into his veins, simply to be lit by a torch. Only a millennium's worth of torment allowed him to find enough semblance of control not to dig his claws into the woman below him as he fought against wave after wave of pain.
Cami did not have the same fortune as she screamed vainly. Her blunted nails bit into his sides as she fell victim to their strange torture. Yet, she was the first to feel the kiss of their bond – more open to the renewed and strengthened link as she lost her battle against the riptide.
She could feel him.
Klaus.
She couldn't remember that last time she felt him so clearly. All his conflicting and contrasting emotions, his shaky control and tireless rage, his unbounded love, and endless fear. He swarmed her like a hurricane. The same fire that had burned her spurned him and unthinkingly she reached out to soothe him. She hated his pain, far more than she ever did her own. Her soul met his like a spring storm, showering drops of relief as the two meshed for the first time in several months. It was the connection that was needed as her pain spiraled back and the heat that ensconced her turned carnal.
She wanted him... needed him.
As if in answer to her unspoken desire, his golden gaze seared hers. Klaus felt her essence enshroud his and was struck with muted elation as her dwindling presence burst like a nova within him. She was strong once again and she was here. She was his.
His mouth crashed against hers, drawing lurid moans forth as a new wave of the bond pulled them under.
The older Mikaelson siblings quickly departed the room as it became obvious that there would be no stopping of the amorous couple. Their presence had been soundly overlooked as clothes littered the floor and sheets cocooned naked limbs.
Freya turned wide eyes to her brother, "Did you see..."
She paused unable to voice what exactly it was that they had just witnessed.
Elijah was of a similar disposition as he soundly ignored the lewder noises coming from his brother's bedroom, "Yes... but what has just occurred, I have no Godly idea. Best wait until Niklaus and Camille reappear for answers."
Freya could only nod, "From death's door to life's garden. I need a drink."
"Quite right." He concurred and as one they went downstairs and to the reserve liquor cabinet. Neither certain of what was to come.
Their coupling was frenzied, wild, and raw. There wasn't an inch of skin that Klaus hadn't clawed, bit, or fucked as he rammed her greedy womb with single-minded determination. He had wished their first tryst to be more languid. He had wanted time to explore her body, to draw her delicious notes of satisfaction to a crescendo before starting the process all over again. But like all his desires and plans for them, that plan laid slain on the roadside. He was lost to the nearly unbearable need to slake his lust... no, that wasn't right. It was more than lust that drove him. A primal need he had long since thought dead roared with renewed life, demanding him to claim, to breed and he had never been good at denying his baser urges.
Her creamy flesh had become littered with dark bruises under his ministrations and the only thing that kept his guilt at bay was that Camille seemed to be just as lost to this carnal storm. She tugged and bit and urged him on – meeting each of his thrusts and demanding more. It wasn't until he felt her fall apart for what felt like the hundredth time, but was really the fourth, that he released for the third and final time. His need dwindled as he felt their combined passions spill from their connected bodies.
Camille twitched and trembled against him. Her shapely thighs locking him in place as her wonderous cavern milked him of everything he had to offer. She wasn't ready to let him go, and he wasn't ready to leave. His sweaty brow met hers as he nuzzled her cheek, silently asking what he could not voice.
It was a relief when she brushed her mouth against his, but a thrill when he felt a sudden billow of affection – her affection, her love awash the bond. It was only then that Klaus opened his eyes to meet her dazzled gaze.
"Hey." Camille breathed a smile and could not help her chuckle as he stared at her in bemused marvel, a giddy grin painted his lips.
Klaus couldn't stop his laugh. The hell of the past twenty-four hours, the painful confessions, and drawn emotions of the end, their exuberant ardor and last-minute save all came crashing on him and the only word she could utter was a shy greeting.
Gods, did he love this woman.
It was this unfettered sentiment that made him silently vow to not waste further time with her. His laugh choked back a ragged sob as his fingers tangled into her soft locks, "Hey, love... you're here."
"Yeah." Camille murmured, a few stray tears spilling down her cheeks as she leaned into his touch, "Yeah, I am."
The pads of her fingers drew him closer still, neither was ready to return to the real world, but questions gnawed at her. A thoughtful frown clouded her expression, "Klaus...what happened? What did we do?"
Mildly annoyed and wholly unsurprised that it was Camille to push aside their contented bubble, he could only sigh, "I'm not sure, but our bond... Our bond has proven far more beneficial than I could have ever realized."
"This doesn't make sense. I thought my turning had severed it."
Klaus frowned, not sure how to answer. He had followed his instincts the second he realized that he could still feel her. Easing his weight off her, he bit back a grin as she mewled in discontent. He felt much the same, but he had no desire to crush her. Yet as he moved, he noted her bruises weren't fading nor was his bite.
Unease crawled down his spine. She should be healing, between his blood and her... Klaus paused as he ran his hand over her chest to rest on her quickly beating heart, "Camille... are you hungry?"
He was ravenous. His need for blood was being vastly ignored and he would only be able to tolerate such deprivation for a short while longer. A newborn vampire should not have such control, unless -
"A little. More thirsty..." Camille trailed off as she realized she was about to ask for water. She hadn't required water for weeks now, "Oh my God."
"You're human again." Klaus murmured in awe; his mind raced with the implications of this change. Unthinkingly, he bit into his palm to give her his blood – He had no desire to look at the myriad of bruises that decorated her flesh.
Camille breathed in sharply and he froze as her fingers rested next to his eye, "Your eyes... they had been gold earlier while we were – They're back to blue now, but gold and black, no veins."
"Drink." He whispered, ignoring her momentary hesitation at the sight of his opened palm. He was aware that her mind had drifted back to the last time she had imbibed vampiric blood while human.
Klaus wasn't sure what to make of all of this, but he had his suspicions. One of which had much to do with his driven need to breed Camille. Despite the fact that it should be impossible, he already had one child that defied expectation. His gaze drifted to her smooth belly, "We need to talk with Freya. I think I may -"
"Have knocked me up?" She finished shakily, not sure if the sudden spike of anxiety in her veins came from her or him.
Klaus hummed, not surprised that she had cottoned on to his line of thought.
"Even if I'm pregnant, we won't know for a few weeks." Cami murmured, as her thoughts began to spill quickly from her mouth, "It takes time for fertilization to occur... I don't know if it's better or worse that I'm human now. With Lucien suped-up into... whatever he is, his bite is no longer toxic to me, but he can rip me apart so easily."
A cold rage poured through her veins, taking her breath away. Christ, she had no doubt that was all Klaus.
"You will go nowhere near Lucien. You'll stay here, every time you're out of my sight..." He drew a calming breath, barely controlling his temper, "I will take care of Lucien."
"Like you took care of Aurora?" She couldn't help but ask, there was no keeping the bitterness from her tone.
Hurt flared from both of them and Klaus barely bit back the more caustic words on his tongue, "I will not lose you, Camille. This was too close."
Cami stared long and hard at him, before softening. There were too many unknown factors for them to continue with this discussion and arguing would do neither of them any good. Instead, her fingers delved into the shorn locks at his nape, caressing him in a silent truce, "You need to feed. I can feel your hunger and we need answers. We'll table this discussion until after."
For Klaus there would be no discussion, his mind was already made up. He would not risk her. Not again. He brushed a kiss to her temple, "A few more minutes, I'm not ready to stop touching you yet."
It was only then that Camille realized he was still in her.
It was over an hour later when the two stepped from his bedroom freshly showered. Klaus threaded his fingers through hers. He was still staving off his hunger and it was driving her slowly crazy. Camille was at once flattered and exasperated by how literal he was being about not letting her leave his sight. She would have chided him for it if it weren't for the fact that she felt the same. It was irrational, but she wanted him within reaching distance like a child needing a security blanket. It was the fact that this impulse was so strong that she knew it couldn't continue. She couldn't expect Klaus to be with her every second.
Fortifying herself, they had only made it two steps when she called out, "Elijah."
Irritation crawled down her spine and she sent an admonishing glare to her left as she felt the air displace to her right.
"I see you two have decided to come up for air." Elijah greeted drolly as he eyed them speculatively, relief pouring through him at the sight of Camille up and about, "I am glad to see you are better, Camille. You're positively glowing."
His word choice must have been poor as the couple before him froze, exchanging a strange glance.
"Thank you, Elijah." Camille smiled wryly, "Klaus needs to feed, but he's being stubborn - "
"I will grab a bag - "At Camille's baleful stare, Klaus sighed and prodded her toward Elijah, "Keep an eye on her, brother. I'll be back soon."
Elijah nodded, even as he watched his brother depart with a frown. It wasn't until he turned his appraisal back onto Camille that he noticed what he had missed the first time around, "You're human."
"Seem to be." Camille replied with a shrug, "I'm not entirely sure if it's going to last if I'm honest. I feel like Klaus threw a Hail Mary and it worked, but what if it's temporary? What if in a few hours I'm knocking on Death's door again?"
The words flooded from her in a rush, it was an anxiety that she hadn't worked up the courage to share with Klaus just yet and she suddenly felt horrible for dumping it on Elijah. He looked as uncertain as she felt and she smiled sheepishly, "I'm sorry, Elijah. My mind hasn't stopped spinning since I realized I could breathe again."
"Indeed, you have a right to feel concerned, Camille. But, whatever it is my brother has managed, I can't bring myself to be upset about it." He smiled softly, "I truly am happy that you are still with us... and I'm sure it will be for more than a few hours. Niklaus wouldn't allow for anything less."
"You're probably right." She murmured, though her fear hardly lessened. She shook off her more morbid thoughts as they walked into the common room and she noticed no one around, "Where is everyone? Klaus and I need to speak with Freya, but I have the feeling it'll be better to have this conversation once and with everyone present."
Elijah shifted uncomfortably, though a mirthful glint had entered his gaze, "Yes, well, I believe it was a tad too noisy here for everyone."
"Noisy?" Camille blurted as she took in the stalwart silence of the compound.
She missed the humorous twitch of his mouth as he needled, "Yes, you're quite vocal."
It took a second for the implication of his words to sink before she flushed scarlet. Her hands flew to her face in horror as embarrassment swelled, "Oh. My. God! Elijah!"
He barely held in a laugh as he teased, "Of course it probably would have helped if you had closed the door."
"I can never look anyone in the eye again." Camille groaned and collapsed onto the couch, "I'm going to regret asking this, but why are you still here?"
"I had the onerous task of giving everyone the all-clear. Might I suggest never play rock-paper-scissors against a witch. You always lose. Speaking of..." Elijah reached into his coat pocket and removed his phone. He sent a message out to their group chat, "Done. Everyone should be here shortly."
"Wonderful." She uttered dryly, "I've been saved from a suped-up hybrid bite only to be killed by mortification. Sounds about right."
"Oh nonsense, it won't kill you. You'll just merely wish it had." The delighted smirk that crossed Elijah's lips was positively devious.
And absolutely familiar. It was moments like these that Camille had no problem seeing the familial resemblance between Elijah and Klaus. Her gaze narrowed, "Oh shut up."
"Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one she says that to."
Elijah and Camille turned to the entryway to see Klaus striding back in with a glass of blood in hand. This time the thrill of irritation that crawled down her spine was hers at the sight.
Klaus sensed her displeasure and held up a hand, "Before you start, I did feed from a tourist on the corner. Just took enough to take the edge off and came back for a bag."
Unconsciously, she brushed their bond to find his hunger mildly sated and no longer cloying. Tolerable was a good word for it, not that this made her much happier.
Klaus arched a brow at her and purposefully sipped from his glass, "See compromise."
Her unimpressed glower let him know she wasn't pleased, but as Camille shifted to let him sit beside her, he also knew she wouldn't fight with him about it. He produced a bag from his back pocket and held it out to her. Cami's expression brightened as she recognized the white paper and swirly cursive before snatching the small parcel from him. He flopped back into the corner and tugged her against his side as she pulled out two cookies from the bakery down the block.
The byplay didn't go unnoticed by Elijah as he studied the silent way that they were communicating with each other. Something had changed, but he couldn't put his finger on what besides the obvious. His brother had always shared an unspoken connection with Camille, but he sensed a shift more profound than one garnered from a romantic entanglement.
Klaus ignored his brother's studious stare and delved his senses out to locate his sister, "Where is everyone?"
Camille stilled and Elijah huffed a quiet laugh. Bemused at the reaction he was seeing and feeling, he pressed his query, "What?"
"You were a bit rowdy earlier. No one wanted to intrude." Elijah reiterated mildly. He was unsurprised when Klaus merely blinked.
"I didn't think we were that loud." A stream of embarrassment flared in his chest, and he turned his gaze to the top of Camille's head.
She stared determinedly at the cookie in her hand with a quietly murmured, "God."
"Yes, I believe there was quite a lot of sermonizing being shouted." Elijah couldn't help the taunt.
Klaus snickered as he watched her chuck the cookie bag at his brother, "I suppose that's why Camille resembled a tomato when I came in? Tormenting my bo-beloved, brother?"
Bonded. He was going to say bonded, and Camille wasn't sure why that thought sent such a rush through her veins, it wouldn't be the first time she had been addressed as such.
If Elijah noticed his slip, he said nothing as he wryly stated, "Hardly tormenting. Merely teasing my little sister."
Klaus and Camille stilled in surprise at the familial bequeathment. She had no expectation of such recognition, and he was merely astonished by the acknowledgment.
Their twin stares made Elijah roll his eyes, feeling mildly insulted, "While you may not carry our surname yet, Camille, you've proven to be a part of our family on more than one occasion. So please do try not to look so shocked. You too, brother."
An affectionate smile pulled at Klaus's lips which he quickly hid behind his glass. Yet, Elijah's knowing glance told him he was fooling no one.
"How long have they been like that?"
"Shhh, don't wake them."
There was a weight on his chest. Klaus blinked slowly as gentle murmurings rushed past his ears. A swath of blonde hair rested in his eye-line, and it took him a minute to realize that Camille was soundly sleeping against his chest.
How long had he been asleep?
He just remembered being hit with a wave of exhaustion as they waited on everyone to return. He had a vague memory of Marcel entering the compound as his eyes had drifted shut, but nothing beyond that.
"What time is it?" He asked, shifting to sit up a little more properly as he tried not to jostle Camille. It surprised him that he had slept while others surrounded them. He was normally a light sleeper. It made him leery how much deeper his rest became when Camille was beside him.
"Nearly seven." Freya supplied from her perch at the bar.
His gaze drifted around the room as he took stock of who was present. Marcel was pouring himself a drink, Vincent sat next to Freya, Elijah and Hayley had taken residence in the armchairs. It somehow felt wrong to not have Rebekah present.
A swift pain clamped through his gut and Klaus suppressed an irritated sigh as his fangs edged along the inside of his cheek. His hunger had returned in full force. He was loath to admit that Camille had been right, he had needed more fresh blood.
"Go feed."
He blinked as he noticed Camille's sleepy glare. It took him a minute to realize that his hunger had driven her awake. He tried to mute his end of their bond but couldn't seem to find the edge to tether it closed.
As she continued to glower, Klaus rolled his eyes, "What do you want to eat?"
"I'm fine, just would like some water," Camille answered, as she shifted to sit up.
He returned her unimpressed stare, "You haven't eaten anything besides those cookies. You need something more substantial. If I'm to leave, I might as well get you something."
"Suprise me." She yawned, exhaustion still clinging to her limbs.
He nodded and grabbed his phone. He already had a meal in mind and if he called it in now it'd be ready by the time he was done with his own meal. He pressed a quick kiss to her temple and slipped past Marcel.
"No bags!"
He cursed the fact that she had ever been a vampire. She had learned the restorative value of pulling their food from the tap far too quickly. Though in truth, he normally wouldn't take issue with this request, he still felt uncomfortable letting her out of his sight.
The feeling echoed with Camille as he disappeared. She had to fight the urge to call him back, but her attention soon fell on the gathered crowd, and she smiled as she took in their curious and relieved stares, "Hey guys."
"I see you're amongst the living again." Vincent greeted with a grin and she knew he wasn't referring to her near-death experience.
Camille smirked, "Who knew it would take almost dying to make me human again? How long were we asleep?"
Elijah answered with a light, "An hour if that. You both fell asleep relatively quickly. Are you sure you shouldn't be resting now?"
She could only shrug, "Klaus and I aren't sure about what we triggered. I think it better that we start looking for a few answers sooner rather than later."
"What exactly did you guys trigger?" Hayley queried curiously; she had done a double-take when she had spotted their slumbering forms. She was sure that she had never seen Klaus look so peaceful and it had only been more startling to note Camille's new state. Old state?
"Yeah, you were a step away from desiccating when Vincent and I left earlier." Marcel chimed in, "Don't get me wrong, I'm happy you're alright, Cami...it's just, what the hell?"
Cami shifted uncomfortably, tempted to ask for a whiskey as she sensed the interrogation commencing, but the lingering thought of her potential pregnancy stilled her tongue. Instead, she sighed and shook her head, "We should wait for Klaus, part of what happened has to do with something that occurred a long time ago and... and I'm not really sure what he – we did to initiate such a cataclysmic change. Can't say I'm not grateful for it though, wasn't really keen on dying."
Her words brought a round of murmured agreement before Hayley prodded again, "Yeah, but what was that with Klaus? You practically ordered him to eat and he...obeyed. It was like you guys were speaking a different language for a minute."
"Well, that's hardly new." Freya piped up, "From what I've witnessed those two have all kinds of silent conversations. It's like they have their own bandwidth they can tune into, but no one else can."
That comparison wasn't too far from the truth, Camille thought dryly as she took note of the various degrees of agreement once again.
"Yeah, but this was different. It was like she compelled him or something."
She frowned, "How often are you guys watching us?"
A smile quirked on Elijah's lips as he shared a knowing glance with his sister. Hayley raised a brow as Marcel and Vincent hid grins behind their drinks.
"You have no idea, do you?" Hayley uttered sagely.
"No idea of what?"
A few breathy chuckles broke the tense atmosphere and Camille blinked.
"Klaus is different with you, Cami." Hayley pointed out, but she could see Cami didn't fully comprehend, "He's more patient, protective. He acts like an honest to God person with you, more than that he treats you like one."
In her favor, Camille had known that he was more gentle with her than most others, but she didn't think it was a huge difference. She also didn't think their interactions warranted such close scrutiny
"I know – I know he loves me." Camille said carefully, it felt strange to verbalize those words, "But I didn't think you guys were watching us like we're the local telenovela."
Marcel bit back another grin, "It's fun to see that Klaus isn't all bite and bark. And admittedly, he is dramatic enough to have his own show."
Hayley snorted as the thought took root, "Really, we should write a book about our lives. We may end up getting a movie deal or something."
"As long as we don't sparkle." Elijah interjected drolly, "Honestly, who would be terrified of a vampire who sparkles?"
Laughter erupted in the common room and Cami felt herself relax into the couch cushions as Elijah's comment ignited a storm of banter. Somewhere in the middle of it all, Hope woke and cried plaintively from her room. Camille could no longer hear it, but all the vampires suddenly shifted their attention and Hayley was out the door before anyone could say a word.
It was mere minutes later she came in with the cranky toddler. Camille smiled softly as she watched mother and daughter. So much time had been stolen from both that it always warmed her heart when she was able to see these precious moments. Yet, as she watched the duo, dread began to pool in her belly.
Would that be her? Would she have to battle for every second with her child should she be pregnant?
Klaus and Hayley had done nothing but fight to keep their little girl safe since she had been born. She would be doing the same thing... and Camille had the distinct impression that Klaus would be as unwilling to let her depart to a remote area with their child as he had been with Hope. He had loathed every second that his daughter had been removed from his home and she couldn't blame him. It would kill her to have to stay away from her child in order to keep him or her safe.
So lost in her thoughts she barely noticed Davina's arrival or Klaus's return until a styrofoam container was placed in her lap. She blinked as she noticed quite a few bags and boxes being set out. He had gotten enough food for an army, but then she had seen the way Vincent, Hayley, and Freya put away food.
Concerned cerulean eyes locked onto hers and Camille realized that Klaus had been taken on her emotional rollercoaster ride. She smiled reassuringly at him, but his arched brow let her know that he wasn't prepared to let it go. Which was fine. They would need to have a series of difficult discussions once the group meeting was over. She cast a pointed gaze to the room, and he nodded in understanding but sent her a look of his own that clearly communicated that they would talk later.
She barely refrained from rolling her eyes and turned her attention to the box on her lap. Her mouth watered as familiar smells floated through the air.
An appreciative grin lit her face as she took in the gourmet burger and fries that he had brought her. Klaus's idea of substantial was barely a step above fast food it seemed – but then she also had the notion that he had been looking at efficiency as much as quality.
Klaus slipped next to her and opened the packets of salt and pepper and made a small mountain on the inside of the lid. She passed him the spare napkin from her box before removing the pickle from her burger. Condiments passed between them, as did a handful of fries with little thought. Camille didn't look up until Klaus set a bottle of water next to her and found everyone staring at them.
Klaus was munching on her fries when he followed her gaze, "...What?"
"You guys didn't even speak," Hayley murmured mystified, barely noting Hope stealing a fry from her plate.
Freya held up her drink pointedly, "I told you. Bandwidth."
Klaus frowned bemused as he turned an inquiring glance toward Camille. For her part, she had pointedly taken a bite from her burger feeling a strange chasm of exasperation and embarrassment. She barely held in the urge to stick her tongue out.
Klaus blinked and decided he was better off not knowing.
"So, Klaus is back. What did you guys do?" Marcel pressed impatiently, "I mean, Vincent and I were pouring through everything you had in that storage room for a miracle when Freya called us."
Klaus and Camille exchanged a loaded look as she tepidly asked, "How far back do we start this story?"
"Probably best to go all the way back." Klaus answered reluctantly before sighing, "By all means, love, tell them our little secret."
"What secret?" Hayley blurted.
Curiosity shined at them from all corners of the room. Klaus arched a brow but deferred to Camille. He would let her tell as much or as little of their story as she wished.
Camille shifted uncomfortably, feeling strangely like a little kid tattling, "Well, Klaus and I didn't meet three years ago. We met six – no, it's been almost seven, seven years ago."
There was a moment of stunned silence before of cacophonous storm of questions erupted.