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Ch. 23 We've Made a Hideout for Ourselves

(CLARE)

Klaus vanishes through the window and I start shaking, he compelled me and now I have no choice. Stefan and Jeremy told me how angry he was Friday when he learned I was gone with Damon. I knew he'd be angry, but I expected a phone call, or for him to show up at the house this afternoon. I did not expect him to ambush me at the school.

I go through the door and lean against it, trying to stop myself from trembling. Stefan has class with me this period, he's going to wonder why I'm shaking. I wouldn't know what to tell him either. What would make a vampire afraid?

"Hey Clare," Tyler says, putting his hand on my shoulder. After what just happened with Klaus, I register that it's Tyler but not that he's not a threat. I gasp, jump and bare my fangs ready to attack. "Whoa, easy there vampire, it's just me, I'm not trying to attack you," Tyler tells me with his hands up and yet he's blocking me from view of most of the students in the hall.

"Sorry Tyler," I apologize, doing my best to compose myself.

"You okay? You're kind of shaking," Tyler asks, looking at me with concern.

"Fine, just…did you need something?" I question trying to change the subject.

"Mom's letting me use the beach house over spring break, there are four bedrooms, but I figure that's one per couple. You guys in?" Tyler asks.

"Per couple?" I query.

"Yeah, me and Caroline, Jeremy and Bonnie, Elena and Stefan, you and Damon. Unless you'd rather bring Klaus, I guess."

"No," I say sharply and quickly. Tyler furrows his brow at me, he's suspicious now and about to ask, so I speak up before he can. "I mean no, I doubt Klaus would enjoy that and Stefan is going, it makes more sense to bring Damon. When is it?"

"Spring break, first week of April."

"Sounds great, we'll be there, that is Damon and I will, can't speak for Stefan, but I'm sure he'll be coming too," I reply and realize I'm babbling neurotically.

"Good," Tyler nods, still looking at me suspiciously but the bell rings, "we should get to class, or Stefan will think you ran off."

I walk with Tyler to class, doing my best to put Klaus out of my mind. Of course, at some point I'll have to tell Damon and Stefan that I'm staying at Klaus' all weekend, and he'll bring me to school Monday. They're just going to love that, especially with Damon being so suspicious all weekend that I was running from Klaus.

"You okay?" Stefan asks as Tyler and I come into class.

"Fine," I reply quickly sitting at my desk.

"I think something spooked her. She was shaking in the hall when I invited her and Damon to spring break at our beach house. You and Elena are invited too, and Jeremy and Bonnie," Tyler tells him.

Stefan gives me a worried look but doesn't say anything as class begins. When class is over though he takes my arm, making sure I'm not going anywhere. He's holding firm enough that I have no chance at breaking away.

"Tyler tell Caroline Clare is eating alone with me and Damon," Stefan commands as we leave class. Tyler only shrugs and walks off.

"Damon didn't say he was coming for lunch," I comment.

"He's already here, I texted him while we were in class," Stefan tells me. I already knew this, yet I asked anyway. I'm feigning ignorance until I no longer can.

Stefan grabs the cooler with our blood bags in it from his locker and we go out to Damon's car. Damon has it running, and we drive a short way until we're away from the school. Stefan hands me a blood bag and I drink it down fast, waiting for the question I know is coming.

"What happened?" Damon asks. Yep that was the one.

I bite my lower lip, chewing on it a bit, reluctant to tell them, but without much choice. "Klaus was at the school," I admit and that's all I can get out.

"WHAT?" Damon growls.

"When? Why didn't you say anything?" Stefan questions.

"Just before class, he was angry that I'd been gone with Damon all weekend."

"Did he hurt you?" Damon asks.

"No, just angry. I'm staying at his house all weekend; he'll bring me to school Monday morning."

"No," Damon replies with another growl.

"Damon, I have to…"

"You don't have to be with him at all," Damon snarls.

"I want to be with him Damon," I snap back. I'm actually not sure if it's me talking or that Klaus compelled me. "I do enjoy my time with Klaus," I add in a softer voice.

"But," Stefan prompts.

"There is no but, I enjoy being with Klaus. I just can't do it every day and I prefer to be with you." That was definitely me talking, it's all true. I do enjoy being with Klaus, I just hate the things he makes me do, and I do prefer being with Damon.

"Do you really want to spend the weekend with him and have him bring you to school Monday?" Stefan asks.

"Yes," I nod. I'm really not that sure, but I've been compelled, and I have this desire to see Klaus and spend all weekend with him.

Damon growls and Stefan gives him a censuring look.

"I'll be keeping tabs on you then, calling and texting and if you don't answer I'm going to his house. I may do that anyway," Damon replies.

"Do you really think that's fair when you took her to an isolated cabin without cell service or electricity?" Stefan questions.

"Klaus started this whole thing by forcing Jeremy to hack Clare's account and then compelled her friend to bring her to him. He has never played fair, I really don't care about fair, I care about Clare," Damon says in a hard tone. His voice may be hard, but his sweet words make me smile. Yet, I worry about him randomly dropping by Klaus' house.

"What's to stop Klaus from killing you if you just show up?"

"He wouldn't do that, too much at stake, you for one and me for another," Stefan replies, "Damon is right we didn't know Klaus was taking you out of town. We need to know that you're safe, a surprise visit may be warranted. If Klaus does take you somewhere you need to let us know."

"I will," I nod. Klaus said nothing about not telling Damon and Stefan if we go out of town.

"Jeremy and Ric will be over for training right after school," Damon tells me.

"Right after? Shouldn't I feed first?"

"No, you need to learn control and that includes when your lusts have not been satiated recently," Damon replies.

I feel like this is a bad idea, but I don't say anything. Damon drives us back to school and Stefan walks me all the way to art class. Knowing Klaus was here he's not letting me out of his sight now.

"Caroline make sure you walk her to last period, Klaus was here earlier," Stefan says. He keeps his voice down, but loud enough for Jeremy to hear.

"I will," Caroline nods.

"Klaus was so angry that you went away with Damon that he came to the school?" Jeremy questions.

"I'm spending this weekend with him," I shrug and then look at Jeremy. "Are you sure you want to come over right after school?"

"You have to learn," Jeremy grins.

"What if I hurt you?"

"You won't," he replies with a confident smile. I wish I shared his confidence, but I'm so afraid I'm going to hurt him.

The rest of the day goes by without incident or word from Klaus. Damon is not waiting for me after school, I ride home with Stefan, followed by Ric and Jeremy. We start immediately when we get home, Jeremy pricks his finger and I instantly want to run over and suck him dry. I manage not to, but it's not easy and it feels like forever before Damon says that's enough and gets me a blood bag.

"You did great Clare," Jeremy grins with pride.

"You only say that because you have no idea what was going through my head," I reply, drinking my blood bag down fast.

"Thinking it and acting on it are two completely different things," Jeremy responds.

"He's right Clare, you're doing really well learning control," Ric praises.

"With someone I care about, what about strangers?"

"One thing at a time Clare, if you learn control now it will be easier even with strangers," Stefan says.

"Learn to control the blood lust, you can lose control with your other lust," Damon says, kissing my neck, "only with me of course."

"Perhaps you need a refresher on control too," Stefan remarks, earning him a glare from his brother.

I start giggling, until I hear my laptop ringing and know that it's Adam, so I run upstairs. I forget to close the door, eager to talk to Adam, as I couldn't talk to him this weekend. I did tell him I'd be away with Damon and unreachable all weekend, he was happy I was going away with Damon for the weekend.

"Hi Adam."

"Hey, how was your weekend with Damon?"

"Wonderful," I smile, biting my lip, "we were alone in a beautiful setting and it was wonderful."

"Good, you should do it again this weekend."

"I can't Adam, I'm spending the weekend with Klaus."

"Why?"

"Adam," I huff.

"Don't Adam me, I know everything," Adam says with some frustration in his tone.

"Not everything," I think to myself.

"All I've seen or heard about with Klaus is that he's manipulative, especially it seems when it comes to you. Of course, the only things I really know about him revolve around you. Starting with him doing that Jedi mind trick thing on Owen to bring you to him for the first time."

"He does treat me well Adam," I argue. "When he's not compelling me to do something I don't really want to."

"Does he? I haven't seen it; I haven't even really heard about it. Damon on the other hand has protected you from the start, long before he ever knew you. I have actually seen and heard about him treating you well, so I don't understand why you'd spend any time with Klaus at all."

"He does treat me well," I insist, "Mostly," I add in my head. "I do want to spend time with him. Even if I didn't, it's not just a simple thing to tell him I don't."

"Why?" Adam questions.

"It just isn't Adam. I only spend weekends with him, it's not that much time. I won't even see him over spring break, we're going to Tyler's beach house."

"We who?"

"Me, Damon, Stefan, Tyler of course, Caroline, Elena, Jeremy and Bonnie."

"Good, and I think you should spend more weekends with Damon."

"I don't think I should do that; Klaus was very angry that I went away with Damon all weekend. He showed up at the school today," I inform Adam.

"Yet you're still going to his house all weekend alone?"

"I want to be with him," I repeat. Much like my earlier argument with Damon and Stefan I'm not sure if I'm talking or it's that Klaus compelled me.

"You're starting to sound like an abused wife," Adam accuses.

"Adam, it's not that bad, he's never hit me."

"But he's forced you to do things you don't want to, I know you're not always comfortable with him," Adam says and all I can do is bite my lip. "That's exactly what I mean, that face, you're worried about things, you're not saying them all, but you are worried about them."

"I'll be okay Adam," I say quietly.

"I hope so Clare, I'll be calling a lot this weekend."

"How's Drew and everyone?" I question hoping to change the subject.

"Good, Drew and Dallas are downstairs if you want to say hi," Adam offers, resigning to the fact that I want to drop this topic.

"Yeah, let me say hi."

Adam picks up his laptop and everything shakes for a moment as he goes down to the basement. He sets his laptop on the coffee table and I soon see Drew and Dallas' heads on the screen.

"Hey Clare," they say together. I chat with Dallas and Drew a few minutes before saying goodbye, Adam says he'll call me tomorrow.

"How much did you hear?" I ask Jeremy. I know he'd been leaning in the doorway for a while.

"Pretty much all of it, I came up to use the washroom. Does Klaus really make you do things you don't want to do?"

"Not…really," I answer slowly. It's not a simple answer, I don't want to feed from humans when I'm with Klaus, he compelled me to. It's more than that though, my basic instincts as a vampire are to feed, especially from those that are weaker than I am. I am the predator, everyone else is prey. I don't want to do it, but my vampiric instincts scream at me to do so. Is Klaus forcing me? Yes. Do I want to? No. Would I give in if I didn't have Damon, Stefan and Caroline as teachers? More than likely. Do I want to spend the weekend with Klaus? Yes, my body craves him, I love the things he does to me, the way I feel. I even love the chase and success in finding prey, in the moment, I just hate how I feel afterward. Am I afraid to spend the weekend with him? YES.

"That didn't sound very convincing, that sounds like he does and you're protecting him for some reason. I think Adam is right and you are sounding like an abused wife," Jeremy argues. He does at least keep his voice down and come further into the room.

"Not you too, look it's not that bad, he doesn't hit me or anything or even hurt me. I do enjoy my time with him, but he's different from Damon and there are some things I don't like. I can't just tell him I'm not going to be with him anymore."

"Why not?"

"What's to stop him from killing you if I tell him I don't want to be with him anymore?" I question and Jeremy holds up his ring. "Okay, what's to stop him from killing Elena then? Or Caroline and Tyler? Damon and Stefan? Maybe even Bonnie, I know she's a witch but if he sneaks up behind her and bites in? If he doesn't go after you, what's to stop him from going after Adam and my friends in Toronto?"

"You think he would do that?" Jeremy questions.

"I think Klaus would do anything if pushed far enough, and I don't want to push him. It's just the weekends and for the most part I enjoy them. It's fine Jeremy, don't worry about it, I'm a vampire now," I reply.

"That doesn't mean he can't kill you, as you recently pointed out. Or stop him from hurting you somehow," Jeremy argues.

"Damon already said he would check up on me and so did Adam, I'll be okay," I try to assure him.

"Are we having a fun conversation up here?" Damon asks. I'm certain he heard at least parts of the conversation when Jeremy didn't keep his voice down.

"Not particularly, he's worried about me going to Klaus' this weekend," I reply.

"So am I, as is Stefan and Adam. I don't think you should go," Damon replies.

"If you heard our argument then you heard my reasons, I'm going. I'm sure you can stop me and I'm sure Klaus will come looking, it's not even three full days. If it makes you feel better the three of you can keep tabs on me, but I'm going and that's final."

(KLAUS)

"If you're thinking of taking her out of town this weekend I wouldn't, we'll be checking up on her," Stefan tells me. I've come to the high school to pick up Clare.

"So will Adam," Jeremy adds.

"I could just take her out of town now, before any of you check on her, somewhere you can't find," I reply. It would serve them right; it's exactly what Damon did last weekend.

"Wanna bet?" Bonnie challenges.

I almost forgot about the witch; she probably has some locator spell to find Clare. I sneer, but quickly calm myself, I hold my hand out to Clare and she takes it. I pull her close to me, kissing her temple softly. It's too bad Damon isn't here, I'm sure it would get far more of a rise out of him then it's getting from anyone currently watching us.

"Don't worry, we'll hardly be leaving the house this weekend," I respond with a licentious smile, "or even getting dressed."

"Okay, that was a mental image I didn't need," Elena remarks, making a face.

"Do impart the message to your brother Ripper," I smile goading them on. "Shall we Clare?" I question opening the car door.

"I'll stay in touch," Clare assures them, though she does seem to be mostly looking at Jeremy which I find a little odd. We get in the car, I tear out of the parking lot, nearly missing a couple of cars.

"Have an eye for the Gilbert boy?" I question.

"What?" Clare exclaims.

"You were specifically looking at Jeremy when you said you'd keep in touch."

"He's worried, he didn't want me to come this weekend at all. Jeremy is just a friend, he's sort of becoming my Adam here I guess, who will also be checking on me by the way. Jeremy is very happy with Bonnie, and I have plenty between you and Damon. Don't be surprised if Damon drops by the house unannounced either."

"I'm not sure that's fair considering he stole you away from me last weekend. Although it is often fun to make love to you with Damon, you make even better noises when we're both filling you. If he drops by, I may just invite him to join us," I comment, and her cheeks go red.

Anticipating all of this, including the mistrust of the Salvatore's and the others, I prepared. The fridge is fully stocked with blood, I went last night. I wasn't joking either, if Damon comes by, he can stay and see that there is nothing to worry about when Clare is with me. I plan to take her to Atlanta next weekend, I don't want anyone to follow us, so we'll alleviate their concerns for now.

"You want Damon to join us this weekend?" Clare asks with red cheeks. It's adorable when she's embarrassed. "I thought the point was to have me to yourself this weekend?"

"No, the point was to have you, and not have you disappear with Damon."

Her cheeks are still red, but she bites her lip and her eyes glisten with lust. She won't admit it, but she quite likes the idea of Damon joining us. As soon as I park at the house I run around and open her door, picking up her and her bag at the same time.

"I can walk you know," she comments.

"Yes, but this way I get my hands on you first," I grin.

I drop her bag as soon as we're through the door, I set her down in the living room. Lick my lips as my eyes travel over her body and rip her blouse open. Her skirt is ripped off and her stockings next, last are her boots, though I almost leave them on. With her naked I kiss the tops of her feet, and she moans.

"I plan to worship every inch of this body this weekend," I smile as I kiss her ankles.

"Adam will be calling soon, I don't think you have enough time to worship every inch of my body right now," she replies but sucks in a breath when I lick the back of her knee.

"I don't know, if he sees me worshiping every little piece of you, he may like me a little more."

"I really don't think my best friend wants to see you licking, kissing and sucking every centimeter of my skin."

"Then I guess I had better fuck you hard and fast so you can talk to Adam when he calls."

I open my pants and have my zipper down, thrusting into Clare before she has a chance to protest. Once I'm inside her slit, her body melts and molds around me. I take her hard and fast, to human eyes we would appear to be just a blur. This would break a human girl, but Clare is loving it, screaming in delight and calling my name before we both explode in orgasm. She's still recovering when my laptop begins ringing with Adam's name and face in the picture. Clare darts to her bag, to pull on enough clothes to appear dressed before she answers.

"Hi Adam," she smiles.

"Hey, you doing okay?"

"We've been home for about five minutes, we've hardly done anything yet," she replies.

I'm tempted to call that I've done her, but that wouldn't put me on Adam's good side. I refrain from my snarky comment and fix my clothes. Walking to the kitchen to retrieve a blood bag while she tells Adam about school.

"Hello Adam," I grin, handing Clare the blood bag and kissing her temple. Clare looks surprised to see the blood bag, but she smiles at me. Not sure how much of her expression Adam caught.

"Klaus," Adam replies tersely.

I simply smile back and take Clare's bags up to the bedroom. She and Adam only talk a few more minutes, mostly about Adam and his brother, and things in Toronto. Then she hangs up and comes to the bedroom.

"You have blood bags?"

"Of course," I reply.

"What do you mean of course? Usually we…"

Before she can complete her sentence, I run over and kiss her passionately. Ripping off the clothes she had put on. I pick her up and her legs wrap around my waist, though she does break the kiss to speak.

"If you keep that up, I won't have any clothes to wear this weekend."

"You don't need clothes this weekend."

"You really plan to not leave the house this weekend," Clare remarks as I lie her on the bed and rapidly undress myself.

"Why would we need to? I've fully stocked the refrigerator with blood, and everything else we will do this weekend does not require clothes."

I grin sliding my way down her body and kissing my way along her flesh as I go. Inhaling deeply when I reach the apex of her thighs. My teeth sink into the tender flesh of her inner thigh just as I hear Damon's car approaching.

"Damon is coming," Clare says, trying to push me away, but I take her wrists and pin them above her head.

"Don't you think he'd like to see you this way? I know I do. You know you want both of us right now. You want the two of us," I whisper against her skin before sucking hard on the tightened rosebud of her nipple.

She gasps and her back arches, she moans just as I hear Damon parking his car. He knocks, but of course we are too preoccupied to answer. He knocks again, Clare is moaning, but it's still soft. Even vampiric hearing would just barely be able to hear her through the heavy wooden door at the entrance.

"Klaus open up, I know you're in there," Damon hollers.

"Call to him," I tell Clare. I bend down and suck her other nipple. She doesn't call to him and Damon pounds on the door calling for both of us. "Call to him," I tell her again at the same time I take her and sit on the bed with Clare straddled over me. "Call him up here," I say in a husky whisper against her neck as I impale her onto me. I use one hand to push her lower back in, ensuring that I hit just the right spot. My other hand squeezes her breast hard.

"Da…mmmm…DAMON…here," she barely manages between moans and gasps. Damon tries the door and finds it unlocked, because I left it so. He runs upstairs to find us in our current position, and I smile at him.

"Damon, you came just in time, join us won't you?" I invite him spreading Clare's cheeks for him. Damon looks hesitant and looks at Clare. "You want Damon to stay and join us, don't you Clare?"

"Yessss," she moans looking back at him, "please stay."

Damon still looks unsure, but when Clare looks over her shoulder, biting her lip and begging to be filled Damon stops resisting.

(DAMON)

"I'll get us all some blood," Klaus says, pulling out of Clare just after the three of us orgasm. I pull out too, lying next to her, kissing her shoulder blade.

"I should probably go, I only came to check on you," I comment, starting to get off the bed. Clare catches my arm and holds tightly.

"Please stay all weekend, Klaus said you could," Clare says.

"That's…odd," I remark lying back down.

"Nothing odd about it Salvatore, everyone is so worried about what I do with her on the weekends stay and see for yourself. Assuage your concerns and everyone else's that Clare is being harmed here," Klaus grins bringing the three of us warmed blood bags.

"You take her away without telling anyone," I reply.

"I only get her for the weekends, I like to spoil her in that time. Take her to cities like Charlotte for some shopping. I do so love to drape her in expensive clothing, and rip it off of her later," Klaus comments with a lascivious smile. I share the smile with him for a brief second as I picture this, and then wipe it from my face as Klaus continues talking. "Next weekend for example I plan to take her to Atlanta for a ball. An occasion to wear the dress I got her for her birthday. Stay the weekend Damon, it will be fun, Clare wants both of us, you know she loves it with the two of us worshiping her body."

Clare has finished her blood bag but holds fast to my hand. It's clear that she wants me to stay, and I'm convinced that Klaus is up to something. I'm not sure what, but definitely something. Maybe he just wants to prove that he doesn't hurt Clare and we have nothing to worry about. Or he's hoping to distract me all weekend with Clare's naked body and her orgasmic moans. It's hard to tell with Klaus, I have no doubts that he is up to something. It's Klaus, he's always up to something.

"Of course, I'll stay," I smile, pulling Clare onto my lap holding her against me and kissing her neck.

Klaus simply smiles and finishes his blood; he says nothing and doesn't try to pull her away from me. I've no doubt this weekend will be mostly show on his part an attempt to ease our fears about her time with him. His insistence that I stay, this show of not trying to possess Clare, of not being the alpha male vampire he is and trying to take her time for himself, Clare's desire for me to stay. It's all doing exactly the opposite of easing my worries about her time with him. It's making me more worried about what he does with her when no one is around to see. Clare wants me here, and I won't miss an opportunity to spend time with her.

"Good, can I have clothes now?" Clare asks.

"Why would you need clothes? We'll just rip them off you again, to kiss every inch of your body. Adam called earlier, I didn't get the chance to worship every piece of supple skin and tender flesh," Klaus responds before bending down to kiss her legs.

"I'd like a shower before you do that, and you owe some new clothes," she asserts in a strong voice. Klaus listens, pulling back from her a little, a mock wounded look on his face.

"Very well, you shower, I'm sure Damon will keep you company. I will go procure you some new clothing, though I still see no reason for you to be dressed until Monday morning," Klaus comments.

"Adam will video call, others may do the same, I will need clothes."

Klaus dresses rapidly and kisses Clare's lips softly. "I'll be back soon," he says before running out the door and we hear his car driving away a moment later.

"Shower with me?" She requests in a soft voice.

"Was that a question? That should always be a demand or just assumed that I will follow you into the shower," I grin getting off the bed with her. We go into Klaus' large shower and I turn the water on. "So, what is he up to?" I ask her as we step in.

"I don't know, but I'm not sure I like it. He was so angry Monday, so insistent I stay alone with him all weekend, now he's all too eager for you to stay."

"You don't have to go to Atlanta with him."

"Yes, I do," she replies somewhat solemnly then brightens instantly when I furrow my brow. "A ball sounds fun, and I don't know where else I would wear that elaborate dress, he got me."

"Do you want me to come with you that weekend?"

"No, I'll be fine, it's just a ball," she assures me yet there's a falter in her voice. "Just stay with me this weekend, all weekend."

"I'm not going anywhere," I assure her, tipping her chin up and kissing her lips gently.