I know it took a long time to get this up, with the move things have been crazy! Things are starting to settle again thankfully. Now then on with the chapter!

Ch. 3 Gone Like a Midnight Was That Man

(CLARE)

"It looks amazing in here," I grin upon entering the auditorium.

It's Friday, it's December, it's the last day of school before winter break and in less than an hour the auditorium will be hosting our winter ball. Okay, less of a ball and really just a high school dance, but the entertainment chair and the dance committee did an incredible job of decorating the auditorium. There's snowflakes hanging from the ceiling, silver streamers and icicle lights. Silver and blue is the color theme, even the bleachers are covered in white blankets that look like snow. The refreshments table has white table cloths, silver tinsel and blue ribbons.

"It's a winter wonderland," Jenna sings.

"It looks amazing, but the doors open in an hour, so we should probably start getting ready," I comment.

"We've got some balloons to blow up still, but it will take us less time to get ready," Dallas comments.

"Yeah, we'll get ready after you girls are ready," Adam agrees.

Alli, Jenna and I leave the auditorium, grab our stuff from the student council office and go into the washroom to get ready. We all went shopping for our dresses for this dance, even though I don't have a date. Although, ever since Halloween and the visit from Klaus I've been kind of staying away from guys and dating. Drew, Adam, Owen and even Dallas have helped with that; I've been spending a lot of my free time with them. I never did explain Klaus or tell them much about Damon (not that I knew much about Damon to tell them), but they knew something was going on and that Klaus was dangerous.

"I hope Dallas likes me in silver," Alli remarks as she slips her dress on.

"I'm pretty sure Dallas will love you in anything Alli," I reply.

Her dress is very simple, spaghetti straps, silver and it goes to her knees with a slightly flared skirt. She has strappy silver sandals, silver bangles and long silver earrings to complete the outfit.

"Can one of you zip me up?" Jenna requests.

I zip up her white halter, empire waist dress, it goes to her ankles but has a slit up to her hip. She has a large white bracelet on each wrist, a simple silver necklace and earrings, white four-inch wedge heels complete the outfit.

"Okay, my turn," I say turning around so one of them can zip my dress.

My dress is long and goes to my ankles like Jenna's, but there's no slit. It has an empire waist, with a round neckline at my collarbone, and the back dips down to my shoulder blades. It starts out at a dark navy blue and the color slowly fades in shades of blue until it goes almost white at the bottom. My only jewelry tonight is some dark blue tear drop earrings and my ring.

We do our hair and makeup, pack up all our stuff and put it back in the student council office. Drew is in here, dressed in dark slacks and a light blue dress shirt. He walks with us back to the auditorium, he's practically flying he's so excited, but it's not because of the dance, it's because Bianca is coming. He hasn't seen her in over a month, so he's very happy right now. He walks to the auditorium behind us, Adam and Dallas whistle when we come in.

"Thanks, I know I look ravishing," Drew jokes.

"You two should get ready, the doors open soon," I tell Adam and Dallas.

They leave to get ready, Connor arrives, so I have him man the doors in case anyone shows up early. Sav is in town for the holiday and he's DJing for us, he arrives at almost the same time as Owen. As soon as Sav has music going people start coming in, Drew holds his hand out to me and I follow him to the dance floor. We are the only ones on the dance floor for the first dance, but Adam and Jenna join us for the second one. When Bianca arrives, I let her dance with her fiancé and I almost leave the dance floor until Owen catches my hand. I dance with Owen for a couple of songs before taking a break, he comes with me to the refreshment table for some water. Adam and Jenna join us and the four of us talk for a while on the bleachers. Drew and Bianca have disappeared, but as they haven't seen each other for a month I can guess what they're doing.

"Hey Clare," Maya says coming over with Zig following, "we're running low on cups and punch."

"We should have more in the supply closet," I reply.

"It's locked," Zig tells me.

"Hang on, I'll get my keys," I comment as I stand up. I could use some air anyway or I would have sent Owen. I leave the auditorium and begin walking to the student council office. It occurs to me as I approach that if Drew and Bianca didn't go home they're probably in there on the sofa. I hope I can sneak in quietly, they'll be in the other room, so they won't see me as long as I'm quiet. Just before I reach the student council office a shiver crawls it's way up my spine, a breath hitches in my throat without me realizing. I look around, but I appear to be the only one in the dark hallway, yet I feel like someone is watching me. Just as I reach my hand out to the door handle it's caught, held gently and that breath that hitched in my throat is released with a gasp.

"I wouldn't go in there if I were you, your friend and his girl are really going at it," Klaus informs me.

His voice floats to my ears evoking an amalgamation of emotions. Lust and fear mostly, my knees quake remembering our time together, my heart beating rapidly knowing he's somehow not human. I don't know if I should run or kiss him. I know he's dangerous, I just don't know how. I wish I could remember.

"Why do you always show up at dances?" I ask him. I hardly even realize the words are coming from my mouth. I can't bring myself to look at him, I'm still looking at the door.

"I like to see you in beautiful dresses," he replies. He turns my head so that I'm looking at him, he dressed up a little. Actually, he's more dressed up than all of the guys at the dance as he's wearing a full suit. He looks very good, very very very good, I almost lick my lips and I can feel my lower set of lips tingle as I begin to get wet. He sniffs the air as though he can smell it, then he grins. His lips stretching into a licentiously pleased smile. "Dance with me?" He requests taking my hand and pulling me away from the door to student council.

My body goes with him willingly, almost as though under a spell, my mind on the other hand is sending out alarms of all kinds. If only I could get my body to cooperate. I get my lips to part, but what comes out is not a scream, not a cry for a help, hardly an attempt to get away.

"I need my purse, my keys." Pathetic! What is wrong with me? Why can't I scream? Why can't I at least demand to know who and what he is? I'm sure he doesn't have me under some kind of spell, I should be able to run, but my body wants to be near him.

"Dance with me and I'll get your purse," he replies putting a hand at my back.

"I can't hear the music."

"I can hear it, and I lead."

He presses me to him, my body feels his, I breathe in his scent and my eyes close as I'm brought back to the hotel. Back to our night together at the beginning of October. A rush of sense memory flows through me and I bite my lip to keep from moaning. I hold onto him tightly, at just this moment I don't care how dangerous he is. We dance for a couple moments, he stops us when the song ends I suppose. I open my eyes just in time to see him dash into the student council office, he moves so fast that he's nothing but a blurry streak. Now the fear returns, now I feel like an animal of prey, no human can move like that. Before I'm even able to take a breath, he returns with my purse, he takes out my keys and hands them to me but keeps hold of my purse.

"You're not giving me my purse." I want my purse, so I can get my phone and call Damon.

"You have your keys, that's what you said you needed. Wouldn't want you calling Damon and ruining my fun so early," he grins. Now I wonder if he can read my mind as well. Whether or not he can his statement changes what I'm feeling. I don't know if it's the words, how he says it, how close he is or the look in his eye, but my fear takes over. I turn and run as fast as I can, my feet pounding on the floor, so I can get to the auditorium. I'm barely able to run two steps when he catches me, his arm goes around my waist and he holds me firmly, tightly and off the floor.

"Why do you run? Don't you trust me?" He whispers in my ear.

"No, not at all. Let me go!"

"Don't you remember our wonderful night in the hotel?" He whispers in this voice like silk. The memories come flooding back, but with holes in them, things I can't remember yet I know are missing. Even with the holes my body trembles at the memory. "I know you do," Klaus says. I don't have to see his face to know that he's grinning with satisfaction.

"Yes, I remember. Not everything, there are holes, and I know you're not human. I don't know what you are or how it's even possible, but you can't be human."

"I didn't take the memories, that was Damon. He left the holes in your mind, I wanted you to remember everything," he says the last word with so much emphasis it makes me shiver. It makes me wonder what he means by everything.

"He took them for a reason, he gave me the bracelet. I have to keep it on," I reply spinning the bracelet on my wrist.

"Yes, he did. That doesn't mean taking your memories was right. Look at me Clare, if you want to know what I am look at me," he whispers.

I know I shouldn't, but I turn my head to look at him. He has fangs, vampire fangs! I feel those holes in my memory trying to fill in, there's something familiar about this, as if I knew and that's what has been missing from my memory.

"No, this is not possible. Vampires aren't real," I tell myself obstinately. I close my eyes to not see him anymore. As much as I'm telling myself it's not real that familiar feeling comes back, I already knew this somehow, the memories were taken but I knew.

"I've tasted you before Clare, you taste wonderful. You must have seen the bite marks on your inner thigh. I hear your heart pounding, I can smell your blood," he says inhaling deeply, his words laced with pleasure and excitement. "I could taste you again and prove just how very real we are."

His words are whispered against my jugular, his breath ghosts over my neck. I feel his fangs at my jugular ready to bite, and now a different memory rushes back. Blood on my wrist, my life fading, drinking from Damon, the taste of his blood on my tongue and feeling it rush through my body as though giving me life. I know there was a wound on my wrist, I had a bandage on my wrist for weeks, and now a scar. I understand now Klaus must have been feeding from my wrist and he drank so much that Damon had to feed me his blood. The realization that vampires are real, I've met two of them, been with one intimately, he's fed from me and possibly nearly killed me, and I've fed from one. This all overwhelms me and my only response now is fear, incredible fear as if my life is in danger because I feel like it is. My heart is pounding so loud I can hear it, I feel it shaking my rib cage, I suck in a large breath and let out a loud ear-piercing scream. I scream until I have nothing left and then I go unconscious.

"Clare, Clare," Drew is calling to me. I think I'm in his arms, I know there's other people around me. My eyes flutter open as I come back to the conscious world.

"Thank goodness, you had us all scared," Adam breaths out. As my eyes focus and I come back to the conscious world I realize that, I'm leaning against Drew with his arms around me, he's also half naked. Then again so is Bianca as she's wearing nothing but Drew's shirt. At least Adam is fully dressed.

"What happened?" I ask groggily as I start to sit up. With Bianca staring at me I feel like I shouldn't be leaning against and in the arms of her half-naked fiancé.

"You tell us. Bianca and I heard you screaming like you were being attacked, we threw on some clothes and came running out. Some guy was lying you down on the floor, all I saw was that you were unconscious. I yelled at him, ran to you and he was gone. It was too dark to get a good look," Drew tells me.

"You were taking a long time to get your keys and come back. I came looking for you, heard you scream, came running and found you passed out in my brother's arms," Adam says.

"I came to get my purse from the student council office and…" I pause. I really don't know what to tell them. They know of Klaus, they've seen him, but I can't possibly tell them about vampires. I say the only thing I can think of that sounds realistic, "I got my purse quickly, didn't want to interrupt…you two. When I came out there was a guy, he took my purse. I must have screamed so hard that I passed out."

"Are you hurt?" Bianca asks.

I shake my head. I'm not physically hurt anyway.

"I think you should stay at our house tonight," Adam says.

"Adam's right, you should stay at our place especially with your parents out of town. If this guy got your purse he has your address," Drew comments.

"Here you guys are, what the hell happened to you guys? Clare why was your purse near the door?" Owen asks coming around the corner.

"Someone attacked Clare, she's going to stay the night at our house," Adam tells him.

"At least, he doesn't have my purse or my address," I say taking my purse from Owen.

"Should we call the cops?" Bianca asks.

I shake my head, even if I reported the "attack" I wouldn't have anything to tell the cops. "It was too dark, I didn't see him at all. I have my purse and everything seems to be here," I tell them after a quick search of my purse. Klaus didn't take anything, even my phone is still here.

"Why don't you two go get dressed and we'll take Clare back to the dance," Owen says as he helps me up.

"Yeah, we'll see you guys in there in a few minutes," Drew nods.

They go back to the student council office, Owen puts his arm around my shoulders and we walk back to the dance with Adam. I know I should call Damon, but I can't call him from the dance, and I'm sure that my friends won't take their eyes off me now. When we return to the dance Adam takes my keys to open the storage cabinet and I sit down with Owen.

"You okay?" Owen asks.

I just nod. I'm not sure what to say. I'm nowhere near okay, but I can't tell him a vampire was in the hall with me. That I've been with a vampire before, that my mind is trying to wrap around the fact that I've been fed on by a vampire, and tasted the blood of one.

(KLAUS)

Clare screams so much she passes out, I catch her, but I hear her friends in the student council office moving. They heard her scream, I pick her up to run out with her, then stop deciding that's not a good idea. I take too long to decide what to do with her, the door to the student council office opens and the boy with spiky hair yells at me as I gently put Clare down. I could fight them or compel them, but I don't want to bother right now, and I'd really rather not kill Clare's friends, so I just run. I'm still holding her purse, I find her wallet, look at her driver's license to get her address, put it back, drop her purse and run out.

After being so close to her veins, smelling her and the blood in her veins I need to feed. I find what looks and smells like a good meal and compel her into letting me feed very easily. Now satiated I return to DeGrassi, I go inside however I'm careful to stay in the shadows and I watch. Waiting for Clare to leave, she doesn't leave until the dance is over and she's not alone. I watch her leave with friends and go home with them, the parents don't seem to be home, but several of the kids are sleeping here. That almost makes it easier for me. I catch the short one with freckles and brown hair, and is who is a girl by birth. I know He's close to Clare, I also know this is his house, and I need him to let me in.

"After everyone is asleep open the front door and invite me in," I compel him.

"Okay," he nods.

I grin, release him and he goes inside. Now I wait. The curtains are closed blocking my view into the house, I can hear them though, if they're in the right place I can hear everything they say. I wait and I watch, when the lights start to go out I wait for the front door to open. It's almost three in the morning before it does.

"Please come in," the boy says.

I grin and enter, I smell Clare and grin a little wider. I caught her scent outside, but it's permeating the room, she's sleeping on the sofa in the living room.

"What's your name?" I ask the boy.

"Adam."

"Adam close the door, then go to Clare. She's wearing a bracelet, take it off her wrist."

Adam closes the door and he goes over to Clare. She's asleep on her side, her wrist that dons her bracelet is on top of the covers. Adam starts to take it off her wrist and she wakes up.

"Adam? What are you doing?" Clare asks in a confused tone graveled by sleep.

"I need your bracelet," Adam replies.

"Why?" She questions and then sees me. "Klaus!" She gasps, and she looks like she's going to scream again, so I clamp my hand over her mouth.

"No screaming this time," I tell her as Adam takes the bracelet off. "The bracelet is off, if I wanted to I could compel you like I did with your friend there. I could make you come with me again, I could make you do just about anything I wanted. That's not how I want you though. Adam put her bracelet back," I instruct. He puts her bracelet back on and Clare looks at me, she's biting her lip a little, her eyebrows are slightly furrowed. "Adam you can return to bed." Adam turns around and disappears upstairs. Clare watches him and looks back at me, I take my hand from her mouth. "I'm not sure what it is about you, but I can't stay away. I won't compel you or hurt you, you have my word."

Tipping her chin up I capture her lips, kissing her fervently, when I pull away I lick my lips. Then I leave before she can say anything or scream. I get in my car and drive to her house, a very simple row house. I can't get in of course, but all the curtains are open. Her parents appear to be gone, there's one small tree in the living room. She appears to be alone for Christmas and the house doesn't look very cheery. I look around as much as I can, viewing through all the windows I can access. I'm able to see her room thanks to a tree in the backyard. When I'm done I get back in my car to run an errand and my phone rings. It's Damon, he's becoming a nuisance. I answer anyway.

"Yes?"

"Where are you?"

"None of your concern Salvatore."

"Klaus if y…"

I hang up on him. The impertinence of a young vampire thinking he can know what I'm doing. What does any of this matter to him anyway?

(DAMON)

"How do you feel about a Christmas road trip? School is out for break we can bring Elena and baby Gilbert. I was planning on bringing Alaric," I enlighten my brother finding him downstairs. It's barely dawn, but I just got off the phone with Klaus and I just know he's back in Toronto. He really can't seem to keep away from Clare.

After his last trip up there at Halloween he seemed to be staying away. He pestered Caroline for a while, tortured my brother a bit, and generally caused problems for us. At least we knew he was around. The last couple of days nothing from him, no sightings, no problems, Caroline wasn't complaining about him, and nothing from the founding families about vampire disturbances. I knew he was gone, so I went by his place to make sure and when he wasn't there I called him.

"Road trip to where?" Stefan asks.

"Toronto."

"Clare again?"

"He has to be there and she's the only reason I know of that he'd go there."

"Have you heard from Clare?"

"Not yet, but it's a bit early to call."

"What is his draw to that girl?"

"Blue eyes? Writing skills? I don't know, she may just a be a toy he can play with. One that's far enough away that we can't take his toy. Like a cat hiding a mouse. If he's there she's probably in danger, her vervaine bracelet won't stop him from hurting her. I just don't have a good feeling about this and I'm going to Toronto."

I have now read all of Clare's fanfiction, just about everything she's ever written that I could find online. Or that Jeremy could find for me. She is a very talented writer, she has a way of painting words, illustrating each sentence in your mind. I've read a lot of her stuff more than once. In the short time I saw her I was captivated with her eyes, so crystalline they're almost ghost like. She's cute. She's also short. She seems to be somewhat reserved and naïve. She's got some lovely curves I can imagine Klaus wanting to sink his teeth into, but I don't see the fascination he has.

"Let's go pack then," Stefan says.

We each pack a small bag and get in the car to go to the Gilbert house. Stefan knocks, and Alaric opens the door a moment later. He raises an eyebrow and twists his mouth when he sees it's us, but he steps aside to let us in.

"It's never good when you both show up together at this hour," Alaric remarks.

"I'll go wake Elena and Jeremy, gently, and tell them to pack," Stefan says before zipping up the stairs.

"Pack?" Alaric inquires.

"How does a road trip to Toronto sound?" I ask closing the door and following Alaric to the kitchen.

"Sounds like we haven't heard from Klaus because he's in Toronto again."

"He didn't say he was and I haven't heard from Clare yet, but I'm pretty sure he's there, and I don't have a good feeling about it."

"Guess I'll go pack then," Alaric remarks.

Just as he goes upstairs my phone rings. It's Clare and I know I'm right. She wouldn't be calling if he wasn't there.

"I know, why didn't you call sooner?" I inquire as soon as I answer.

"He showed up last night, out of nowhere and I couldn't exactly call you from the school's winter dance. Damon…" her voice shakes on my name, I hear the breath hitching in her throat. "Klaus, he's a vampire. So are you. Vampires are real."

"Yes."

"You made me forget. Those holes in my memory are because you made me forget, at least that vampires are real."

"To protect you."

"The bracelet you gave me. It will keep me from…keep vampires out of my mind?"

"Yes."

"Klaus showed me his fangs last night. I remembered, not about vampires exactly but my wrist bleeding, and you feeding me your blood."

"He drank too much, you would have died if I hadn't."

"I know."

"Where's Klaus now?"

"I'm not sure, I haven't seen him since very early this morning," she tells me and then I hear someone calling for her. "I have to go," she says and hangs up.

"You didn't tell me you fed her your blood," Stefan comments.

"I wasn't going to let her die. Where is everyone?"

"Packing, they'll be down in a minute. I told them only to pack for a few days."

"Good."

Elena is the last to be ready of course, I stop at a coffee shop on the way out, so the humans can eat. Stefan and I drive, we can drive much faster and have far better reflexes than the humans. We do stop at the border, but I simply compel the guard to let us through, no need for passports, IDs or stupid questions. We make the drive in about half the time, arriving in Toronto in the early afternoon. I only now realize I don't know where she lives, I know where the school is, but it's Saturday. I try to call Clare, she doesn't answer, so we go to the school as it's the only place I can think of. When we get close to the school I see a café, I remember this café it seems to be a popular hangout for the kids that attend Clare's high school. Logically, someone in the café would know where she lives. We all go in, but the humans head for the washroom, Stefan and I look around. I grab an Indian girl, I remember her watching Klaus kiss Clare against his car.

"Tell me where Clare lives," I compel her. Of course, she gives me the address. I let go of her and get in the car waiting impatiently for the others.

Continued in chapter 4 which is already up!