"Twenty-one" He answered grimly, his eyes bore into hers that she kept cast down but she could feel the hole they were burning into her eye lids.

"Did you want the twenty for food?"

"Yeah…I'll pay you back" Antonia said, she got awkward when it came to money. She was homeless for so long money became such a touchy subject for her. Having to beg people for food and money to survive had really left her funny with it. Her eyes stayed on the shakers unable to meet his eyes.

"You should have just said you were hungry" Klaus said reaching out to stop her nervous playing with the salt and pepper shakers. His hand stilled hers and their eyes met for the first time since sitting down. In the moment Klaus could see the vulnerability and shame in her eyes, something he felt all to relatable when he was a human.

Keeping their eyes locked he nodded his head in a silent questioning if she understood that she didn't need to be ashamed of needing things.

"Okay" she conceded to him.

"We are or as you like to put it were part of the same pack, and since Katherine so graciously left you high and dry you might as well stick together my dear. Besides money is no objection, simply ask and if I see fit you shall receive" he said taking his hand back just as Mindy the server came back with their order.

Thanking Mindy Antonia dug into her burger as Klaus sipped his bourbon as he watched the patrons in search of his werewolf Ray Sutton. Stefan came out of nowhere slamming into Antonia as he slid into the bench next to Antonia. The sudden movement caused Antonia to nearly choke on her food but was able to cough it off. Not before Stefan pretended to care as he patted her back as if helping her dislodge the food he had caused to block her airway. Klaus took no notice as the bristling Antonia did as Stefan's hand continued to rest on her back. The Hybrid simply addressed the vampire, "What did you find out?"

"The bartender said that he usually comes in about four so we've got some time before he shows" Stefan said as his hand on Antonia's back slipped a little lower grazing the exposed skin between her leggings and her top. Antonia almost spit out her sip of bourbon at his bold move, "what did this dude have his humanity turned off or something" Antonia thought as her eyes went wide. She could feel the burn of her cheeks with shame, as if she had been asking for his feel up. Quickly composing herself Antonia casually as she could she took the fork in her left hand and swiftly stabbed it in Stefan's free hand that was resting on the table.

"You should know I don't take kindly to wandering hands" Antonia sneered into Stefan's ear as the fork tore through his flesh and into the table beneath. If Klaus wasn't able to hear her heart beat he would have thought she was perfectly confident but her heart seemed to be beating so fast it was obviously evident that she was internally freaking the hell out. Stefan instinctually let out a small groan and Klaus' mouth gaped open, neither saw that coming.

Leaving the fork in Stefan's hand she brought a French fry that came with her burger into her mouth with the same hand she stabbed him with. "Play it cool" Antonia thought to herself trying to calm her racing heart.

Stefan groaned as he pulled the fork out of his hand letting it fall on the table as his hand quickly healed. Klaus sipped his bourbon with a shit eating grin on, he for sure hadn't seen that coming but was proud of her nonetheless. Keeping her around was going to be anything but boring he had decided.

"You bitch-" Stefan growled only to be cut off by the girl, "Now, now Stefan, I think I made my position clear. You kept pushing me to this, keep your hands and your annoying comments to yourself and you won't be stabbed with cutlery again"

The vampire got even more angry and made to grab Antonia's wrist but Klaus grabbed his first, "Walk away", his eyes glinted golden but only Stefan saw. And with that Stefan stormed out of the booth and to the bar compelling himself an entire bottle. Antonia tried to seem un-phased as she downed the rest of her bourbon.

"Are-"

"Don't" Antonia said cutting Klaus off too. He threw his hands up in defense and he too slid out of the booth and joined Stefan at the bar. Waiting until Klaus walked away and out of eyesight Antonia threw her head back and let out a sigh as she wiped off the bloody fork on her napkin hoping Mindy or whoever bussed their table thought it was ketchup.

Antonia didn't like resorting to violence, it wasn't that she wasn't a violent person but she was basically still human and didn't want to trigger the werewolf gene unless she was sure Klaus would accept her as his mate. Legend said if two mates triggered both of their werewolf genes and they started but didn't complete the bond it would cause them physical pain to not complete the bond and Antonia was not willingly going to put herself through that type of pain. If they so much as even kissed she would be in some pain. It was a way to ensure that mates ended up together. Hell, Antonia wasn't even sure if she was still Klaus' mate since he was now half vampire, what if the bond only affected her and not him since he wasn't just werewolf anymore. These questions and more always ran through her mind anytime she had to resort to violence, but it wasn't just her enemies' life she would be endangering but possibly her own. Trying not to think about Klaus in that way too much right then Antonia finished up her burger and fries.

It seemed like an eternity until Klaus returned sliding into the same side of the booth as her keeping a respectable distance between them. "Love listen, I've talked to Stefan he won't be trying anything like that again I promise you" His eyes showed a hint of golden ambers if only Antonia had looked up at him she would have noticed. Klaus couldn't stand when men took from women without consent and he was only further enraged that someone would try that stunt with his little wolf. His. That word stuck out to him in his mind, subconsciously he reasoned that his simply meant she was of his pack, nothing more. Little did he know.

"I-a-uh" Antonia stuttered, not sure how to respond, she hadn't expected Klaus to talk to Stefan, she thought she had made it pretty clear herself but him saying something made her feel better too.

"As a pack we take care of each other, right?" Antonia nodded eyes cast down as she over thought his comment, "Now how about we play a game of darts to get your mind of it hm?" Klaus asked tilting his head down to catch her eye with a mischievous twinkle in his own. Klaus got up and offered his hand to the girl.

Eyeing it for a moment she took it and the two went over to an open dart board. There was a little circular table with two tall bar stools to the side and Antonia sat down on a stool as Klaus went and collected all of the darts.

Pulling at her top Antonia tried to remember exactly how to play, she was never too fond of the game and it had been a while since she played. "Ladies first?" Klaus said offering her a dart.

"Remind me of the rules?" Antonia said, her fingers grazed his palm as she took the dart.

"You've been around for a long time to not know how to play?" teased the Hybrid as he set the rest of the darts down on the table. Antonia rolled her eyes dramatically for him to see, "No it's just been a few decades"

"301 first to get it down to zero wins"

"I thought it was 501"

"Figured I'd need to start easy with you"

"Oh please" Antonia scoffed hopping off the stool standing at the painted line on the floor. Getting ready to throw the dark Antonia went on her toes, squinted and threw the dart. Perfect Bull's eye!

"I have to admit I didn't think the going on your toes technique was going to help but I'll be damned, you may not have remembered the rules but you still know how to play" Klaus chuckled from his stool with a little clap.

"I'm a woman of many talents" she said as she turned a dramatically bowed to him.

Klaus and Antonia went on like that for a while, of course Klaus too got perfect bull's eyes. They stopped keeping score and started just chatting about anything and everything, mostly about unimportant things. Cities that they had seen, Antonia left out just how she had seen them but nonetheless they started to get to know each other. It helped that Klaus had gotten Mindy to bring them continuous bourbons over.

Antonia may have been basically human but she was able to keep up with Klaus, at least at first. Six tumblers full of bourbon later she was feeling it though. Hopping down off the stool she had to take a second to steady herself her hands went out to her sides to provide more balance. "I think I need cut you off now"

"I agree!" Antonia said as she sat back down on the stool forgoing her turn, "Can we order more fries though?" she slurred a little batting her eyelashes at Klaus.

He motioned for Mindy to come back over, "A extra-large order of fries for my friend here please love"

Mindy went off to fulfill the order and Antonia muttered incoherently. "What love?"

"Nothing" Antonia chirped smiling brightly up at him.

Klaus' phone buzzed with a text, taking his phone out of his pocket Klaus read, "It appears the guest of honor has arrived, do save me some fries" and with that Klaus stalked over to a man at the bar. Antonia muttered again, "friend" her head fell on her crossed arms on the table with a thud.

"He sees me as a friend, great" Antonia thought to herself. What was she doing, she was soooo over thinking a regular phrase! Huffing she realized she wasn't drunk enough to get sad and depressed about her life so Antonia decided to go get more booze from Mindy where ever she was.

Thankfully no one noticed her dipping behind the bar and snagging a bottle of Grey Goose and a shot glass. She glanced around for a chaser, a bottle of orange juice or something but nothing. Standing up from looking in the mini fridge under the bar Antonia was met with Stefan. "No need to hide it, Klaus had made me compel everyone to be quite and not interfere with what we do"

"Oh, now if you'll excuse me" Antonia said as she tried to brush past the vampire.

"Antonia wait" Stefan said grabbing her arm as she tried to get past, "I-"

"Stuff it Stefan, I don't care about what you're going to say"

His grip tightened on her forearm so much Antonia knew there was going to be a bruise tomorrow, "I wanted to apologize for earlier, I was taking out misplaced anger out on you"

"Oh" and her glaring face and her anger filled eyes softened as he spoke but his grip didn't let up. Make that a very dark bruise tomorrow.

"Yeah, I'm apologizing, I've been a dick"

"No shit Sherlock, I accept your apology but I don't forgive you" Antonia said as she pulled her arm and he let out allowing her to pass by and back to her table to get even more drunk.

The shot glass clinked down on the table as Antonia set her supplies down. Pouring herself a shot throwing it back Antonia did a little step and face as the vodka burned down her throat.

Antonia grasped the neck of the bottle taking a moment, "Just one more to not have to deal with this over analyzing" she thought to herself before downing another shot. Realizing she should probably just return the bottle Antonia looked back at the bar. Klaus was talking to that man, probably that Ray Stutter or Sutton man. Realizing she'd probably interrupt she decided to find a more comfortable place to get even more drunk.

Bottle in hand Antonia stumbled over to the couch tucked between the tables and the dart boards area. The couch was in front of a TV hanging on the wall with Jeopardy on. Flopping on the couch Antonia unscrewed the bottle taking a cringey swig as she listened to Alec Trebek ask the next question.

Antonia laughed drunkenly as one of the contestants got the question wrong and went into the red. "Geez this couch smells so musty" she muttered realizing just how bad the couch smelled. "AHHHH"

The scream startled Antonia just as she was about to take another swig. She missed her mouth and a little vodka poured down her neck and down her shirt. "Keep it down over there would ya?" She shouted, with no doubt Klaus was trying to "convince" Ray to tell him where his pack was. Antonia was too drunk to be able to read the captions on the TV so she was relying on the audio at this point.

Antonia wondered what it would be like to be so loyal to someone that you'd rather endure torture to keep them safe. She had always wondered if Mikael thought or even cared to ask if there was anyone missing from the pack when he slaughtered them all. Had the thought that one of them hadn't been there even crossed his deranged mind, probably not and every night that assumption that he didn't know she existed let her sleep soundly. Other than Mikael, who Klaus' father had told him that's Klaus' mate was dead, no one knew he had one let alone that anyone hadn't been in the camp. She was thankful for that, it allowed her to live, live without fear. At least no fear of being hunted for that reason.

"AHHHHHH"

"NOOOO"

"FUCK Y-"

"Hey I couldn't hear Alex!" Antonia snapped loudly. Drunk Antonia didn't give two shits about the torture she knew was happening if the screams were anything to go off of. Antonia could now hear the loud gurgles of someone for sure choking on their own blood, and she was thankful for the entire bar being compelled. They hadn't even flinched at any of the yelling, "Damn I wish I could do that" Antonia thought.

Antonia may have been one of the first but she had no such supernatural powers, she wasn't able to compel or have any sort of super human strength of any kind. She often wondered what life would have been like for her if she just had one of those perks, maybe her life wouldn't have been so… so bad for so long.

"What is the God Father!" Antonia shouted at the TV, "God damnit Harold you put down what is Harry Potter? You dipshit, are you sure you're a teacher in Oklahoma!" One of the compelled patrons looked at her but didn't say anything. For a brief moment Antonia's eyes met the patrons and she could see even in her drunken state that the man was terrified, it was clear they hadn't been compelled not to be scared just not to interfere or do anything.

"It'll be okay I promise" Antonia said getting up from the couch feeling the sudden need to comfort the man. Swaying to the man she threw her arms around him still clutching the bottle of vodka. It sloshed everywhere but mostly onto the man's back and into Antonia's hair but neither cared. Pulling back from the embrace the man looked even more scared to Antonia, "Fine be scared what the hell do I know, hell I've been scared my entire life, you ought to hide it better" she said throwing herself back on the couch.

Sitting up more this time Antonia looked outside, through the half open blinds she could make out Stefan on the phone. His back was to the bar but Antonia could tell it was him. "What is you doing out there son?" she mumbled before becoming distracted by Jeopardy becoming engrossed yet again.