~a/n: Assuming you aren't in the middle of convulsions of horror on the
floor after the last few chapters (even *I* admit this story is disturbing)
you have reached chapter six. Glad you could make it.
C h a p t e r S i x
"Will you be okay alone?" Klaus asked her. The swelling had mostly gone down, although most of his face was still unnatural shades of yellow and brown.
"Yes," Violet lied. "Will you?"
He took a steadying breath. "I hope so. If you need us, Sunny and I will be right next door."
"Goodnight," she said, fighting the urge to beg him not to leave.
This is ridiculous, Violet, she told herself. You're almost fifteen years old now. You don't need your little brother to protect you from the dark.
She felt her determination swell inside her. She didn't need help-she was more than capable of handling this situation. Still, she slept lightly and left the light on.
She awoke suddenly around three a.m., blinking numbly about the room.
"Morning," he said with a serene smile.
She jumped up. This was what she had been afraid of. This was why she had left the light on, why she had nearly called Klaus back. Now, she wished she had.
"How long have you been in here?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
He looked at his watch. "About an hour. I was wondering how long your siblings would keep sleeping in here with you. I think I've managed to talk Esme out of murdering Klaus. Your birthday is coming up, I understand, and I figured keeping your brother alive and in fairly good condition would be a nice present for you."
"How did you know that?"
"I had custody of you, remember? I saw your personal records. Your fifteenth birthday is in about a week." He smiled again, as strange smile that made her very uncomfortable. "Have you three decided what to do yet?"
"What do you mean?"
"You know, about myself and the troupe. Are you going to run again? Because I could arrange a nice place for you three to run to. Of course I'll follow, but I'll find away to keep the others way, which means Esme can't kill your brother. I promise I'll stay out of your way, and I'll only visit you every once in a while. Your siblings don't even have to know I'm still there--that'll be our little secret."
Violet's eyes narrowed and she shook her head. "No."
"Come now, dear child, what do you want most in the world? You want your siblings to be safe. I can arrange that. You have my word that no harm will come to them. And it's not like I'm trying to get you to marry me again or anything. I'll protect you too, and all you'll have to do is talk to me every once in a while. Would that be so bloody unbearable?"
"We don't need anything from you," she spat harshly.
"Oh, Violetta, it hurts me to hear you say that."
"I don't care."
He started staring at her again; stared in that queer way that made her think he was reading her mind. "But I think you do," he said finally. "I think you do, but you don't want to admit it."
"You're wrong," she said, more to herself than to him. "I DON'T care."
He shrugged, but she could see he was growing angry. "We're still in denial, I see? Well, we'll just discuss this tomorrow and see how things look then." He got up angrily and stormed out the door, slamming it behind him with a heavy thud.
Violet didn't know what to do. Deal with the devil, she told herself, don't give in. there's a catch, a hidden cost. But she still didn't believe herself.
No, her mind told her, as she bundled under the covers and began to cry, you DO care.
C h a p t e r S i x
"Will you be okay alone?" Klaus asked her. The swelling had mostly gone down, although most of his face was still unnatural shades of yellow and brown.
"Yes," Violet lied. "Will you?"
He took a steadying breath. "I hope so. If you need us, Sunny and I will be right next door."
"Goodnight," she said, fighting the urge to beg him not to leave.
This is ridiculous, Violet, she told herself. You're almost fifteen years old now. You don't need your little brother to protect you from the dark.
She felt her determination swell inside her. She didn't need help-she was more than capable of handling this situation. Still, she slept lightly and left the light on.
She awoke suddenly around three a.m., blinking numbly about the room.
"Morning," he said with a serene smile.
She jumped up. This was what she had been afraid of. This was why she had left the light on, why she had nearly called Klaus back. Now, she wished she had.
"How long have you been in here?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
He looked at his watch. "About an hour. I was wondering how long your siblings would keep sleeping in here with you. I think I've managed to talk Esme out of murdering Klaus. Your birthday is coming up, I understand, and I figured keeping your brother alive and in fairly good condition would be a nice present for you."
"How did you know that?"
"I had custody of you, remember? I saw your personal records. Your fifteenth birthday is in about a week." He smiled again, as strange smile that made her very uncomfortable. "Have you three decided what to do yet?"
"What do you mean?"
"You know, about myself and the troupe. Are you going to run again? Because I could arrange a nice place for you three to run to. Of course I'll follow, but I'll find away to keep the others way, which means Esme can't kill your brother. I promise I'll stay out of your way, and I'll only visit you every once in a while. Your siblings don't even have to know I'm still there--that'll be our little secret."
Violet's eyes narrowed and she shook her head. "No."
"Come now, dear child, what do you want most in the world? You want your siblings to be safe. I can arrange that. You have my word that no harm will come to them. And it's not like I'm trying to get you to marry me again or anything. I'll protect you too, and all you'll have to do is talk to me every once in a while. Would that be so bloody unbearable?"
"We don't need anything from you," she spat harshly.
"Oh, Violetta, it hurts me to hear you say that."
"I don't care."
He started staring at her again; stared in that queer way that made her think he was reading her mind. "But I think you do," he said finally. "I think you do, but you don't want to admit it."
"You're wrong," she said, more to herself than to him. "I DON'T care."
He shrugged, but she could see he was growing angry. "We're still in denial, I see? Well, we'll just discuss this tomorrow and see how things look then." He got up angrily and stormed out the door, slamming it behind him with a heavy thud.
Violet didn't know what to do. Deal with the devil, she told herself, don't give in. there's a catch, a hidden cost. But she still didn't believe herself.
No, her mind told her, as she bundled under the covers and began to cry, you DO care.
