A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope Elijah doesn't come off as too OOC, I just want him a little more.. bad. If ya know what I mean. A short chapter before we get into the more dramatic, rollercoaster of love and pain chapters that awaits.

Please, please, please review what you think of the story!

Chapter 27 - Those who Kill

~X~

Rose felt like she had stones in her stomach as she walked back and forth in the Salvatore living room. She had separated from Trevor just one or two days after his task to find Elijah's supposed siblings proved to be significantly harder than what they thought. They didn't even know the ancient one had siblings to begin with, where would they even start. Harper hadn't given them much as she hadn't seen nearly enough to pinpoint them.

So she had taken a new path, letting Trevor be on his own for a while. It felt weird, not being by his side, but she needed to keep another oath that she had taken. She had promised Harper, while they escorted her to Elijah's car, that she would tell her father about where she was. And that she would come back.. eventually.

Rose felt a sick karma flood her as she had faced down the massive werewolf alpha, but when she had told him everything, the man had hugged her. He didn't seem to care about her kind, or the pain she and Trevor had ultimately caused him. Knowing that his little girl was alright and would return was a gift like no other.

Magnus had told her about Caroline and the rest of the supernatural world in Mystic Falls and urged her to go and find the blonde. She in turn had gathered the others, and now they needed a plan to get Harper back. Elijah's car and corpse wasn't at the abandoned house by the time Rose had returned, so a contact of his must've gotten them away from there.

"So you're saying that the oldest vampire in the history of time is coming after me?" Elena said, curling further into herself as she looked between the Salvatore brothers.

"Well-" Stefan began, but Caroline couldn't stand this any longer. She had been sitting there with Tyler for an hour, listening to the pretty flamboyant story of Klaus.

"That is what you took from that?!" The blonde snapped and stood up, looking directly at Elena with disbelieving eyes.

"Caroline" Elena sighed, not really understanding why her friend was so fired up about this. After all, it was her life on the stake here.

"No! I came here because I thought you would help getting my best friend back.. not tell me stupid ghost stories to rally us all up.. Harper is still out there! You know? The girl who's lives y'all ruined-" Caroline hissed and stared Damon down, but the vampire would have none of it.

"Okay sit down Barbie" Damon said and took a firm hold of her arm.

"The hell I will!" Caroline said and released herself from his hold, You just want to protect Elena.. Harper is probably all alone in some.. some dungeon, ready to be catered off to this Klaus person!" She stated, much to her surprise, her words seemed to affect both Stefan and Rose. Both vampire's shifted their gazes to the ground. Feeling shame over their actions.

"Why would he want her?" Elena asked, raising one of her perfect eyebrows.

"She can see into the future.. duh?" Caroline huffed as she turned around to her seat and started to pack up her things. So done with this little meeting.

"If he is scary as he is, being an original.. imagine what he would do with the power to see into the future" Stefan said in realisation, feeling more and more stupid as time went on. How on earth was he supposed to protect Elena if Klaus always ended up one step ahead.

"Come on Tyler, we are done here" Caroline said, and the werewolf followed her quietly. Fearing what would happen if he let his inner rage out at those vampires. He needed his sister back, and they weren't the answer.

~X~

Meanwhile

Richmond

"Turn around" His voice was deep and throaty as he sat on the plush chair in the corner of the changing room area. Harper had never been in a fancy store like this before, and never had she ever worn clothes as expensive and luxurious as the ones that clung to her.

She did as she was told, knowing that the immortal vampire had zero patients for her disobedience. They had clashed several times the first night, with her refusing to change into some pajamas that he had bought her. He had worn a look that stated, 'I want to rip your head off'.. But he didn't, she was way too valuable to hurt in any way.

The dress she was wearing right now was more expensive than her computer she used for school, it was maroon and tight. It made her feel like some sugar baby, as Elijah looked at her with hooded eyes, and she could only describe herself as a lamb ready for slaughter.

"Beautiful" Harper blushed, it was rare and far inbetween a guy, much less an ancient rich god, to call her anything of the sort. For the longest time she had felt like an odd duckling amongst the rest of the beautiful population of Mystic Falls. But Elijah made her feel.. powerful.

"T-thank you" Harper rasped, and Elijah gently raised her head that had been stuck looking down on her naked feet rather than the mirror.

"I mean it, you darling, are a beautiful creature" He stated, before dropping his hand and walking out of the private changing room. Without further instructions, she put on her previous clothes he had bought from the previous store and forced her to keep on. The few items she had from his store she gently placed upon her arm, before walking out to find her kidnapper.

She hadn't had a vision in days, but she must trust herself and her abilities. Otherwise everything was for naught, and a lot of people would get hurt back home.

"Did you find anything to your liking?" A kind woman behind the register asked. Elijah smiled as he looked up from his phone and onto Harper, his eyes telling the girl that he would lead the conversation from here.

"Yes" Harper just said, putting the garments onto the counter to let the woman do her job. She looked to the entrance of the lavish shop, a compelled vampire was holding all of her previous purchases without even moving a muscle, Harper felt truly bad for him. But at this moment there was nothing she could do.

"Such a beautiful daughter you have, how old are you darling?" The woman asked, this time with a seeking tone. She was eyeing Elijah like a lioness would her prey, Harper felt sick to her stomach as she hadn't expected such a question to be asked so bluntly.

"Never talk to my wife in that way again, please" Elijah stated with his cold eyes stuck to the woman. She immediately changed her demeanor, her smile dropping and continued her work at a faster pace.

"Lovely.. and the total is 3500 dollars, cash or credit?" She asked, her tone now full-on rude and snarky.

"Cash" Elijah took out his wallet and fished up the right amount of bills like it was no big deal. The woman was properly stunned that he was so careless about it, as she handled the money like they were her newborn babies.

"Thank you" She rasped, quickly finishing up their purchase and handing the three bads to Harper. "Have a nice day now"

Elijah couldn't care less about the puny human and her thoughts and opinions. He took the bags from Harper and handed them to Tim with a stern smile, ordering him to take it all back to their hotel room. He had just been in a conversation with his brother, Rose had chosen the side of the enemy, and now she was in Richemond with Damon Salvatore to talk to a vampire so low on the information chain that he was the equivalent to the dirt beneath his shoes.

"Let's head over to a café" He stated and took Harper's tiny hand in his own. Elijah didn't know why but her warm and nervous touch really comforted him, her pulse was like music to his ears. It was a way to keep her by his side, as she had a tendency to find ways to disappear from his side. It was more of a security measure than anything remotely romantic.

"Okay" Harper said and followed him dutifully. They walked a couple of blocks, before finally reaching a tiny park with many shops and restaurants and the like resided around it. Harper smiled at the site, it was quite pretty. It almost reminded her of home.

She missed her family like crazy, her heart ached at the thought of her father, Carol and Tyler. She missed Caroline's firm and warm hugs, Matt's kisses. Suddenly she felt quite sad to be there, but without her phone she could do nothing but wait.

Elijah looked around the area before he smiled, guiding Harper over to a guitar player sitting on a bench. Harper didn't even blink as he pulled out a hundred dollar bill and threw it carelessly into the case, before picking up coins into his hands. And then.. they waited. Harper realized that something was going on, and not knowing what made her anxious. It took a long while, the teenager even sat down on the bench beside the guitar guy while Elijah just stood there. Looking into a café with slightly tinted windows.

"What are you-" Harper suddenly said, fed up with the vampire's silence, when Elijah then simply flicked his wrist, throwing the coins with such force that all the windows broke and panic ensued. Taking her by her hand once more, the vampire dragged her away from the scene with haste.

"Neat trick" She said as they were back in their shared hotel room, her breathing erratic as Elijah had brought them with vampire speed.

"Thank you darling" He said and took his jacket off, smirking at Harper's scared eyes.

"So what now?" She muttered, trying to calm her heart down.

"Now.. you will meet my brother" Elijah stated and went over to a fully stocked closet in the corner of the room.

"Klaus?" Harper asked, already knowing what Elijah was going to say.

"I believe.. you already know a lot about our situation" He stated with a raised eyebrow, and Harper could do nothing but nodd.

"Yes"

"Good, and you know-"

"I know a lot of different outcomes, all leading down to the last minute of his ritual" Harper looked him dead in the eyes. The plan was moving along, just like the plan would. Every cog was moving, and the final pieces would be put into place soon enough.

"And what is the next step, my seer?" Elijah placed his callus hand on her delicate cheek, liking the way that Harper was shaking with fear by his touch.

"Make Slater talk" She mumbled, her voice devoid of any emotion. She realized that sacrifices were about to be made in the name of survival. She needed her family alive and well, and in Klaus' good graces. For that to happen, Harper needed to get her hands bloody. It sickened her, but it was for the greater good.