She had thought that he would have something to say. A sarcastic quip, a joke at her expense, but instead he just let her in, and led her to the dining area. This one was dark, with marbles and rich maroon carpeting. The entire room was filled with antiques, she noticed as he led her to the dining table wordlessly.

She wondered whether he brought people here for dinner and then ate them for dessert.

He left for a moment and then came back with something that smelled heavenly to her, placing a plate of well done steak in front of her. He also got a glass of red wine and mixed some of his blood into it.

"For your hand."

It was all he said and Elena couldn't help but agree that she needed it. She realised that he had a plate of food in front of him too.

She didn't know what had brought the sudden generosity within him, but she decided to not question it.

They ate in silence for a while, until she was full. Unbidden, Damon's voice rang in her head, that he was just lulling her into a false sense of security.

She shook her head and looked down, noticing the intricate pattern on the dining table. It was small and circular, but they were still sitting opposite each other, and she was thankful for it.

It was something new for her to experience, the fact that he was just there. Close enough that she could reach out and ask for help if she needed, but far enough that she wasn't being smothered.

She appreciated it.

And the oddest part was that it was Klaus who was sitting with her in companionable silence, letting her set the pace, unquestioning, like he was-

She broke that train of thought, afraid of what would happen if she went down it.

"Thanks for this."

"Oh it's no problem."

"Uh, do you mind if I use the washroom?"

"No, it's down that corridor." She followed the path which he pointed to her, but wasn't sure which door led to where she wanted to go.

She pushed one open at random and realised that it was an art studio. There was an easel in the middle of the room, turned away from her, but there were plenty of other completed paintings, and some were even set to dry.

She knew she shouldn't, but she walked in anyway. She couldn't contain her curiosity. She had already seen the one painting he had made, and she wanted to see more.

Most of his work was light, some of it was dark, like she expected but nothing like the stuff Jeremy drew. He'd told her once, that art was his form of expressing emotions he couldn't voice, which was why most of his work was dark and shrouded in mystery.

Klaus' work on the other hand was open, light. All shades of oranges, blues, whites and greens, delicate pastels that covered the room. If what Jeremy said applied to Klaus, then he expressed the softer parts of himself in a way that no one would know, that no one would realise, because he had-

"The washroom is two doors over love." She turned around slowly, as she felt her pulse raced at being caught.

"I didn't realise, and once I did, I got...distracted." She said cautiously, but she didn't need to, he was leaning against the door frame and he was smirking. He didn't seem angry she'd found her way in, but it was Klaus, she wouldn't give out a verdict just yet.

"Do you like it?" He asked walking in.

"I...yeah, I do actually." She said as she looked around the room. "They're all beautiful." He cocked an eyebrow at her. "No really, they are."

"Have a favourite?" He was standing beside her now, there was look in his eyes, almost as if he was vulnerable.

He was, she realised, looking around the room, she was looking at the things that mattered most to him, the ones he had taken time to put on paper. So that he could carry them with a him, a physical manifestation of his deepest feelings.

She settled on the painting of a city, beautiful, with the full moon shining over it.

"That one."

"Ah."

"What is it?" She asked, as she turned to look up at him.

"New Orleans." She sent him a questioning look, as he led her towards the painting. "My family and I lived there for quite a while. We built the city from the ground up."

"Really?"

"Well, don't sound so shocked, we are capable of doing such things. Yes, we lived there for three hundred years. I was king of the dark, supernatural underbelly. The witches lived in fear of us, the werewolves hid in the bayou and the vampires, they followed us in our example. The humans turned away, and let us all roam their city freely." He sounded wistful and happy when he spoke of the place.

"Never learnt about that history in school." She said in shock. But it wasn't hard to imagine, Klaus as king, ordering people around, while he did what he wanted. Besides, it fit into his inflated ego.

"Oh, of course not. The humans who didn't belong to the human faction knew nothing of it. They only saw me and my family as philanthropists who built the city, and whose deep pockets ran it. The witches, on the other hand, they told stories of the vampires that made even them fear. The witches of New Orleans are some of the most powerful. None quite close to the capabilities of your friend, of course. Still powerful."

"So you ran the city, and everyone followed you?"

"Mostly, of course, sacrifices had to be made first." He looked pained when he said it, but it was flitting, gone in a second.

"Sacrifices?"

"Yes, but let us not discuss that now." She looked at how closed off he was all of a sudden and decided to not broach the subject.

"So if you were all together there, why did you leave?" She couldn't help but ask, and realised it was a gamble. While the haunted look in his eyes gave way, there was something about the way he looked, sad, that told her she had jumped into the fire from the flame.

The anger didn't seem to be directed at her though.

"Mikeal. He torched the city to the ground. Killed our allies, even attempted to kill Elijah. We had to split. Three hundred years it took to build the city to what it was out of a backwater swamp, and he just set it on fire."

"Oh. I-"

"Don't." His voice was harsh, before he turned away. "Here, see this instead." He moved to show her another painting, this one a myriad of white and bright orange.

It was enrapturing, almost like fire and ice, attempting to merge into one another, but unable to because of their inherent natures. They still fought, whether to move apart to save themselves, or to move closer, despite knowing it would hurt them, was unclear. Nonetheless, Elena found herself empathising with their plight, and their confusion.

"So, I don't understand. These are all beautiful, how come they're hiding away in here? Knowing you they should be in some museum in Europe or at least in an art gallery downtown."

"Well, before I couldn't draw attention to myself or to my siblings like this, not with Mikeal hunting us. And after his death, well, it isn't as if it's been a picnic. I don't have the time."

"But you have your hybrids. You know Mystic Falls is a small place. It will be the biggest event of the month."

"Perhaps, after I get my siblings back."

They stood in silence for a while, her contemplating the information he had given her. His father seemed to have taken everything from him. She didn't understand why any parent would act that way, even John had protected her, when it came down to it. So how could Mikeal try to kill him? And not just him, but all of them.

But then again, sometimes the people who we loved the most, just didn't appreciate it. Or feel the same way.

She was sure Damon and Stefan felt that way about her.

"Damon kissed me." She didn't know why she'd said it, but she needed someone, with an outside perspective, to hear her side.

He raised his eyebrows as he turned to her, his expression fully guarded.

"Ah, and what does Stefan think about that?"

"Nothing, he only cares about getting revenge on you."

"And you? Ready to move on to the next Salvatore?" Although he was teasing her, there was something dark hidden in his voice.

"I...didn't want Damon to kiss me. I don't want to be with him. I just, wanted us to be friends."

"That sounds a bit odd to be coming from you love." She turned towards him and let out a sigh.

"Look, I know what you're going to say, that I'm just like my ancestors, I don't want to hurt Damon but I don't want to be with him either. But he gets so angry sometimes. He was upset once that both me and Katherine rejected him in the same night. He killed Jeremy that night, when I wouldn't kiss him back. I hated him for what he did."

"And yet you forgave him?"

"I did, yeah. I, he changed after that. He tried to be better."

"But you don't trust him to not react in the same manner as last time?"

"I...should, trust him, that is. But I don't know how to. I've trusted him with so much, and I really thought we were friends, all that time we spent searching for Stefan. But," she sighed in exhaustion, "but he still tried to kiss me. When he knows I just want us to be friends."

"And you can't tell him that?" Klaus asked with a set jaw.

"No, I...can't."

"Would you like me to do it?"

"What?"

"He's unlikely to hurt me, given that he won't even be able to get close enough. After all, even Derek could take him on."

"He told you."

"He only caught the tail end of your argument."

"Who is he?"

"He's from a particularly old and powerful werewolf pack. The last of his pack. He's intelligent and strategic, probably one of the better of my hybrids."

"So you sent him to spy on me?"

"I asked him to keep an eye on you, yes. You seem to have a penchant for trouble. Tell me, what would you have done this afternoon, if he wasn't there?"

She ignored his question.

"I don't like it."

"Well, I'd rather not lose the best footsoldier I have either, but you can't tell me you don't see the need for him."

She couldn't argue that point right then, so she dropped it for the moment. "So, he'll just follow me around?"

"I assure you love, you won't even know he's there." They was a beat of silence then, but she knew he was bursting with questions.

"Just ask, whatever it is you want." It took him a moment.

"So, you don't refuse Damon's advances because you're afraid he'll kill someone in retaliation?"

"It's not just that, I don't want to hurt him. And I definitely don't want him to lash out. And he found out about our deal. He thinks I just come here to give blood though, nothing else."

"Ah, didn't tell him the truth."

"I'm sure Bonnie would keep me inside the house with a boundary spell."

"For people who claim to hate me, your friends seem to employ the same tactics that I do."

"It's not like that."

"So, why did you come here? Not that you aren't welcome mostly, but still."

She didn't know how to answer that question, because she didn't know either. But something inside her made her come there, to him, when she needed someone.

And he was there for her.

"I...um, I'm pretty sure they're too afraid to come out here." She said, lying through her teeth, he probably knew it too, but he didn't press her for more information.

"Well, they should be. This house is a stronghold of hybrids, after all."

"See. Safest place to hide." The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them and she looked at him in shock, which was mirrored on his face.

She looked away then, and saw a painting covered with a sheet.

"What's that one?"

"Oh, it's personal."

She couldn't help but look up at him, why hasn't he shut the door in her face? Why not throw her out once she invaded his privacy? Why be nice to her?

She wished she had the courage to ask him, to voice her doubts, but she didn't. No matter what comfort they had created here together, they were still enemies, she reminded herself. And this, it was probably just a ceasefire.

But she still couldn't help it, it was her nature after all.

"Klaus?"

"Yes, love?"

"I can't believe I'm saying this. But thank you. For this, today. I needed to hide away, and you let me in. I...appreciate it." She was talking so softly, he probably had strain to hear her. But he did hear it, because she could see the surprise register on his face.

"Well, that's no issue. And of course, if you need help dealing with Damon Salvatore, well then another half litre shall suffice." This time he was joking, although maybe not about about Damon, either way, the small laugh escaped her before she could stop herself.


A/N - Reviews feed the soul, please let me know if you like the chapter!