A/N 1 - I apologise for the late update, but I wasn't satisfied with the version of this chapter I had posted last time. So it was important to make this edit. I hope you all enjoy the chapter.
The first thing she noticed were the harsh rays of the sun shining through the windshield, almost giving her a headache. She blinked against the light, swallowing the lump in her throat as she repositioned her neck along the headrest.
When her eyes adjusted to the light, she realised they were still driving down the freeway. They were going to New York and he had insisted on leaving early.
She knew it was earlier than she woke up most days, but she hadn't expected herself to sleep for almost..three hours, she thought squinting at the digital clock.
"Oh good, you're awake. It was starting to get a bit boring." He said when she let out a yawn. But she doubted it, because he looked as though he was deep in thought.
"I'm sure it wasn't too bad." He made an agreeable sound, somewhere in the back of his throat.
It hadn't taken nearly as long to convince her friends as she thought it would've. Usually, they would've protested until their voices were hoarse, that it wasn't safe to anywhere with with Klaus alone.
But Ric's condition was worsening, Bonnie's herbs weren't working and they were desperate. The only person who had still been against her going was Jeremy, but he had come around eventually.
His argument had been that once Klaus took her, he wouldn't bring her back.
She had disputed that notion.
She was ninety percent sure he would bring her back, although there was a part of her that knew that he could take her away if he was pushed too far.
She wasn't sure how she felt about that thought.
While things were definitely different between them, she wasn't sure where they stood. She didn't think she could call what they had a relationship, didn't even know if he had ever had one. From what she knew about him, he probably just had lovers and she wasn't sure if she could just be that for him.
Although she did doubt he'd ever use the word girlfriend.
She stole a glance at him out of the corner of her eye seeing that he seemed comfortable, unlike her, despite the fact that he had been driving for almost three hours.
It was odd, they had spent a week away from each other, because Rebekah was back, but the moment they were alone, they had fallen back into their rhythm of cautious companionship.
"Still, it's a lot better than the drivel on the radio." She licked her lips, trying to get rid of the dryness and his eyes flitted across her face before landing on them. "Did you sleep well?"
There was an undercurrent of emotion between them, the knowledge of what they had done, and the anticipation of what would happen next.
"Yeah, I did." Things were stilted around them, the air thick with tension. The giant elephant they hadn't discussed about was almost suffocatingly large between them.
She doubted they could ignore it for too long.
"So, when are we supposed to meet the witch?" She asked, turning to look at him.
"Probably late afternoon tomorrow. I've already told her about your problem and she says she needs to see the ring."
"Yeah, I know. I've gotten it with me. Along with the herbs Bonnie is already using, so we can see if there's another way to reverse this." She said sighing. Despite the herbs and the antipsychotics, Alaric had still pulled a gun on Meredith and if it hadn't been for Damon and Jeremy, the doctor would've been dead. "It's just that he's getting worse."
"Well, I think Clara will be able to help. She's been practising since the nineteen thirties."
"Nineteen thirty? She must be..."
"Oh come now, it is rude to speculate a woman's age."
"When has that stopped you?" He let out a low chuckle.
"Witches have ways to extend their lives."
"Oh. But they aren't immortal, right?"
"No, they're not." There was a brief lapse of silence before she spoke again.
"Klaus, I wanted to thank-"
"There's no need for that love. It isn't exactly without strings, so to speak."
"Oh." Of course, she should've known. "So what do you want in return?" It took him a while to tell her, carefully choosing the words.
"Well, you see, despite my best efforts word has spread among the supernatural community about the power of your blood. And that you're still alive."
"Okay..." She wasn't sure about what he wanted with that.
"As such there are many who are now aware or at least suspicious that you're blood is the key to making hybrids. "
She wondered if Kol and Finn were just as dramatic as Klaus, Elijah and Rebekah were. Kol, probably.
"Due to these rumours, things have gotten quite active, shall we say."
"Active?"
"Yes and there is a vampire I used to know who's been engaging in some very dodgy behaviour recently, and I would like to see what he's been up to."
"Well, what does that have to do with me?"
"I want you there tonight when I meet him." She frowned wondering why he would want that. She didn't know why she had to think as long as she did.
"You want me there as a show of power." He wanted her there as a warning of what he could do.
"You know, I would love to be inside your head. See how that mind works." He said and she wondered if she was imagining the fascination in his voice.
"Yes, I'm not looking for a fight-" She scoffed, the grin on his face was enough to tell her how ridiculous that lie was, "I just want to give a small warning, that, should the need arise, I possess an army and the means to make more."
She leaned her head back against the headrest, trying to keep up with the information he was giving her.
"You want me there like a trophy." She said, spitting the word out like it was poison, wondering how they had gotten to this point.
"Absolutely not. You are more devious than anyone gives you credit for, I want you there as an ally." He sounded sincere and it might have to be enough for now.
"Is that what I am?"
"You saved my life when you didn't have to, I'd say it would make you an ally. But are you ready to be one?" She knew that the question wasn't as innocent as it sounded, but there was no right way to answer it yet, so she just shrugged.
"Fine, you're helping me so why not." She said, still there was a part of her that felt they had moved on from making deals.
She sighed, unsure of what to say and pulled out her copy of the Great Gatsby.
"They still make you read that?"
"I thought you'd enjoy it. A shady, recluse who has too much money and parties every weekend." She said sighing.
"Perhaps he was a vampire." He said, cheeks dimpling as though he was teasing her. "No, what I did not enjoy was him pining away after a woman throughout the book."
"It's a romance."
"Still though, quite a waste of time."
"Because love is a weakness?" She asked remembering those words, said in the living room at the Lockwood house.
"Elijah told you."
"Yeah, before the sacrifice."
"How did you get in league with my brother anyway?" It seemed so long ago that it was almost like ancient history to her, but he hadn't been around then.
"He promised me he'd make sure my family was safe. Everyone on my list."
He looked at her as if scrutinising her.
"That must've earned instant respect from him. Elijah values family above everything."
"I know." It's why he was alive.
The rest of the ride was relatively uneventful until they got into the city and he pulled up near a cafe.
Elena wasn't paying much attention to that though, she was more engrossed in the city.
It was completely different than what she was used to seeing, a city of concrete, people mulling about hurriedly, traffic for days, and the stale air of a metropolis. Still though, there was something about it, the way people seemed to keep moving, the occasional musician on some street corner and the charm of a city nearly overwhelmed with culture.
Everything was different.
"We're in Manhattan?" She asked as she got out waiting to regain the feeling in her limbs.
"Yes, it'll be easier to navigate the city through here. At least the parts we want to. Are you alright? Humans are just so fragile." Despite the blasé tone, she could still see the concern in his eyes. And for once, he wasn't trying to hide it.
"I'm fine, I'm not breakable."
"Well, let us not debate that now, hmm."
"Are we meeting him here?" She asked , referring to the vampire he wanted to meet, as they started walking towards the cafe
"While it's a lovely little establishment, I doubt he'd ever set foot in it. No, we're meeting..oh good, you're here." He called out to two guys walked towards them and Elena recognised one of them as a hybrid. "Cary," he slung his arm around the guy she didn't know, "I trust you were treated well." His words were casual enough but the look he threw the hybrid wasn't.
Cary seemed to be in his late twenties with light brown hair and blue eyes, and from the way he was silently eyeing the bite on her neck, a werewolf or a vampire.
"You're the hybrid."
"I am." She frowned, this was clearly the first time they were meeting.
"So it's true, you're a descendent of our pack."
"Yes. The Northeast Atlantic Pack. Do tell me how it is. Who is your alpha? What's he like? And how does he make you live?" The questions were almost rapid fire and Elena felt bad for Cary, who was still eyeing her neck.
"Cary," she recognised the dangerous undertone in his voice, knowing she was about to feel worse for the guy, "while I do want to help you mate, if you don't stop staring at her, I'm going to gouge out your eyeballs."
She couldn't help the grimace that took over face, although threats like those were normal for him. "Really Klaus?" She didn't even attempt to hide the disgust on her voice.
"You know, this place is quite crowded, perhaps you could get us a table love." He said to her.
She had agreed to meet some guy with him so he could use her to exert power, but she wasn't about to turn into one of his hybrids.
"Actually, I'm just gonna walk around. I feel cooped up after being inside the car for so long." He looked at her with a grin, as though he had expected her to disagree with him. She walked back around the corner, could see the people milling in through the glass window.
Behind the cafe was an alley, and just as she was walking past it, she heard a whimper of pain.
She could call Klaus.
Or it could be nothing.
She heard it again, and looking around, walked down the alley.
It was broad daylight after all, and extremely crowded.
She looked around for the source of the voice, her nose invaded by the terrible smell of the dumpster. She moved past it and finally found the source of the noise in a white ball of fur.
"Oh." She sat down, balancing herself on her heels, and reached out to the puppy that was whimpering. She slowly extended her hand, and it reached out to lick her palm. She let out the laugh bubbling in her throat at the tickling sensation and picked him up, settling him in her lap.
"Are you in pain or just hungry hmm?" She tested her boundaries, giving him a belly rub as he laved his tongue over her forearms.
The last time she'd played with a dog was when she was fifteen and had to take Jeremy to the park.
She was so engrossed in playing with him, her head turned as he was attempting to lick her throat, that she almost didn't hear him call her name.
"I thought you were taking a walk love." He said stalking towards them, and the dog started barking, trying to squirm out of her grip. She looked puzzled, almost jumping out of her skin, yet the puppy didn't seem aggressive, but scared.
Then before she could realise what was happening, Klaus was sitting beside her, flashing his amber eyes at the dog, who fell silent and curved into her arms, whimpering.
"Did you just scare a puppy?" She knew it was a ridiculous thing, because of course he had.
"It knows the hierarchy, that's all."
"He. Or at least I think it's a he."
"That thing was probably covered in fleas. Let it go."
"What? No." Although she wouldn't say it out loud, he was cute She was cooing at him, scratching his ears fondly and she knew Klaus was exasperated.
"You do realise you're going to smell like dog all day, don't you?"
"I'm spending the day with you, so it was bound to happen anyway." She felt her eyes widen as the words slipped out, but couldn't take them back and just laughed instead.
"Oh good, now that we've gotten the patented dog joke out of the way, let's go shall we?"
She looked down at the puppy in her arms, who was still shrinking away from him, and didn't want to go.
"But..."
"I'm not taking that thing anywhere with me." She could feel her smile disappearing, as she looked sudden at him. It was a huge responsibility, and she couldn't just pick one from the side of the street.
"Oh, alright, it would be a bad idea I guess. Jenna wouldn't want us to adopt a puppy anyway." She said, running her hand through the fur.
"You do realise that this isn't safe, don't you?" She shook her head at how genuinely aggravated he sounded.
"I didn't survive a car crash, tomb vampires, Katherine and you just to die because of rabies." Still, she gave him one last pat on the head, before lowering him on the ground and getting up. He ran circles around her but stopped when Klaus glared down at him. "Just stop scaring him, please."
"It could bite you."
"That's a little hypocritical coming from you, don't you think?" He just cocked an eyebrow at her leading her neck to the sidewalk, where there were tables outside the cafe. "You don't want to sit inside?"
"Thought you were cooped up from being inside the car. Unless of course you just wanted to get away from me."
"Can you blame me?" She asked frowning as he sat down, "you were being..."
"Myself?" She sat down opposite him, not wanting to end the conversation as she pulled the paper towels towards herself.
"Why do you do that? You don't have to go around threatening people." He was looking at her, head tilted to one side before he leaned forward.
"The world is an awful place, best to meet it on its own terms."
She could feel herself leaning in, pulled in. It was the first time he hadn't dismissed this particular question.
"That's not true..."
"And yet, it is. Tell me, how many people tried to trade you to me in exchange for forgiveness? To Elijah. All because of the face you bear. Was that not awful?"
"Yes, but that doesn't mean the world is awful. Some people are."
"And is it not the world that makes them so?"
"It doesn't mean they can't be better." He sighed, and she knew he didn't agree with her.
"We all have demons inside us." He said finally, looking away from her, "sometimes we control the demons, others, they control us."
"That sounds like a painful way to live."
They were interrupted by the waitress to take their orders. She went to the restroom after, wishing she could've seen the dog again. Despite her heavy conversation with Klaus, she was still excited about her canine friend.
"So, when will we meet him?" She asked when she went back.
"Tonight. I hope you have something more..." he said gesturing to her clothes and she frowned.
"Katherine like?"
"God no." The look on his face was enough to make her laugh as their food arrived. Looking at the small sandwich, she realised she was more hungry than she thought. "Just a bit more fancy, is all."
"Uh...no, nothing. It's not exactly a vacation."
"No matter, I'm sure we can get something later."
"You have the patience for shopping?" She asked in some surprise.
"I have a sister who I frequently have to make apologies to, what do you think?" She laughed, spying the chips he wasn't touching and pulled them towards herself. He noticed her but didn't protest.
"Is that what you were doing in Chicago?" He frowned at her.
"I knew there was a chance you were there. You were hiding in that closet weren't you?"
"Yeah." She could still remember that day, the fear she had felt at him figuring out she was alive, when he already knew.
"You really have no sense of self preservation." She shrugged.
"Everyone knows that by now." She was tired of being criticised for it anyway.
When they were done with lunch, they went to where they were staying.
The penthouse at Four Seasons.
She'd gotten a dress for that evening, making use of the stores downstairs and Klaus had left soon after.
She sighed as she leaned against the window, a perfect view of the city by her feet.
It had been nice, trying to pretend that her family wasn't falling apart. She looked down at the text Jeremy sent, that Ric was still somewhat normal, but there were no guarantees when he'd be himself and when he wouldn't.
Despite everything that was going on back home, she couldn't help but think about Klaus. He was conflicting and she was unsure where they stood.
She wondered if all he wanted from her was a show of power.
If all he wanted was power.
Still, she knew they were more than what they used to be. They wouldn't have had a day like today if they weren't.
She turned at the sound of a knock on the door and frowned. He'd left but he had said that the hybrid, Adrian might come by.
She walked out to the living room, crossing the mahogany furniture and the plush carpeting. She opened the door and let out a gasp as she came upon her mirror image.
A/N 2: I hope you liked this chapter. And yes, I did include the puppy, as odd as it was. If you want him to stay in the story, let me know, I'm in two minds about it.
As for her mirror image, more on that later!
