"She'd expected some backlash; it happened every time she shared her strength. But she hadn't anticipated so much raw anguish from Nico di Angelo… If this was only a portion of Nico's pain… how could he bear it?"

~Blood of Olympus~

X

Marcella tried really, really hard not to squirm under the heated glare directed at her. She really needed to work on her reactions to dangerous creatures, because right now they were getting the best of her. At least, she thinks sardonically, that he hadn't laughed when she squeaked at him when he sat across from her. Or tried to kill her yet. That was the only brightside to this whole thing so far.

Although she wasn't sure how much longer that would be the case. She could see the storm clouds building in his eyes as his patience wavered. He wanted her to make the first move, and she wasn't even willing to play the game. Not with him, not with how drastically this meeting could end if she made one wrong move. Marcella was rather content in her current state of livelihood. Her life had only just begun and she was entirely too young to be dying again.

So in her typical obnoxious manor after the staring contest that has just occurred. She decided that she has to break the silence, time to face the music. It had only been a few minutes of heated looks, but she'd rather him not make a scene in the middle of her favorite coffee shop. Marcella did what she did best and offered the emotionally constipated vampire a cheery bubbly smile. The same one she used on Damon.

"Hiya!" She set the coffee cup she'd been holding as a barrier between them down and offered him her hand. Figured might as well. "I'm Marcella! It's nice to finally meet you Niklaus. Although this honestly isn't how I pictured this going…" Once she starts, true to her nature, she rambles. He stares at her hand incredulously.

He shoves her hand away rather aggressively mind you. Marcella pouts at him withdrawing her hand and pulling it close to her chest rubbing it gently since that had actually been sort of painful. "Rude." She scolds childishly at him. Didn't his mother ever teach him any manors? That thought was regretted a second later when she remembered that his mother had been a major bitch. Obviously she wouldn't have done that.

"How do you know me?" He asks through tight lips and gritted teeth. Marcella's pout turns suddenly, her expression unlike anything he'd ever seen.

Humans didn't look at him like that. Hell his own family didn't look at him like that. There was an apologetic feel to her gaze, eyes cast down full of painful knowing. As if she knew all his deepest and darkest secrets and pitied him for them. Which only served to fuel the rage he currently felt while observing the small pixie like girl before. How dare she look so presumptuous in his presence? How dare this small insignificant human look at him with such pitiful eyes. He was Klaus Mikaelson, no one should dare look at him with such eyes.

He went to snarl at her then. At her expression. Except she finally opened her mouth to answer, lips tilting back into a playful smile curving ever so slightly. Her expression shifts from that haunted look to a more cheerful one. It's not a genuine as it had been a moment before but he can tell it's not completely fake. Interesting.

Marcella knows his story, like she'd known Damon's, like she'd known all of their stories. When she looked at him all she could see was that story. His pain, his burden, the tortured soul, the lost child. Honestly despite how terrifying this situation was and could be she really just wanted to hug the sad immortal. Instead she shows great restraint, which goes completely unappreciated mind you, forcing a smile back on her face. He'd asked a question and she wasn't going to ignore it any longer.

She turns to look out the window, watching as everyone went about their lives. Ignorant that on the other side of the glass was a thousand year old vampire and a former dead girl. Marcella propped her elbow on the table resting her cheek on her hand. Her eyes don't meet his as she starts, pushing all her focus in too staring nonchalantly out the window.

As if she wasn't about to screw everything to hell.

"Forever and always. It's such a nice sentiment. But always and forever is a long time for an original vampire." The anger he'd been feeling suddenly slipped away, her chilling tone settling into his bones like ice. Freezing him in place for a moment. Not only did she know him, she knew of his promise made to the others. Klaus doesn't miss the implications of them either.

"How?" Klaus's tone is soft here, softer than she expected it to be. There is a sense of brokenness to his voice. Marcella really wanted to give him a hug or something. The moment ends a second later when the glare returns to his features and he is giving her an unrelenting look.

She was testing his patience. And his generosity was about to run out. Marcella knew he wouldn't let her go now. But she had done that to herself.

He watched as she ran a hand over her face muttering to herself softly. Perhaps to regain control over the composure he'd just seen slip. "Geez, Damon's gonna kill me." Before looking directly at him. Eyes softening as she regarded him. Klaus would file that vaguely familiar sounding name away for later.

"If you promise not to kill me as soon as we leave this table I'll answer every question you have. But first I need a to go cup." Marcella stands in a show of bravery, then without waiting for his approval she bounces over to the counter.

Klaus watches the whole this in morbid curiosity. Trying to decide what he wanted to do about the human. An unnerving sense of familiarity about her disposition hits him suddenly, it isn't easy to shake. Something was just not right here.

He does decides after watching her chat amniciby with the barista behind the counter that she's more than likely not a threat. But even so it doesn't change the fact that she knows him, knows about his family. Or even the feeling he gets from watching her flit about.Klaus needs to know why and how before he does anything drastic. Depending on her answer, well he might just kill her anyway. When she returns to the window table she's holding two to go cups , she holds one out to him delicately as if she's afraid he'll slap her hand away again.

His eyes narrow at the offered beverage but accepts it cautiously. "We'll see sweetheart." He tells her after a second, she cringes slightly at his words. A soured look on her face.

"Don't call me sweetheart." She mutters indignantly, as if she did not even care that she was talking to the most powerful vampire in existence. A wicked look spread over his features when he regarded that demand. Klaus stood, towering over the small human.

"Don't presume you can tell me what to do, sweetheart." He hisses. She offers him a seemingly unimpressed look.

He made a motion for her to lead. Which she complied to without any trouble, weaving out of the coffee shop easily. When they were back on the busy sidewalks of the city for some reason she decided that looping her arm around his was a great idea. She offered him a mischievous smile when he glared down at her but didn't let go. Whoever this girl was she was either extremely brave or just plain stupid. Surely she knew how easily he could end her.

"Tell me how you know my name." He growls lowly to which she shrugs and tightens her grip on his elbow. Klaus wasn't sure why he was even indulging her at this point, except maybe because he was curious.

Marcella stops abruptly, her grip on his arm it forces him to stop too. She looks up into the overcast sky. A storm was upon them and she was now in the middle. Waiting in the eye, praying to come out on the other side unscathed. Knowing that it wasn't possible at all. She might have been nice, but she was a good person. Good people didn't stand still in the eye.

She has to make a choice. It's time to decide what sort of story this was going to be once and for all. Marcella looks at the man she forced to a stop in the middle of the busy street. Looks deep into his eyes, takes in every little detail of them, of his face, just looks at him. Then she smiles, the brightest, most obnoxious looking smile she has.

"Why does it matter? All people ever worry about is the details. The tiny speculative parts, but why do they matter? I am not your enemy, nor do I have any intentions of ever becoming one. I'd honestly much rather be your friend. I'm a good friend to have." She tells him seriously, and he balks in response.

He raises an eyebrow at her, his eyes seem to darken. There is a dangerous tone to his expression and Marcella ignores the implications completely.

Because when it boiled down to it. After deep consideration and contemplation. This could only end one way. Everything was going to change. Ultimately she always knew what sort of story this would end up being.

"You cannot be serious." He states purely baffled by her declaration. Marcella offers him a sort of lackadaisical look and a shrug.

"I never joke about making new friends Niklaus. And I'm always serious." She can barely keep a straight face as she says the last bit, biting her tongue to contain herself. Mirth dancing playfully in her gaze, the smile on her lips slowly turning to a smirk. Looking at her then Klaus finally realizes why exactly she had seemed familiar.

"I never kid, lighten up Niklaus. Not all new faces are dangerous. Would it hurt you to make a friend." A flash of a memory hits him briefly, his brother's voice echoes in his mind. He's reminded of a hinted grin, covered by a nice smile, childish whimsical outlook hiding an deep rooted inner darkness.

He'd seen all those things in her, in the moments. In her mannerisms, her glances, the words she'd chosen to speak. Playful self serving nature. Klaus knee all of those traits a little to well, he'd seen them in action more than once before.

In that moment when he looked at her. All the rage sated in him. Because when he actually looked into her eyes for the first time in over a century it was like he was seeing his brother. The way he'd been before the transition. The human version of Kol, the one their father had killed and taken from them. Whoever this human was, somehow she was connected to them.

Connected to Kol.

Killing her just became the very last thing he wanted to do. If he were honest with himself, he'd never want to see this curious human meet her end. Perhaps if only to keep the remnants of their humanity close to him. The sentimentality and all.

He cocks a brow at her then. "New friends.. an interesting proposal."

Marcella beamed at him, giddy smile and all. She leaned up on her toes and pecked his cheek. Stunning him completely. Her audaciousness, her bravery, yes he decided keeping her alive would prove to be an enlightening thing. Then she hold out her hand in what was probably a demand for his phone.

"Wonderful! Let me give you my number, I have to go but we can get lunch or something later today to continue our chat!" Her voice resonates cheerily as she speaks, he can physically hear the smile in her tone. The human girl obviously felt as if she'd succeeded.

Of course he isn't sure why she'd feel that way. He had not by any means agreed to her ridiculous number assumptions. Or even what exactly she was trying to succeed. Regardless of these facts he does find himself indulging the small human, procuring a phone from his jacket pocket and placing it into her hands. She's grins triophiantly while typing in her phone number.

"I'm only in the city for one more day, but I get this feeling that we'll be seeing each other again real soon. Have a good day Niklaus!" She drops the phone back into his awaiting hand, offers him on more cheery look before turning on her heels. He let her walk away from him then, no use to go after her now.

Klaus can't hide his smirk as he watches the small human girl all but skip down the sidewalk. He takes a sip from the coffee tervis in his hand, making note of the style of drink she'd picked for him. The faint hint of vanilla that must have been a special order. What a peculiar girl. This has proved to be an interesting turn of events.

When Marcella knows he can no longer see her she lets out the breath she'd been holding. Whatever story this might have been, well it was now gone. At the end of it all this wasn't about anyone but her. This was her story and she was going to do as she damn wellpleased.

She wanted to befriend possibly the most dangerous vampire in existence. Then you can bet your soul she would do exactly that. No matter how terrifying that whole thing had been. Or how badly it could have ended. Marcella started humming to herself as she kept on her way, today had been a great day.

If she had been paying better attention then she would have realized that someone was still watching her. Deep brown eyes that has just watch the entire spectacle of her meeting. Eyes narrowed dangerously as they processed the new piece, a feeling of apprehension creeping in. Followed by slight resentment. First Damon and now Klaus, they couldn't shake the feeling that this tiny human was about to undo all of their careful work. That did not sit well with her.

But Marcella didn't notice the heated being thrown her way or the angry brunette it belong too. So she went on oblivious to the displeased woman's ill-timed appearance.

XOXOX

And that's a wrap for this next chapter!

Shout out to all of you who reviewed from the last chapter, thank you so much!! Your kind words helped me stay motivated to write this chapter. You guys are the best! I am so glad that you are all so receptive to my work. Truly it's amazing to know that so many of you like it! Thanks again, love you guys bunches!

I hope that you all still keep letting me know your thoughts! I love hearing them:)

Have a wonderful day!

Sincerely, La'Rae