Don't care if he's guilty, don't care if he's not

He's good and he's bad and he's all that I've got

Oh Lord, Oh Lord, I'm begging you please

Don't take that sinner from me

Oh don't take that sinner from me

Devil's Backbone – The Civil Wars


I don't know how long I stayed in the bath. The water had turned cold and the bubbles had long since disappeared. With a reluctant sigh I pushed myself from the water, taking the plug with me and watching apathetically as it drained, swirling enchantingly.

I brushed my hair next, because it always made me feel better. It reminded me of when my mother would sit and brush my hair for me, running it through the strands no less than 100 times before she'd gently braid it and tie it up with ribbons.

Next I had a glass full of blood, enjoying the way it tasted on my tongue and the way my body hummed with energy as I digested it. I stood out in the sunlight of my backyard until the coughing became too much and I had to go sit down. I shut all my curtains and locked my doors, regretfully blocking out all the sunlight; it was beginning to give me a headache.

A side effect of the bite seemed to be the loss of ability to tell how much time had passed. Either that or I was blacking out, because I seemed to blink and the angle of the minute hand had changed degrees. For the first time in two centuries I felt cold, and I moved forwards, starting a fire in the middle of summer, not caring how odd it may have looked. My hands were shaky as I picked up an old throw from the back of the couch, wrapping it around my trembling shoulders and sitting as comfortably as I could on the ground in front of the fire.

Grabbing a cigarette from the table behind me, I lit it in the fire, holding it to my lips and inhaling deeply.

"We missed you at the feast last night," Klaus said from behind me, I spun around, dropping whatever was in my hand and crossing my arms, smirking at him, a droplet of blood rolling down my chin.

"Kol and I were having one of our own," I told him with a cheshire cat smile, gesturing lazily to the bodies littering the floor, pools of blood at my feet.

Klaus smirked devilishly. "Should I be jealous?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Should I?" I asked, head tilting in false innocence. I pointed to the pink smeared on his upper lip. "I didn't know you liked that colour of lipstick."

He made no move to wipe off the mark, irritating me, not that I would admit it. Instead he shrugged, moving over to the bar in the corner, carelessly stepping over the corpse of the local baker to get to his drinks, pouring a glass of whiskey without bothering to offer me any.

"What do you think of Nebraska?" he asked conversationally, swirling the amber liquid in his glass.

"Does it matter?" I asked sourly.

"No, I suppose it doesn't," he mused, cocking his head at me thoughtfully then smirking widely. "We're leaving as soon as the sun sets."

"I'll gather my things," I nodded acceptingly, and he reached out, grasping my hand and pulling me to a stop before I could go far.

"Now, now," he tutted, putting his half-empty glass on the shelf. "No need to rush off. One would think you aren't happy to see me."

"Lots of people are happy to see you, Klaus," I retorted.

He laughed cockily. "Don't pretend you're not one of them."

I squared my shoulders, shooting him a haughty look. The Original smirked. "I've better ways to spend my days," I told him with a contemptuous sneer.

"Oh?" he asked, voice layered with false interest.

I hesitated, a sudden need to please him filling me, one of the only feelings able to make it passed the emotionless, blood-craved haze. "I suppose I could spare you a few minutes of my time," I told him coyly, and as a pleased smirked spread across his face, I felt pride in having achieved my goal.

We met in the middle, his arms grasping roughly at my waist as he tugged me to him, pressing his lips to mine, his stubble scratching against the soft skin around my mouth. I moaned into the kiss, his tongue meeting mine instantly, curling around it with all the flexibility of a snake.

His strong hands slid down over my ass and onto my thighs, gripping them tightly and using the leverage to grind us together.

I blinked and suddenly I was alone in my living room, not in 1834 with Klaus. I was breathing heavily, so I took a deep breath, cringing when a serious of rough, painful coughs travelled up my throat, blood dribbling down my lip, leaving a bed taste on my tongue in the way only my own blood ever did.

I blinked at the dark room, my curtains blocking out every bit of sunlight, making things blissfully dreary. It was necessary however, because even the firelight made my head ache.

I moaned in pain, stepping forwards and crouching down in front of the fire, closing my eyes and enjoying the heat on my face as I fought back coughs, my hands actually shaking.

"You couldn't restrain yourself?" Rebekah asked me, and I spun around, looking up at her where she stood in a gorgeous blue dress, a pearl necklace hanging at her collarbone. "Not even for the sake of our dining table?"

I smirked deviously at the broken table, items of clothing strewn across the hardwood floor, and she rolled her eyes, brushing her blonde hair off her pretty face.

"You embarrass me," she sneered distastefully, only fuelling my amusement.

"And you embarrass me, but I'm kind enough not to say anything," I retorted shrewdly.

She snorted indelicately. "You? Kind? That's funny, you should tell jokes more often, Juliet." I sneered right back at her, though the action held no real malice. "My brother says we're leaving tonight," she began conversationally, the tiff instantly forgotten as I stood to my feet, adjusting my corset so it properly covered me and moving around to collect the discarded clothing.

"Sad to leave?"

"No more than you or Kol," she shrugged, running her hands down the sky blue material of her dress.

She had a point, I couldn't have cared less where we went. I was with Klaus, and his family, and that was really all I needed. That and humans to terrorise. "I asked to go to France next, but he couldn't be swayed. Something about rumours of Katerina in Alaska."

"His obsession with the doppelganger will kill him one day," she tutted, leaning against the stone wall, guiltlessly watching me do all the work. I hummed a vague agreement, picking up the last sock and putting it into the cane basket in the corner, preparing to pack it all away, ready to leave the state. "I don't know what you see in him, you know."

I looked up at her, tilting my head thoughtfully. "Lots of things, I suppose," I shrugged ambiguously.

"Like?" she prompted. I wasn't very good at the whole 'gossip' thing, but I felt obligated to tell her my secrets. Who else was I going to talk to? Klaus? Ha.

"He's handsome," I revealed with a small smile. "And strong; powerful and admirable. He's ruthless and brutal and cold-blooded, even more so than myself. He's cutthroat, and ferocious. Devious and intelligent."

"Oh yes," she responded sarcastically. "You really just described Prince Charming."

"Maybe he's not to you," I hummed indifferently. "But you also found that homeless man in Upper East New York attractive. So I'd say we can't exactly depend on your judgement on the matter."

Rebekah looked affronted, but chose to take the higher road and not acknowledge my dig. "I'm torn between telling you that you could do better and that he's the best you'll ever get," she mused, picking up a lock of blonde hair and absentmindedly admiring the ends. At my contemplative silence, she looked up, staring at me thoughtfully. "You'll never be enough for him, you know?"

"Excuse me?"

"He'll always want more than just you," she elaborated. "You'll never satisfy him entirely."

"I satisfy him just fine," I snapped, unable to help myself as my hands balled into tight fists at my sides.

Rebekah hummed, shooting me a condescending glance. I was stubborn, unwilling to admit there was any validity to her claim; unwilling to acknowledge that, deep down inside, I knew she was correct.

"Satisfy who, darling?" Klaus asked, appearing in the room with a wide smirk on his pale lips.

"You, of course," I responded shamelessly.

"And that right there is my cue to leave," the Original sister spat, shooting her brother a disgusted glance that he merely took in stride.

"I thought my ears were burning," Klaus smirked deviously.

"Well you would-" I cut myself off, realising I was alone in the room, the heat of the fire warming up my back. "Klaus?" I called, wondering how I could have missed them leaving the room. "Rebekah?"

I frowned suddenly, realising I didn't recognise the room I was in. There were unfamiliar photographs lining the walls of the sitting room, and looking down, I realised I was dressed oddly.

Strange garments I didn't recognise clung to my form. A pair of soft, cotton trousers sat on my hips, and some kind of strange tunic top embraced my upper body. I tugged at the unusual fabric, frowning in confusion as I tried to remember putting it on.

Something was seriously, acutely, grievously wrong.

My first instinct was to call Stiles.

Stiles.

I suddenly remembered everything and entirely ridiculous for having forgotten any of it at all. It wasn't 1834, it was 2011 and I was in Beacon Hills. Instantly I was confused about another thing. Why was I forgetting the date at all?

I turned around, intent on answers when a sharp aching sting at my side caught my attention. Being a vampire, I didn't tend to feel much pain unless something supernatural was the cause; that or wooden weapons. With a concerned frown, I reached down and pulled up the hem of my loose sweater.

My exhale was sharp as I stared down at the gruesome, infected werewolf bite on my skin. I swallowed thickly, grimacing at the foul smell it was emitting. With a scowl I dropped the material, covering the wound and almost managing to forget about it.

I realised I felt cold again, something I would have to get used to after 200 years of feeling nothing but room-temperature. Sitting in front of the fire, I briefly toyed with the idea of taking my ring off and standing out in the sun. It would be quick and easy, and probably far less painful – emotionally more so than physically.

I cut off the nagging notion before it could grow into anything more. Of course I wasn't going to commit suicide. I was nothing if not stubborn, and the thought of not fighting until the last possible second left me with a hollow ache in my chest.

"I do believe I told you to wear the green dress," Klaus said from the doorway, and I turned to face him, raising a single eyebrow as I looked from he to his youngest brother.

"Good evening darling," Kol chirped, sliding up beside me and pressing a cheeky kiss to my temple in greeting. "I, personally, think you look ravishing in red."

"Yes, well I neither asked for, nor want, your opinion," I snapped back, levelling the messy haired Original a nasty glare.

"Ouch," he hissed mockingly, pressing a hand to his unbeating heart. "What ever did I do to deserve words so harsh?"

"You're a nuisance," I replied simply, shooting him a haughty expression.

"In what regard?"

"You told Rebekah about the young man on Oak Lane," I pouted dramatically. "The one I was saving for a special occasion."

"The one you said smelt like freshly cut grass?" he asked, squinting as he thought.

I slapped him on the shoulder with enough strength to knock it out of place, but, being an Original, it did nothing, I might as well have tried to throw a piece of parchment at him with all the affect it had. "You know exactly which one I meant," I snarled, spinning around, my red dress fanning out around me as I turned to walk back to Klaus. "Rebekah got mad that I borrowed her lipstick without asking and had him before I had the chance."

"Well then I suppose it's a good thing we got another one," Klaus smirked as I slid to his side, glancing over his shoulder pointedly.

I breathed in, instantly perking up as the delicious scent of newly baked bread wafted over me. "You brought me a present?" I asked excitedly, pushing myself to my tip toes so I could peer of the elder brother's shoulder.

I grinned as I caught sight of a young boy, no more than fifteen, walking dazedly through the hall, stepping out into the drawing room with glazed brown eyes.

"Can I?" I asked Klaus eagerly, and he leaned back against the wall, reaching up to click his fingers lazily.

The kid blinked, attention returning to the room as he suddenly looked around in fear, not recognising his surroundings. "Where am I?" he asked with a frown, his heartbeat picking up, pumping with delicious, wet thumps.

"Hello," I sang, folding my hands behind my back and blinking at him innocently. His heart rate spiked and he swallowed, eyeing the corset that clung to my torso, accentuating every inch of my perfectly proportioned, vampiric figure. "I'm called Juliet," I told him, smiling virtuously as I met his eyes, giving only a slight push, forcing him to remain calm. "What's your name?"

"Henry," he muttered, sweat breaking out across his brow.

"Henry," I cooed softly, and red spread over his cheeks. I took a step forwards, leaning into the boy and sniffing delicately, taking in his divine scent. "Tell me Henry," I mumbled into his ear, all but hypnotised by the movement of the blood underneath his translucent skin. "Have you ever kissed a girl?"

His hands were shaking, I noted absently, a pleased smirk spreading across my red painted lips.

"No Miss," he responded in a quivering voice.

I hummed, brushing my nose along his jugular softly. "That's a shame," I whispered to him, my hands going unnoticed as they slid up his arms, my fingers curling around his shoulders. "It's a tragedy that you have to die without experiencing it once."

"Miss?"

I leaned back, letting him see my face; the face that haunted so many's nightmares. He gasped and flinched back, but I wasn't in the mood for games. I clamped down, holding him in place with such effort it was like holding a couple of grapes. I beamed at him and he whimpered, catching sight of the sharp fangs poking from my lips.

Without further fanfare I slammed forwards, burrowing my fangs in the supple skin on his neck, right in the jugular. Blood that was a little on the sweet side pooled in my mouth, and it was pure ecstasy. I moaned into his skin as he gave a pained gurgle. I drank deeply, thoroughly enjoying my meal, feeling absolute euphoria as my body hummed with power and energy.

I was still relatively young (compared to the Original Family, at least), and still hadn't quite gotten the hang of stopping in time to save the poor soul. On this occasion, however, I had no intention of allowing him to survive.

So with little regret, I sucked every last drop of the blood from him, until his skin was cool to the touch. When his body emptied, I let go and he crumpled to the floor in a heap, limp and lifeless. I grinned.

What bliss.

I was yanked back to reality as a painful flare ripped at my wound, the infected flesh practically bubbling as it got worse. As I felt bile travel up my throat, I turned to race to the kitchen sink, grimacing when I could go no faster than a human jog, ending up spitting the sick out into the metal sink, coughing up blood as I did so.

A piercing noise sent a sharp ache through my skull, but I reached out and answered the phone anyway, sighing in relief when the terrible music stopped. "What?" I asked the caller sharply, my voice not much more than a dull croak.

"How close are you to death?" Damon asked me lightheartedly, and I could hear a car engine in the background.

"Trick question asshole," I snapped hoarsely. "I'm already there."

"That's no way to speak to the vampire that's gonna save your life," he chimed back, and I frowned. My silence was clearly an invitation to continue, and he did so with an eye roll I could practically hear through the connection. "Look, I've got a lead. It shouldn't take more than twelve hours to pan out, then another six to put into action. Can you hang on eighteen hours longer?"

"I'll do my very best," I responded sourly.

He was quiet a moment, and as the silence stretched out, I glanced out the window. The sky was dark. But that couldn't be right, it was midday only twenty minutes ago. "Has the dementia set in yet?" Damon asked, practically reading my mind. I was quiet. "The flashbacks?" Again, I couldn't find it in me to reply, so I just grit my teeth, but that was answer enough. "Look, just do everything you can to stay in the house. Fuck knows what damage you'll cause out on the streets. And stay away from that 'pack' of yours, it won't be long until you go rabid. Then who knows who you'll butcher given the chance. And also, try not to kill yourself before I get there. The temptation will be overwhelming, but just push that cute little ass to stay alive, understand?"

"Stay inside, don't talk to my werewolf or human buddies, don't commit suicide," I repeated with a scowl. "I think I've got it."

Not in the mood to hear any more, I ended the phone call, resisting the urge to throw my cell across the room. With a grimace I turned the tap on, washing the blood and vomit in the sink down the drain.

"I'm thinking of taking the blue one," Rebekah said, and I looked away from the wall, staring at the blonde blankly. "Well?" she prompted me, gesturing to the bite-covered women modelling for her.

"It's nice."

"That's what you said about the last four," she complained with a pout.

"Because that's what they were," I retorted snidely.

"I don't appreciate the attitude, Juliet."

"Then go ask Margaret her opinion on dresses."

"Little miss 'Vampires are filth compared to witches', wouldn't know what good taste was if it slapped her in the face," she grumbled.

"Which, if I recall correctly, you did on several occasions."

"If you're going to be like that, you can go home and Klaus or Elijah can deal with you," she sniped.

"Finally," I huffed, pushing myself from the small couch in the seamstress store, shooting the blonde a sour look. "A good idea from the Original sister."

"Don't come back crying to me when no one else wants to put up with you," she sniffed.

"Yeah, that's going to happen."

I shoved my way out the door, stepping out into the sun, wincing as it sent a stab of pain through my skull. I sighed, running a hand down the material of my soft green dress, smoothing out the creases.

Now that I was away from Rebekah, I felt like I could relax; I didn't have to be on my guard. The tension melted from my shoulders, my naturally cool skin warming in the rays of the sun. I wandered forwards, stepping around a tall man in a coat, my small heels clicking on the stone.

I glanced over my shoulder, peering inside the spacious shop, watching absently as Rebekah forced her compelled models to spin, showing off the ripples in the fabric. I frowned, wondering if there was more to life than blood, wine and sex.

There was for mortals, I supposed. But I wasn't human. And I never would be.

I sighed, turning on the spot and striding down the street, determined not to focus on such depressing thoughts.

A nearby clock chimed loudly, sending stabs of pain through my head. I winced, collapsing to the floor and shoving my head between my knees as I fought off the severe nausea.

"Juliet."

I glanced over my shoulder, frowning at Elijah, who stood with a glass of wine in his hand, blood dripping down his front, staining his once pure white tunic. "Yes?" I asked restrainedly, inclining my head with respect.

"I've heard whispers," he muttered, taking a step closer, boots making no noise on the cobblestone floor of the alleyway. "That you wish to leave us."

I wasn't sure how to respond. What did he want me to say? Admit it was true? How would he react then? Looking up into his dark brown eyes, I knew lying wasn't an option. I revered him too much. We were the same, he and I. Both restrained, but holding so much fury and chaos just below the surface.

"You've heard correctly," I confirmed cautiously.

His pale lips tightened as he frowned, clearly not pleased with my admission. He was silent for a long time, saying nothing as he sipped his drink and thought. I wasn't sure how he'd ultimately react. All I could do was watch him vigilantly, looking for any hint, any sign he was going to lash out. I knew, rationally, that he wouldn't.

Elijah understood me in a way no other member of his family did; including Klaus. I believed it was our shared love of knowledge that bonded us together, we loved to learn in a way no other of his siblings could.

"Where will you go?" he eventually asked me, voice layered with control.

It was a question I'd been asking myself for decades. The Original family was all I knew, how was I supposed to go about daily life without them? "London," I answered, chin tilting up proudly, showing I was confident in my decision. "I've been thinking of tracking down my descendants," I continued when he gestured for me to do so.

"Yes," he mused, casually striding over to the window and taking another sip of wine as he stared out into the orange sky of the setting sun. "Your human sister's offspring. I can imagine why you'd want to; spending so much time with my family must make you crave your own."

And there it was.

I wasn't really one of them and I never would be. I was nothing more than part of their entourage. Sure, I was as close to them as any vampire could ever be. I worked with them, laughed with them, even slaughtered with them, but even that didn't make me family.

"What are you going to do when you find them?" he asked pleasantly, still gazing out over the orchard, the red leaves shedding from the branches as autumn passed us by.

"I don't know," I replied honestly, wandering over to the liquor table and pouring myself some of my favourite aged scotch. "Pretend to be human, I suppose. Tell them I'm a distant relative. I'll come up with something."

"You're not planning on giving up your fangs, are you?" he asked with an uncharacteristic sneer. That was an expression we used when speaking of a vampire choosing to live off animal blood, a decision we mocked more often than not.

"Don't be ridiculous," I snorted, sipping my drink with an amused smirk at the thought. "I'll be as savage and lethal as ever, so don't worry your handsome little head about that."

He smirked back around the rim of his glass. "What will you do with yourself?" he questioned curiously, also having trouble picturing me outside of their life.

I was reluctant to reply, but I knew if any of the family would understand, it would be Elijah. "I think I'll study."

His eyebrows arched in interest.

"I haven't decided what yet," I mumbled thoughtfully, glancing down at the amber liquid in my glass, swirling it around absentmindedly. "Maybe nursing, or domestic science."

Elijah scoffed, "Neither of which sound like anything you'd be able to put up with."

I grinned back wickedly. "You're right," I responded lightly. "Maybe I'll cut my hair to look like a man and compel my way into an engineering class, or astronomy, or perhaps even literature."

"That sounds more like you," he allowed with a rare smile.

It was silent for a long moment, each of us contemplating my words. "You could come with me," I suggested pathetically, knowing it was pointless.

He glanced sideways at me, lips quirking up slightly at my words. "My place is here," he said patiently. "With my family."

I nodded acceptingly. "I suppose I'm just scared to do this alone," I admitted with a rare vulnerability.

"I'd be worried if you weren't."

I hummed back, draining the last of the scotch and placing the crystal glass back on the wooden table with a soft clink.

I blinked my eyes open, my vision fuzzy at first, but slowly clearing up until I could see with usual clarity.

Where was I?

I was in a town, surrounded by cars and people on their bikes. How did I get here? I didn't remember leaving the house. And it was daytime again. How much time had passed this time?

I took a breath in, muscles coiling as I inhaled the irresistible aroma of fresh blood pumping beneath thin skin. "Are you okay?" a voice I didn't recognise asked me, but I ignored it, clutching at the tiny sliver of humanity remaining in my full skull, turning and striding away on shaky legs, refusing to allow myself to break.

I stumbled for the first time in a long time as I stepped up the curb, desperate to get out of the sunlight that felt like fire on my skin. I slipped into the shadows, breathing a sigh of relief as I pressed my forehead against the cool bricks lining the alley.

"Hey!" the voice said again and my brow furrowed. Couldn't they tell I wanted to be left alone? "Miss, are you alright?"

A hand grasped my shoulder and tugged me around, and I met a pair of blue eyes, staring at me with concern. I could hear the wet thump of his heart, pumping glorious blood around his fragile body. Why was I resisting again?

A sharp pang of pain tore at my side and I hissed, gingerly touching my oozing wound. I glanced back up at the kid, hunger suddenly tearing through me, my gums aching awfully and my eyes flushing with blood.

Blood. That was what I needed. Human blood would heal me; get rid of the horrendous nausea.

A jumped on him, curling around him like a snake, slamming him into the wall and sinking my extended fangs into the delicate skin at his neck. I was messy as I drank, caring little for the blood missing my mouth and pouring down my chin. I licked at the wound, groaning tiredly as the blood only served to make me feel gluggy and sluggish.

The body under my hands dropped lifelessly to the concrete and I gagged as another wave of nausea swept through me. I managed to keep my meal down, but I felt dizzy and unbalanced, having to reach out to grasp the wall to make sure I didn't fall over.

A loud honking noise blasted through the alley, and I cringed, squeezing my eyes shut tightly as I tried to block out the sounds. Why wasn't the blood working?

"Juliet."

I looked over my shoulder, eyes falling on Klaus as he stood in the doorway, watching as I packed the few belongings I had into a small suitcase. "Klaus," I responded respectfully, turning back to the task at hand, swallowing thickly as I processed his expression. He looked angry.

"Where exactly do you think you're going?" he asked with an eery calm, and if my heart could beat it would break my chest.

"London, maybe," I told him honestly, knowing lying would be a fatal mistake. "I miss the United Kingdom."

"You didn't ask if you could leave me."

I sighed, clenching my teeth together tightly but decided not to go into that one. "I'm not leaving you, Klaus. I'm going away, I never said I wouldn't be back."

He was quiet, but the silence was thick and heavy. "It matters not," he replied flippantly, but I could still hear the steel in his tone. "You're not exactly one of a kind. You're easily replaceable."

I knew he was taking cheap shots in an attempt to hurt me, and I was embarrassed that it was working. "Well then why are you here? Surely not to see someone so invaluable off."

"Merely checking on my investment," he hummed casually.

I raised an eyebrow, shutting my case and turning to face him. "Since when am I an investment?"

"Since you drank my blood and begged me to snap your neck."

Did he have to be so crass? "Say what you will, Klaus," I huffed, crossing my arms and levelling him with a serious look. "Nothing you say will change my mind about going."

He looked like he wanted to argue, and for a moment I was terrified. Over the many decades I'd spent in Klaus' entourage, I'd become somewhat desensitised to him. Sometimes, however, his eyes would glint in such a vicious and animalistic way that I'd remember what it was like to fear him. And God did I fear him.

"I'll know where you go of course," he told me darkly, a displeased frown still on his lips.

"Yes, yes," I muttered with an eye roll. "You have eyes everywhere, you can always find me wherever I am, blah, blah, blah."

His lip curled at me, but he made no other move to berate me. "When I come knocking, I expect your full cooperation," he warned me, which was merely a fancy euphemism for 'don't complain when I come looking for sex and/or your startling aptitude for torture'.

"Of course," I nodded seriously, knowing that I didn't really have a choice.

Once under Klaus' thumb, always under Klaus' thumb. In his mind I owed him, in his mind I belonged to him. He wasn't delusional. I always had. And I always would.

A/N: Hope you guys are satisfied with this one, it wasn't easy to get out. Let me know your thoughts in a comment, and season 3A will be starting very soon indeed.