sorry it's a few days late; enjoy


"Back off or I'll kill her. You know I will!" the burly man in front of me shouted, red-faced as his grip on Hayley tightened.

"I'm going to give you three seconds to run, mate," Klaus warned, stalking closer to the five men who spread out in a loose pentagon formation.

"Don't come any closer!" the man holding Hayley waved his knife at Klaus.

Klaus just stood their calmly, "One... two..."

Before he reached three, he grabbed a sharp wooden branch, snapped it in half against his knee and flung it straight into the man's neck. Klaus then dispatched the others within seconds.

"Hayls!" I rush to her side.

The man was dead but during his fall to the ground, he cut a deep gash across her chest and shoulder. Blood was already pooling around her.

I ripped the hem of my shirt and tried to evenly apply pressure on her wide gash.

"It hurts," Hayley wimpered.

"I know, I know," I murmured, "it'll be alright."

Klaus finally came back from his blood spree, standing over us, blood trickling from his mouth.

"Here," he bit his wrist, lowering it towards Hayley's mouth.

I slapped his hand away, "Are you crazy! That blade was laced with vervain. It could make her weaker if she ingested vamp blood."

He stood up then, turning toward the dead bodies. They were all human, except for the lanky witch who Klaus hadn't caught yet was running away rather loudly.

His feet crushed the dried leaves and he had to stop ever few seconds to maneuver over a fallen branch.

"You can heal her; I'll finish with the last of our assailants," Klaus grinned.

"Don't kill him," I begged, "he's not an evil person."

"He tried to kill Hayley and therefore my child. I cannot let anyone live after that," Klaus growled, stepping away.

"You're child..." I didn't know what he meant.

Hayley gasped in pain and went back to her wound again.

I grabbed the zip-lock bag from my back pocket, lifting my makeshift bandage, I sprinkled it directly onto the wound.

I took the knife from the dead man who was laying closest to us, wiped off as much of Hayley's blood as I could and used it to cut my left hand

sanguis meus,
aquam, aerem et ignem, terram,
Magia meos implorem
tuendae sanitatis, et non corpus

sit vita, et per hanc influit Hayley

I chanted out loud, letting my blood I cupped to touch Hayley's wound afterwards.

"My god," I heard her breathe out as my blood glowed amber as it fell onto her skin before evaporating with a sizzle.

Her skin quickly knit back together in front of me and I felt myself smile in satisfaction. Her wounds healed before the blood had dried.

I could hear the quiet crunching of leaves behinde me as someone stepped closer.

"You killed him, didn't you," I said tonelessly.

"Now love, he would have done worse to us. He bloody tried," Klaus censured.

I stood brushing the dirt off my jeans, "Now he'll never get a chance to prove you wrong."

"And you," Klaus snaps at Hayley, "What are you doing out here?"

Hayley's head turns but doesn't respond.

"Give her some time, she must be totally wiped out," I say to Klaus.

We manage to get her into bed.

Klaus remains quiet as we lay her down and follows me as I wallk downstairs.

"Have any particular place in mind?" he asks as I reach the last step.

"What happened to you?" he begins as when we're oustide.

I focus on the green lawn,the wind as it rustles the blades of grass.

"I grew up," I say, squinting up to meet the sun.

"Where's that bright vivacious girl I saw at the party?" he asked.

"Where's that kind man who saved me from the vampires?" I shot back.

"Kind?" he repeated, incredulous, "that's new."

"You could have left me, but you didn't." I replied.

"Some say I'm simply using you," Klaus suggested.

"But I'm choosing to stay here. I could escape if I really wanted to," I said confidently.

"You think so?" he asked quietly.

I turned and smiled, "I know so," before I bounded off the steps and into the woods on the far left side of his mansion, "Catch me!" I yelled behind me as I felt the wind whoosh past.

I weaved through the trees, deciding whether I should shift into a wolf since I'd be able to run faster...

Almost in slow motion, I'm propelled closer to the ground as Klaus shadow looms over me.

Klaus POV

I didn't know wolves could run so fast in human form. If she hadn't gotten a head start I'd have caught her. She would have been a blur to any human watching. Her hair flew against the wind as she dodges tree trunks and branches.

A friendly game of cat and mouse.

Her laugh bounces and echoes as the sun ran through the treetops with her. She looked just like I'd seen her at the party. An ungauarded expression I wanted to see more often.

I managed to run just in front of her and stuck my foot out. As she fell over my foot, her hands went out to break her fall, eyes squeezing shut.

It took her a moment to realize she wasn't going to hit the ground. Peeking at me through her lashes.

I turned to look into her eyes; confused. I waited as she assesed my arms around her waist, keeping her up.

Frowning, she tried to get up but slipped. I tightened my hold, "Careful love," I breathed, helping her stand upright.

"You tripped me," she said, miffed.

I smiled, crossing my arms, "You said you wouldn't get caught."