The long hiatus has ended and I thought I'd give you darlings a reason why I've been gone (as unamusing as it may be)

Nov: I was participating in NaNoWriMo (which is one of the most wonderful things for aspiring writers)

Dec: the tedium and hell which is pre-break school assignments.

I hope you've all had wonderful holidays. I plan on making up for lost time:


Ester appears in my dreams. Manipulating the landscape into a dark forest with fog clinging to the ground .

"Where are we?" I ask Ester.

"1890s, the forests outside Zurich. Watch," she nods to the rustling trees a head and we speed a hundred yards forward until we abruptly stop in front of large, gray stone manor.

She continues her explanation, "It was one of the few times my children lived peaceful among each other."

A terrified cry echos through the pale marble halls as we enter and Ester sighs, "As peaceful as it could be for vampires."

She leads me down the halls to what looks like a ball-room.

The walls were awash with arterial spray from the purple-ish Bodies are piled up in the far left corner, the lavishly embroidered, bejeweled, and aristocratic clothes soaked with the blood of their dead owners. They resembled a child's dirty rag dolls.

Nicklaus was standing next to a lankier man with dark hair and the same mischievous eyes.

"It that Kol?" I asked.

Ester nodded, "My second youngest."

Kol had ripped a man's throat open, making the man's screams turn into a thick gurgle.

Despite Kol's bloody show, I couldn't keep my eyes off Klaus. He scanned the room, eyes resting on me, smiling coldly, his hand beckoning me forward.

"How can he see...?" I ask Ester, compelled to walk forward.

Klaus manages to turn me around,front pressed to my back, hand gripped around my throat. Looking in the mirror before me, I place of my normal, brown eyed dark hair, a blond haired, green-eyed girl with a pale baby blue dress.

"Such a tiny thing," Kol sighed, looking up and down my -the girl's -body, "not very strong, is she?"

Klaus' smile widens, "Why not test it out?" he turns me around to face him, "Such pretty green eyes...why don't you try and break your own arm -show us how strong you are..."

I could feel the weight of Kol's shadow, pouncing.

It was an eternity before Klaus and Kol disappeared. Ester finally came back with grim satisfaction in her eyes.

"What was the point of all this," I gasped,pulling the tattered dress up with my trembling hands. My time in the girl's body was over but I still felt bruised and violated.

"To remind you of what they really are. My children do very well to deceive those around them. I thought you needed a reminder of why you're here. I know what happened with Nicklaus."

I look down and breath relief as I see my normal, t-shirt and short p.j. set.

"Wasn't this a little too much?" I ask.

"He needs to be stopped before he starts a war. Innocent families and children will die because of him," Ester stresses.

What would have happened it you and Michael loved him?I thought.

"Elijah should be waking up soon. You'll have your chance then. Visit the girl -Davina. She'll the dagger," Ester finished.

I wake up in a cold sweat, bolting up from my bed.

I kick out at the shadow hovering above me. It grabs my legs and I kick out even harder. Its hands pull my legs until I'm flung back down onto the bed, its hands shackling my arms above me.

"You're awake," Klaus' familiar accent murmurs.

I stiffen, the sound of his laugh, the pain and white walls prayed with blood comes back to me.

"You're awake, it was just a nightmare," he assures me, slowly letting my arms go.

No, it wasn't, I think, breathing deeply to slow my racing heart.

I pushed myself up to sit.

His hand bends to support my neck.

My first instinct is to push him away but he'd too strong.

"Water," he says, through clenched teeth.

He still supports my head as he places the glass onto my lips.

"What happened in your dream?" Klaus asks tense.

"Shock from the hunter-" I began.

"I thought we were past that," Klaus says angrily, "We both know it wasn't from the bloody hunter. If it was, you'd be burying yourself in my arms, not shrinking from touch," he stared intently, leaning in towards me.

"Are you trying to compel me?" I ask, my voice straining.

He sighs, "Give me some credit. I'll give you a chance to keep your promise first. Besides, I couldn't if I tried. Smell the water."

I did as he asked, taking in a deep breath as he held the glass of water under my nose.

"Vervain. Why would you...thank you," I say, relaxing.

Perhaps it was the adrenalin pumping through my veins that stopped the nagging voices in my brain or the security of the night, but I turned so my cheek rested in his outstretched hand and leaned into his side.

"I did it to even out the stadium," he whispers into my ear.

Retracting his hand from my face to pull me closer and wrap his arms around my waist.

I snort, "As if it needs evening out."

He said the next sentence without disgust, "You're only human."

I laugh, "Now you're just trying to fool yourself."

"You may be powerful -I don't doubt that- but once your blood dries up, what'll become of you?"

"If you keep talking like that, I might view it as a challeng," I warned playfully.

"Please do...just tell me what made you so scared. I promise not to hurt you," he exhales, tightening his hold on me.

"...Ester visited me in my dreams...I saw you...and Kol in Zurich. The white ballroom," I shuddered, "the blood and the girl. Oh god you-"

"May I -tap into your memory?" Klaus asked, hand hovering over my temple.

"Vervain?" I replied.

"Only keeps me from compelling you. Remember: Original Hybrid."

I nod and feel his hand caress my face.

His laugh was unexpected and startling; he leaned in, his voice tense "Whatever she showed you, did not happen -not the way she showed you at least. I don't play with the unwilling pet. Have more water."

He must have put more than vervain in that glass, because dead sleep came over me like a cloud.

"You allowed Hayley to be attacked and almost killed my a gaggle of lunatic witches," I heard Klaus' pissed voiced

"I had nothing to do with both of the attacks I swear!" the woman said.

The woman turned out to be Sophie Deveraux.

"You can come in, Lex. I know you're there!" Klaus shouted.

I stepped into the room, head held high, my gaze only for Klaus.

"So it is your child," I said stifly.

"You already knew that," Klaus acquiescenced.

"Now I've heard it straight from the horse," replied, setting myself in the seat across from Sophie.

"How did you sleep?" Klaus asked.

I let a bitter laugh, "You mean the drug induced coma you put me in? Soundly."

"Who else did you involve in this? You're gonna get the girl killed Klaus!" Sophie interjected.

Klaus walked over to me, putting two hands on the back of my chair, "She's hardly a helpless maiden."

I stood up abruptly, "No, I'm not. And if you try anything again Klaus, taking back New Orleans will be the last thing on your mind." I put a hand on his cheek, tracing a line down it with my finger, watching the skin tear open in a perfect line as I willed it...and heal back up within seconds.

I gave them a salute, "Well, I'm off. See you at dinner."

I didn't bother with formalities and entered, flipped open the coffin to find it empty.

Then, I felt Davina's magic slam into me. It knocked the wind out of me but I managed to keep both feet on the ground, blocking the brunt of her powers.

"Are you trying to kill me!" I yell at her, "that could have knocked me out the window!"

"How did you get in here? I've warded this room." she asks, hand crossed.

I waved my hands in the air, "Magic. Where's Elijah?"

"At your service," he replied, stepping into the light, "How have you been. It looks as if you've recovered from you mishap from last."

I smiled at him, "I have, thank you. I'm here to take you home. Everyone's been on edge since you...were gone. Rebekah especially."

"Who are you?" Davina asked, head held up indignantly.

"Someone you don't want to mess with, sweetheart," I say dryly.

"I'm the one you don't want to mess with," she replied.

I chuckled, "You're body is just a storage room. All that power just clawing to come out. Don't tempt me with your ignorance."

"I don't like being threatened," Davina replies calmly.

"Neither do I," I shoot back, "But, I'm only telling the truth. You won't be able to handle the power you have."

She chuckles, glaring at me, "And you can?"

"Of course, "I reply, showing her just what I was capable of.

Elijah ran to her side, steadying Davina as she falls, the color slowly returned to her.

"You froze my blood," Davina acused.

"And I did it without sending my friends to the grave."

"I didn't kill them. The witches who sacrificed us did. They never told us they'd slit our throats. They told us we'd go to sleep, that our ancestors would bring us back. But they lied," Davina shouted back, face going red.

"Are you working for my brother?" Elijah asks warily, "What's your purpose for upsetting Davina?"

I shake my head, "I don't work with anyone. As to the latter of your question; she needs to know the truth. You vampires have been sheltering her from the truth."

The way Davina looked at the changed. She could now knows the truth of my words. The anger from her eyes faded.

"I know what it's like to be alone. The overload of power; as if its going to eat you alive," I tell her.

"And with my mother's grimoire..." Elijah starts bargaining with Davina.

I decided to stay after Elijah left.

"Why do you want the dagger?" Davina asks softly.

"Because I'm going to kill Nicklaus Mikaelson," I reply honestly, "he is the key to getting what I want."

"Aren't you staying with the Mikaelsons?" she asks, dangling the dagger in front of me.

I shrug, "Irrelevant. Are you going to give me the dagger or not?"

Davina paused for a moment before abruptly turning, "I can't. I need Elijah's help to control my powers. And he can't give me the grimoire is he's dead."

"I only want Klaus. Elijah is an honorable man, he'll keep his promise."

I return home to the Mikaelson manor with a silver stake stuck in the waistband of my pants.

The first thing I hear is Klaus, talking,"...will end up dead. I understand, it was stupid of me to kill the hunter but in case you haven't forgotten, this won't be my first time going through the Hunter's curse. Now, I suggest you leave and lock the door behind you for the next few days and keep Lex off this floor, much appreciated."

I stared down at the staircase dispearing into the basement where Klaus' voice was coming from.

Elijah was walks up, alone.

"What's happening? Why did Klaus kill a hunter? He's a hybrid -how can it effect him? Is that what I hear?" I ask.

Elijah nods.

"How can he be so stupid!" I fume.

Elijah stars back cooly, "He did it for you."

I became speachless.

"You had a run in with a vampire hunter a few days ago -correct?" he asks.

I nodd.

We stood there in silence as I fidget under his gaze.

"He cares for you. Quite a lot."

"I asked him not to kill the hunter," I protest, "he doesn't care about me anymore than getting his hands on Davina's powers."

"He could have just killed the hunter for being in New Orleans," Elijah allows sarcastically, "I'm sure he did not intervene with the hunter for your sake, nor did he give you his bloody so you'd be healed by this morning."

I remain silent.

"I thought so," he nods, "Please be careful with my brother. He may be cruel and unreasonable, but he can be quite protective and caring... and possessive and-"

"That's quite enough, Elijah!" a shout came from the basement and Klaus' angry steps got closer.

Elijah smiled, "You've been warned," before slowly retreating.

Klaus jumps the stairs, three at a time.

I laugh at his lopsided movements.

"And I thought you were suppose to be the sly one. I think Elijah has won this round of brotherly rivalry," I smile.

He smiled back, "I'd be happy to prove you wrong."

I raise a challenging brow.

He glances at his watch for a second before lunging playfuly for my waist.

"Because I've got the treasure," he whispers in my ear, And I intend to make you scream in pleasure," he rumbles, purring in my ear like a cat.

My spine shivers. In times like this, his voice was like poison and honey. Deadly, sweet, luring you into his trap.

"But late," he says, breaking my trance, pulling away from me. His cocky, crocked smile told me he hadn't missed my reaction.

"Don't come down though," he says tightly.

"Because of the hunter's curse," I mutter, "I'm sorry you have to go through it because of me."

"I don't regret it," he says, "Just promise to save me a dance."

I look up at him in confusion, "Save you a..."

His eyes tighten but his smile remains fixed, "I need to go darling. Just promise my you won't step anywhere near this floor. Or the Quarter."

"I'll do my best," I reply.

I could tell Klaus was opening his mouth to order me not to but he shut it las minute.

Sighing, "Willful little thing."

I smile as he walks down the stairs, my hands trembling as I finger the blade stuck in my waistband.

It wasn't the humidity that woke up but the iron-like hands gripping my wrists, pinning me to the bed.

I lay there, drowning in Klaus' heady scent of scotch and amber mixed with blood. He breathed heavily, unsteadily on top of me.

"Is the curse gone?" I ask.

Klaus growls and clamps down on my neck.

I scream immediately, trying to kick him off me.

The lights flash on blinding me.

The walls shake as Elijah and Rebekah pin Klaus against the wall.

"Get a hold of yourself Nick!" Rebekah orders, slamming him into the wall again.

"How did he get out?" I ask, gasping for breath.

Elijah's eyes scans me for damage, "He has a death wish and there wasn't anything in that room to harm him. Your guess is as good as any."

"Well come on, let's get you back," Rebekah says, briskly breaking off a leg of a chair.

"Wait!" I shout, rushing over just before Bekah slams it into Klaus heart.

"We need a way to transport him," Bekah says by way of explanation, "If he's left conscious he'll just going to be trying to kill himself or us. Hunter's Curse -remember."

"That'll hurt," I said plainly.

"Gee, I hadn't thought of that." Bekah replies.

I roll my eyes, "I have an easier way."

I step towards Klaus.

"Are your sure that wise?" Elijah warns.

"I'll be fine," I assure Elijah.

I lay a hand on Klaus' cheek, staring into his red eyes and vampiric face, fangs poised to strike.

"It's my turn to save you," I whisper to him, "Granted, it's from yourself but, it still counts."

It takes a bit the my magic eventually lulls him to sleep.

"We have ourselves a new vampire-whisper," Bekah says impressed, "Can you make him jump through hoops too?"

Elijah chuckles as he drags Klaus out of the room, "I'd bet our brother's more than willing to jump on his own."

"I'm going to stay with him," I say, plopping down in the sofa across from the bed where Klaus lay.

"I forbid it," Elijah says immediately.

My eyes narrow, "It's not yours to forbid."

"My brother doesn't value much besides his family and even then, its a day by day basis. Right now, he values your life. If he were to wake up from this knowing he killed you during his hallucinations it would plunge him into an even more monstrous side of him. I won't let that happen."

"I won't leave him while he's suffering. I have enough power to fend off Klaus. Though, I doubt I'll need it."

"Cocky, just like Klaus," Bekah says blandly, "Just leave her here Elijah. If something does happen, one less witch to worry about."

"I promise I won't die," I say to Elijah.

The next time I opened my eyes, the sun was shining through the curtains and I found myself back in my room. Above ground. Since we'd been stuck in a windowless basement I didn't know how many days Klaus and I spent underground. Elijah would occasionally bring some food and blood down for Klaus and I.

I don't think I'd ever be able to forget his screams. The curse tore through him in waves, some worse than others.

I was browsing the books when he woke again, slamming me into the shelves face first.

I felt the white-oak dagger being pulled from my waist.

"What's this?" Klaus' voice was unstable at best.

He was too focused on the thing. I stood, watching his expression turn from confusion to reluctance to acceptance.

He was still struggling, shaking his head; his mind telling him no but his body unconsciously pulling the stake into perfect alignment with his heart.

This was everything I'd been waiting for.

The stake wouldn't kill him but it would stun him long enough. Enough for me to utter my spell that would end his life.

I'd run from this house and never look back. The Mikaelsons wouldn't know until later today -maybe even a full twenty-four hours. I'd be free, from Ester, from the supernatural. I'd be an exceptionally mundane werewolf girl.

It came over me in a split second.

Klaus began muttering, "I wouldn't be alone in hell would I?" he says, staring at me and seeing someone else, "You'd be there, waiting for me, mother."

I placed a well-aimed kick to his wrist and the knife slid out of his grasp, to the other-side of the room.

I flung myself at the dagger, desperate to get to it before Klaus.

I hugged the dagger to me, looking back at a confused Klaus.

He snarled at me as I tried to approach, staring at each of my movements with a vicious hunger. If looks could burn.

"I'm so sorry, Klaus," I say in my calmest voice.

Just as I'm about to reach him, he pounces at me, throwing my weight back onto the bed, tearing at my throat.

I twist his weight off me with my legs, pulling myself off from the bed. I shoot my hand out to grip his neck, sending a shock of magic through him. He passes out just as the blood from my wound stops tingling.

"Coffee or tea?" I hear Klaus' gentle, accented voice ask.

I groan, turning my head away from the sunlight, intent on burying myself deeper into the covers.

I hear Klaus' deep chuckle before the sheets are pulled off mr.

"Tea for now. Thank you," I sigh, slowly pulling myself up.

"Good choice," he says, setting down a china cup in my hands, "Some chamomile to soothe away the days."

"It doesn't feel right," I comment, sipping my tea, "accepting tea from you. I should be the one offering. You're the one who's been through the Hunter's Curse."

His smile turns wicked as he sits beside me, "I'm also the one who tore you up."

My hand goes to my throat, finding only smooth flesh over a strengthening pulse.

"How many days has it been?"

"No more than a week."

"And you're okay? No more of the curse lingering?"

He snorts, "My biggest problem was you. You went back on your word to say to hell away from me."

"But aren't you glad I did?"

"Very," he replies, "but not about that. Thanks to you, I've discovered another problem."

Next thing I knew, I was bound in chains with a flickering yellow light swaying above me.


"She absorbed some of my pain, Elijah. I could feel it, as it coursed from my cells into hers. We've underestimated her."

"And what do you suppose we do?"

"Bide our time. She has formed an attachment to me -which isn't surprising. We exploit that."

"Exploit? Are you talking about the same girl you endured the Hunter's Curse for in order to avenge? The same Lex that your nursed back to health just two days ago? I don't believe a word your saying."

He sighs, "No, I don't quite believe it either."

"Give me a moment to talk to Lex. You're too emotionally involved."

"No, brother, I'm taking care of this myself," Klaus mutters, "I should have just left her to die."

"Klaus..."